The coronavirus pandemic has pushed people into a daily survival mentality where they can only think about dealing with the here and now. But Jo Withers, Managing Director of VTM Versatile Telephone Marketing Ltd, explains that however hard and all-consuming it can be to navigate the current climate, businesses need us to be brave enough to plan ahead.
The survival mindset focuses on taking every day as it comes.
But this moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day way of living which is championed for anyone anxious about the future, actually goes against the principles for successful business ownership.
Employers have to always think ahead. It’s vital in fact. It’s the reason for business plans and forecasting and staying ahead of sector changes, industry developments and your competitors.
And that hasn’t changed simply because of the global pandemic.
Of course, I understand that concrete planning is difficult right now. The situation we find ourselves in wasn’t something any of us “planned “ for after all and none of us know exactly how things will unfold.
But there are some things we can put in place to future-proof our businesses and one of these is building impactful marketing to ensure we still have a business pipeline.
Having a strong brand strategy will provide a distinct advantage throughout Q3/4 and beyond. However, the legwork must be put in now for businesses to reap the benefits later.
So how do we do this?
Firstly, do not hibernate. The businesses that will survive post-pandemic are the proactive ones who have chosen to use this time wisely.
Those people will be communicating with existing customers, checking in on them.
They will be asking their network – how are you? What are your plans? How can we support you?
That way they will stay memorable to those clients and maintain relationships to grow in future.
Secondly, they will also be looking at the wider market and thinking about where they might fit into this in the long run.
They will be asking – do we need to adapt? Do we need to contract or expand? Can we fill any market gaps? Do we need to train staff while we have an opportunity to?
This will mean that when the time is ripe, they will have skills, knowledge and a good understanding of the sector to take advantage of opportunities.
And thirdly, they will be generating new leads by being involved in the wider conversation.
They will be telling new prospects who they are, what they can do, how they can do it.
The bottom line is that this storm will pass – but the landscape won’t look the same.
People will continue to look to brands to inform and engage and that’s how you can successfully navigate this new world – by being aware of how your community, your clients and your suppliers have changed and delivering content that shows true consideration for the consumer.
