As the virus reaches its peak, we’ve all started to recognise this working environment as the “new normal”. Kavita Singh shares tips to bring seamless communication to your customers.
When communicating with customers, marketers have taken off their strategy hats and replaced them with compassion, empathy and trust. While it might’ve been tempting to hit the panic button, everyone took a pause, took a step back and brought empathy to their marketing agendas.
Here are some ways marketers can further communicate with their customers as businesses form a more concrete recovery plan.
Bring normalcy…along with empathy
As these uncertain times continue, it’s essential that marketers keep empathy in mind while returning to normalcy.
Sitecore CMO Paige O’Neill said: “Any statements that sound like a company is trying to capitalise on the current circumstances, even inadvertently, will come across as distasteful. Instead, the focus should be on informing and reassuring customers about how business is operating, what is changing and how they will continue to be supported.”
Frequent communication will still be necessary to keep customers well-informed. However, once the tide of panic has passed, it is important for brands to bring a sense of normalcy as a distraction, provided that empathy is always present.
She said: “While some people are ready to focus on the future, and what needs to be done as we move beyond this pandemic, businesses can also share content, which is unrelated to current events – if they have reviewed and modified it with a new lens of what is happening in the world, holding themselves to even higher communications standards than usual when doing so.”
This includes when your business launches a new product or appoints a department head. As long as it has been approached with the mindset of our new working environment, then sharing content, news and launches are perfectly acceptable distractions.
Bring the digital ‘grace’ period
Everything went digital seemingly overnight. Meetings turned into Zoom calls. Trips to people’s desks have transitioned into conversations over Slack. With the new digital environment in place, allow your customers to adjust and understand they may need time to transition. As a result, be sure to include a support line or a contact for customers to reach if they need that help adjusting to the new digital framework.
Paige mentions that Lloyds Bank is set to give thousands of tablets and basic digital skills training to over-70s who may not have previously had access to the internet to ensure they are able to stay connected.
On the flip side, if your company needs a grace period too, it’s fine to share that it’s a new experience for both you and your customer. You can put a positive spin by reiterating that ‘we’ will get through this time and adjust.
However, once that grace period is over, it’ll be time for your company to embrace the digital transformation mindset.
Louis Jonckheere, cofounder and chief product officer at Showpad feels that selling will inevitably become a ‘digital by default’ business environment, but he encourages marketers to embrace this time as much as possible.
He said: “Buyers will be less tolerant of sellers who aren’t digitally savvy. If you didn’t grow up with technology, becoming fluent must be your number one priority right now, especially since buyers are increasingly digital themselves.”
Bring thought leadership
If there’s one thing the coronavirus has brought, it’s the core values of B2B companies. All of the sudden, departments are breaking down silos, evaluating their marketing messages and dissecting the fundamental glue of what holds their company together.
Thought leaders will come in key play here. At Amito, the company has placed a focus on thought leadership as a way to support customers, giving them the guidance they might need during this time.
Liz Hayward, marketing manager at Amito, said: “There’s a huge appetite for learning as customers look to navigate decision-making but this needs to be balanced with potential overload. People connect with people, so putting our leadership team out there, providing consistent, sought-after information has helped us strengthen relationships, when we can’t connect through events and in-person marketing.”
Bring trust and credibility
Right now is not the time to be bringing the ‘next big thing’. While distractions are certainly welcome, the foundation of your customer loyalty is far superior. Because it is uncertain when exactly businesses will return to normalcy, you’ll need to focus on the long term impact. Make sure you’re not ignoring existing customers by going for the ‘quick wins.’ In fact, use your customers to support one another.
Liz said:“ At Amito, we are leaning into our customer relationships to support each other across our mutual networks by highlighting customer stories, creating a platform for valuable dialogue and collaborating on insightful, useful content.”
Remember that word of mouth is still a powerful tool to be used to bring human connection, something that seems more important now more than ever.
Gabriela Warren, senior director marketing at Highspot reiterated the same sentiment and said: “Every customer’s situation is different – some companies are thriving, others are languishing. Being targeted and thoughtful is paramount – and this begins with listening. Organise peer-to-peer virtual networking events, facilitate free learning opportunities, run ‘pulse’ surveys, and then use these insights to inform your approach. Finally, ensure you have analytics on what’s working and what’s not, as data enables agile marketing amidst uncertainty.”
