This is a scary time for business owners: Customers are cancelling orders and markets are drying up, but you still have a business to run.
The coronavirus has disrupted everything.
The natural response might be to hunker down and try to ride it out. That won’t work! You need new customers, revenue and cash flow, now!
The best defense to the coronavirus crisis is a strong marketing offense.
Coronavirus Shifted Every Business
The past 2 weeks have been some of the most intense of my career.
The first few days of the pandemic were focused on crisis communication. I was working with clients to create announcements and adjust their marketing communications to deal with the coronavirus.
By Tuesday and Wednesday (March 17 and 18), the severity of the situation was becoming apparent. The work quickly pivoted to the much bigger question, “How does my business survive COVID-19?”
What’s Your COVID-19 Marketing Strategy?
At Sticky Branding, Sarah and I are more energized and focused than ever, because we are helping business owners navigate this crisis by finding new sources of revenue and cash.
The surge of client demand forced us to step back and realize the world needs our expertise more than ever. Within days we adjusted our entire approach to create a new category of strategy, Crisis Marketing.
We are working with companies of all sizes to change their business strategies to secure new sources of revenue and clients.
Crisis Marketing empowers you to take control of your sales by being fast, proactive and helpful:
- Who needs your company and its expertise the most right now?
- What products or services can you deliver to solve real problems that are valued?
- How can you proactively sell and deliver your services to the people with the most need?
My philosophy is you can’t sit on the sidelines in a crisis. You’ve gotta get out there to sell, deliver and validate these markets.
The companies that are the most proactive right now have the most opportunities for success in this very challenging economy.
How to Win in a Recession
As the coronavirus ravages stock markets and the economy, you need fast, aggressive marketing strategies to find new customers, revenue and cash.
Your market is contracting, but that doesn’t mean your business has to be put into jeopardy. The key to winning (or even surviving) in a recession is dependent on your company’s speed and ability to generate cash.
Recessions are something I am acutely aware of. My family’s business was a recruiting agency, and our business would go up and down with the economy. I can tell you in vivid detail what every recession, starting with 1989, was like, because they affected me, my family and our business.
In this journey, I learned you don’t have to lose in a downturn. (And this has been a key message that I’ve come back to again and again over the past week.)
In the Great Recession of 2008-2009, LEAPJob (my family’s business) did not have any slippage in sales. And that was because of our marketing strategy and our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape.
If you can rapidly adjust your business strategy to find new sources of revenue and clients, you can navigate this crisis.
The World Needs You!
You won’t survive this crisis if you are perceived as opportunistic and icky. But you will thrive by being truly helpful.
Your customers need you and your company more than ever.
The coronavirus is a shared experience. We’re all in it together. Every person and every company, globally, is fighting to survive this pandemic — both for our health and businesses.
This is where the three questions of Crisis Marketing are so important:
- Who needs your company and its expertise the most right now?
- What products or services can you deliver to solve real problems that are valued?
- How can you proactively sell and deliver your services to the people with the most need?
The way to pivot your business and find new sources of revenue is by being open-minded, generous and creative. There is so much need in the world right now — in every area. Your company has an opportunity to be of service.
I believe this is our moment to rise to serve a need.
Where can you and your team make an impact? When you identify a need, go after it. This isn’t opportunistic. This is making sure your company steps up, creates value, and delivers products and services to those in need.
The Companies That Act Will Earn a Competitive Advantage
Crisis Marketing is focused on the present and what you need to do right now to navigate your business through the crisis. But it has a bigger vision.
All crises end. What will your business look like at the other side of the pandemic?
The work you do right now can be transformative and set your company up for a significant competitive advantage. We don’t know when it will end, but you can act now to shape the future of your business.
What you do right now matters. Take control of your sales by being fast, proactive and helpful.
We’re Here. Let’s Talk!
Do you need a strategy to overcome the coronavirus crisis? Let’s talk. You can call me directly at 416.479.4403 or fill out the form on the Crisis Marketing page.
In a crisis, speed is everything. If you have a question. If you need help. Reach out. I will respond to you ASAP.
