Would someone please queue up the Mike Schenker voiceover track of “In these uncertain times…”? Thanks.
I fear that, if you were to read this column several months after it’s been written, it’s still going to be relevant. I hope that we’ll be able to refer to this stupid pandemic in terms of months lost, and not years. You know me: I’m no Pollyanna, but I have to try to convince myself (and maybe, in turn, you) that we’ll get past this and thrive. I have to. If I don’t, then why bother?
Sadly, I’ve known too many people who have just thrown their hands up and decided to just get fat, watch TV, and wait for the world to re-boot. If that’s not you, it’s your competition. The key now is to stay present.
The question becomes how to remain in your customers’ face without being a vulture. Yeah…there’s some fresh meat out there, but those targets know when they’re being coveted, played, and especially romanced. Instead of being just a vendor, have you considered being their partner?
Sure…your business has struggled since this nonsense began. So has your clients’. The last thing on the collective minds might very well ordering imprinted whatevers…maybe the key is to not sell product.
If you’re targeting existing accounts, you should already have a good understanding about who they are, who their customers are, and what they do. Do some research. Share info. Don’t sell. Let them know you saw an article about their industry…as it pertains to this crisis or not…and that you thought it might be of some interest to them. Let them know you think of them not as a customer but as a colleague.
Find out how you can help them. Maybe it does involve promotional merchandise. As I suggested in a previous column, with so many people now working from home, they may have lost the team spirit. This is where some logoed products can come into play. Remember my idea about having everyone in some sort of uniform for those Zoom-like calls?
To that end, you and your business need to adapt to the new way of working. You’re not going out to see customers (I’ll qualify that with “as often”). Try inviting your accounts to participate in your own marketing. Let them contribute to your blog (or newsletter, if you’re older than I).
I can not speak from experience, so I don’t know just how effective online cocktail parties or social events are. They appear to be silly enough. What’s the worst that could happen?
Yes…sometimes the jokes just write themselves.
In that this periodical stopped being an actual printed magazine a long time ago, you have no choice to read it online (aside from having a choice of not reading it at all, but since you’ve made it this far, let’s assume you’re here under your own volition). You logged onto this site and were immediately asked if you give a damn about the “cookies” policy. Has anyone ever actually clicked on the option requesting more information? Nevertheless, it’s always on just about every website on which you click. Maybe you should also add a tab or option for sharing how your company is reacting to current events.
Taking politics out of this (much to the delight of the publisher), I know that Home Depot, for one, provides the option of letting customers know how they’re handling both the pandemic and the racial unrest that delivered a one-two punch to our country. What are you sharing?
Recognizing that I might not be the most tech-savvy person out there, I will share (see how easy it is?) something I read, from a techie marketer. Andrew Walker, CEO of Shift7 Digital, suggests ““First, an overall theme to your strategy: KEEP GOING! Moving your brand even more online will keep you connected to your customers and enable a unified customer experience. Three key areas to focus on: your story, website and data. Second, revisit your current content marketing and keyword strategy. Leverage keyword research and social listening tools for topics that provide insight into specific information they are seeking. Check your PPC, too. Keywords targeted yesterday may not be the most relevant today, as search volume and term trends could be fluctuating”.” All this keyword and SEO stuff is beyond my comprehension, but I do embrace the concept of staying current.
Because I know how you people think, let’s circle back to product. Like it or not, masks are going to be around for a quite a while. Might as well embrace them as a marketing tool. The Trophy Wife and I actually received two in the mail from our financial planner. I will use it at some point, I imagine. I actually prefer the one I bought. Yes friends…I paid retail.
Look…business has changed. Forever. Are you changing, too? It’s time to accept the fact that some of your accounts are gone for good, while others are presenting new and different opportunities…some you never could have imagined when the calendar page turned to 2020. You’ve had to adapt the ways you work…so have your clients. Work with them…you can get through this together.
Mike Schenker, MAS, is “all that” at Mike Schenker, Consulting, where he assists businesses entering the promotional products industry, mentors professionals, and offers association management. He is a promotional industry veteran and member of the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Hall of Fame. He can be reached at mike@mikeschenker.com.