Investing in your company’s reputation and goodwill can pay dividends.
I’ve been inundated by messages from companies, and they go something like this: “We’re here to help in these trying times. As our way of giving back, we are now offering huge discounts on our brand-new widgets.” Translation: “I’m acknowledging it may be inconvenient for you, but I really need to sell these widgets.”
How we talk to customers is important, but it has to come from a place of listening and understanding our customers, not from a place of trying to get customers to understand what we’re offering.
Face it: Unless you’re selling Lysol, Netflix or toilet paper, your business is going to suffer, regardless of what you do. And, if you look at this crisis as some kind of “selling” opportunity, you will be disappointed and, possibly, called out. Some businesses – maybe your business – won’t make it. It’s not your fault. Life isn’t fair.
But, if you can financially ride this out and forget about the short term, consider how you can invest in your company’s long-term prospects. I’m not talking about a financial investment; I’m talking about your business’s reputation, goodwill and standing in the community, all of which are on display each time you communicate with your customers. I’m talking about investing in the soul of your company.
We all have gifts, talents and resources that could be put to use. Think about the services you usually sell and the skillsets you have and how you can apply those to the greater good without regard to being financially compensated.
Do you have a restaurant that is barely making it because everyone’s staying home and cooking? You or someone you employ knows how to cook. Post a video of you or your chef in the kitchen, showing people how to make a few restaurant-quality meals in their home with simple ingredients. I’d watch that, and I’d remember that this restaurant owner understood I couldn’t patronize him, but he did what he could to help me out.
Do you have an IT company, but business has fallen off a cliff? How can you help families whose children are out of school and don’t have computers to keep up with their studies? I’m not suggesting you should give them computers, but maybe you’re the right person to raise awareness about the problem and start a movement to get other businesses and individuals to donate old computers.
Ultimately, your payment is the good reputation you build and the appreciation of people you help. Down the line, when things are back to “normal,” you will be in a better position to rebuild than those who looked at this crisis as a short-term business opportunity to sell widgets.
Mark Lambert
3/18/2020
225-937-8113