You Need to Reach Out

You Need to Reach Out. Don’t Withdraw!

Things are so uncertain right now. You may need to “stay home,” but that doesn’t mean you have to stop marketing your business.

I understand the tendency to pull back or slip into neutral when crises occur … to wait and see how things shake out before moving forward or at least looking forward.

It’s a good thing for all of us GE wasn’t thinking that way back during the panic of 1873 when they launched their business, or I might be writing this by candlelight.

HP got its start in 1939, during the Great Depression. Microsoft was founded in 1975, a year when the economy was deeply in the tank!

Don’t let worries about the pandemic and the economy stop you from marketing your services. Just adapt to the changing times and do it differently.

An insight from advertising man, Dave Chase:

“Those companies that not only survived but thrived during the Great Depression were those that continued to act as though there were nothing wrong and the public had money to spend.”

I remember when the economy tanked in 2008.

It’s so easy for us to buy into the times are tough, better hunker down story and act as if something’s wrong and people have no money to spend. But I refused to listen to that chatter.

The most important thing I did in 2008 was make an unwavering decision not to watch the news … to manage my mindset consistently and, at the same time, continue to market my business.

Last week, I looked back at my QuickBooks records, and in 2008 my business grew significantly! Think about that. I enjoyed a 19% increase in profit in one of the worst years for “the economy.”

The most important thing you can do right now is manage your mindset. If that’s what you need most, look at our last newsletter on worry.

If you need more practical advice to get you going, consider the following …

If your business is new, use this time to get on a solid foundation. Do you have a clear target market? Can you articulate what benefits you provide in a compelling way? Most business owners can’t. Set yourself apart.

Or maybe it’s time to get that website knocked out or revamp your current website, LinkedIn profile, or other collateral pieces.

That said, please don’t concentrate on online strategies. They’re low touch and largely ineffective. And please don’t send me an insipid post or Tweet!

Instead, concentrate on the high touch, high impact, more personal marketing strategies that create a real connection with folks.

Marketing is all about the quality of the conversations you have with current clients, past clients, strategic alliance partners and potential ones.

Ask yourself … “Why would I not continue to have conversations now … even if they’re virtual ones?”

One of my clients is using this opportunity to launch a brand-new webinar series. She’s got the time to learn about webinar platforms, email marketing, autoresponders, etc. And she’s taking it all on with gusto!

My Speaking and Tour Manager, who’s been making cold calls to book my speaking gigs for the last five years, is finding people are MORE receptive to talking to him now! That surprised even me. But people are more likely to pick up the phone right now. They’re home and feeling somewhat disconnected. They WANT to talk.

And, he’s booked two online presentations for me later this year since this started.

Everyone in the world is sharing a common experience. They need and want to talk about it with someone who’s genuinely interested in them. You don’t have to search for commonality. Simply start by asking how they are.

A famous quote by Maya Angelou says it all.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Take the time to reach out and really connect with people … in and out of your network. They’ll remember you for it.

And, you’ll feel better for it!

Best wishes,

Denise

P.S. I got two new clients this week, so don’t tell me it can’t be done!

Next month we’re going to look at the critical things you need to do to turn your live events virtual … so your online presentations are dynamic and compelling!

###

If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter