Marketing Post COVID

This is a question plaguing all companies and it requires rethinking your pre-COVID sales strategy. 

It is an odd feeling to no longer shake hands when you great a client.  It leaves each party with an awkward pause and a shoulder shrug with a hope that soon “normal” will return.

Not to mention the tension when both parties are wearing masks and you cannot read each other’s facial expressions.  All of this is, of course, assuming that you are meeting in person.  Most meetings are now being held by conference call or a video conferencing software.

So many things have changed in the last 4 months.  Now is the time to reevaluate your sales and marketing strategy.

Value Propositions

Consider the high possibility that your clients’ priorities have drastically changed in the last few months. The value you provided yesterday may be irrelevant and how you message your value likely needs to be tweaked.

Let’s take just-in-time inventory as an example.  Everyone wanted inventory levels as low as possible and may have even had single source supplying.  Now, people are scrambling for items and want dual source suppliers; not to mention domestic sourcing whenever possible.  How does this change your sales and marketing approach?

Create Content That Supports Your Clients

As the COVID-19 outbreak unraveled, leaders everywhere began making rapid decisions with little data. Writing new policies and procedures for working remotely and visitors gaining access to our building became a full-time job. Leaders were working to ensure all their personnel were safe by enforcing health guidelines above the normal OSHA protocols. Through all of this, no one had the mental capacity to learn anything new beyond what our response to COVID was teaching us. In an attempt to offer my support to the community and other businesses , I shared content that was helpful about how we were dealing with all the changes and trying to support our community at the same time.

I also posted projects that were currently in process letting everyone know we were continuing to manufacture and support other manufacturers with parts and service they needed to maintain their operations. Made in America is more important now than pre-COVID. How have you changed the conversation you are having with your clients through your marketing content?

Collaborate, Don’t Pitch

Dealing with the operational and human resource challenges created by COVID left me with no patience for anyone trying to “sell” me a product or service.  Our client communications let them know that we were open for business if they had a need.