Tag Archives: COVID-19

Predicting the Future

“New Normal” is the new catchphrase these days, but what will the “new normal” look and sound like?

 

If you have stepped up your reading game in the past five weeks, you have seen and read all the new predictions. They are a dime a dozen. Restaurants will have far fewer tables, working from home (WFH) will be the all-new rage, video meetings will overtake in-person meetings, the elbow bump will be the new handshake, virtual events will replace conferences, trade shows, and seminars, and shopping aisles will be one-way traffic from now until grocery stores don’t exist. What! No more grocery stores? Yep, that too! The world is going all BOPUS! (Buy Online Pick Up at Store) …and that is only the tip of the “new normal” iceberg!

 

My prediction for the near future is that business will be pretty much the same as it was before we ever heard of Coronavirus, COVID-19, or Dr. Fauci.

 

Being a media rep in the “new normal” advertising world is not going to change that much either. Business owners are still going to want two things from you: 1) to know that you care about their success, and 2) IDEAS to help them grow their business.

 

TOMA and Brand Awareness will still rule the day. Share of Voice will still = Share of Mind, and Share of Mind will continue to = Share of Market. Strategy wins, and great copy and production will generate great results.

 

It appears the curve is moving in the right direction, and with continued prayer and a little luck, things will get back to normal sooner than expected.

 

In the meantime, I only have a few predictions: 1) there will be church on Sunday 2) the stock market will continue to go up and down (Buy Low – Sell High) 3) face masks will only be a fad and 4) shaking hands will return as our go-to greeting. We will see!

 

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

– Yogi Berra

Stay Safe – Stay Healthy – Stay Strong!

It Isn’t Over…But We’re Getting Closer!

Just the sound of those words is refreshing, exciting, motivating, uplifting and energizing! And the good news is, the words are true! Regardless of how much longer this lasts, we are closer to the end than we were four weeks ago when the title of our ENS on Sales was, What You Say and Do Now, Will Determine the Future.

We’re not suggesting that since we are closer to the end that things are going to get easier. The battle continues, the message is the same, what you say and do now WILL determine your future. The coming weeks will be every bit as important as the last four.

With every passing day, business owners are weighing their options and making hard decisions. The worst thing you can do, is not do anything! Have you been in contact with all your clients? EVERY single one of them?

I think we can all agree, these are hard conversations to have. The most common fear is that if you call them, it will give them the opportunity to cancel! While that is very true, you would much rather be a part of that conversation than to simply receive a phone call, or worse yet, the dreaded email that says, “Cancel all my advertising!”

If you’re struggling to come up with appropriate things to do or say, here are a few suggestions:

1)   A simple phone call to say, “Hi, I’m just checking in to see how you, your family and your team are doing?” Some experts suggest this is too cliché. I disagree. To quote the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”. Show them you care!

2)   Send articles related to their industry and how others are adjusting.

3)   Send a “thinking of you” card through the mail with a short note and a quote, such as:

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope”. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

4)   Share motivational or educational videos that they might be able to share with their employees. Keeping everyone as positive as possible is extremely important. (Sample – “The Happy Secret to Better Work“)

5)   If your stations are doing something to support the community, make them aware of it. It’s O.K. to promote the positives and show how your stations are helping.

6)   Share with them what you are doing during this downtime, i.e. videos you are watching, books you are reading. It’s a chance to promote yourself and show that you are striving to get better. If you’re comfortable with it, show them some fun things you and your family are doing. Be real!

7) Keep the conversations real but hopeful. Don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything you can do to help them. Tell them you are thinking about their business and ideas that can help when business is back to normal. Start planning for post COVID-19.

Staying proactive with your clients (and prospects) will pay huge dividends when this all ends. Show them you care!

We are closer to the end than we have ever been, and tomorrow we will be even closer yet.

Stay Safe – Stay Healthy – Stay Strong!