Our Brave New World

Please accept the reference here to one of my favorite books - I just couldn't resist.

In the last two weeks we have spoken to so many small business owners and it has been humbling, challenging and inspiring all at the same time.

We have tried really hard to listen to all the challenges that we have heard and we have talked endlessly about ways in which we can support with these challenges.

These are just a few of the things that we have been advising people to do today to be sure that they are on top of the changes:

·        Call every one of your active clients:

So many of the sales people I have spoken to have been nervous to call their client database in case they hear bad news about their sales opportunities. I am reminding everyone to change their focus now and to call with genuine sincerity about your colleagues, prospects and clients. Business is changing for us all, understanding the impact that your contacts have experienced will help you connect to them, add value to them and simply empathise. 

You may no longer have a chance to close a deal but you do have a chance to nurture a relationship so pick up the phone.

·        Review every proposal you have sent:

Whatever the situation with your clients business you can bet that their business world is not the same as when you sent that proposal 3 weeks ago. The worst crime you can commit is to assume that you know what their response will be.  We have found that every one of our clients has been impacted in very different ways and every conversation has been valuable so follow up every piece of work and have an honest conversation.

·        Explore new markets:

The businesses I am speaking too who are innovating quickly are the ones that are showing the best signs of success. I know that for many of our clients their key target market is shrinking but that doesn’t have to mean that their business is shrinking – start brain storming – start thinking about the ways in which you can serve new markets in a valuable way and you will see returns.

·        Maximise your connections:

Building really strong relationships takes an investment of time but really powerful collaborations can be the difference between success and failure. Think about the people in your network who you respect, think about those businesses that share a target market with you. How can you engage and align better with them, joint webinars, shared content or a really valuable podcast can be a way of really engaging with your joint audiences and building credibility.

·        Be present online:

This one goes without saying – it’s the only thing connecting us to the world but now more than every those people who are maximising online resources will thrive. We have all been forced into the world of video conferencing. You can read about our experience of that in our next blog.  The real results will come when we become more and more proficient at engaging online.  Webinars, live Q and As, customer forums, online workshops these will all add real value. Take a look at people like Daniel Disney are up to for great ideas about this.

·        Investigate new technology:

We have spent much of this week taking in demonstrations of online tools, we have trained with Zoom, Refract, Otter and many more to find ways of communicating more effectively and converting our services to quality online offerings. What software does your business need to move with these times? 

In changing times it is easy to feel overwhelmed (I have almost daily) and it is easy to lose focus but now more than ever stay connected, keep innovating and embrace the new.

#keepgrowing