Preparing Your Business to Recover Quickly When the Storm Passes

While a quarantine and shelter-in-place orders have most of us locked down, many local restaurants and businesses that serve food have shifted to pick-up and delivery to survive.

I applaud and support all of these hard-working and entrepreneurial people who are doing everything they can to cope with a tremendously difficult situation.

Seeing people support local businesses in this time of need, and watching local business owners and leaders give back, is a bright spot in an otherwise stormy horizon.

When the storm breaks and the cloud of quarantine are lifted every business impacted by this pandemic will run to re-open for business as usual. Or at least the new normal that will likely include continued social distancing practices and extra precautions for safety.

As business begins to return to normal I'd like to offer some advice - use that time to thank and show gratitude to your community and customers. A few ideas to consider:

Run a "Thank You" Promotion and Campaign.

A colleague shared a story with me about a Mexican restaurant that opened in her small community just before the crisis. For a couple of weeks, the owners were simply shut down and afraid their business wasn't going to make it.

They re-oriented their dine-in business quickly to begin serving customers through curbside pick-up and delivery. And the response from the community has been very positive.

When the crisis ends this restaurant will depend on people coming back to continue supporting them. But so will many others. Which means there will be a lot of competition to get customers back. My advice, don't wait for them to come back - invite them to an event.

If the restaurant owner here recognizes and prepares properly they can (and should) run a "Thank You" promotion and campaign to invite people back.

A "we thank you for your support" event, with say Margharita hour or free appetizers, would be a genuine way to show gratitude to the community. It's also an attractive invitation to customers who will be eager to get out of the house again.

Such a message would display real authenticity. And in my opinion, it would stand apart from the avalanche of brand advertising that is going to hit the market when the crisis ends.

Establish a Loyalty and Rewards Program

Once customers begin to come back, don't take them for granted anymore. Every order, every meal is a transaction, but behind that transaction is a person. Make sure you know who they are and how you can reach them directly in the future.

This crisis has shown just how dependent so many businesses are on foot traffic. What if another crisis comes along? Will you be prepared to keep in touch with your customers? Or have to sit bye again and wait for the storm to pass.

Whether you're a restaurant, a grocery store, a coffee shop, a clothing store, a bar or another type of business that depends on customer traffic, your future depends on knowing who your customers are and how to engage them directly.

When shoppers and customers start coming back, ask them to share their contact information with you. Better yet, incent them to share their email, address and mobile phone number.

Imagine right now how valuable it would be if you were able to email, mail, text or call the majority of your customers. Sending them messages and offers to ask for their support.

A lot of businesses offer sign-ups for e-newsletters and special offers. But frankly, few of their customers enroll because people don't want to get spammed every week. In fact, research shows that 3 out of 4 consumers find e-mail newsletters annoying.

Here's the trick, don't use people's email and contact information selfishly. That is, don't continuously send them deals and offers just to buy your products and services.

Instead, understand and recognize that people will be happy to share their contact information with you IF you use it responsibly and serve them well. What do I mean?

A reward or thank you that you send to a customer shows appreciation. An invitation to a special or exclusive event also demonstrates that a customer is important to you. These are responsible and unselfish ways to communicate with customers.

Other ways to demonstrate to customers that you are committed to serving them (and not just selling to them) could be:

• An act of kindness or compassion, such as a Happy Birthday wish or a personal note from a staff member.
• Asking for feedback, for example, a post-purchase survey "how did we do?"
• Requesting a referral, e.g. refer a family member, friend or coworker to us and get a reward for both you and them.

If customers and consumers are reluctant to share personal information with your business or sign-up to receive future messages, chances are they are afraid you're going to send them annoying and selfish appeals. Don't. Instead explain how you plan to serve them.

Look Beyond the Storm

The lesson for all of us to learn while we hunker down and get through this storm is that people matter. Community matters.

I know that marketing may be the last thing on the mind of many small business owners right now, and for good reason.

But when you strip away all the hype and complexity from marketing, what it's really about is communicating with people.

Now is the time to refocus and prepare how your business can better communicate with consumers and customers once the storm passes. Those that do will position themselves to recover quickly. They may also find brighter days ahead.

If you're a business owner or business leader who appreciates practical ideas, I invite you to share this post. And read "Authenticity: Building a Brand in an Insincere Age."

Have a specific marketing question or concern about your business you'd like to discuss, I'd be happy to provide a free consultation.

#Marketing #SmallBusiness #Leadership #COVD19 #Authenticity