​Adjustment in crisis time – don’t “just” be part of the noise

Authored by: Stephné du Toit, Content Manager, at At That Point

I am a person that thrives on planning. It gives me certainty and structure, and most importantly, it keeps my crazy, creative, busy mind in order. Needless to say, it hits hard when you suddenly have to adjust all your plans, both in your work-life, as well as on a personal level.

Undoubtedly, the past few weeks have brought on a tornado of adjustments, not only for our company and clients, but for most of the world!

This has resulted in the challenge of figuring out how to manage adjusting plans with regards to communicating with clients, as well as clients’ communication with their customers in this current overly noisy environment.
Here are a few pointers:

Social
According to online marketplace IZEA’s latest study, 66% of social media users believe their social media usage habits will increase significantly while confined to their homes. More people are getting accustomed to getting their information online, from news to “how to’s”, as well as catching up with friends and family. Take a moment to note the progression of online engagement trends like these and consider how they can be used to tailor your offerings according to your clients’ requirements. 

Your main focus should not be to profit from the COVID-19 crisis, but rather how you can add value in terms of the services you offer to your clients. Post older free resources from your website, ask them business related questions or do a poll to gather information for your company’s research projects.

Webinars
Should all your training and communication lock down? Absolutely not! This is the best time to pause and investigate the best ways to still meet “face-to-face” with customers. Zoom meetings are currently our go-to. Not only do we attend trainings online, we also have daily meetings with clients and our own team. Here are ten tips on how to use the Zoom app better to work, learn and communicate with others virtually https://zapier.com/blog/zoom-tips/

Email
Chances are that most of your customers are currently being swamped by crisis emails. As we all respond differently to a crisis, it is extremely important to take note of the following:

• Should you comment on the crisis and will this affect how your customers make use of your services?
• What tone do you use in communication with customers? Do you take the “tone deaf” approach, are you jumping on the bandwagon, or are you striking a balance between the two?
• Is the message and information just repetition of all the other messages going around on the Internet, or does it truly give value to your customers?
• We all have various priorities in a time of crisis. So although you must continue communicating with your customers, keep in mind that some of your messages might not fall within their “crisis-priority” mindset.

Website
Make buttons and quick links to communication visible on the front page, to allow for easy access for clients. Also update your FAQ section regularly with questions customers might have regarding your services or products.  Add value, by giving customers something back. Provide them with something to read or learn and refer to older free publications, papers and training material. Keep them updated, informed and busy for time being.

Thought leadership
You might be a company that does not have something profound to communicate during this current news cycle, but this is nothing to worry about. Use this time to meet with your communication team to anticipate and plan for the post-crisis news cycle. Identify where you can showcase your organisation’s thought leadership.
 
Form a “think tank”, get creative and brainstorm the potential long-term impact that this crisis might have on how your business is going to evolve, how corporate culture will evolve and how future business will be conducted.
Lastly, as we all are facing new frontiers with a myriad of uncertainties, let’s stay opportunistic and see this as a time to start thinking outside the “business as usual” box that we are so accustomed to.