associationFOCUS | Volume 8, Issue 1

A t this writing, the coronavirus pandemic continues in full swing, multi-trillion dollar relief packages are en route from our federal lawmakers, and small businesses from Maine to Malibu are hunkered down, feverishly working to balance safety and service for their customers, co-workers and community. Not exactly another day at the office. Thankfully, common sense — that increasingly rare element of human nature — is richly embedded in the small business owner’s DNA and it helps to chase the shadows of uncertainty during times like these. Few decision-shaping algorithms have ever trumped common sense. But for those searching for more programmatic practices to help sustain both safety and service during times of crisis, here are some recommendations from our marketing professionals. Keep Your Communications Plan Framed but Flexible Painful as it may be, the coronavirus experience has delivered some valuable lessons for America’s small business operators. Not the least of which is to have a well-framed emergency communications strategy in place and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Understand that no plan will be perfect. All require on-the-fly content adaptations to address ever- changing news, policies and crisis circumstances. So stay flexible on the messaging. But it is vital to have the core framework, tools and technology ready to roll out rapidly. Be trigger-ready. Time Is Trust We all saw how fast this COVID-19 crisis blew up. When the crud is flying at the fan, there’s no time for the usual meetings and rounds of approvals prior to production and dispatch. Being one of the first out there in the market with a meaningful message also serves to keep you first in minds and hearts … not to mention in future decisions on consumer spending preferences. Whether your market has a multimillion population or a handful of hamlets, it’s still a neigh - borhood. Neighbors talk (especially with today’s social media channels) and have strong memories. They don’t quickly forget about the caring words, advice and perhaps some financial latitude offered promptly by a foul-weather friend. Time may be money when the sun is shining, but in a crisis: time is trust. Showcase Your ONLINE Products Nobody likes a business that exploits emergency situ- ations. But let’s face it, during times of homebound isolation, you can make a lot of local lives better if more customers (and prospects) had your online sales services at their fingertips. So don’t be shy about marketing services. In your communications — traditional print and broad - cast, or tightly-targeted digital media — frame the appeal by the fact that, “You finally have enough time to learn how easy it is to shop online with us ... so let’s do it!” Clinging to paper transactions is often motivated by fear of change. Even the biggest technophobes will see the wisdom of 24/7 access once they get past their underlying apprehensions and give it a shot. To mollify resistance points, stress the fact that it’s easier than many folks initially thought, given your simple step-by-step sign-on pathway — there’s no rush, no “timing out” and no chance of personal embarrassment. To convey the ease of your online inventory review, inquiry process and phone connections to a knowledgeable, empow - ered sales rep, do a simple video that shows them the step-by-step process. Hopefully, you have such a process and it is streamlined without any of the “gotchas” that red-flag online visitors quickly. Online visitors are TVcentric to begin with, so don’t ignore video power. It doesn’t have to be a Francis Ford Coppola production. Just a straight - forward three or four step walk-through of your online experience. Scroll a number at the bottom of the screen that they can call (during regular busi- ness hours) for friendly human help from your own online advocate. If you don’t have one, get one … even if it’s you. A little handholding is an incredibly powerful opportunity to start a conversation and customer relationships. Blanket Online Security Concerns, Especially During Times of Unrest Security is another resistance point for the non-on- line set, especially during times of social unrest. Address this head-on with a one-sided handout sheet and identical web page. Content should center on bulleted points that hammer home the fact that your online service is built with best-in- industry security technology: local services and world-class security. Even if your front-end web presentation is basic, most businesses have strong backends from larger organizations with multiple firewalls, particularly for transactional function - ality. Adapt some of their super security techno facts to this purpose. If you need help shaping up this message, get outside marketing professionals on the project. You will be asked about security. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 association FOCUS | 15