Reconnect with customers as we ease out of pandemic restrictions

As we slide into summer, we are also—hopefully—easing out of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is time to reconnect with customers and maybe to rethink your marketing strategies.

Check in with flexibility and empathy

Business has changed dramatically over the past few months—no matter what services or products a company delivers. Even those firms that were open during the past three months are having to redefine "normal" operations.

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call your customers. But don’t immediately launch into a sales pitch. Re-engage by listening first to what they need from you.

Act on their feedback to deliver what they need. This may require a lot of flexibility.

 

Don’t guess what your customers need—ask them

• "How are you doing your job differently?"
•  "What do you need right now?"

• "What do you expect to need in the next few months?"

• "What can we do to better serve you?"



Flag any specific requests for follow-up. There’s nothing worse than asking for help and then being forgotten.



Be relevant and have a purpose


How many “we’re here for you” messages do you actually remember? Marketing right now shouldn't be driven by your message—it needs to address your customers' needs.

Don’t waste their time. Provide useful information and valuable tips. Lead with adjusted offerings that are relevant to their current needs. Also, brainstorm ways you could creatively help them achieve new goals.

Be politely persistent


Everybody’s trying to get a message out. Your first email could get buried in an inbox flood. Set aside the mass eblasts and go for some one-on-one communications. Run a drip campaign—a series of messages over many weeks—but make sure the communication is useful and addresses individual customer needs.

Design your tactics and messaging to flow to those needs, and who you are trying to reach. Knowing what your customers want, will tell you a lot about what you need to do.

Bad marketing is about you; good marketing is about what you can do that helps other people.