Why you should reach out to your customers now, not later

We're living in fairly uncertain times right now; economically and socially. Businesses, families and whole communities are grappling with the complexities of COVID-19. We don't often see pandemics, and now, more than ever, it's essential for us to collaborate, communicate, shop locally and think outside the box. Innovation and diversification are some of the most important areas for us to work on during this period, because they're vital to staying in business. It's important too, that we don't lose sight of the basics; we can't afford to forget our customers.

We're completely devoid of all certainty right now, and your customers, especially those in the hardest hit industries, need to hear from you. Whether it's to tell them how you're making changes to your processes to better serve them during this time, or just to check on them and see how they're going, making contact during a once in a lifetime crisis will be remembered for years to come.

Remember when things got a bit tough in your life, and one of your "friends" disappeared?

We all face tough and challenging times in our lives. Remember the people in your life that reached out for help when they were struggling, but were nowhere to be seen when you were going through a crisis? You do, don’t you?

We tend to hold the people that were there for us when we needed them the most in high regard, and we don't often think too much of the ones that weren't. It's no different in business. The battles businesses are facing right now can be just as tricky as some of the hardest personal battles we've all faced. A reassuring voice can make all of the difference.

As an example, over the past few weeks, some of our suppliers have been quite proactive, making contact with us and checking in every week to see how things are going. We've even had phone calls reminding us to apply for financial relief, and other businesses calling to let us know that they're discounting some of our monthly charges with them to help lessen the blow. Some of them haven’t; and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Working together is crucial right now, and being proactive with your clients will pay dividends in the future.

How can we stay in touch with our clients when there’s so many other things to be done?

We understand that it can be difficult to communicate with each and every one of your clients right now. You’re up to your neck with paperwork, worry and uncertainty. How’s it even possible to find the time? We know, it’s tricky, but there’s some options:

• Sign up to a reputable e-newsletter / email service such as Mail Chimp or Send Grid and start sending out a regular electronic newsletter to your customers. Sending an email to hundreds of addresses from Microsoft Outlook won’t cut it. You need to use a proper service that provides valuable analytics and business data, and is designed for this purpose.
   
• Email your customers individually. Take half an hour out of each day to individually email your top customers. Let them know that you’re thinking about them. Offer them a payment extension or payment plan if they owe you money, and you’re in a position to do so. Think about offering them a discount on your services during the Coronavirus outbreak. Whatever you offer to someone that’s struggling now, won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
   
• Pick up the phone. If you prefer to talk to people, take some time out of your day to give your customers a call. Write down a list, and work your way through it. They might just have some good suggestions for you, too. Networking with other business owners will not only build up your relationship with them, but it’ll make them more inclined to stick with you when all of this is over.

If you need a hand putting something together for your clients, or if you want some suggestions on what you could offer during this time, get in touch with us. We're more than happy to help.