Times are changing and we will pivot. In the old days so many of us used to say “this is just business, it’s not personal.” For the most part, those of us that made non emotional business decisions were the most successful. However, Covid 19 has changed all of us, our businesses, our every day life. EVERYTHING IS PERSONAL. Our livelihoods are impacted. Our time management with kids, spouses, pets, parents is impacted. Our business interactions have been impacted. Everything is personal right now. It’s time to look at business a little more personally too. It’s time to be more compassionate leaders and empathetic business partners. Take a moment to think of your top 3 clients. Do you know how Covid 19 is impacting them? Do you know If they are homeschooling their kids? What are they doing for meals? Are they working at home or at an office? Is their house full making phone calls difficult? Are they worried about losing their job? Do they have aging parents they are concerned about? Do they are anyone in their close immediate family have a chronic illness or are they a part of a vulnerable population? Is their business impacted positively by Covid? If so, how is that demand effecting their day to day life? It’s important now, that we care. It’s important, now that we think of how this affects others, not just us. The more you care, and consider your customers and business partners, the better you will be able to solve their problems. This is a time to get personal. This is a time to find out how this is causing despair or success. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions. The solutions we propose now will be different than any solutions we’ve ever proposed in the business days of yore. If you are looking at business right now the exact same way you did 5 months ago, you’re old, you’re ancient, you’re a dinosaur and you are completely out of touch with what your customers need. You eventually will alienate them and maybe even put yourself out of business. Nobody wants to do business with that jerk that was price gauging medical masks and Lysol Wipes on eBay. This is one of those times, your customers will not forget how you behaved. They will not forget if you asked them “How are you doing today?” They will not forget that you squeezed them for extra pennies and wasted their time in a lengthy negotiation. They will not forget your price gauging. The tides will turn. It will be sooner than we think. When that tide turns, we will be embarking on one of the busiest buying opportunities in our lives. What side do you want to be on when the tides turn? I want to be on the side of the first call my customers make when they need something. I want them to want to help me so bad that they can’t imagine turning the tides without me. I don’t want to be someone that they cringe when they use because they “have too” or they don’t have another choice. I want them to be celebrating with me that business is back. It’s so important, right now, to think—“Am I using tactics I’ve always used?” “Do the benefit me only?” “Am I concerned about winning or am I digging my heals in because of principle?” OR “Am I doing what’s right for all parties involved?” Doing what’s right is tough. Sometimes it costs you to do what’s right. Sometimes you don’t reap the benefits of doing what’s right for many years. But, when it happens, you have a customer for life. I am conducting myself in a way where I will be on the right side of this when we bounce back. Are you?
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