Open doors,
Open minds.
June 8, 2020
New York and New Jersey have already started their economic reopening. At CPC Agency, we are sure that the business models and marketing plans that businesses had for 2020 are already part of history.
THE BRANDS THAT BELIEVE THAT LIFE CONTINUES BEING LIKE IT WAS BEFORE, CAST THE FIRST STONE
The forced changes in consumer habits today show us a different reality, the dancing queen was and will be for a long time digital and its technological tools used creatively. The brands that lost in this isolation were the ones that resisted the change and, without a doubt, those who would be better off, are the ones that changed their mentality and continue to build on everything learned in this quarantine.
At the COVID-19 Business Strategy Open Forum, Rebecca Heidepriem – Certified Business Coach, shared with us how to answer the question of many entrepreneurs: Is my business ready to reopen? She has described 9 nine categories that business leaders should consider. We want to explain one by one of those steps and tell you how CPC Agency can help you achieve them.
1. TECHNOLOGY
If you’ve been working remotely during quarantine, you’re likely familiar with tools that can help you do business, like Basecamp, Trello, and Zoom. Collaboration technology can help your team, and your customers feel engaged, no matter where they are.
If you return to the office, you should also consider the technology required for security measures. Do you need to take the temperature? Contact tracking? Create a plan that details how employees will work remotely and/or in-person that addresses their needs and safety.
Tools like CPCvoice,will allow you to make scheduled calls to your database, remember dates, congratulate your team in a personalized way on their birthday, or even invite them to the internal reopening event to motivate them for this new stage of business. Open a direct line with them to receive their ideas and allow their sales team to sell offline but also online. We can train them in the proper use of social media channels, which will bring traffic to your e-commerce.
2. HUMAN MANAGEMENT
In addition to physical security, we must ensure that our coworkers do well emotionally. Some people will need to stay home, either because they are part of a high-risk group or because they need to care for others. How are you going to keep that employee engaged?
Training, workshops, motivational talks for your team are just some of the many alternatives that you can implement from our E-learning platform.
3. SOCIAL DISTANCE
Most of our physical business spaces are not designed to meet the recommended guidelines for social distancing. You will likely need some physical barrier to help keep employees who share desk space protected and, if possible, to separate employee desks or task.
The office space will need rigorous and regular cleaning. Stocking up on cleaning supplies and encouraging more cleaning activities will be part of managing the office. Ask your landlord about your plan to keep the space clean.
New signage, distance symbols, would be useful, under a graphic guideline that perfectly matches your Branding,using corporate colors and creative messages that will make it easier to adapt and change habits for your employees.
4. COLLABORATION
When your workforce is dispersed, how do you ensure that everyone collaborates in the same way? Some of the strategies Rebecca recommended included a morning meeting where everyone reviews their plan for the day and an activity at the end of the day, where each person is rated on their performance. It also encourages teams to start each meeting with a WIFLE, or “what I feel like expressing.”
Internal strategies of E-mail marketing, job satisfaction surveys, and trainingare ideal when keeping your collaborators on the same page. Reminding them how important they are to the company is essential, and some surprise direct mail would not hurt. All these tools may be a plan in an internal marketing strategy that we can build as a team.
5. COVID-19 BEST PRACTICES
Are there any measures you have implemented in recent weeks to accommodate the security recommendations, but have actually turned out to be great practice for your company?
Rebecca shared an example of a landscaping company that moved to staggered start times to promote social distancing. What the owner discovered was that the days started smoothly now: there were less socialization and less chaos than if everyone were out in the yard at once.
Many leaders were very reluctant to work remotely, but now they have seen that it can work. Consider how COVID-19 best practices could also help you run your business more effectively.
Creative reinvention committees are made to generate ideas in search of productivity; tools such as Design Thinking or BITT are unique methodologies to find opportunities for improvement in processes and work dynamics.
6. MARKETING
Throughout these forums, we have argued that it is especially important that small businesses continue to market to ensure consistent flow. Increase the number of blogs, videos, testimonials, and other content that adds value to your audience. Your goal is to explain how you can help during this time.
Take this opportunity to find new ways to serve your customers. Rebecca recommended incorporating “critical nonessentials,” the important things that you don’t have to do, but are critical to the business; for example, sending gifts to customers’ homes or purchasing access to online learning resources for employees with children.
Activate sales mechanisms through social media and inbound marketing, Re-engage your customers with direct physical mails, and also surprise them with new communication channels CPCVoice / Chatbots / Podcast / Newsletter / E-commerce. Show yourself a closer and more dynamic company in this economic reopening.
7. MENTALITY
While you don’t have to get out of quarantine after learning a new language, you should consider how you are learning and taking advantage of this moment. What can you do to learn, grow, and improve?
Changing your mindset and practicing more mindfulness would be a great lesson, especially for business leaders. Consider developing a mantra that you can repeat when you need a boost.
The most important thing is to find small victories and honor them. Companies don’t celebrate enough, and they should! You deserve it.
Our BTL, department can generate unique, memorable experiences from small internal activations with some technological resources or online or offline events (with appropriate protocols). We are convinced that if your team’s mentality changes quickly, the results will be reflected in an excellent performance.
8. THE FIRST 90 DAYS
You’re going to get out of this, starting a new chapter. Why not hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate?
What will those first 90 days be like for your business?
Communication is key. We can co-create a memorable internal marketing experience, mixing the DNA of your brand with the new goals and changes for this reopening. We can create something that fits what you want to communicate with your clients and collaborators. Being close again is an excellent time to turn the helm and redirect the course of the company.
9. CREATE A PLAN
This list is a good start to help you think about reopening, but you still need a plan. Use this time to outline:
- How are you going to get new clients?
- How are you acquiring a new business?
- How will you protect your business and personal finances?
- How will you handle employees and their various needs in the future?
Leaders and teams have a lot to consider right now. How do we create new business opportunities? What financial model will best fit the company and our clients? How can we protect ourselves while enjoying the benefits of human connections? These are all the questions we will have to address together in the coming weeks and months.
At CPC Agency, we are ready to create your plan. We will be able to mix offline and online media, train your team in the new post-pandemic era, open communication channels for the implementation of digital strategies, and social media inbound marketing and growth hacking. Best e-commerce practices or implementation. But first of all, we want to listen to you and be with you in this new normal.
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