Are you worried about your sales during in COVID? Spare a thought for your clients. We all know people who are doing it very tough right now. It may be a friend or family member, it may even be you.
But, how are your clients doing? Are you checking in with them?
As business owners facing crisis, our bottom line can sometimes be the only thing we want to look at and measure.
Is the money still coming in?
Are we making the bills?
How can we reduce expenses?
How can we sell more of x?
Which product is more profitable. A or B?
But, where in this scramble to keep the doors open do we consider how our clients are doing in their own lives?
You may be thinking, ‘well Haylee, I sell golf balls so I’m not about to get on the phone and have a deep and meaningful with John from Hahndorf to make $3..’
to which I reply, “Why not?”
If John has lost his job, how much golf will he be playing over the next six months? Will he prioritise golf for his self-care to survive unemployment or will he give up his pleasures first to keep feeding his family?
There’s only one way to find out.
John may have been a loyal customer for 20 years prior to COVID and every purchase he might have made in the future that he now won’t can be attributed to a single point in time where John stopped buying.
John may also be a raving fan of your business, recommending you to all his mates, colleagues and clients, a web of which you are completely unaware. Now that $3 you thought you might lose is looking more like $3000 over the course of a year. Worth making that phone call now?
Before you get too caught up on the numbers (which I 100% agree are important) also ask yourself, ‘when was the last time I reviewed my customer life cycle?’
Also consider the possibilities that now exist for your business.
What opportunities now exist because competitors in your industry have had to move on or close down? What gaps exist now in your sales process now your team are working from home?
Rather than pulling back, tightening the belt and looking inwards, consider how you can connect with your customers in new ways. Ask yourself ‘what do they need from us right now? What product have they really been asking us for?’ Then when you’re confident in your lifecycle, consider when is the last time you reviewed your customer’s experience from their point of view? How do they feel when they interact with them? Would they appreciate a check in?
Better yet, rather than guess, why not ask them?
Haylee x
