Tag: COVID19

Is it time we change the way we reach out to our clients? We have some better ways to boldly go…

It is a simple truth rarely understood, that if you are going to start sending out and relying on, written communication, to keep in touch with your customer-base; then at least make  it easy to read, and interesting.  That’s not too much to ask, is it?

The recent months of lockdown have seen a plethora, an avalanche of offers of Seminars, Webinars, online Discussion, in our inboxes every day, and all of these announcements have two things in common.  They are worthwhile and could well be helpful.  And they are absolutely boring and do not reach out to grab us and hold our attention.

Which is why the attached Image that accompanies this Article, is so key. It is a standout piece of graphic art commissioned by one of clients, The Futureshapers (www.thefutureshapers.com) – that our Team member, Ben, designed – with the aim of saying “look, it is time to go in a new direction, out of your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to do that, if you want to stay successful in 2020… and of course beyond”.

There are two keys to this new process. First, your technical quality of delivery, be it a graphic (as above, say), or an Article, .. or a Video Interview, whatever… has to be spot on. It can seem “rough around the edges” but that in itself needs care to deliver that level of insouciance. And it has to be different.

That is because life itself is now different, for all of us. People are questioning what they did the things they did before, and coming up with new ways of working, and of keeping in touch.  Which means that – whatever is your size of company – you too have to recognise that, and act accordingly. Sometimes, you are too close to your own business, to see the broader or more varied options.

It is very rare that  in these pages we talk about our own business – but at ProfoMedia, we focus on original communication, and we can deliver this for you. Our numbers are on our Contact pages, do take a moment to call and have a chat.

 

Shall we forget about 2020? Not at all.

We take a moment to take a pause, and ask;  is it that we have two choices: either we accept that this year the cards were just stacked against us, and we   accept the doom prophesies. Or we don’t.   This article is a sequel to our earlier comment about humans and recessions. Sometimes, you have to be careful what you wish for.

It is fashionable to be pessimistic these days. God knows we have enough right to be.  According to the mainstream media, the “economy” will tank both this year and next. But in the same pages, we learn that in the UK, house prices have reached their highest level since, well, the last time they reached that level. It’s all very confusing.

So conventional wisdom is to assume the worst.  Put what little money we have under the mattress. And do nothing.  In doing “nothing”, we create the very downturn and recession  we have been guarding against.  For some reason, we just love bad news, – and we pay the consequences for that.

The answer – is to do “something”. In fact, it is to do more than “something”. It is to take the view that you carry on as you had originally planned. Surprisingly, if you are that single minded and determined, things are likely to work out.

So what is the secret, of doing “something”?  There are five simple points of understanding.

First – by doing nothing or firing your people – you will not return  to the same place that you left; you will have less people, less experience, less competence, and your market will have less money. It’s a spiral; to the bottom.

Second – your pipeline is your future success. Cherish it, go after it. Silver linings will come back sooner rather than later.

Third – be innovative. Life indeed is not the same as it was. But it is unlikely that there is no demand for your solutions and competences. You just have to phrase it a different way.

Fourth – change your outreach. Forget sending emails, we all get too many, but do invest in video, Seeing is believing and virtual meetings do work.

And Finally – things never were easy. But as we come out of the darkness of COVID – now is the time to reap the rewards while others are still asleep.