ChicExecs Senior VP of PR and Digital Marketing Kristen Wessel shares four ways businesses can adjust during a crisis on Forbes blog. Below is a highlight from the piece.
We’re living in uncertain times. Not only is the public worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, but there’s also predicted economic fallout from the virus. Many people are out of work for the foreseeable future. Schools are shutting down for weeks on end, with talks to end the spring semester early. Events are canceled, and people are staying at home.
While the coronavirus pandemic will end, navigating a crisis can be a troubling time for local business owners. Here are four ways to keep your business going during a crisis, like a pandemic, and how to attract new customers in the process.
1. Acknowledge The Crisis
If you don’t publicly acknowledge a crisis as a business, you risk coming off as tone-deaf. You aren’t living under a rock. Your business is part of society, and that means taking a public stance about the public’s unease.
2. Give Advice And Help
Do you have a product that would be useful during a crisis? Maybe you sell video games, cleaning supplies, books or other useful products for people who need to self-quarantine.
Position yourself as an authority to help people. But be thoughtful. Don’t take advantage of the situation by coming off as salesy; you don’t want people to think you’re an ambulance-chaser.
If your products don’t lend themselves well to addressing the crisis at hand, consider helping people in a different way. How can you support people in need?
3. Offer Discounts And Incentives
Right now, unless you own a grocery store, people probably aren’t banging on your front door. As a business owner, you need to give shoppers more reasons to buy from you and ways to find you when their attention might be directed elsewhere.
4. Reassure Your Employees
During a crisis, you want to experience as few interruptions with your workforce as possible. But when people are scared, it can be hard to keep your business staffed.
It’s important for business owners to reassure their employees during a crisis. Let it be known that you’re doing everything you can to keep your business running. If possible, avoid cutting your employees’ hours, and commit to supporting their well-being. You can also encourage remote work options for your staff as it makes sense. It can feel hard to eat these costs now, but it encourages employee retention.
Read Kristen’s entire blog here.
