Q: How should we change our messaging and outreach in this environment?
The most common theme I hear when I'm in these conversations is, in short, "more empathy." Empathic messaging and outreach require that we meet people where they are emotionally, psychologically, and practically. Nothing frustrates people more than being treated like a number; doing so right now may not just fail to produce a customer - it may create an engaged enemy. So, we have to actually care about the person or people engaged with us at any touchpoint.
Q: How do I stay connected with my prospects and customers?
All of the standard tools apply, except in-person meetings. Email. Phone calls. Text messages. Social messages. Video calls (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc). I recommend time-blocking daily for light-touch outreach to your team members, prospects, or customers. Themes: thank you, good job, congratulations, sorry to hear, happy to hear, thinking about you, etc. It doesn't have to be much; you just need to let them know you see, hear, and appreciate them. Recording and sending a video message is a great add to any email, text, or social message. Your face, voice, personality, sincerity, enthusiasm, gratitude, and other human qualities come through so much more effectively in videos. The message has more meaning when how you say it is included with what you say.
Q: Is my set up good enough to send video messages?
If you're doing video calls, you can do video messages. Video calls overcome distance - you can get face to face with anyone anywhere, but you have to connect at the same time. Video messages overcome both time and distance - you record and send when it's convenient for you and the other person or other people open it up and experience you "in person" when it's convenient for them. Casual, conversational, unscripted, and simple videos don't require any special equipment, tools, or expertise.
Q: When would I use video messages - and what would I say?
Any time you click "Send" on a message and any time a system shoots out a message on your behalf is a chance to be more personal and human through a video message. Across the entire customer lifecycle from first touch through long-term relationship with repeat or expanded purchasing, contract renewal, and active referral, you've got opportunities to add a video. Across the entire employee lifecycle, you've got the same - onboarding, coaching, development, updates, check-ins, congratulations. Anywhere personal connection, emotion and tone, or detail or complexity are involved, think about saying it with video, not just with plain, typed-out text.
ETHAN BEUTE | Chief Evangelist
Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, coauthor of Rehumanize Your Business, and host of The Customer Experience Podcast, Ethan has collected and shared video success stories in a variety of formats for a decade. He’s even sent 10,000 videos himself. Prior to joining BombBomb, he spent a dozen years leading marketing teams inside local television stations in Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Colorado Springs. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and UCCS in communication, psychology, and marketing. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and son.
How Do I Continue to Market and Sell During COVID-19?
Due to popular demand, we are continuing the Straight From the Stage Q&A Series for the Month of June!
We spoke with industry thought leaders about how to continue SMART and RESPONSIBLE marketing and sales activities during a pandemic. Topics include B2B sales strategies, inbound marketing, video communications, and more.
Stay tuned for a brand new Q&A every Friday in the month!
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