What do I say?
The question I have been asked the most in the past three weeks is simply, “what do I say?” What do we say to our clients right now?
How do we stay in touch and not be seen as capitalizing on crisis?
How do we continue to reach out, inform, and help?
What exactly do we say in our ads, emails, and on our phone calls?
The worst thing you can do in a crisis is go silent. Leaders need to be communicating with their people now more than ever. People who are also businesses need to stay in touch more frequently than normal. But the tides have turned. Where it was previously ok to prospect and sell, it can now feel uncomfortable or improper. We are hyper sensitive about the messages we are sending and receiving.
The truth is that every single brand and marketer in the world is trying to figure this out as we go. Some are doing it well, some aren’t. (Need a laugh: watch this.)
We are all trying to avoid this reaction:
There isn’t a magic answer to the “what do I say” question for everyone or every business. You know that you need to help, but you also know that you need to continue to run a business. How do you find a balance? Here are some suggestions:
“Hi there. I know that things are feeling pretty uncertain right now. I wish I had more news for you. I know it doesn’t feel like this, but this situation is temporary. As soon as the situation changes, we should see more traffic. Until then, we are doing everything right. I’ll keep in touch, even when there isn’t anything new to report, and you can call me anytime.
“If you are waiting this out, I think that is a wise decision. The market will likely improve quickly when we come out of this. The best thing to do right now is to get all your ducks in a row and prepare. Here are a couple things you can do while you wait…
“If you are anticipating relocation, there are still options, and I can help. Here are a few things I would recommend we do to get you started…
“If you need to buy right now, there are definitely options for that…here’s where I would suggest we start…
“Here are some resources that will help you take action without leaving home…
“Let’s talk about some of the things you need help with right now…
“It’s hard to tell you exactly when things will change, but I can tell you that historically, this was the case…. In the past, this and this worked for us. We can prepare for that now, in case we see that pattern again.
“It’s ok not to make a decision right now. What questions will you have when we get there? How can I help you prepare?
“I just wanted to check in and see how you are holding up. Is there anything you need? What is the best way I can help right now?
“If you have some time and you wanted to start thinking about future needs, here are a couple things (articles, links, case studies, videos) that might be useful…
“Let me introduce you to a couple of other people that can help with that…
“We are all feeling that way. Here are a couple things that helped me this week…
“You are definitely not alone in that! This was super helpful for someone else in the same boat…
“That is a super common question right now! I have typically been referencing this stat / offering this advice. Does that help you at all?
“A bunch of people in my network have asked the same question this week, so I thought I’d answer it here, in case it’s helpful…
“These are three things I learned this week that might be helpful to you too…
“This is a great resource if you are in this same situation…
“I was worried about this, but then I learned about this and this… thought that might be useful to you too…
“If you aren’t sure what to do next, I am always happy to offer some advice or brainstorm some options.
“Here are a couple of really smart people who have been offering some advice on that – you should check them out too.
These aren’t a fit for every situation, and I encourage you to put your own spin on them, depending on your business and your needs. The important thing is to keep communicating and offering solutions.
You got this.
