Everybody is freaking out or in denial, it seems.
Most people I know well enough to talk to regularly are seemingly level-headed about this – they know it’s serious and they know that preventative measures will last months, perhaps even longer.
But prospective clients all seem to think there will be a time in a few weeks when things are back to normal and (only) then we can work together. (Well, not all of them feel this way, but most of them.)
So, here is my list of reasons why they should work with me now, and not later:
Reasons Why You Should Work With Me During the Pandemic
These are good reasons.
Now is the Time to Invest
Businesses who survive this are going to survive this because they can exist without direct human contact.
You need to move as much of your business online as possible, and physical interactions need to be limited to deliveries/pick-ups.
If you must meet with somebody, that meeting should be one-on-one, with as many precautions taken as reasonable.
There are all sorts of ways you can move your business more online:
- video conferencing (FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype, the suddenly insanely popular Zoom)
- online store
- delivery services
- online signature services
- etc.
If you’re not doing these things, you need to be.
But you also need future clients to know you are doing more stuff online, which is where I come in.
If you haven’t spent much time doing online marketing before, well now is when you should start.
As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now.
If your sales are down, you can bring them back up with more attention to using the internet to get new business. How are your referrals doing right now?
Now is the Time to Fix Problems
Every single one of us – especially us business owners – has a list of stuff we should do (we probably need to do) which we don’t get to because reasons.
Usually we’re too busy, even though the fix might take very little time at all.
If business has slowed, now is a good time to deal with problems that should be fixed but haven’t been.
For example, I bet your website has problems.
I’m not suggesting you redesign it. Far from it.
Rather I’m suggesting you use this time to fix what’s wrong with the current site, what could be hurting your chances for new clients.
SEO problems abound on small business websites:
- no padlock (i.e. no SSL certificate or an invalid one)
- huge photos slowing the site down
- no meta tags
- no clear emphasis on your niche or not enough of a focus on that niche (or niches)
- and on and on and on.
The same is likely true for any campaigns you are running online, such as PPC campaigns or social media campaigns.
Your site or your campaigns need an audit. Now’s the time.
Isn’t it Nice to Talk to Someone?
I have been talking to so many people since self-isolation started.
All these people I haven’t spoken to in forever, and plenty of new people too.
It’s nice to talk to people.
We’re all stuck in our houses and some of us are stuck by ourselves.
Wouldn’t it be nice to talk to someone?
If you work with me, I’ll definitely talk to you.
We’re All Going to Die So…
You might as well speak to someone as great as me before we die, right?
I stole this gag from someone else. He told me this is what I should tell people. I think it’s funny. I hope you do too.
We all need a little humour in our lives.
I don’t think I’m a particularly funny guy – at least when I’m trying to be funny – but I’m compassionate and kind and patient.
Most of all, I want what’s best for you and your business.
I want to leave you better off when we’re done than when we started.
I want to do such a good job that I make myself irrelevant.
(Please don’t virtually kill me, though. That wouldn’t help grow my business.)