Every day feels like, what day is it… Who can tell anymore?

Maybe you were pushed for keeping ETD’s, maybe it was extra tough to get all the garments produced...  now orders are on hold or canceled…. The results and chaos have an impact on us and almost everyone in our industry and in the world.

It’s like a global unknown.

There’s not a single person who is not thinking the same and not dealing with the same – like we’re dealing with right now. We’re all waking up with very similar stuff in our heads.

There's so much advice flying around right now on how to respond to the great uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Truth is, it's too early to know what the future is going to look like - immediate or long-term.

So here a few practical things you can think about doing this week when you work from your home.

 

 

Customer Communication

Thinking stuff

Context setting

Ok, you might have a lot to talk with your buyers right now to find solutions. That being said, day-to-day routines have changed, since people work from home.

It's making things a whole lot easier if you just ask your buyers how they want to be communicated with over the next time during crisis.

You could ask something along those lines in your own words:

"We're right now rethinking our customers cooperation's.

What we would love to do now is just to ask our partners, how the next weeks or months shall look like in terms of communication?

We know everybody is in a very different place in terms of anxiety in your business and I just wanted to ask you how do you want to be communicated with over the next like 30-90 days?

And me any my team will do everything to follow this system accordingly."

 

Boom, as simple as that.

Next thing is the...

 

 

Technology setting

You and your buyers can't travel right now – people are not even moving around a lot. So how can you deal with that?

If we’re honest with ourselves... conducting business – how much of your work is virtually already? High percentage, right? Yes, that’s not new.

So you can start thinking about how to improve this area.

Of cause how you deal with your buyers in this given situation, your tone, your view, your personality matters now more than maybe at any time.

How can you keep being connected on a personal level?

My favorite tool is Zoom. If you don’t already use it for you and your team– check it out. It's as simple as things like Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp calls.

 

 

Doing stuff

The practical thing you can do: Get comfortable with your video platform – whatever one you’ll choose.

How... you're asking?

 

If you can, prepare those things NOW to have a functional, ready-to-use setup.

So that the experience your buyers have with you look and feel professional, and helps you get your job done.

Once you feel your setup is good ...

 

 

Push the video meetings

We know face-to-face with your buyers is obviously better.

No doubt! Physical meetings are best – however, we can’t do that now - so what’s SECOND best?

If customers want to make a phone call, push the video call... This will keep you as close to real as you can with your partners.

Actually, it’s fun!

Just yesterday I had a video call with an Easy Enter Academy member from Delhi who is equipped with a perfect video-call setup.

I was shocked how great this experience was with him… No fumbling around with the technology, good camera, and clear sound, we started and finished our work on time - here you go!

At a certain moment in our video call he bit his lips made a strange face without saying anything.

Me: "Ok, I said something that you don't like."

So we spoke about it and got that out of the way.

My point is without the camera on I couldn't see his mimic, address it and learn about it.

Phone and email can't give you that personal human touch.

 

Use video-call, my friend, become a specialist in conducting video calls.

 

A big part of making it through this is to take really good care of yourself, stay inside. Stay healthy.

And with everything going on in the world right now, you might be even having a hard time just finding the brain space to show up for your customers instead of staying in bed.

I completely understand.

This one is close to my heart. In turbulent times, it's our mindset that help us continue to show up to keep the economy cooking, support our customers, coworkers, company and country.

And I also know we can only go through this together.

Talk later. Be safe and well.

All my best
Heike

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