Building Business Resilience Socially distanced meeting • Increase customer engagement. Show the humanness of your business by giving behind-the-scenes insight on what your team is doing to address challenges, as well as additional measures you’re taking in response to the pandemic, such as new protocols to keep customers safe. Express gratitude for your customers’ business and support, and respond to feedback to improve the customer experience during this time of upheaval. • Connect with team members. With many workplaces shifting to a partial or all-virtual environment, increased communication may be necessary for ensuring a smooth transition. Meet regularly to track progress and solve challenges, and establish expectations regarding online communication. Additionally, address concerns and issues with transparency, even if a solution is still in the works. FOCUS ON STRENGTHS • Emphasize customer service. Customer service is always important, but with added inconveniences, reduced product and service offerings and dramatically altered consumer experiences, your clients and customers likely aren’t getting the full experience they are accustomed to—but they are still paying full price. This makes it all the more important to prioritize high-quality customer service at every point of interaction. Show gratitude and warmth to your customers—many of whom are also dealing with pandemic-related life challenges— to keep your business top of mind as a positive, welcoming place during and post-pandemic. • Put values first. Some business coaches call this your it . Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek calls it your why . No matter what you call it, it’s essentially your purpose, passion and set of core beliefs. Sinek says, “When a company clearly communicates their WHY— what they believe—and we believe what they believe, then we will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to include those products or brands in our lives.” If you haven’t yet defined your company’s values, now is a great time to start. ADJUST OFFERINGS What does your business do best? When efficiencies must be made throughout the company, some products or services must be put on hold. Define what your business does best and prioritize those offerings. Where can you meet market demand? Sometimes businesses have to shift priorities based on restrictions or regulations, as was 7 ANDREY POPOV/ADOBE STOCK
Business in Colorado 2021 Business in Colorado: Page 7
