It’s a great time to make new contacts…

There are pros and cons to working from home. Not being in the office means there is time to be gained from not traveling or entering into office banter or going to meetings. We are a little more in control of our agendas and for those of us with children, we do not have to do the school runs, school clubs, etc.

With a good number of us in the same boat, the shared experience has actually enabled us to open up discussions on the most human of levels which makes it a lot easier to open the doors business interactions o more important than ever.

Telephone versus e-mail versus social media – gentle follow up

Working in the events industry we have made a conscious decision to change the way we speak and approach people. Potential clients still want to receive information but very little decision making is taking place. Our goal at the moment is much simpler – just to open doors and be in touch. If nothing can be progressed right now at least begin the gradual process of being in touch with customers and potential clients in consultative ways.

Meeting etiquette is very different. Bringing children to workday is a rare occurrence in the UK, but with offices being run from home, it is hard on video camera to avoid children appearing at random times and so it is a little more acceptable at the moment. However, make the most of the camera and microphone tools, and if needs be switched them on and off to block out noise and images. Better still schedule calls at a time that suits your household routine so you are also calm when they happen.

Call times and lunch breaks are different. There is not such an obvious worst time to call as when we were doing  “normal” office hours Fridays has also inadvertently become a quieter day.so not the best day to approach people.

There is a tangible change of pace in response times to queries so be patient and make use of your customer relationship management system to be in touch with people.

Uncertain yet a certain strategy is required

With bleak reports stating that we will enter the worst recession since records began, company turnovers down, staff furloughed or with a skeleton staff, what can companies do with uncertainty?

One thing is for certain, businesses cannot just stand still. It is important to make certainty out of uncertainty by making small steps to recovery, making a plan and sticking to it but with some flexibility. Agility is key.

Keep positive – try to gather information from reputable sources, not scaremongerers. Avoid negative talk. Look for small steps that will bring the greatest wins, perhaps find partners who can offer you solutions to change your business in exchange for something you can offer to keep costs down.

Set course and set sail, the future will be bright again!

Article written by: Louisa Criscenti-Brown