Don’t Leave the Dance Now

• DateJune 28, 2021
• AuthorLeah Swearingen
• Categories
  • Featured

Many professionals who kept marketing during the past 18 months despite the hurdles discovered a winning combination. In turn, they’ve emerged stronger than ever.

What did they do?

First, they doubled down on thought leadership.

Second, they tripled down on personal touches.

This two-step “dance” seems like an effective marketing combo to carry on even as times return to “normal.” So, let’s review the two simple steps of this dance.

Step one is thought leadership. During the pandemic, thought leadership showed up in different ways, yet it focused on similar goals. In most cases, it provided reassurance, clarity, insight, and calm when all hell was breaking loose. Here are a few examples.

For CPAs, it was communicating about tax changes and complex aspects of PPP loans and more. In real time. While juggling ongoing, almost daily or weekly updates from Washington.

Financial advisors had their hands full too, talking clients off the ledge. Proactive advisors kept reminding clients of smart, long-term investment strategies. As panic built, these timely perspectives kept many an investor from taking the leap.

Employers and small businesses were gobsmacked by historic disruption. Business and employment law attorneys, bankers, and other professionals stepped in to advise them on developing workplace requirements, how to handle their leases, and more.

There are dozens of examples. The common denominator is that these professionals got out in front early and provided caring and instructive counsel.

What about step two — those personal touches?  Let’s look at the end result first. Whatever form those touches took, they left the receiver feeling valued, remembered, and cared for. From picking up the phone, to sending a personal email, personal touches resonated. Webinars, and even the dreaded ZOOM call, if timely and relevant, were appreciated as well. Perhaps the gold standard was a handwritten note or card.

I truly believe that professionals who continue – or join in – this simple dance can’t help but see their businesses grow and expand.

This is no time to sit on the sidelines. As business gets busier, don’t go wallflower. Wallflowers are invisible, and invisible is not a winning marketing strategy. And if you’ve always shied away from dancing, reach out to me. I guarantee that anyone can master this dance.