Businesses are reeling from the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The IMF claims that the global economy is expected to shrink by over three per cent in 2020 – the steepest slowdown since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Plus, data indicates that 41 per cent of startups globally are threatened in the ‘red zone,’ having three months or less of cash runway left.
To top it off, around 74 per cent of startups have had to terminate full-time employees since the crisis began.
The term ‘social’ no longer makes us think of social media posts. Rather, the mind automatically thinks of ‘social distancing,’ with everyone glued to their phone screens or laptops, ‘Zooming’ past (pun intended) the distance that now separates family and friends.
Global economies have taken drastic measures – complete with lockdowns and phased re-openings – to flatten the curve and fight against the increasing human toll. In doing so, they gave rise to the world’s biggest work-from-home experiment.
Results so far? Businesses are keeping their heads above water and staying afloat. So much so, that tech giants such as Facebook are leaning towards allowing half of their employees to work from home permanently by 2030.
The point we’re driving home is this: Whichever way you slice it, communication has become the saving grace during the crisis and will remain so in the post-COVID era.
Whether it is coworkers connecting from their homes, companies relying on – and ramping up – their online presence, or globally-dispersed families celebrating virtual birthdays, the power of technology to deliver seamless communication has emerged as the clear winner.
Also Read: Navigate the challenges of COVID-19 while feeding a low-income family in need through #MentorForHope
In this blog, we will look at proven strategies to communicate more effectively with customers, with real-life examples from companies doing it right during this time.
Personalised and honest communication is most needed right now
Recently, Airbnb made headlines, thanks to a heartfelt letter penned by the CEO and co-founder of the company, Brian Chesky. What’s astounding is that despite letting go of 25 per cent of his company, he still won hearts and was praised for being real. Here’s why:
The communication felt genuine and was not another corporate rant about the business going belly up. On the contrary, it was compassionate, humane, and humble in style while being abundant-thinking in approach.
It was an honest account of the decision-making process that led to job losses. Plus, the CEO also made sure to highlight the uncertainty that looms over the travel business instead of making false promises. As you can imagine, this small act of transparency and genuineness gave way to greater confidence and loyalty in the CEO’s actions.
The communication was crystal-clear and extremely detailed, leaving no room for misinterpretations.
In short, Chesky demonstrates what it takes to be human and conduct business when ‘being human’ itself in the times of a crisis is difficult.
Also Read: Communicating a crisis: The one thing you can control right now is how you respond
Another reason why the brand Airbnb tops our list for best communication is the fact that the website is fairly transparent, informative, and open for employees, customers, and the community at large. Notice how everyone can access the CEO’s updates and ‘stay informed’ about how the company is faring at all times:
Key takeaway: In today’s digitally-connected world, it pays for businesses to be human and put themselves in the customer’s shoes (and mind) when communicating about delicate issues.
Offer real value to customers
Perhaps the one thing that you should disavow when it comes to communicating your offerings is making them too sales-y.
After all, your customers are suffering, and they don’t need to be overwhelmed with endless emails about offers or sales. Take a cue from the following brands that ensure that they’re offering true value to users and addressing the elephant in the room instead of pretending not to be doing business as usual:
Headspace’s website is a treat for sore eyes and a cure for an anxious mind. Notice how the brand has a dedicated page for the unemployed – there’s real value in what the brand is offering to the users. Plus, it manages to deal with the sensitive issue of unemployment in as humane and compassionate a way as possible, while urging users to experience their product/service:
Another example we’d like to share is that of Airbnb (yes, again). The website showcases ‘online experiences’ and ‘frontline stays’ as a part of Airbnb’s COVID-centric responses:
Another example that’s worth considering is the car insurance company, Geico, which proactively informs customers of all the steps the company is taking to help them during the pandemic. Here’s an email that the company rolled out to its customers:
Plus, the company highlights all these benefits in greater detail on its website as well, calling it ‘The Geico Giveback’.
Businesses need to represent their brand in a new positive and meaningful light to garner greater trust and build deeper connections with their customers. One way of doing this is by gauging how the brand can do their part to give back to the community and communicate about the same with the right tone, content, and context.
Also Read: We are a coding and robotics school. This is how we prepare for COVID-19 outbreak
Content tonality
COVID-19 has affected nearly every business possible; the entertainment sector is no different. With malls and theatres ordered to stay closed indefinitely, producers in India took the onus of releasing big-budget movies directly onto the online streaming partner, Amazon Prime.
Naturally, this ruffled some feathers among the multiplex owners and here’s how two of the biggest multiplex chains in India – INOX and PVR responded:
No brownie points for guessing which of the two multiplex houses faced immense backlash from the Twitterati. Case in point: When it comes to corporate communications, the tone of your content is everything.
Or in other words, if you turn tone-deaf on your communication collateral, it can do more harm than good. In fact, brands that shy away from showing their vulnerable side can be misjudged as too harsh or even inhuman (as in the case of INOX), whereas, as we saw in the case of PVR, a little empathy goes a long way. Agree?
Customer support team
You could have the best-looking websites and the smartest content across your communication touchpoints, but if your customer service team is not well-equipped to deal with the growing list of anxious and emotionally-charged customers, all that effort can go to waste.
After all, physical illnesses, travel cancellations, insurance coverage disputes, financial constraints, among other things, takes a toll on customers as well as the company in question.
Also Read: The social network: Leveraging connections to expand your business through COVID-19
Let’s think of it from the agent’s perspective – most of whom have never worked-from-home. In this new normal, most agents are seen grappling with poor technological support.
Logically, if the agents themselves are facing innumerable challenges, addressing unpredictable customer concerns is out of the question. To counter this, here’s a three-pronged approach that companies can try:
- Update customer policies to be in line with new requirements post COVID-19.
- Encourage managers to engage in integrated virtual coaching where the agents can voice their concerns and get appropriate guidance. Here’s what a leader from a study by the Harvard Business Review suggests:
“We had to make sure our managers were doing more open-ended questioning with their reps to find out how their calls were going — what they were feeling good about and what they were struggling with — and scheduling several mini-check ins across the day with their people using video conferencing to mimic the cadence and structure of integrated coaching sessions.”
- Foster a culture of belonging and connectedness among the agents by way of intuitive collaboration tools.
Taking stock of the situation at hand, we know that the pandemic is not going away anytime soon. Naturally, businesses will need to rework their communication strategy (if they haven’t already done so) to focus on being heartfelt. Luckily, there are hundreds of brands that are already doing the same.
So, if your inspiration dries up, try these strategies that have worked wonders in the real world and give your brand a fighting chance. And, remember that the end-goal is to woo your most loyal fans, your customers, with authentic conversations.
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