COVID-19 has deeply affected our daily lives and forced us to reinvent the dynamics of our professional relationships. For instance, it led to the (perhaps overdue) mass adoption of remote work across companies.
How do you continue doing business on an international scale, in spite of COVID-19? Through the internet, of course.
Tools abound: From communication platforms such as Zoom (whose stocks were at an all-time high while the rest of the stock market plunged), to project management tools and apps through which we can get online business interpreters on demand.
The problem is not a lack of tools to stay in touch with international business partners. The problem is what to say, how to plan in times of instability, and how to maintain relationships when no news (or no good news) can be given in the short term.
As noted in a recent presentation from Ogilvy, although every brand is differently equipped to face our current situation, some feelings are present across all organisations. And they are not particularly positive.
Most brands are working towards an action plan, but struggle with setting the right tone, are concerned about sounding exploitative and are puzzled at what “the day after” might look like. All these feelings are present — if not amplified — among entrepreneurs and startup founders.
Also Read: How a startup founder in China tackled the COVID-19 crisis –and what you can learn from him
If we are trying to expand our business, make new partnerships and make ourselves known: How could we go about it during a pandemic?
Join online communities
Online business communities can be great networking spaces. Especially nowadays. Do more than LinkedIn groups. Platforms such as the StartupSauce Academy, Healthpreneurs, and Indie Hackers can be great places to meet potential customers and business partners.
You should also be up-to-date regarding hangouts, webinars, and online events. The “social life” of your industry (or startup ecosystem) did not end when the quarantine began. It just moved online. And, by doing so, some events that might have been limited by geographical boundaries are now available for an international audience. This might be the right time to grow your network beyond your city — or even beyond your region.
Be helpful
Nowadays, brands are especially focusing on comforting customers and communicating that they care about their wellbeing. This might include sharing important information, writing empathic and positive messages, as well as offering discounts and freebies. For instance, some online course platforms are providing free access to normally paywalled material.
Brands have also focused on giving back by helping fight back the crisis. For instance, fashion heavyweights such as Zara, H&M, and fashion conglomerate LVMH (owner of Dior, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy, among others) have helped cope with mask shortages by producing thousands of them themselves. This is the right time to establish strong partnerships with the goal of helping your community.
Aspire to move from a self-interested approach focused on promoting your products and services, to a more purpose-focused approach. And, as part of that purpose-focused approach, you can re-engage with competitors. But this time, as potential partners.
Also Read: How a startup founder in China tackled the COVID-19 crisis –and what you can learn from him
Sensible communication
On the other hand, be very aware of your tone and language when networking. Talk to colleagues and clients in a way that lets them know that you are there for them. Make yourself available. Ask yourself how you can make these times less stressful for them, and offer some value in that direction.
It might be a free meeting to discuss their needs, free advice, or a heavy discount on your regular services. It all depends on what you do, what you can offer, and who you are offering it to. Show strong leadership while remaining empathetic and human. Prioritise good relationships over short-term revenue.
Plan for tomorrow
These are uncertain times. But they will not last forever.
As McKinsey’s Kevin Sneader and Shubham Singhal note in Beyond Coronavirus: The path to the next normal, the financial effects the virus is having — and will have — are deep and undeniable. The aftermath will be a need to reimagine our place in the market:
“A shock of this scale will create a discontinuous shift in the preferences and expectations of individuals as citizens, as employees, and as consumers. These shifts and their impact on how we live, how we work, and how we use technology will emerge more clearly over the coming weeks and months. Institutions that reinvent themselves to make the most of better insight and foresight, as preferences evolve, will disproportionally succeed.”
It will be vital to partner with innovation-focused, future-proofed businesses that do not shy away from but thrive on reform. And having a disruption in our company’s DNA will be, more than ever, a key competitive advantage. Focus your networking efforts on the day after the quarantine, not under the belief that everything will go back to normal, but with a hunger to explore and innovate once the rules of the game have changed.
Also Read: Is COVID-19 eating jobs away?
The key to a great business is great relationships
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a very difficult time for business. To continue networking, growing, and creating the strong bonds that drive good business, you need to be a leader, be sensitive, and be relevant.
Revisit your brand’s purpose, and turn it into concrete actions that not only help your brand but also your community and your partners. Actions are more impactful than words.
Reach out with an honest desire to help in any way you can. Understand the human implications of what’s going on, and adapt your tone accordingly. Be compassionate and attentive. Of course, this carries yet another challenge.
Do not forget who you are
Staying honest and not sounding exploitative are very common and justified concerns. Entrepreneurs that are just developing their brand might be inclined to completely reshape it so it meets the caretaker archetype. That, too, is opportunism. You don’t need to pretend you’re someone you’re not. Your brand should have the capacity to worry and be compassionate from its place and without losing its tone.
The reason why your product deserves to exist is that it’s unique, that it can provide something your competitors cannot. Now it is time to figure out what is the unique role your brand can play to help others throughout this crisis. And find the key partners who can help you carry out your mission.
–
Register for our webinar today: Mindfulness meditation for entrepreneurs and working professionals
Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.
Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page.
Image credit: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
The post The social network: Leveraging connections to expand your business through COVID-19 appeared first on e27.