If you recall, I shared an article with you last week containing some excellent advice for businesses during this crisis. It was very warmly received.
If you didn’t read it, you can find it here: Tunnel Vision
If you did read it, you’d recall that a critical thing to realise about what’s going right now is that it’s transient and temporary.
We’re not heading into a black hole, we’re entering a tunnel, and it does have light at the end of it.
You only have to look at the news in China – emergency hospitals shutting up shop and restrictions being lifted each day – to see that there WILL be an end to this for us too.
And where you are when we get to the end, when we get out of the tunnel, will largely depend on what you do now, as we enter it, and while we’re inside it.
Over the past week, many independent kitchen retailers have asked us for help and guidance on what they should be doing with their marketing right now, so I thought I’d pen something to help you with precisely that.
Your marketing activity over the coming months can be broken down roughly into four sections:
What you do now, while we’re entering the tunnel, amidst high emotion and distraction
What you do when we’re in the middle of the tunnel, with potentially even tighter lockdown restrictions
What you do as we come out of the tunnel to capitalise on optimism and growing momentum when the green shoots appear
What you do differently as a result of what’s changed at the other end of the tunnel
Today I’ll deal with the first point:
Keep Selling
At this precise moment, people are still buying kitchens. I’ve heard stories this week.
Sure, they’re the people that you’ve already been in dialogue with, who were quite warm before everything we knew was thrown out of the window.
But, they’re still buyers and treating them well is vital.
The chances are that some factory closures are going to result in supply chain delays, so it’s reasonable to make your buyers - those close to buying - aware of this, so they can place their order and reduce the lag.
Clearly, these conversations need to be had sensitively but remember - people are still people, and some of them even want what you sell right now.
Don’t Stop Marketing
The truth is that fewer people are buying kitchens right now. But you know what?
More people are browsing.
People are sitting in their homes, with the internet for company, and they’re still looking for stuff that they want and need.
Including kitchens.
In other words, there’s more attention up for grabs right now than there has been for years, and you can capitalise on it, ensuring that while your competitors go quiet, you stay present, and come accelerating out of the tunnel.
Marketing In A Different World
Right now, we’re living in a different world. Everything has changed. And your marketing needs to as well.
Like me, you’ve probably had emails from companies that completely ignore the current situation we’re in like they’ve just stuck their fingers in their ears and refused to accept that they need to do things differently.
Don’t be that company.
Acknowledge the fact that people might not be in a position to buy a kitchen tomorrow or next week. Make it clear you understand the fraught world they’re living in right now, and your message will have more chance of landing and less chance of irritating.
Creating A Virtual Sales Experience
You need to be promoting how open your business actually is, not how closed.
Rather than majoring on the fact that they can’t come to the showroom, focus on the fact that you can walk them around the showroom.
Instead of saying you can’t make face-to-face appointments, offer calls on Zoom, Skype or FaceTime.
The more you can replicate your sales process virtually, the more prospects you can engage with during this time, helping you to build a pipeline for when the market takes off again.
Rather than playing for the showroom visit on your website, shift your call to action to offer people a brochure or a video call and begin the relationship with them?
Recognising that the way you operate has changed, but ensuring that you can still add as much value as possible is imperative.
Your Invitation – Free Live Videocall
I hope you find these points useful, and they’ll help you with what to do over the next couple of weeks.
If you did find them helpful, and you’re interested in delving more in-depth, I’d like to invite you to a live, interactive video call we’re holding this Friday, 27th March, 11am - 12pm.
I’m hosting the call and will spend some time outlining some of the vital activity that kitchen retailers need to be doing during this period. I’ll give you actionable, tangible marketing ideas you can take away, and commence in your business straight away to ensure you more than just survive this period, but thrive out of the other side too.
We’re using Zoom, so you’ll have an opportunity to get any questions answered, as well as hear from other independent kitchen retailers in the same boat as you. (You can even attend anonymously if you like.)
It’s completely free, no strings attached – just a chance for me to add as much value to you as I can at this time.
If that sounds good, just click HERE and register now.
Speak soon and stay safe,
David