Business through empathy

My father, a successful business person and golfers are very useful, often told me "You can tell a person's character by the way they conduct themselves on the golf course."

He used to invite potential business partners for a round of golf to help determine the ethics and temperament Digital Marketing Agencies in Newcastle them before doing business with them.

Likewise, the pressure of the business environment that affected the current pandemic has revealed much about the character of many business owners.

As we have collectively experienced a sudden and unprecedented disruption and changes in our economy, businesses have been forced to respond quickly and deal with the loss of income and other pressures. Almost everyone has been affected but the reaction has been wide and varied.

In my experience, businesses that respond with empathy will emerge from this period in better shape than those who do not.

My agency, like many, took a big hit early when clients stop marketing or break their relationship with all suppliers to rapidly reduce their overhead. Although pain for lost income, we appreciate our clients face the situation and to offer flexible solutions to ease them out of contractual obligations.

I then instructed my team to continue to serve the majority of these clients are in any way we can to help them through a period of crisis, even if we do not get paid.

Why?

Because I appreciated their business and want to have the best chance to work with them when things improve.

So we contacted all of our clients from the beginning to ask them how they cope business and how we can best help them. We ran a free webinar to brainstorm ideas to help business owners. We take calls and just help wherever we can, whether they are clients or not.

And it works.

Although the initial dip, we continue to see clients come back to us sooner than expected. Some of them referred to a new client for us. We have actually won over many new clients during the "shutdown" of which we had the previous year.

Another local business owner I know, a photographer who specializes in products for the tourism industry, saw its revenue evaporate overnight. But he realizes that he has a way to help other photographers and artists to improve and grow their business, so he quickly began to help them instead. He understood the situation of freelance photographer was in and quickly put together a consulting offerings to help guide them through the current environment to generate more revenue.

He told me that May saw "growth of 100% in the previous 6 months average monthly turnover and that June will be greater."

On the other hand, I have seen businesses that have far less empathy.

Imagine, in a time when we have all been ordered to work from home, receiving invoices from suppliers of resources that you can not even use the threat of a penalty fee if you pay only 2 days late?! That's one example I have seen from local businesses, which is very disappointing.

The owners know many of their clients will be able to use their services during this period. But instead of reaching their clients do communication via invoice.

They would have been much better served by contacting their clients, discuss their situation and then offer some kind of concession or a solution to "work together" through hard times. Empathy.

Smarter idea for this particular business would be a bid to help their clients establish a home office or remote working solutions for their team. Empathy and opportunities.

Unfortunately, some businesses panic about the potential loss of revenue and taking an aggressive approach or antagonist to maintain their bottom line. They showed their true character under Digital Marketing Company in Newcastle  pressure and I hope it has done them no favors in the long term.

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