Isolation 2020
We have all had a very difficult time during the year 2020. Even if you did not get furloughed, had your hours cut, had to juggle your time with trying to earn a living and home-schooling your child or dealing with a house full of children. Having to stay home and not being able to go to dinner. Wearing a mask everywhere you go. 2020 has been a nightmare and, if you are like me, I can’t wait until we turn the calendar to 2021.
2020 has been a year of mostly isolation. We as people, for the most part, do not do well with being separated from other people. We are a social society and need to have interaction. We are seeing some lifting of “social distancing” requirements so there is some indication that we may return to normal.
Once you feel comfortable, based on your state, region, or local governments social guidelines, I suggest that you consider how you might “reconnect” with business associates, friends, and more importantly, your customers and prospects. You may remember that I posted some information while in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. I suggested that you stay “top of mind” but certainly don’t engage in a “closing” approach to those prospects that you had in your pipeline prior to the economic shutdown/slowdown.
How will you pick up where you left off in your efforts to generate business for your business? I hope you have taken time to work on your skills in the extra time you may have had in the slow down. If not, you still have time. If so, good for you. We will most likely see a new working environment as a result of the experience we had in the “work from home” situation that most, if not all of us experienced. There may be a shift in how we work and thus or how our prospects work. We may not be able to have a cup of coffee or meet at their office, as a result of the shift in where we work. There may be more virtual meetings and you may need to adjust your approach to engaging and staying engaged with your prospects and customers.
When you do need to maintain engagement or re-establish engaging you prospects, it is critically important that you deliver a message in all your communication that is very compelling and provides a reason for your audience to take action.