By Megan Schreckenbach
Vice President of Account Services

Is anyone starting to miss the automatic handshake or the kind hug or pat on the back from a trusted colleague? I'm sure some of us don't have too much trouble ducking away and taking a break from social interaction during the pandemic, but if you're like me (and I'm sure for many of us), it hasn't been a walk in the park.

Our lives were swept into a 100% virtual existence essentially overnight. Don't get me wrong, our society was of course driving down that road at a very high speed, but out of unexpected necessity, our virtual lives went into overdrive ... oh, and not to mention, stay home everyone and keep your kids there, too! OK, got it!

Witnessing the uncontrolled chaos of my daughter's virtual Pre-K class shouting out their answers simultaneously at their respective computer screens (please, mute all, please!!) and the virtual meltdown — no pun intended — when the teacher didn’t hear them and praise their genius, certainly is productive. And perhaps my personal quarantine favorite, a virtual taekwondo class full of overly confident (and loud) 5-year-olds … and yes, “Parents we need you to jump in here and help out!” At this point, I’m now definitely ready for my virtual happy hour!

We were, and many still ARE, in “virtual survival mode.” But looking ahead to our new normal, how much of this virtual culture will survive and thrive? I think a lot of it!

If we aren’t able to have an in-person event to showcase our products and services and SELL — or because of ongoing restrictions aren’t able to sit in a client’s office and gauge their facial expressions and read their tone of voice — what are our alternatives?

Online Meetings

Zoom is now a household name! Though online does not replace face-to-face, for many it comes really close. For that reason, the efficiencies and ease that virtual meetings provide will no doubt be sticking around. So, get good at it! Be able to navigate an online meeting room just as strongly as you would a boardroom … and it’s tempting not to, but turn your camera on. If you don’t, you are really just phoning it in.

Webinars

Not another WEBINAR! If we cannot teach and sell in person, we must create similar opportunities online. And, as a consumer, it’s also up to us to engage in these formats, as well. Many in our industry have gotten very good at using available platforms to enhance these online events and engage views – from audience interaction via questions and polls to including multiple experts in one event to keep things more spontaneous.

Virtual Trade Shows

In addition to the traditional, yet ever-improving, webinar experience, virtual trade shows are about to make a big appearance on the scene. Kudos to industry events across the world taking responsive action and pivoting to support both exhibitors and attendees. I commend you! This effort will be a new experience for many and, as in all things, there will be many lessons learned that will be used to make the experience more productive and profitable to all involved. Once we get back to the usual in-person trade show format, what was learned from these virtual shows will be applied to offer broader and/or more frequent opportunities.

Video

Video, in all its glory, continues to take center stage. If you can’t put your face in front of them literally … put it where they CAN see it … on video. Whether a timely video clip answering a commonly asked question, a pre-recorded training video to replace the in-person experience or a recorded executive roundtable providing thought-leadership points, video is here to stay and it’s powerful. We have seen many embracing this avenue who previously had shied away and now are planning to keep these efforts in their ongoing planning.

Enhance Your Online Presence

If you haven’t already, run the traps to ensure your website is where it needs to be to grab and convert users; your social media channels effectively target the right audience; and your email campaigns are serving your customers well with strong calls to actions. Now is not the time for missteps as your sales cycle depends even more on the digital experience rather than closing the deal in-person.

Serve Not Sell

It’s not as easy as it was yesterday to get in the door and close the deal. Show the prospect your culture by serving them a lot of the time, rather than selling them all the time. Content is KING! Strategic calls to action attached to strong content is THE pathway to clicks, leads, being top of mind and, ultimately, success. The better you are at this, the closer you are to the sale. By creating a strategic path and mixing in great content, you are just a couple of clicks from an in-person meeting, online meeting or call to close the deal.

Foster Marketing is here to help you create strong paths for you to connect with your audience, whether you are still in virtual-only mode, or back face-to-face. Call us today at 281-448-3435, contact us online or connect with us on LinkedIn. 

BONUS TIP

Who cares about Facebook, right? According to a Hootsuite survey, Facebook …

• Has 2.41 billion monthly active users
• Is the world’s third-most visited website – outranked only by Google and YouTube
• Has the attention of 71% of American adults
• Has 74% of high-income earners ($75,000 or more)
• Will engage with 87.1% of U.S. marketers this year
• And, a study from Optimal Social, the winner of a Facebook-sponsored contest for marketing developers, showed that 75% of the engagement from a typical Facebook post takes place within the first 180 minutes.

For companies, that could mean connecting with a prospective customer quicker.