How’s everyone doing? I want to continue to help in the best way that I can—with tips on how to respond—instead of react—to this crisis. Since I’ve weathered many economic downturns over the past few decades, I want to share with you what I’ve learned.
During the first few crises that my cleaning business faced, I didn’t know there was such a thing as pivoting, much less how to pivot or what that pivot should look like. This is where I dropped the ball, by not pivoting quickly. In business, you have to be nimble. You can’t say “We don’t do it that way” and hope to survive in a changing environment.
One example: green cleaning companies. If you are a house cleaning company that has been focused on environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies, you can tell your clients something like, “We’ve been using safe and healthy products in your home the whole time we’ve been cleaning for you and we are absolutely committed to green cleaning, but during this time of crisis we are going to use stronger disinfectants because your health comes first.”
Change the way you do business in order to better meet your customers’ needs. During this coronavirus crisis, let them know exactly how you’re sanitizing and cleaning their home. Do things differently, be nimble. Even if you’re a green cleaner, start to use disinfectants, bleach, gloves, hand sanitizer. Over-communicate what changes you’re making to pivot your business to accommodate the new situation. Show that you are flexible and responsive to the crisis. This will help employees feel less fearful and customers will have more confidence that you’re on top of things.
Need more tips NOW on surviving this crisis? Join the 10-day Coronavirus Response Challenge. I’ve got advice on what to do, how to respond, how to deal with media, and how to reassure customers and employees during the COVID19 Crisis.
