Proactive Solutions for your Direct Sales Business – in response to the Coronavirus
I have had many discussions with you about how the Coronavirus is impacting our families, communities and businesses.
Just today, I received a flurry of emails that many upcoming conferences and events have been cancelled. I’ve received emails from CEOs sharing what their companies are doing and how they can help. And, I witnessed a teacher providing tips to stay healthy to a classroom of wide-eyed 5 year-olds.
I’m not an alarmist (at all – actually, mostly the opposite!) — but I want to be real with ya’ll because I love ya… I do expect this to impact your direct sales business. I would anticipate things to get a bit worse before they get better. It would not surprise me to hear that in-person events will be cancelled or postponed, shoppers will be reluctant to attend in-home parties or pop-ups and that everyone is just a bit distracted or on-edge waiting to see what will happen next.
As a business owner, I think it’s important to be proactive, be prepared and be sensitive to your teams and customers. Here’s just a few suggestions on things you can do to make some shifts in your business to still stay present and profitable while there’s a lot of “unknowns”.
⭐ Move in-person parties to online. Up your game running online parties. If you haven’t hosted your own party this Spring, this is a great time to do so.
⭐ Plan more Drop & Shops. Drop off product with your customers, let them try it out / pick what they want and swing back by to pick up the rest.
⭐ Show up on social media. Your customers want to hear from you. Go LIVE. Be sensitive to the situation at hand, but also stay active and in front of your customers.
⭐ Offer (virtual) personal shopping. Connect with customers using FaceTime, Google Hangout or event text/ PM or DM quick video clips to facilitate shopping. Bring the shopping to them!
⭐ Use this time to work on increasing your visibility and presence online. That thing you’ve been putting off?! The website? Email marketing? Your blog? Instagram? Batching your social posts? Now is the time to get to work!
⭐ Be there for your team. Know that many teammates are also going to experience cancellations and may get frustrated. Bring the positive attitude, we’re-going-to-get-through-this perspective and ideas. That’s your job as their leader.
Most importantly, take care of yourself and your family. We are privileged to have the ability to run our businesses with flexibility and make shifts, as needed.
Sending lots of virtual hugs (or air-hugs as my 5 year old was taught to do today!) 🤗
PS…check out my other post about what to say during times of uncertainty for some helpful tips and example emails, DMs and texts to send.
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