Business environments are always
evolving. For the most part, all
change can be anticipated making
it easier to create Change Management or
Risk Management plans to weather any
storm. Then comes Covid-19, something
unanticipated that last took place close
to a century ago. Panic from the initial
stages of the pandemic has passed, and
companies are all focusing on one thing
- moving forward.
Large companies and multinationals may
have the financial muscle to weather the
storm, but for SME’s, the situation is quite
different. Especially marketing SME’s.
There are always opportunities that can be
explored, but can you see them? Through
the uncertainty, confusion, anxiety,
and more, I would like you to consider
something.
After a brilliant year, you have chosen to
reward your entire team with a trip. You
are taking a cruise on a small boat or
yacht and are in the middle of the open
sea. Suddenly, you notice a storm brewing.
Not much to worry about, everyone is
told to put on a life jacket and wait for it
to pass. However, within a few minutes,
SME MARKETING
All You Need To Do Is
Stay Alive
it becomes clear that the storm is getting
worse. As it intensifies, the boat tips over,
you all get thrown overboard and you
cannot see any single member of your
team at all. What do you do?
First, you will start calling out to your
team to find as many of them as you can.
The human instinct is to survive, and so
you are likely to paddle around, looking
for land or something to hold on to. When
tired, you will float for a little while and
then keep trying.
Even when you are totally exhausted, if
you spot land, renewed energy will have
you thrashing around until you get there.
And once your feet touch the sand on the
beach, you will lie on it, take a breath of
relief and plan your next move. You look to
see who has landed with you and sigh with
relief when you find your team members.
They repeated all the actions that you
carried out. All you want to do is stay alive.
Safe From Drowning
The very same applies to your business. In
marketing, especially direct to consumer
Keep your eye on the prize for now, and focus
on staying alive and keeping your business
afloat. Engage your staff to share your
point of view and make sacrifices together.
There is an end to this pandemic, and no
matter what pace that end takes, you and
your business need to make it through
By Valerie Ambetsa Siganga
marketing, a halt on events, travel, and
even the temporary closure on eateries and
bars is extremely devastating. In the eye of
the storm, it may feel as though you have
all been thrown into the water, and you are
likely to drown.
As a leader, it is essential to communicate
that no matter how turbulent things have
become, all that has changed is the day
to day circumstances. The clients are the
same, the customers are the same, the
times are different. If you can swim, then
you should. If you cannot swim, then hang
on to your life jacket. Either way, you and
your team do have an option that will keep
you afloat.
Tough times require you to stay alive.
Rather than thinking about profits,
meeting targets, and the bottom line, you
should minimise all your expenses and just
try to stay alive. This is the best time to
lead by example.
Why? The land is not far away, and you
will get there to rebuild. Mounting costs,
lack of income, the strain of supporting
employees will appear impossible. If you
kill off your business now, you will have a
bigger challenge starting up again. Once
you take a breather after getting to shore,
you can gather your available resources and
get going once more. Rather than packing
up and closing shop as you consider
opening an entirely new business, hereunder
are some things that you can do.
Focus On Talents
There is something that your business offers
that consistently draws clients to it. Now
is the time to develop and amplify that
unique selling point. While doing this, it
is also possible to share information with
your clients that you believe could be of
benefit to them through the pandemic.
The aim of focusing on talents, developing,
and sharing them is to ensure that you
come out strongly as experts in your field.
According to Maya Angelou, ‘people will
forget what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never forget
how you made them feel.’
Identify New Opportunities
As a large amount of the general
population is now working from home,
how can you reach them? Not everyone
has the skills to be a superb digital
marketer, but we can all offer some digital
solutions. These could include online
forums where you discuss your product
offerings and even show customers how
to use your products. You could explore
e-commerce options where your existing
and potential clients can find you. Other
avenues of engagement include webinars
and offering educational courses, or
CHAMPION
YOUR BRAND
Who is your brand champion?.......
Think about it
Our comprehensive
training covers: -
•The First Impression
•Rules of Engagement
•Skills Assessment
•Project Appraisal.
In marketing, especially
direct to consumer
marketing, a
halt on events, travel,
and even the temporary
closure on
eateries and bars is
extremely devastating.
In the eye of the
storm, it may feel as
though you have all
been thrown into the
water, and you are
likely to drown.
perhaps this is the perfect time to write
a professional manual or guide on your
business.
Talk To Your Clients
Talking is different from pitching. Talking
involves having a conversation with them
Visit www.pinkafricamarketing.com or
Talk to Us through [email protected]
+254 725 106701 or +254 721 652890
about the challenges they are facing, and
exploring the types of solutions they want
to implement. Do not assume that the
needs of your clients can be generalised
based on online information and articles.
Get to the root of the matter and walk
with them through this crisis.
Keep your eye on the prize for now, and
focus on staying alive and keeping your
business afloat. Engage your staff to share
your point of view and make sacrifices
together. There is an end to this pandemic,
and no matter what pace that end takes,
you and your business need to make it
through.
Valerie Ambetsa Siganga is the
Growth Strategist and Marketing
Consultant at Pink Africa
Marketing, a Marketing Agency
that helps businesses grow. You can
commune with her on this or related
matters via email at: Valerie@
pinkafricamarketing.com.
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