Now is not the time to go dark, as far as your customers, employees and business colleagues go. Your customers are all experiencing the reality of working from home and really seeing how limited some of their technology has become. For the consumer technology industry, now is the time we need to change our messaging from one of “lifestyles” to one of outreach and empathy.
I’d begin with reaching out to all of your existing customers. “I care about you and want to help. What can we do for you. Talk to us. We’re here to help.”
I’ve heard from retailers who have begun to use this type of messaging and the response has been 100 percent positive. Maybe now that an entire family is at home and their network is being swamped with everyone on line working and taking school lessons, you can be the resource these people need in an emergency situation. Let your customers know what you can do for them, what services you can provide, and how you are there to provide assistance. Get up on the mountain and shout it out, “let us know what we can do for you.”
People remember good partnerships. People remember when a hand has been extended in friendship.
As far as the vendors go, perhaps now is the time to talk about extending payment terms. At the very least, you should be updating your dealers with supply chain news, so that information can be forwarded to consumers looking to make upgrades or updates to their AV systems.
Look, it’s not about competition right now, it’s about banding together as an industry and getting the job done for our clients. We’re in this together and it’s okay to lean on one another and ask for help.
As marketing and communication firms, Technology Insider Group and Technology Designer are here for you as well. If you don’t know your way around messaging, marketing and social media, reach out to us and we will help you. From virtual events to press releases to marketing strategy, our doors are always open to our friends in the technology community.
Start talking to your customers today. Ask what you can do for them. Get a conversation started. Now is the time for us to lead, not go dark.