By Rex Hammock, CEO
Last week, the Hammock Healthcare Idea Email included insights from an article in the Harvard Business Review based on early data from China and how companies there are successfully moving through the pandemic. It is both insightful as a business story and as a study of how critical communication and content is in the “five stages” of pivoting to recovery.
The article noted five stages of communication that might be helpful in thinking about how we communicate:
- Discovery and sense-making
- Crisis planning and response
- Recovery strategy
- Post-recovery strategy
- Reflection and learning
We are already working in the recovery strategy and post-recovery strategy stages with most of our clients. One observation from the HBR article should motivate you not to stand still: “Prepare for a faster recovery than you expect.” In China, six weeks after the initial outbreak, there were already real signs of economic recovery.
Our clients here in Nashville have had to react to a number of different challenges—such as devastating tornadoes, the coronavirus pandemic and transitioning to a work-from-home environment—all in a matter of weeks. However, their reaction was as smooth as I can imagine. We are fortunate that our clients, consultants and service providers, and staff are savvy and experienced in using technology and digital tools to create and distribute content and media.
For us, having a staff that has worked together for so many years is a not-so-hidden treasure.
I’ve been especially fascinated with how our clients, as well as the companies who serve us in various ways, have continued to do amazing work under pressure. Long-term relationships with banks, accountants and service providers of all types are unique and special relationships that aren’t understood at such depth until a crisis.
What does that mean for you? For us? Here are three lessons from our work on a recovery strategy and how to position your company to resume post-recovery operations:
- Two things matter to your customers. How will you take care of me and how will you help me save money? It’s important to have a simple message that addresses those two concerns.
- Change the channel. Are you sharing helpful, meaningful content with your audience and providing your sales support teams with helpful, non-salesy content so that they can operate virtually?
- Don’t go away. Now is not the time to wait to talk to your customers. They need you more than ever right now. Be helpful. Be there.
Image: Getty Images
About Hammock Healthcare Idea Email | This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.