Almost in the blink of an eye, everything changed. While it came as little surprise that companies would be shut down, given how the situation seemed to mushroom around the second week of March, the impact was nonetheless jarring. Welcome to COVID-19.
Companies with on-site employees sent out the memo: Pack up all the tools you will need to work from home. In some cases, it entailed laptops and printers. HR and IT mobilized to provide instructions for logging onto the network. Regardless of how well companies were prepared to pivot into a remote environment, it was still a taxing experience. Three months later, while the nation moves closer and closer to bringing its people back (depending on geography), the ability to bring people together while they are physically distanced remains a great challenge.
More than ever, corporate messaging is the lifeline employees and clients must cling to as they travel down the path of the unknown. It goes beyond mere reassurance; they must know the pulse of the company and (for employees) their continued role in it as they wait to see what tomorrow brings.
No one wants the truth sugar-coated, according to Jim Loffler, founder and CEO of Loffler Companies. “You need to clearly communicate what’s going on in the business,” he said. “Tell it like it is, because people want to hear the truth. Be positive, but be honest with what’s going on in the industry and with your business.”
While there have been sacrifices along the way, Loffler notes that as business has picked back up, the company has made some positive changes. Regular communications have provided peace of mind, and he’s received positive feedback from employees who appreciate knowing what is going on.
Looking Ahead
Mark Petrie, CEO of Copiers Northwest, has leveraged different mediums to press the flesh with employees and customers alike, including newsletters and video messages with his brother, President Gregg Petrie. “We’re reassuring people we’re on the back side of this, that it’s improving, and we expect to get back to work as soon as we’re able to,” Mark Petrie said. “We’ve done a good job of keeping our people informed.”
At RJ Young, employees can count on a Friday video from President and CEO Chip Crunk, who performs a state-of-the-company overview that encompasses performance stats, activity measures and trends. “We see what the end looks like, talk about when we might go back to work and review the governor’s recommendations,” Crunk said. “I talk about what the facts are and what’s going on.”
It is also important for clients to hear about how their reseller partners are taking care of their clients and doing their part to assist the community, notes Jeff Gau, CEO of Marco. It takes an approach that is not political, and Gau stresses employing a collaborative, all-in sentiment without using cliché terms. For clients, Gau has done several videos for both social media and direct email marketing purposes that have touched on work-from-home strategies and technology assessments, while also discussing how the dealer is doing right for its employees and communities.
While Marco has needed to implement furloughs and layoffs, Gau has made a concerted effort to keep his workforce apprised of how the company is faring economically. That entails providing performance barometers, such as monitoring accounts receivable, or assessing the state of customers and what they might look like once they open up. It has been a learning experience for everyone involved.
Unchartered Waters
“There’s no playbook or template for managing in pandemic crisis mode; it’s different than slowdowns in the economy,” Gau said. “It’s happened very fast and might not return as quickly. I think we’ve done a pretty good job being transparent with my messaging as the CEO, using a combination of video, voice messaging and some email.
“We also tried to shake things up a bit, using social media not just for customers, but employees as well, to show them some kind of activity/fun stuff you can do—exchanging recipes, showing your dog, whatever it is. We’ve also communicated additional resources for mental health for you, as an employee, and family members if necessary. We’ve provided contact info and how they can leverage the employee assistance program. We’ve received positive feedback from our employees for proactively communicating not just about business conditions, but other issues. The messaging is important.”
Impact Networking has struck a consistent balance in its messaging for both clients and employees. According to CTO Frank DeGeorge, the common denominator is a sentiment of support.
“Each of our customers and clients have their priorities and are adapting the best way they see fit right now,” he said. “Impact’s role is to understand what that is, and to find the best way to support them through the process. We have gotten a lot of great feedback from our customers telling us how they appreciate our approach and are thankful that they have a true business partner to rely on.
“From an employee standpoint, I think it is a lot of the same messaging. Employees are faced with challenges that they haven’t had before. Impact, from our core culture, caters to our employees as best we can. Our role and messaging is to support the Impact family. Our employees will be the ones that help navigate this storm and we will support and guide them with the best resources possible.”
