Bracing for the Unknown: How to Support Clients During a Crisis

Crises aren’t typically covered under contracts, but maybe they should be. Studies have shown that the coronavirus (COVID-19) could cost the economy $2.7 trillion. Given the ongoing state of affairs, economic panic is inevitable.

We’re all facing uphill battles, especially small business owners who are expected to make difficult business decisions while supporting a staff and managing client relationships. Facing the unknown as a business owner is stressful, but there are ways to navigate this situation without compromising your mental health. 

Collaborate with your clients and customers 

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. In order to maintain economic stability, business owners must transition from being customer service experts and client managers to being partners and collaborators. Businesses, regardless of their financial stability, have a responsibility to support their clients and if done well enough, clients will show their dedicated support long after this crisis has been resolved. 

Businesses can predict and prepare as much as they want, but there are dozens of unknown obstacles that require flexibility and quick-acting decisions. In order to survive this time and maintain long-term relationships, it’s necessary for businesses to recognize potential hardships facing not just themselves but their clients. This means adjusting services and payment plans accordingly. 

Businesses will likely have to cut back on resources and reexamine their financials, while acknowledging what services or products clients really need in order to get through the next few months. Some fine dining restaurants have converted their tasting menus into takeout breakfast sandwiches and cheeseburgers, for instance. Some companies are transitioning their in-person events to virtual events. Plan to adjust your services to best support your clients, in whatever way makes the most sense for your industry.

Realign expectations

When it comes to addressing and managing expectations, be concise and direct about what’s possible and what’s not. Vagueness will only cause confusion and distrust and keeping your client in the dark will eventually push them away. If you have bad news to share, lead with good news, even if that requires some truth-stretching. 

When addressing the bad news, businesses can try implementing the SPIKES strategy, which doctors use to relay bad medical news to patients. Acknowledging the problem, empathizing with and validating clients’ concerns, and offering an implementable plan of action is the best way to support clients and make them feel heard. The plan of action will likely change over the course of the coming months, but so long as businesses keep an open communication with their clients the bad news won’t feel as bad.

Be a reliable resource 

Prepare for difficult conversations and long work hours. No one knows how long this crisis will last or how damaging the effects will be, which is why it’s so important to be flexible and available. Though businesses are feeling the hardship within their own company and among their own employees, it’s important to extend hours and extend means of communication to allow for more dialogue with clients. Be a resource, a reliable expert, and a leader, but do not try to sell to your client right now.

Clients are feeling the turmoil, as are businesses, so keeping concise, clear, and ongoing communications is key to maintaining the long-term relationships. Business owners can’t control the potential economic outcomes of the pandemic, but they can listen to clients and support them with consideration, empathy, and expert knowledge (ex. send clients the CDC guidelines or offer industry-specific advice). 

Offer valuable solutions

Business owners aren’t expected to have answers to every complicated question, but they need to be transparent leaders during this tumultuous time. You’ll need to address what’s happening, in real time, and make quick decisions on how to adjust and redirect your clients. This means staying abreast of the news, the economic climate, the media, and the ongoing nationwide changes to determine what’s possible and how best to pivot. 

It may feel like everything’s happening at once and there are a million decisions to make, but this is just the beginning. Do your best to stay calm and stay focused on the day to day. We’re truly all in this together.