How COVID 19 has shaped the new world

We are all in uncharted waters at the moment, as businesses look to adapt to the new way of doing business from afar thanks to COVID-19. The majority of businesses have moved entire workforces online to continue trading using different technology and software to keep connected.

The leaders of the world have done the best they can in assisting businesses in such extreme situations through methods of tax relief, rent relief or an injection of cash to assist cash flow and keep workers on the books.

The question is as leaders and business owners what’s your next move when the sun shines again, and the world recovers, how will you do things differently or better.

So, how do you undertake a “customer first” experience placing your customers’ needs front and centre in the age of COVID-19? It’s not as difficult as you think. It may require more input in the short-term for your company, but it will pay off dividends in the long-term if you do it right.

One word that comes to mind when we think of a customer-first approach, empathy.

What is empathy?

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

So how do we use empathy to shape our value proposition?

Potentially the most important aspect of your branding and all of your communications, your value proposition defines the underlying message that all of your service’s and accompanying marketing should be given no matter whether you are in the kitchen design software space, manufacturing or any other type of service.

Put simply, defining your value proposition means asking yourself the question, “what is it that my company is giving to my ideal customer/user?”

This is where user research comes in. Through actually talking to your customers in focus groups, surveys and asking questions through EDM’s and taking note of general behaviour of your customers you can assess what their pain points are, as well as how they’re currently solving their problem. Armed with these insights, you can relatively easily identify exactly what your company brings to the table.

Having condensed this value proposition into one sentence, you can use it to structure all of your marketing strategy and your digital narrative. After all, you know exactly what you’re selling and, most importantly, why you are selling it.

Your value proposition will become the consistent starting point for everything you create, all thanks to having a bit of empathy.