At this writing, it looks as if we are past the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re in the recovery stages, and it’s time to do some planning.
The first half of the year has slipped away, and we all have a lot of catching-up to do. As an agency, Verdi is here to help.
Let’s do the easy stuff first:
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Let’s rebuild and verify your lead funnel. We need to make sure your prospects are where they said they were four months ago. Has their contact information changed? Are they back to work, or are they working from home? Are they still interested in engaging with you? Don’t assume; be sure! The Verdi Group can do that for you. You can’t afford to lose any ground with your best prospects or waste time on those who have shifted. The sooner you know where they stand, the better you’ll be able to plan for the future.
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Meet with your agency to plan your third and fourth-quarter activity. Make sure you are comfortable with the tactics already under development. A lot has changed this quarter, and your plans need to be reviewed. A strategy session with your agency – even if you leave your plans unchanged – is well worth the couple of hours it will take, and you’ll enter the second half of the year with more confidence.
Meet (online) with your agency team. The agency, with its position as an outside partner with a creative outlook, can be a great asset to your planning and can bring a new perspective to your strategy. Long term, your goals will have changed, your prospects and sales process need to change to reflect the new reality. This means that your marketing strategy should be adjusted to account for the cultural shift of fewer public events, working from home, and Zooming.
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With your marketing agency, take a hard look at your martech stack. Technology has advanced – making possible personalized custom content directed to the various members of your prospects’ buying influences. It’s now easy to assess engagement, buying intent, and readiness to buy. Some of this technology is useful, but other parts are costly and offer more hype than practical benefits. Your agency can advise you on what is working and what may not be fully baked yet.
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Last – but not least – work with your agency to strengthen your relationship, to encourage them to become more collaborative with your team, and to help each other through these difficult times.
