THE COVID PIVOT WEBINAR SERIES

BEST OF THE COVID PIVOT WEBINAR SERIES Toolkit for Businesses

BY MARYA PENNINGTON, PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

handled it with grace, insight and innovation. Here’s a peek into our webinar series sponsored by Wells Fargo, that gives a quick snapshot of the tactics and tools businesses used to shift during stay at home orders and social distancing guidelines.

– DANA PULIS, KINETIC MARKETING

AND CREATIVE.

Kinetic discussed the best ways to make a sharp transition with your marketing strategy moving forward. The current market environment demands we do some things differently. 1.Ensure your brand comes out of this stronger than it was before. Take action, don't just "ride it out." 2.Leverage every opportunity that presents itself. Act NOW. The prize will go to those who are more agile, responsive, execute on the move, fail fast and go to the next thing. 3.The best thing do is to nurture customer relationships. Don’t just maintain, go above and beyond. 4.Do not plan for your business to rely on what it relied upon before. 5.Communication is key. Keep your internal and external audience in the loop. Use your communication channels to your advantage: update, maintain, engage, and then repeat. 6.The tone and tenor of business communication is changing daily so don’t be tone deaf. Stay in tune with the mood of the moment because the message used last

While recognizing that no one is an expert in pivoting during the COVID-19 crisis, there were many businesses who

MARKETING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

week will not work this week. LEADING THROUGH TIMES OF CRISIS AND CHANGE

- MEGAN KONGAIKA + HEIDI KNUDSON, ALTANA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION.

Altana recognized early on that to pivot well for both their employees and their members, they needed to lead with empathy. Here are the ways they communicated this outwardly: 1.Their CEO maintained a calm presence in the midst of urgency to diffuse fear and uncertainty. 2.Using previously developed crisis tactics, they created a strategy to navigate the current crisis situation. 3.They decided to make intentional adjustments to value their staff through the crisis. a.Acknowledge that employees were feeling uncertainty and fear b.Decided that no staff member would be let go or furloughed. c.They recognized that not all circumstances are the same for everyone and that a blanket policy would not fit all of their employees. They made work plans and decisions on a case by case system that was best for both the staff member and organization. d.They worked on a plan to invest in their staff through video trainings, morale boosting office games and contests, treat deliveries, and personal check-ins. e.They cross-trained staff to do other types of work to help support other departments. f.They focused on getting some larger, long-term projects completed. 4.They collaborated with other organizations in the same industry to develop best practices, share information and discuss different approaches. 5.They communicated to their members the things they were doing to alleviate their concerns and fears, and still accommodate their needs.

MOBILIZING AND ENGAGING YOUR WORKFORCE

- SUSAN SHALD OF GALLUP, MIKE NELSON OF THE NORTHERN HOTEL AND JENNIFER REISER OF THE BILLINGS CHAMBER.

Susan Shald with Gallup explained what employees need most from their managers from the Gallup book, The Manager. The Northern Hotel and the Billings Chamber then shared the things they were doing that aligned with these suggestions. 1.Managers should demonstrate compassion and understanding toward their staff. a.The Billings Chamber recognized unique needs and reached out to create a work plan that fit that staff member. b.The Northern Hotel provided a hot meal for each of their employees and their families and allowed staff without childcare to bring their children to work. 2.Managers need to build trust with their staff, promoting respect and transparency. a.Mike Nelson gave a “State of the Union” address each week to keep staff informed and updated about the business. 3.Managers should provide stability for their staff by building their confidence. a.The Northern Hotel continued to pay their staff as well as their insurance payments when they were unable to do so. 4.They must create hope that there is a plan with a direction for the future that staff

can follow, and they need to know their strengths and talents to set reasonable expectations for them. a.The Billings Chamber clearly communicated the plan going forward for the organization and staff. They demonstrated trust in their employees to do their jobs with excellence, using their own particular talents to move forward.

PIVOTING YOUR SALES APPROACH

- NICOLE GRIFFITH OF WELL PARED + RANDI BARBER OF GO UNITE.

Well Pared, a quick and healthy restaurant, and Go Unite, a social events company, pivoted their businesses effectively during the COVID-19 shutdown period utilizing collaboration, communications and innovation to their advantage. Here are some ways they did this: 1.Brainstormed and collaborated with other local businesses to find a new normal. a.Decided to combine their efforts to benefit all and utilize cross-promotion. b.Pivoted to a joint marketing strategy and different ways to order, receive the product, or engage with customers. 2.They became more outwardly focused. a.Decided to change what they were offering based upon what their customers needed during the crisis. b.Relied on the community and their core customer base for support and to help them continue operating. 3.They created something new that would be sustainable long after the crisis was over. a.Not just a crisis solution, but a new way of operating that created new profitability options for the business that were previously not thought of.

FRAUD AND SCAM AWARENESS/ PREVENTION

- HANNAH STIFF FROM THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU.

1.Fraudulent behavior and scams prey on fear, which the coronavirus provided in waves.

Here were the most popular pandemic scams:

a.The grandparent scam: Convinces senior citizens they must send money for a family member dying in the hospital from the virus. b.Government loan or stimulus check scams. c.Bogus insurance policies: Offer virus medications or testing, flight insurance, or cancelled health insurance claims.

d.Price gouging: Unethical price spiking of goods or services. e.Compromise of business emails: Emails that look to be from the boss asking for money. f.IT issues: Directs the user to download a computer program or install malware and then ask for money to fix the issue. 2.Signs you are being scammed include: a.If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. b.You can’t verify the information. c.They threaten or urge you to “act now.” d.They ask for strange forms of payment, such as wire transfers or gift cards. 2.Report or locate scams at BBB.org/

scamtracker

ADJUSTING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

- ALLYN HULTENG OF REBEL RIVER CREATIVE.

1.The pandemic created a new baseline of innovation adoption, replacing fear with necessity. Virtual became the new global standard for consumers, and it was not just convenient but essential. 2.Brands need to optimize the entire online customer experience, through dynamic e-commerce, virtual resources, and real time communication that solves the consumer’s problem. 3.Six ideas that will help your business do that:

a.Build e-commerce functionality on your website. b.Offer quick and inexpensive delivery to customers. c.Add functionality allowing users to book virtual appointments. d.Offer webinars in place of face-to-face presentations. e.Implement an online chat tool for

customers to ask questions and get answers quickly. Facebook Messenger is an easy option for implementing this. f.Post a comprehensive online FAQs page with a strong search functionality and update it regularly to ensure relevant content.

FACILITATING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MEETINGS

- JENNIFER REISER OF THE BILLINGS CHAMBER.

Effective and efficient meetings should be developed with intention. The need for the meeting should be clear and the facilitator should ensure everyone involved understands the purpose, the goal, and the expectations so that it serves the entire group. 1.What to think about when planning an inperson meeting a.Organize the space. b.Organize audio and visual materials. c.Decide on food and beverage options. d.Control the atmosphere - music, lighting, takeaways. 2.What to think about when planning a virtual meeting. a.Prepare and practice how you will facilitate remotely. b.Be familiar with the technical tools and requirements. c.Eliminate distractions to remain focused during the meeting. d.Establish common etiquette. e.Plan ways to engage the participants. 3.What to do if you are facilitating a combination of an in-person and virtual meeting. a.Balance the conversation between the inperson and remotely connected people. b.Allow time for each group to contribute. c.Be intentional with those not physically present.