While many of us have lived through crises and economic downturns before, I think we can agree that COVID-19 presents unique challenges we haven't faced before. Widespread social isolation and working from home has become the new norm—and probably will be the status quo for some time.

Businesses in the legal ecosystem—law firms, in-house legal departments, ALSPs and legal technology providers—are understandably concerned. What does this pandemic mean for short- and long-term growth? Will my immediate cash flow be impacted? How do I ensure staff remains productive? How do I close deals with customers I can't meet face to face, especially when they are dealing with many of the same concerns and uncertainties?

The ability to adapt, be nimble and pivot as necessary is crucial to surviving and thriving in ever-changing economic climates. Just because we are in a virtual environment now doesn't mean that we cannot be effective or productive. Communicating in the age of social distancing requires a new way of thinking and being—not just in the virtual workplace with our peers but also how we communicate and partner with our clients.

Make a special effort to communicate effectively and listen carefully to clients and staff. Many of us—myself included—are used to traveling on a regular basis and meeting with staff or clients in person, as well as attending industry events. Being grounded puts new emphasis on the way we communicate with staff and clients. We may be distracted by kids and co-working spouses in this new environment, but being an effective partner to our clients is more important than ever.

Listening carefully and being able to read "body language" through the phone requires attention to detail and personal check-ins to ensure you are in tune with clients' concerns and goals. During calls, resist the temptation to rush and don't hesitate to ask that extra question when something isn't clear. You may even find these new ways of working will bring a fresh approach to how you interact with clients and staff.

Message appropriately now as you begin preparing for the post-COVID-19 world. We've all seen the tone-deaf emails (and social media ads) from a wide variety of companies in the last week that are not tempered to the current environment. There is a critical balance to strike in how we communicate—in tone as well as content. Whether it's an email or website messaging, or even an online community, it is now especially important to attune our communication to the current climate.

The key is to be a resource and partner with your clients and potential prospects during this time. Adjust your communications to reflect what you are hearing from clients and how your services can help address their concerns. This requires our best listening skills and extraordinary sensitivity. Listen to learn, not to hear.

Be wary of rushing into decisions that may undermine your ability to survive and keep growing in the event of a recession. Sales and marketing go hand in hand. A knee-jerk reaction to curtail marketing and PR initiatives during these periods of uncertainty risks diluting the existing mindshare you have worked so hard to create with potential clients, and it does nothing to set you up for success after COVID-19. Instead of pulling back from marketing and PR, take inventory of what's working and what isn't. If your marketing campaign isn't driving demand generation and increased sales, then it isn't working and you need a new approach.

If you aren't actively demonstrating thought leadership and generating awareness in the marketplace, potential customers won't be able to find you. When economies rebound, it's not as easy as simply picking up where you left off. Your competitors may have taken your place—and taken over the mindshare you worked so hard to build. As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind."

Reevaluate your communications and marketing programs. To help your company or law firm grow and thrive during this time and in the future, make sure you have PR and marketing agency partners who are responsive to your changing requirements. A good partner will know how to pivot in these moments and quickly shift gears.

Perhaps you need help prioritizing one target audience over another? After a frank discussion with your agency, you may decide it makes sense to adopt a more dedicated focus on media pitching over content development to drive results (or the other way around). If economic circumstances require your business to cut budgets, your agency partner should be able to help you assess metrics and make thoughtful decisions about where to cut and where to save. Businesses go through ups and downs; experienced and capable partners will understand the need to be nimble in such times and offer their clients alternative solutions to help them maintain a marketing presence.

Above all, businesses need to see their agency deliver results that convert to qualified opportunities. If your existing agency partner can't or won't adapt, or is failing to demonstrate value at the time you need it most, it's time to move on. Consider working on a project basis with another partner that is more flexible, understands your market and can move swiftly.

COVID-19 has made us all rethink how we do business. Amid the uncertainty, staying calm and focused will allow you to keep your sights on the long term to ensure that you thrive. Resist the urge to focus only on the uncertain weeks ahead. Taking a holistic view of your business and the market will help you make the right decisions during this unprecedented time.

 

Valerie Chan is principal of Plat4orm. She can be reached at [email protected].