How to communicate during difficult times - Part 1

The COVID-19 outbreak is a stressful time for many people and their businesses. The importance of enhanced communication is key to keeping everybody calm. Many Cumulo9 clients have been prompted to ensure that they send out communications to their contacts letting them know of important updates such as - continuity of service, where they are working from, policies re meetings and continued support through digital catch-ups. We want to break down in a two-part blog series some key factors to include in your email communications during difficult times such as these. 

1). Support: Ensure all email communications that you are sending out remain supportive rather than opportunistic. Remember to include in your opening paragraph some supportive words to your contacts as it is important to communicate that despite current circumstances you are still there to help your customers.

2). Be informative: Certain sectors have made sure they keep their clients informed, for example, Insurance providers have been letting their clients know policy details and what is and isn't covered in this situation. Think about how your company and services can impact/help people during this situation and make sure all key details are included in your communications.

3). Include more information:  Most Communications that we have seen going around have ended with a link or some tips on avoiding Coronavirus. Remember that you may not be a health expert and if people require expert medical advice they need to visit the Ministry of Health website for example.

4). Working situation: At Cumulo9 we have been sure to send out a C9 campaign letter letting our clients know how we are working and that we are able to fully support their services. We are also still able to have meetings via digital communication. Ensure you communicate with your clients if your business is still operating as normal (or at least as normal as it can in the current environment) and will still provide them with the services they need. If your staff are working from home this is also an important thing to advise your clients of. Any restrictions your company has put in place such as canceling face to face meetings is another important update to include.

In the next post we will discuss what type of wording to use when communicating in a crisis. As always at Cumulo9 we hope you are all remaining safe and calm during these difficult times. Cumulo9 are always here to help, we are still working hard to provide you with digital solutions, if you need help with your communications during these times please don’t hesitate to contact us.