9/11 Business (B2B) Lessons Learned For 2021
That Businesses (and Marketers) Could Do Now in COVID Times
When 9–11 hit in 2001, I was working as a marketing account manager in the technology industry. I had a role that was a hybrid between a marketing strategist and an account-based manager.
We were advised not to proactively call our B2B clients.
We didn’t know who was affected, and how deep the business impact was across the country and per individual. The world was frozen and devastated by the terrorist attack on the New York City twin towers for months.
I discovered that I could do a few things in my work to make each day count.
I could strategize on future roadshow marketing events.
I could stay connected, maintain, and build relationships by checking in with customers and prospects that I had started relationships with primarily on the phone and through email. (We now have so many other virtual ways to connect like Zoom).
I could be helpful to any new business inquiries (there were very few incoming calls as the U.S. was frozen. I’d pick up the phone from time to time just to make sure there was a dial tone).
I also sent out email blasts to see if anyone on my lists needed anything. No selling, just engagement.
And since California was 3,000 miles away from New York City, it was safer to call those folks as the east coast and west coast acted like different business countries.
In 2001, we adjusted to the new normal. We adapted. Getting back to business normalcy would be gradual. As 2020 is with the COVID crisis.
There are some 2001 marketing lessons we can wisely apply to our 2020 crisis and business situations.
Even if offices remain closed or in limited operations, we now are in a society where teleworking is acceptable, and easier than ever before.
In 2001, remote working was a newer concept as not everyone had laptops and mobile phones. There was no widely used smartphone with internet service.
There were no downloading apps. Texting was not widely used, and landlines were still the primary office phone connections. Social media wasn’t a way of sharing and communicating.
These are the three 9/11 lessons learned that I believe will keep you and your marketing efforts productive and growing now.
Marketing Lessons Learned (from 2001):
1. You did what you could.
You lowered your standards. You weren’t going to be able to meet your past email marketing frequency metrics without looking like a vulture during uncertain times, and that would backfire for your branding.
You approached businesses and individuals with kindness and sensitivity. Otherwise, you could’ve been remembered for the wrong reasons to the right people, and possibly burn bridges.
You searched for the less impacted businesses to contact and partner with, and the individual faces representing those companies, who would engage in conversations with you. They would keep you productive (if you weren’t busy).
Plus, every contact had the potential to become a client or partner in the future or refer you. You just never knew when someone would show up for you, and you for them. Where businesses in operation could use your help, services, or product offering.
And not every business in any given industry you heard about in the news was financially suffering (like oil and gas were thriving).
In 2001, you worked with individuals in businesses on the West Coast and Midwest who were further away from the attack, and less impacted. Geography mattered.
2. You aimed to be helpful.
You wanted to do the exact opposite of taking advantage of any businesses or anyone, and that sometimes meant to stop selling as a goal. You wanted to convey the message that you were helpful during hard times. By being servant-minded, you could be remembered for what you did, building your good reputation and credibility.
Some businesses sadly didn’t survive, and your business had empathy. Your sentiments were well-received, as the economic situation is not the fault of anyone you know.
3. You strategized (working on your businesses’ marketing).
You strengthened your brand or re-branded, especially if your brand was suffering before the crisis.
Your struggles made you re-think and re-strategize to develop a more value-added brand with potentially additional offers (from your core competency before the crisis). You offered discounts when you could. You tried to make win-win situations.
In 2001, future marketing events weren’t directly impacted, so that was still the proven marketing strategy in technology companies for growing business customers and connections.
The logic is that people do business with those they know, like, and trust. Back then face-to-face was critical for larger conversions.
Learning from 2001, in 2020 we can take those same “new business normal” concepts and expand to the current situation.
What businesses can do now amidst uncertain times, learning from the 9/11 crisis lessons (above):
1. Do what you can today.
If you ran a home delivery service, your B2C business has likely picked up in sales. Prepare and cook your fresh meal delivery services like Blue Apron is seeing increased sales.
The COVID crisis has worked in the favor of these delivery and contact-less business models. Struggling before competing with grocery stores and fast-food chains, and now there’s a glimmer of business hope and encouragement.
If you’re a B2B business, now you could work with delivery services. If you’re a technology company, you could still send samples and thinking-of-you gifts to companies and your larger customers.
- Target your reach:
Some locations and industries are open, and you have to find or market research which ones are operating or about to open, such as offices, financial institutions, essential retail, and some services. That could be a reason and friendly opener for your call to take off with wings.
In 2020, we have a challenge of states opening specific business industries along with differing timetables. And global industries all across the board.
You could prioritize the opening geographic locations for partnerships or accounts, and then further segment industries (applying business intelligence).
When businesses are fully opened, they are not operating fully as consumers and individuals are still socially distancing and cautious to go out “as normal”.
2. Be helpful now.
- Network/keep in touch now:
Stay in touch engaging over the phone, email, and social media.
Provide tips in email and newsletter to your list for areas that businesses and individuals have on their minds. Everyone is concerned about how to combat company and employee mental health issues (anxiety, depression, isolation, insomnia).
Getting feedback provides valuable market research for the next steps and marketing strategy for your company.
The uncertainty theme is rampant in individuals and all companies, as the world, public health, and economy uncertainty loom through this year. People would like to know predictions.
- Provide valuable information:
There are ever-changing rules that you know, that could pose opportunity or threats to your industry or business, that’s good to pass onto others in their businesses. You position yourself as a market leader in the know.
- Part of your business can turn into a charitable mission (while staying afloat):
Answer the question how can I help others in their struggles and misfortunes?
There are so many examples like hotels turned into quarantine living quarters for hospital workers, and restaurants transformed into food banks.
You could find opportunities to cross-promote or find ways to promote and help others.
If a provider relies on a supply chain piece that is broken, perhaps you have information or a source that they could use (that you’ll be remembered for).
- Use creativity and entertainment:
Maybe you can co-host collaborative webinars and interview celebrities. If you’re Ryan Zimmerman, the World Series Champion Washington Nationals baseball star, you could (and he did) interview someone you know. Such as Dr. Fauci, one of the celebrity TV news doctors now (who happens to be a DC area local, an avid baseball fan, and has historical remembrance of games featuring Joe DiMaggio).
Getting both these celebrity viewpoints would be a fun and timely way to keep baseball fans interested and in the know about the likelihood of baseball and sporting games happening this year. Where raving fans are excited to know.
3. Strategize now.
Re-position as needed. Your competitors may not be in business and other innovations may have come about that affects your business.
Write down your new business and marketing plan. Think of additional ways to do business through virtual means. If your business didn’t have a podcast or a blog, now is a great time to start one. Possibly sharing your mission cause or the news in your company. Everyone is reading daily happenings more than ever.
If you’re in a service industry, ramp up delivery or contact-less options and easier payment methods that don’t require signing with a pen or face-to-face contact.
Use telemedicine as an example. Since the crisis, this virtual method has ramped up instead of patients going into medical offices for some physical and mental health issues, as a new way of therapy.
Virtual relationships are becoming the norm. People have been changing jobs quicker over the past years, so virtual online business cards are easier to keep track of individuals than outdated card stock business cards.
Events have turned virtual. Figure out new ways to host virtual events and broadcasts. Use the “rooms” in the various technology platforms. Businesses can save resources (money and time) from employees attending a live conference.
As part of a business, what you as an individual could do…
Build your brand and volunteer to help and serve with your gift or core competency. What do you want to be remembered for during this time?
If your goal is to help, you can be successful as recipients expect less. We’ve gone to simpler times when people appreciated the gesture and not just the gift value for what they were receiving. Many companies have gone silent in their struggles, so going beyond will be remembered.
In the 9/11 post-dot-com era, marketing webinars became super popular, similar to what we’re seeing with Zoom and the next live presentation conferencing generation to follow.
Customer relationship management tools (CRMs) were also born. I was one of the earlier Salesforce.com power users (acting as the CRM tool admin for the company I worked for). We were able to submit customer feedback and we’d see the improvements in an updated beta version that made us feel heard.
Twenty years later they’re still a market leader along with others. They listen. And have developed cloud services for B2B email marketing and engagement automation.
Today if you have a role as a business owner or marketer, then you can take initiative on what you could do to optimize your tools and help your company come up with ideas.
A crisis can bring new opportunities that often got tabled (for another day that may or may not happen) and help kick-start new habits. Find the upsides and fill the holes that you see aren’t met.
In your productivity, you’ll be able to better position yourself and your ideas when the world gradually settles back into in-person socializing again.
