3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived
1. New Product Design + Expanded Sales
This is where the rubber meets the road. New product offerings and an expanded sales force to spread the word proved essential during the most challenging times of the destructive government lockdown.
New product development follows the same adage about the best time to plant a tree, “Today or 40 years ago.” No time to waste.
We only get so many trips around the sun. Now is the time to act!
Get that new product going and into the market!
2. Internet Visibility
This seemed to be a major theme and take-away from the lockdown. The ability to work remotely and communicate a message immediately was mission critical. In several cases, online sales exploded during the lockdown and remain a major force for commerce.
Many of the business owners I spoke with emphasized the need to continuously upgrade their online presence and remain fresh. This takes commitment and energy. Like anything such as a garden, without regular maintenance, weeds begin to grow, and trouble is right around the corner.
It’s time to freshen up your online presence
3. Connect with the workforce
The team theme that strongly emerged was a need to be better connected to the workforce. Taking team members for granted was no longer an option, especially when many wanted to be laid off so they could coast during the massive unemployment handout.
Those business owners and leaders that stay connected with their team, the workforce behind production, will continue to thrive. Failing to connect with the team is at your peril.
Talk to your team!
As a reminder, this is where these comments originated.
Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions. I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.
The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.
How did you make it and thrive?
Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse. The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.
The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it. The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.