At the time of this writing, over a million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus COVID-19, and almost 70,000 individuals have died. Physical safety aside, the economic health of individuals and countries have come into question as well, as global shutdowns of non-essential businesses and social distancing are taxing to companies and small businesses, pushing interaction almost completely into the virtual realm.

With newsfeeds full of harrowing reports, and a new pressure to go even more digital with business, both in practice and promotion, there’s a question rising among professionals as they struggle to balance a respect for the reality of dealing with COVID-19 with the need to keep their operations going.

Is it sleazy to be promoting my business at a time like this?

The simple answer? Of course, it isn’t. 

First of all, those of us who provide products and services that people need have a responsibility to those who count on us to 1) stay in business and 2) continue to provide those needed products and services during these very challenging times if we can.  

Could you imagine if Netflix closed to new subscribers right now? Or if therapists said they were going to stop serving their clients? Or if companies that provide outsourced tech support said they weren't going to enter into any new contracts during this time? 

Now, of course, these are established businesses that are supporting the population through this hard time in specific ways.

But just because your business or service isn’t directly applicable to relief doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable, and that it doesn’t deserve to survive. 

The reality is, if there was a need for your services before this global pandemic, existing as well as potential customers may need you even more right now. It's a matter of adapting where you’re needed so that you can still show up in ways that continue to benefit your customers—those you serve now and those you may serve in the future.  

Not to mention, if you’re generating income, providing opportunities, and supporting yourself and possibly others, including employees, you’re doing the global economy a service by continuing to work. Commerce needs to continue for more than one reason right now, and stimulating the economy is important.

A corollary question to the one that wonders if it’s opportunistic to keep driving business during a worldwide health crisis is, “Should I be changing my style?”

This may be the more pertinent issue; not “if” but “how.” While it’s good to keep going forward during challenging times, it means you need to have hyper situational awareness and be sensitive to how the environment impacts people. Do whatever is authentic to you, authentic to who you are and what you're really about. If you're a genuine person offering services you believe would be helpful for people, there's no need to change your style. You can maintain your own approach while keeping in mind that some people may need more time to make purchasing decisions in this climate. 

There are always potential objections to overcome with any sales process. Trust your gut. If you feel like you don't want to push for the sale if someone cites COVID-19-related concerns, then don’t push. If on the other hand, you feel like there's a real opportunity for your product or service to address a need and your gut is telling you to push, then push. 

As is always the case in business development and sales, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. It all comes down to being in tune with your potential buyer and being in tune with yourself.

Here are a few practical suggestions for maintaining business momentum while still respecting that the world is in crisis.

Make It Personal

What are the areas where you can grow personally in ways that positively impact your business? Can you work on becoming a better leader, a better manager, a better strategic partner? What skills can you gain? Are there new tools or processes you can learn? Many folks have things on their to-do list in the back of their minds that they want to learn or get better at "when they get a chance". Now can be that chance. If there’s downtime, turn inward. 

Rethink Your Strategy

Are there processes you've been wanting to automate? Is there customer research you've wanted to analyze? There are tons of ways to use this time to become more focused, more nimble, and more attuned to your customers’ needs. The time you invest here will pay dividends, particularly in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

“Is it sleazy to promote during a pandemic?” is an appropriate and considerate question for business leaders to ask during this time. It acknowledges that life has changed, and therefore business is changing, too, and there may not be one right answer for all sectors. However, even if it can’t be “Business as usual”, economic progress must continue and so must recovery. 

About the Author: Whitney A. White is the founder of Afara Global, an organization that helps startups, corporate innovation teams, and nonprofits launch and scale new products and services. She is also the creator of "Take Back Your Time," a transformational coaching program designed to help business leaders get on a clear path to achieving the goals that matter to them most.

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