1. Patience – keep your patience. These are testing times for everyone in nearly every industry, but this crisis is temporary. Try, if you can, to hold on to that thought.
2. Rebook over refund – keep the money in your business. After all, if you refund you may never see them again.
3. See and head off gossip and fear – we are all frightened to a greater or lesser extent. If you wait for a client to call you, you risk their fear dominating the conversation. Think instead about calling clients in advance of them reading about their holiday being cancelled.
4. Let them see you need their support – it’s OK to say you need their business. A restaurant or a bar would. So try saying “of course you can cancel, but I’d rather you rebook”.
5. Let them know you’re working around the clock. It’s not only OK to send emails at 6am – it’s a good brand message.
6. Support your suppliers. Like any trauma, and this is a global trauma, we remember those who supported us most in the difficult times – and conversely, those who didn’t. Make sure you’re trying your best to help anyone and everyone. And don’t hold back from asking for favours from your suppliers. We really are all in this together.
7. Keep sales staff busy looking forward. It can be really demoralising to be dealing with cancellations and rebooking, especially when those sales staff aren’t making any commission. Break up their time with training and discussion on how you can market for 2021/22. Sales staff need hope.
8. People will still want to book! It’s easy to fall into the trap of being reactive and demoralised. Make sure sales staff have enough headspace to positively handle new enquiries.
9. When the time is right, invest time in training as well as investing time in product, systems and sales, so you’re well prepared for when we come out of the tunnel.
10. Keep hold of your talent. We will get through this. Think long-term gain. Do all you can to reassure them and hold onto them.
11. For managers and sales staff – be decisive. The world needs confident leadership. Not hyperbole. If you make a decision that helps people, you will be rewarded with respect and loyalty. If it backfires, don’t look back over it. At times like this, sometimes it’s more important to make a decision rather than trying to make the right one.
Simon Cox is a sales coach at Simon Cox Coaching.
