I have a pair of steel-toed work boots that I use whenever I have to walk into a messy situation, like a construction site or a muddy field. I found that one of my old boots has a hole in it recently. Do you know how I discovered the hole? I walked into a puddle of water. In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t think twice about walking in water with those boots. They are made of water-resistant-treated leather and have a single piece upper that cover my feet up to the ankles so that water can’t get to my foot if it comes up over the top of the boot. However, there is a spot where the upper and sole are stitched together that has developed a small break. Water finds the tiniest crack and infiltrates it. I used to count on those boots to keep my feet dry, but not any longer. In fact, I have given up on them in those situations. I need a change in footwear.

The same thing is happening in our world with many of our business practices. Will we touch another person with something as simple as a handshake ever again? Take it a step further: will we eliminate meetings of people larger than ten? Is business travel a thing of the past? Will teleconferences take the place of face-to-face meetings? Is social distancing exposing a hole in our boot – something we need to change because we have found the defect and will never trust the holey boot again – or is it a temporary inconvenience that will evaporate after a couple of weeks back on the job?

This brings up a very interesting point for sales and marketing professionals. One of the main reasons consumers choose to either become a loyal customer or find another brand to buy has to do with their experience with your employees – what we often refer to as customer service. There is more to this than just making sure your customer is happy with their purchased items. People like the good feeling of being treated well during the entire process of making a purchase. Human feelings are powerful decision makers! How do your customers feel they are being treated by you and your employees? Are they respected, are they heard, are their interests put ahead of your company making a buck? A stellar experience with your company’s employees is one of the most important marketing steps you can take in your business. It is very easy to market to a satisfied customer. However, it is an uphill battle for marketing to convince someone that they should make a purchase from a company with which they have no human connection.

So how do you impart that you care about someone when you are never in their presence? We are now living in an upside down world, where staying away from each other is akin to caring and being together is taboo. Sales calls will have to change and marketing will have to change to define this new reality. Here are some tips to finding ways to market to your customers in a new way. First, regular communication becomes imperative. I often encounter clients who push off regular communication – be it electronic, phoning or texting customers – because it takes up so much time. It is easy to put off an email or a call when you have so many other things happening. However, I would contend that regular communication is central to meeting the felt needs of your customers. When they have not heard from you in quite a while, most customers will begin to cast aspersion upon your relationship with them. This is human nature. They will think you have forgotten them, don’t value them, have more important things to do than to check on them, etc. None of that may be true, but it doesn’t matter – it is the path their feelings are leading them when you don’t communicate often. Don’t let your lack of communications become the black hole of customer service. Second, use the new, accepted methods of interaction to your benefit. If teleconferencing is the new sales meeting, be the one to embrace it by doing your own series of themed podcasts. If you cannot take a customer to lunch at a restaurant, why not have the lunch delivered to them via any number of food delivery services. In doing so, you have touched them on a feeling level without actually touching them in a physical sense. Here is a marketing hint: feelings are what drives a lot of sales.