In recent days, the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed. As of 3rd April, there are more than one million confirmed cases globally, with the U.S being the most affected country.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to companies across the globe, asking their employees to work from home. While this step is good for the safety of every individual in the world, it can lead to loss of productivity, miscommunication, and reduced business output.

This is especially true for B2B companies because some of their effective marketing tactics are no longer available. Almost all of the conferences and field events are either canceled or postponed. But is this necessary? Let’s have a look at why it is important to work from home amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Need For Working From Home

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person-to-person through droplets generated when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks. WHO has released a list of protective measures against the coronavirus, which says,

• Maintain social distancing (at least a three feet gap between yourself and someone who is coughing or sneezing).
• Avoid physical contact when greeting.

When working in an office, it is difficult to maintain social distancing due to limited space available. Most companies have set up workstations next to each other, which increases the chances of spreading the novel coronavirus. 

Besides, millions of people use public transport to commute to work. There is a huge probability of COVID-19 spreading at such crowded places.

Another reason why working from home is crucial in this pandemic is because shaking hands is a common way to greet people, especially in the corporate business and viruses can easily spread from person to person if we continue to attend business meetings and conferences. Coronavirus can even spread by shaking hands and touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Hence, companies have asked employees to stay at home and work remotely for their safety.

Now that you know why you shouldn’t be stepping out of your home for non-essential (medical or food) purposes, here are some tips for B2B companies to make the most out of this new work from home situation.

1 – Stick To The Usual Morning Routine

One of the perks of working from home is that you can do whatever you want. If you’re considering working in your night suit or shorts for the workday, you might want to reconsider it. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it can hamper your productivity. Studies found that people who dress to work from home are more productive than those who don’t.

That’s why even when working from home, stick to your usual morning routine. This means, wake up as you would when going to the office, get ready, go to your home workplace, and start working.

It also means keeping your mobile phone away (if that’s not the part of your work routine).

2 – Take One-On-One Sales Demos Online

Unlike in B2C, where you don’t need someone (always) to showcase the items, B2B requires a salesperson to deliver an effective one-on-one product demo.

However, traveling to demonstrate the product in person isn’t possible until the pandemic gets over. But that shouldn’t stop you from closing more deals.

You can leverage the power of video conferencing to reach your prospects. With software like ClickMeeting, you can conduct training sessions, business meetings, and product demos using your desktop. You can even create different types of events including permanent, time-scheduled, automated, live, or on-demand (record and upload).

Additionally, you can use marketing automation software such as PFL to send hyper-personalized emails to each of your prospects. This will help you capture the attention of your potential customers, revitalize stalled engagements, and close more deals. 

3 – Use Digital Media To Your Advantage

B2B companies allocate a large chunk of their marketing budget to trade shows and other field events. Since most of the events are now canceled or postponed, you can invest more in web marketing.

Here are a few things you can focus on.

• Content Marketing: Use the power of newsjacking to produce content on Covid-19 pandemic. Everybody is looking for information related to this virus and you can help your readers stay on top of it by keeping them informed. Don’t forget to utilize copywriting skills to make your content rank higher in the search results.
• PPC: Start running PPC ads to acquire more customers. People are spending more time online due to lockdown. Chances are higher they might stumble upon your business and become your customers.
• Social Media Marketing: Create strategies to increase social media engagement. Run ads to reach a wider yet targeted audience.
• Email Marketing: Segment your email lists as per the user behavior and send personalized emails to increase the chances of conversions.

4 – Let Your Clients Know That They Are On Top Of Your Mind

This is the time of crisis not only for you but also for your clients. Therefore, communicating with them is essential to provide an optimum customer experience.

Do not let the comfort of remote work halt proactive outreach. While you may not be able to visit them, you can still arrange a call via Skype and answer all the queries of your customers. This will ensure transparency and make them stick to your business. Avoid cold calling as this is not the perfect time to do so.

5 – Don’t Only Talk About Work

Work from home is new to several employees. Your employees might not be able to give their best at the start. They might be struggling to find the perfect work-life balance in the new WFH environment.

To combat this challenge, you need to have fun. Whether they are your team members or friends, don’t only talk about work when you speak to them.

Ask how it’s going, whether they’re able to adjust in the new environment, or if they need any help. Conduct virtual happy hours or coffee meetings each day to keep morale and productivity high.

You can play games like Drawful 2 where players can draw funny things and the remaining members can type in what they think the drawing is. You can add up to eight players in one game.

Wrapping Up

Employers around the globe have recommended working from home for the safety of their employees. However, many companies are struggling with reduced business output in this new situation.

Stick to the morning routine as if you’re going to the office. Leverage digital marketing to boost your brand awareness. Conduct one-on-one product demos online and let your clients know that you’re still available for them in the time of crisis. When talking with your team members, friends, or colleagues, don’t only focus on work-related things, have fun. Happy WFH!

Read next: You may be interested in this guide on remote working from Follow Up Boss, which outlines some key statistics and notable benefits.

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Joydeep Bhattacharya is the author of the popular SEO blog, SEOsandwitch.com and has been a digital marketing evangelist for the past 8 years. He is a certified Google Adwords and Analytics expert who helps brands take their online presence to the next level.