Webinar: Stories Rule!
How great leaders use stories in tough, virtual times -- Thursday, April 9, 2020 -- 12:00 PM EDT
How do you engage, focus and inspire your people when they are in lockdown? One way is to use business stories. Stories cut through the clutter, make an impact, and stick.
In this free webinar Doug Keeley, one of North America's leading communicators, will share basic practices and tips on how to use and tell stories as a leader, several story patterns, and many examples of stories at work.
Keeley says, "Give me 45 minutes + Q&A of your Coronavirus day to learn how stories can be a leader's best friend in these crazy times - and once we're through this."
Pandemic Will Have ‘A Permanent Effect’ on Auto Industry
As bad an impact as the coronavirus pandemic has had on the auto industry already, things are likely only to grow worse in April and possibly, beyond.
Virtually nothing connected to the industry will escape unscathed, including automakers, parts suppliers, dealers, investors, and pretty much anyone else linked to the car business. AutoNation, the largest automotive retail chain in the U.S., shuttering showrooms across the U.S. and laying off at least 7,000 employees.
The auto industry was expected to go through some dramatic changes over the coming decade, including the debut of autonomous vehicles, as well as the shift from personal ownership to ride-sharing. EV programs will be pushed out and altered by the virus. Spending on autonomous vehicle development could also take a hit.
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
How Big Tech Survives Recessions and Always Comes Out Stronger
Tech is already at the forefront of helping us deal with various disruptions from the COVID-19 threat, as people use video conferencing and online collaborative tools to work from home.
Although the tech industry is not immune to a recession, it is in a much better place to weather the crisis than the travel industry, for example. In some ways, tech is being used a substitute for travel that’s no longer possible during the public health emergency. We’ll see the need for more technology, not less, to help us get through this challenging time in our history.
Invest more in R&D even during a recession, knowing that the market will eventually rebound and new and innovative technologies will drive future demand.
Read the article at Fast Company.
How To Get Your People Engaged And Aligned During The Coronavirus Outbreak
As the coronavirus presents new challenges for organizations, most leaders are dealing with too many unknowns as they make rapid, high-quality decisions.
Your workforce is tuned in to what’s happening on the front lines and has the data, information and knowledge to inform smart decisions. Unite them with your leadership team. Have them work together with you to get a handle on where the biggest challenges and opportunities lie, to ideate on what could be done, and then to agree on what will be done.
Keep them focused, aligned and energized to work on the right tasks. They likely can’t work on the same things in the same way that they had been a few days or weeks ago. They need new clarity on what to work on and what the expectations are in terms of timelines and deliverables.
Read the article at Forbes.
A Call to Action: ‘Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow’
By Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer
Yes, the headline is borrowed from Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, but its direct and anthemic direction should be “A Call to Action” for every B2B business even as the pandemic brings everything around us to a grinding halt.
Like any marketing professional, I believe that focused communications that serves customers’ needs is always welcome —good times or bad. Knowing your customer, prospects, competition, and their environmental conditions can help you frame that messaging.
During COVID-19, that message must bring reassurance and speak about preparing for tomorrow. It must be delivered in innovative ways, too, virtual events, video conferencing, podcasts, webinars, interactive content, recorded video, live streaming and other forms of online engagement.
