Reach out now

I'm sure the novelty of isolation is wearing off and mental health will be more important than ever.

If your employer is paying you, you should be working.

Obviously, the call volume may be higher or much lower than usual.

Here are a couple of ideas on how to best use that otherwise empty time:

Use this time to call your customers personally and ask them how they're coping and if they need anything, they'll appreciate it if you do.

Use this time to update all your CRM - Customer Relationship - that pile of business cards sitting in a corner in your desk drawer.

Once that is finished, while you are making calls, ask your customers when their work anniversary is or birthday so you can start to send cards:

Create your own card to send: newspaper headlines, images from magazines, pics from flyers and make into individual collage cards - you will be recycling and reusing what otherwise would be discarded and probably not going to be recycled anyhow.

NOTE: No writing a group email or printing off a bunch of the exact same letter on stationery-looking graphics. That's cheating and goes against the whole thought and gesture.

TO MAKE COLLAGE CARD:

discarded flyers, newsprint, magazines

scissors

8.5 x 11" office paper

glue

blue ink pen

envelopes to fit card

postage stamps

notebook

INSTRUCTIONS:

The notebook is to capture ideas as you do this mindless task of assembling the images that are going to go on a card.

HOWEVER, if you know your customer is a foodie, then it will be food clippings

IF YOU FIND a coupon, send it to someone who may use it instead

Once you get started, you will get into the swing of things ~

mini piles of themes of floral, fun, family will form before being adhered by glue -- fold paper to desired finish size - i.e. one half length will fit into regular business envelope at regular postage -- caveat: unless the weight of the glue and paper are over - you can check at postal outlet.

ADDRESS the envelopes

Write their address and any details in the notebook for adding into CRM later or any other reminders of what you should have followed up on what you promised - now's the time to remember that, enter the reminder in your CRM what the action is, what the deadline is, who else may be involved or should be involved.

For women: it is always safer to use Ms. instead of missing the mark with Mrs or Miss. With gents Mr. regardless of age or marital status.

Ensure that your return address is written in ink

they'll likely remember you anyhow

since your creative masterpiece may sit on their desk, credenza or bulletin board, close to the family portrait, I'm sure.

WRITE a small note in the card after you've chosen which one applies to them - you'll ponder that while you are addressing the card.

DON'T YOU DARE put in a business card.

IF you can't remember much, then you need to do some reaching out.

Calling people right now, when they're likely open to speaking to ANYONE, regardless of caller ID.

DON'T BE a snob, working from the ivory tower where your people do this and get their people to do that ~ now is not the time.

Mingle online.

It's perfectly safe.

You may learn something.