What do you do when you don't know what to do?

I’ve hit the point of “Shelter in Place” when I have completely lost track of days. I’m big on routine, so those small events guide me through the week, but no sooner does Monday start, and it’s Friday afternoon. I’m beginning to wonder how the days were longer in the old normal, but are rocket fast in this new normal. Maybe it comes down to the juggling act I’ve been doing for two months; I’m really not sure.

Slowly our states are starting to (cautiously) re-open, and we’re adjusting to the ever-changing guidance of those around us. I’m trying to be patient; I miss sitting on a café patio sipping coffee, catching up with my friends, and hugging each other to celebrate the end of the week.

As the economy starts to re-open, we’re adjusting to what the market wants. Those of us who had business centered on speaking engagements are left wondering when those will resume, many heart-centered entrepreneurs liked to offer retreats, and we’re just not sure when we’ll get the all-clear on that either. It’s a challenging landscape, and we’re all exploring it together.

Which leads me to the question, what do you do when you don’t know what to do? Believe it or not, the easiest way to get an answer is to ask.

Here are our top 5 ways to uncover what your market wants:

1. Along the lines of asking your market, there’s a couple of ways about this. If your market is highly active on social media and likely to answer you there, then go ahead and ask – “How can I serve you right now”?

2. Secondly, if your market isn’t active on social media, or is shy in expressing their needs, then send out an anonymous survey to your list, as well as post a link on social media. You may be surprised by what you uncover.

3. Ask your team. Sometimes the feedback they receive from your clients is much different than what you hear, so brainstorm with your team, my guess is there’s some gold there, you just need to uncover it.

4. Ask a colleague to find the holes in your offerings. Call up a colleague that can be constructively honest and ask them to do a mock sales call with you, talk through your current packages, your sales cycle, and your current customer experience; do they see any gaps? Is there a step you’re missing? Perhaps there’s space for something new.

5. Look at your metrics, is there a common place where your funnel stalls? Are clients highly engaged for a while, and then they drop off? Do some soul searching, after all; you know your target market. What are they missing at that moment, that you can help with?

And then, of course, one bonus tip. Just because part of your client experience is a retreat or an in-person event, doesn’t mean that you need to stop there. It’s just time to innovate and adapt. You may find that you’re better serving your market by making this adjustment, surprisingly, some of your prospects may not like the commitment of an event or retreat, and this new normal is a relief to them!

During challenging times, companies that adapt and innovate will always do well. Your prospects need you, perhaps now more than ever, so get creative!