Time for a Change in Communication
Is not new and I am sure we are probably even tired of hearing from people and the media about pandemic, uncertainty, new normality, etc. As a communicator and marketeer I turned to the help of professionals and experts in the area of psychology, sociology and human resources in Latin America to make a concise and human analysis of the ideal communication in this 2021, as I am sure that both personally and professionally many aspects have been affected and will continue to be affected, in our daily lives and in our businesses. To mention some of them... the relationship with our family, friends and colleagues, the approach to clients and contacts, global trends, the media, among others.
To begin with, I would like to give you a little context about what we have experienced in these last months: the confinement, the normalization of remote work, virtual meetings/calls, online shopping, take away orders, etc.
But in this situation, have we changed the way people relate to each other? Have we modified our behaviour? Has it affected our perception of advertising, media, social networks, etc.? According to the Argentinean HR trainer, Teresa Tibau, thanks to this situation, we have developed personal attitudes such as discipline, time management and concentration, focusing more on the essential issues and transmitting not only concepts but emotions and needs that capture the interest towards the proposal launched by the media. The Argentinean Psychopedagogue, Psychologist and HR Consultant, María del Carmen Tibau, adds that our perception of communication is that it is assertive, creative, motivating and that it transmits emotions and feelings. "Effectivity in the communicational process becomes a necessary project", since people look for practical and welcoming communication proposals.
On a personal level, Teresa Tibau states that people's behaviour has changed without a doubt, they have focused on the search for essential products, service quality and effective solutions. In terms of their behaviour in relation to brands, products or services, María del Carmen Tibau emphasizes that many people invest their time in online shopping, but others are returning to business as a way of contacting the product and people directly.
The current situation has changed people, but has it also affected them on a professional level? Has it modified the relationship between companies and their clients and workers? The sociologist and political scientist with a focus on International Relations from Colombia, Lina Montoya, responds that it certainly has. Businesses have had to adapt to this new way of relating to their clients and workers. This means that faced with the impossibility of meeting and interacting with them personally, companies must now turn to technology and digital platforms to create new relationships with their prospects and/or maintain relationships with existing clients. As a company, you have to take into account that "one of the biggest risks in this process is that companies will turn technology into the star of this new normality and not as a facilitator". This means that even if you use these platforms you should never forget the final purpose: "to maintain a continuous, close, human, collaborative, and empathic communication with workers, customers and prospects. It's not just about webinars and sending newsletters, it's about all formal and informal communications being so assertive that the person receiving the message feels the company's genuine interest in him or her".
Effects on Communication on a Professional Level
But, what to talk about during this 2021 with clients and other people?
Alva Contreras, Guatemalan Clinical Psychologist, reflects that people will want to talk about hope, about strength, about the power of working in the here and now with the best attitude. They will speak of acceptance, of what cannot be changed but with an iron tenacity to continue forward in spite of the circumstances they have to face. Therefore, companies today more than ever, must take into account empathy, that is to say, put themselves in the place of the other. It is advisable that companies work on recognizing the other (their clients and/or workers) in their humanity. Even though it is true that the situation does not stop and the world "keeps turning", we must try to go ahead with the best attitude in the performance of our work. "We have to look for the way not to robotize the individual, to create dynamics to find the sense of life, to speak their emotions, to feel ...to live".
If a company asks itself now, how can I truly reach people/our clients through marketing and the messages I wish send them? Alva Contreras recommends that marketing and communication must focus on people's emotions, making them palpable, giving the human being primordial value.
Without a doubt, this situation has left us with a great deal of personal and institutional learning worldwide and what could be more valuable than having different opinions from professional women and experts who can help and guide us on this long road ahead? I am very grateful to all of them for sharing their knowledge in short, but very significant words. This is how I conclude this brief analysis, which I recommend becomes more of a reflection at a personal and business level where you can evaluate how you have been and how you want your interpersonal relationships to be this 2020, your relationship with your co-workers, your clients, your family and friends, have you worked on assertive communication? If you haven't, this 2021 is your opportunity!
