Within a matter of weeks, Harry Ein’s orders dropped roughly 80%.

The owner of iPROMOTEu (asi/232119) affiliate Perfection Promo was scrambling because the coronavirus pandemic had forced event, tradeshow and festival cancellations across the United States. Professional sports, one of his top markets, had been suspended with no timetable to resume. Most of his clients no longer needed promotional products – they needed an ear to bend and a shoulder to cry on. Ein was there for them.

“We have a relationship that’s not just focused on business,” Ein says. “After working with them for five to 10 years, we’ve become friends. I know what’s going on in their lives and my concern is how they’re doing during this time. They know they can count on me.”

COVID-19 has redefined what it means to be a strategic partner. Like Ein, many distributors have transitioned over the past few months, putting selling on the backburner as they aid their clients during this unprecedented period of uncertainty. They’re finding new and successful ways to connect with customers to be a friend, an ally and a partner … and ideally reap the rewards down the road when buyers will be ready to spend again. It’s no surprise that during the spring, 49% of distributors planned to reach out to prospects more and 45% planned on increasing their new prospect lists, according to an industry-wide survey from Counselor.

Here are a few top-notch examples from companies in the promotional products industry.

Be a Comforting Presence
Instead of calling the office to refill an order, sales reps are contacting their clients at home simply to check in. It goes against the doctrine of “always be closing,” but the savvy distributor’s strategy has shifted to maintaining a trusted relationship at all costs.

“In the beginning of all this, we had everybody send emails to clients just to make sure they were safe,” says Chris Faris, president and CEO of Gloucester, MA-based Boost Promotions (asi/142942). “There was no action required. Just on a personal level, we hope that you and your family are OK.”

As the weeks passed, Boost Promotions brainstormed creative work-from-home gifts that clients would appreciate. Health and wellness products, tea and coffee packages, even a yoga and meditation kit branded as “Nama-Stay at Home.” The sales team emailed the ideas to clients and asked for their home addresses to ship out samples. “Regardless if their budgets are frozen,” Faris says, “clients will always remember who reached out and came up with these ideas.”

Take a Different Approach to Email Marketing
Chicago-based Printable Promotions (asi/299458) has also strayed from traditional sales pitches by beginning every client interaction with, “How are you and your family doing?” In addition, the company sends weekly emails highlighting silver linings that have come from the pandemic, such as reduced crime rates, blue skies over China and being able to see fish swimming in the Venice canals. “It’s important to stay positive,” says Mitch Silver, vice president of marketing and sales at Printable Promotions.

While new orders have slowed down, the company has focused on previous orders, asking about the occasion the promotional product was used for, learning more about the background of the purchasing decision and ultimately, the campaign’s successes/lessons. “This allows us to better connect with clients at a time when they have additional time to share,” Silver says. “Also, what we learn can be used for either a blog post, part of our case history library or social media content.”

Find People on Social Media
Before the country went on lockdown, John Duzansky, account executive at Burr Ridge, IL-based Midwest Promotional Group (asi/270800), was meeting new people on a weekly basis. At the end of 2019, he had joined a networking group and was introduced to potential clients over lunches and coffee. In one fell swoop, those opportunities went away.

Now he spends a lot of time prospecting on LinkedIn and Facebook. “I look at people’s posts, comments and reactions to other posts, hoping to find something we can connect on,” Duzansky says. “Then I reach out, letting them know I love the post and trying to expand on it. At the end, I let them know that if they’ve got the time, I’d love to connect and talk further.”

While that may sound like your typical sales pitch, Duzansky says that people are more willing to talk now than ever before. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re willing to buy, but as long as they’re open to a conversation, he considers that a victory. “I don’t view any type of connection as a bad one,” Duzansky says. “Sometimes people just want to vent and wallow. If I’m there to be a shoulder to lean on, then that’s fine with me.”

Offer the Items They Need … Now
During his conversations with clients, Ein kept hearing about the need for personal protective equipment (PPE). Clients, friends, acquaintances, even the swimming coach at his old high school (whose main job is in construction) asked if he could obtain face masks. With his sourcing knowledge and supplier relationships, the San Francisco-based distributor was able to get masks quicker and cheaper than most people could. Another friend had already purchased masks, but saw Ein’s value for future orders.

“People come to us for our expert opinion,” Ein says. “The best I can do is hustle and work as hard as possible to serve their needs.”

Reposition Yourself
In drastic situations, the importance of evolving one’s business is crystal clear. Luckily, Chase Murphy had the foresight to pivot Tahlequah, OK-based MDM Pro LLC (asi/444052) in the months before the pandemic. “It used to be if you need pens or hats, I’m your guy,” Murphy says. “Now we’ve become consultants, sitting down with our customer and building a custom marketing program based off their needs and desire.”

Even though social distancing has prevented that in-person contact still preferred in the South, Murphy says he remains in constant communication with clients via email, followed up by a phone call to answer any questions and go over specifics. “I aim for as close to a personal touch as possible, especially with new clients,” he says. “I want people to know they can depend on me.”