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Podcast: Covid Fatigue

Jan 18, 2021 6:45:00 AM

 
WinterWoods
Symptoms:

Ella opened her calendar on Monday and saw Zoom invite after Zoom invite. She knew most of the calls were important but was not sure why so many of the calls needed to happen over a video platform. “Does everyone have to do everything on video,” Ella quietly asked herself. While video calls on Zoom and other platforms were helpful at the onset of the Covid pandemic for Ella to stay connected, now it seems like they are tying her more to her desk when she knows some of her clients were comfortable with face-to-face visits at this point. She knows she can use the video applications while in the field but worries some clients might feel she is not as engaged as they would like if she is not able to join with video capability. Ella is ready to move past the Covid challenges and return to business as usual.

Diagnosis:

Ella is feeling a little bit of Covid fatigue. Covid fatigue is showing up in many places and in many ways for different people and is acknowledged as a real ailment. Maybe it is the guidelines in place that ask people to work from home and limit physical visits on prospects and clients. Maybe it is the change in the “normal” way of doing business- video calls vs. phone calls or emails. Many salespeople express frustration and demotivation created by the lack of physical movement that comes from working in their home offices for so long. In Ella’s situation, the Groundhog Day life was killing her enthusiasm for a doing a job she totally enjoys. The pandemic has impacted people’s home and business lives.

Prescription:

Ella needs to realize that Covid fatigue is real, but with some commitment she can work through the work-side of Covid fatigue. Like so many other areas of doing business it all goes back to clear communication and setting expectations. Everyone has experienced this pandemic differently. Some enjoy the ability to pull back on face-to-face communication and use the travel time more effectively. Others struggle with the required isolation and find video calls help to fill the interaction piece. In many cases people have learned that selling over Zoom forces them to be more focused and prepared to stay on course with their meetings.

Ella can easily ask the person she is scheduling with what type of call they prefer- video or phone. If she can be at her desk for the desired time, great. If not, Ella can let the other person know she won’t be at her desk but can still take the call despite not having her camera activated. This sets the expectations for the call and allows the other participant to accept the accommodations or ask to find a different time if the video portion is important to them.

Let’s be honest and admit no one likes to sit on a Zoom call facing a screen of black boxes and names. The underlying understanding is if that camera is off, the participant might not be invested in the call.

While Ella, and many outside salespeople, are ready to be done with all Covid related challenges, it does seem like many will remain in place for the foreseeable future. The solution requires a flexible perspective.

Critical Thinking:
Are you feeling any Covid fatigue? If you aren't, how are you avoiding it? If you are, how can we help you cope? 

The Drill
Final Thought for the Morning:

"Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment." Dale Carnegie

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Your Top 3 Goals & Tactics for the Week
LAST WEEK: Update us on how things went last week with your stated Goals and GD Tactics.
THIS WEEK: Please share your Top 3 Goals for this week and the GD tactics you plan to deploy.

 

Photo by Ines Göhringer on Unsplash