The S.E.N.S.E. Methodology
My new eBook, The Marketing Pivot is available for free. Below is an excerpt from the book.
The S.E.N.S.E. Framework
Your mind is playing pingpong with questions. Your questions might be related to the following:
Customer Behavior: What’s going on in the world of my customers? How are they spending money these days? What’s important to them?
Customer Engagement: How should I communicate with my customers? How often? What do they need from me right now?
Business Support: What initiatives can I implement to support sales, leads and overall business growth?
Like you, I have been pondering these and many other questions as we battle a public health crisis further compounded by an economic downturn. I was searching for a strategic marketing approach that was also low-cost, pragmatic and highly effective.
So, I created the S.E.N.S.E. framework to help light the way in dark times. The idea was born out of a desire to read the room, plan effectively and respond accordingly.
S.E.N.S.E. stands for: Sense, Empathize, Negotiate, Shape, and Envision. Think of it as a guiding principle that, if applied correctly, can help you increase customer trust and engagement.
Here’s a synopsis of the S.E.N.S.E framework:
Sense: See the world around you. Take stock of the new trends that are impacting your marketing program. Don’t worry about solutions at this stage of the process. The goal is simply to understand.
Empathize: Embrace the opportunity to show empathy and compassion. Unlock your brand personality in a thoughtful manner.
Negotiate: Notice the new opportunities that abound. Be open to negotiating new arrangements with your team, customers and vendors.
Shape: Reposition your marketing mix to reflect current realities. Think of it as an opportunity to refresh your product offerings, pricing strategies, tactical promotions and distribution systems.
Envision: Finally, look ahead and plan for tomorrow today. The key here is to think through how the crisis might end and prepare for success.
For a practical guide on how to navigate marketing during a downturn, download The Marketing Pivot: How to Promote Your Business During a Downturn.