3 Ways to Maintain Human Connection During Social Distancing

We are experiencing a unique moment in time.

There is a lot of uncertainty, and profound change is occurring by the minute. Nevertheless, we are inspired by the resiliency and ingenuity our customers and other companies have shown during these unprecedented challenges.

It is our goal at Sendoso to bring together our community of senders and continue to ideate, adapt, and problem solve. We are committed to sharing best practices and thought leadership from our diverse network of marketers, sellers, and innovators so we can all find ways to succeed.

We’re also dedicated to helping you maintain stability and consistency in your go-to-market strategies and customer relationships during this period of rapid change. We opened up capabilities within our platform that will enable you to stay both top-of-mind and relevant, but do so in a way that remains sensitive to everyone’s present situation.

Many of us are currently working remotely and practicing social distancing, but are seeking a continued sense of community. Sending is an essential way you can connect with your customers and prospects. Here are the best ways you can provide a personal touch when meeting in-person isn’t an option.

3 Top Tips For Maintaining Human Connections That Count

1. eGifts

As we shared last week, recent limitations have forced brands to optimize and expand their digital-centric programs. But while some channels are being applied strategically, we’ve also seen other digital avenues flourish in an organic, extraordinary way. Previously canceled trade shows went virtual, sales teams embraced video conferencing, and user groups have multiplied across Slack and LinkedIn.

People are seeking ways to stay connected, and eGifts are an effective way to establish and cultivate meaningful relationships. These are some creative ways we’ve seen customers leverage eGifts to provide comfort and convenience to those who are homebound.

• Virtual care packages: Grocery and food delivery services so their customers still have access to everything they need while they remain in self-quarantine.
• Boredom fighters: Gifting subscriptions to streaming platforms, podcasts, magazines or educational services to keep people engaged and entertained.
• Customized eGifts: Offer several eGift choices and allow your customers to select what is most relevant and important to them.

2. Address Confirmation

New Address Confirmation feature in Sendoso

We know many companies and cities have been asked to limit social gatherings, including working in the office. While working from home is a short term solution for social distancing, it has also grown in prevalence and is likely going to be long-term reality for many businesses.

A special analysis done by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics found that over the previous 10 years, there has been a 159% increase in remote work, including 4.7 million permanent work from home employees.

To ensure you can reach your customers wherever they might be, both now and in the future, we are rolling out a new feature that allows senders to secure a location confirmation before your item is shipped, and for the recipient to privately input their address within the sending system only so they can receive gifts at home without sharing their home address.

Below are a few unique work from home physical sends we’ve seen recently:

Work from Home Survival Kits: One customer got creative by sending a box that included a paper titled “10 Tips for Working From Home,” a packet of snacks, a coffee mug, and a door hanger that read “Do Not Disturb – Genius at Work” so their recipient’s kids wouldn’t barge in.

Kid-Friendly Companion Items: Some areas have temporarily closed schools, so senders have taken advantage of our Amazon integration to help parents who are sharing workspaces. Things like board games, activity books, puzzles, and other child-friendly diversions are been both timely and greatly appreciated.

Recipe-in-a-Box: Since access to groceries is a concern, one creative customer sent a recipe-in-a-box including non-perishable ingredients and cooking instructions so recipients could prepare a meal without leaving home.

Trade Show to You: With nearly 300 trade shows canceled in under two weeks, many event teams were left with excess booth giveaways. Some partnered together to do branded sends, bringing the conference floor to top accounts by sharing their branded swag and Z-cards.

3. Charity Options

Our hearts go out to those who have been directly and indirectly affected by COVID-19. We also offer and recommend charity gifting to help support medical research, disaster relief coalitions, and more. Our partners, CharityChoice and For Good Causes allow you to donate to thousands of certified philanthropies and causes.

Here’s what you can do to help those impacted by the pandemic:

World Health Organization set up the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund as a secure way for individuals, philanthropies, and businesses to contribute to the WHO-led effort to respond to the pandemic.

Red Cross needs help preventing medical supply shortages during the outbreak.

Food Banks need support for those who are unexpectedly out of work and others struggling to feed their kids home from school and currently don’t have access to lunch programs.

For more information and examples of how to engage your customers as they respect social distancing, be sure to join our webinar Everyone is Working from Home – Now What? airing Friday, March 20, at 11 a.m. PT.

Sendoso understands the complexity of our current situation, and we remain committed to helping those in our community stay empowered and informed. Register for our virtual event below for more thought leadership on how to adapt as this situation continues to evolve.