The Real Reason Masks Matter

I am not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV.  I am also not a nurse and do not have any medical training.  And while, to my uneducated mind, the idea that masks can help to stop the spread of a virus makes sense, I am not going to wander outside of my lane here.  There will be no fancy graphs.  And there will be no links to articles that support my theory.  God knows we can find plenty from either side on every argument nowadays.  Nope…this is from your friendly neighborhood marketing guy.  This is my simple take on the Real Reason Mask Matter.

I was on a shopping trip recently when I discovered this.  I was with my wife and we went into two different Big Box stores (of course they were Big Box stores…that is what was open).  In the interest of transparency, she and I were wearing masks.  The first store we went into felt strange.  Almost no one was wearing a mask.  We were the outsiders and we got some funny looks.  Kids were running around the aisles like it was a normal Tuesday night.  To be candid, I was uncomfortable.  Amy and I looked for what we needed, and when we couldn’t quickly find it, we left.

We left that store and headed to the next Big Box solution.  But this one felt different.  Even as we walked in I noticed that employees were wearing masks.  As a matter of fact, once inside I realized that all of the employees had masks on.  The vibe in the store seemed more calm.  So Amy and I went through the store, found what we needed, and finished the shopping mission.  And this leads me to the real reason masks matter.

Masks Matter Because They Put Your Customers At Ease

As consumers, when we head out to find necessities, most of us are on edge.  We look at nearly everyone with judgement.  Can they cause me harm?  Are they doing what they should be?  I talk about it in a vlog here.  It’s natural.  But if I am worried about whether or not I am safe, there is one important thing I am NOT doing…shopping.  If your organization does not make me feel safe, then I (as a consumer) will not want to stay there.  If I must, I will either leave before I get what I need, or I will get only what I need…and get out.

On the other hand, if I feel safe, I will take the time to find what I need.  I might even find a few more things.  Your team wearing masks sends a signal that you care for your team and for your customers.  So while I believe masks provide another level of protection from the virus, my medical opinion is not in question.  The real reason that masks matter is because of your customers.

Make sure you never miss an update.  You can find all of our content on our blog page here.  Oh…and if you do want to look at some products that you might need to open up safely, you can head to a shop we created here.

Written by: Kirby Hasseman

Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing & Communications. Kirby hosts a weekly Web show called Delivering Marketing Joy where he interviews business leaders from around the country. Kirby has published four books. His most recent is “Fan of Happy.” His book, called "Delivering Marketing Joy" is about doing “promo right” and is perfect for people in the industry and customers. He also wrote “Think Big For Small Business” and “Give Your Way to Success. All are available on Amazon.