Are your employees a rusty asset?

Companies spend a ton of money communicating their marketing message to prospects and customers, but most do absolutely nothing to formally communicate that message to their own employees, the people who have the most contact with (and often the most influence on) those key groups.

Nor do most companies spend any time teaching employees how they can reinforce and leverage the company’s marketing during their interactions with prospects and customers. At best this is a lost opportunity. At worst, companies are actively sabotaging their own marketing efforts.

You expect sales and marketing to know “the company line.” But what about the people in billing, shipping and distribution, operations, and legal? What about the receptionist?
How well do they know your branding messages and the features and benefits of your products or services?

Why does it matter? Because during their public interactions these employees can not only extend the reach of brand messaging; their product knowledge and brand-reinforcing attitudes can generate positive word-of-mouth and increased customer loyalty for the company. And because when employees feel more like part of the corporate “family,” you will probably see improvements in internal morale and retention.

Here are some easy-to-implement ways to educate employees:

· Provide a brand presentation as part of new employee orientation
· Provide a simple one-page handout listing your brands’ reason for being and primary messaging (you’ll find preparation of this piece will also help management focus).
· Expose employees to all company advertising and sales collateral.
· Provide examples of how you would like/expect employees in different departments to interact with the public.
· Give employees a list of public FAQs, and contacts for less frequent questions.
· Post reinforcing signage in employee areas, and include reinforcing messaging in employee communications.
· Praise, reward, and publicize employees who receive “attaboys” from the public.