In my last post, I wrote about the power that comes from integrating your external marketing and public relations activities. One often overlooked element of integration, which is essential to the success of your efforts, relies on a very important internal factor: your employees.
Your employees — whether they are on the frontlines talking directly with your customers or behind the scenes processing your payroll — can make or break the success of any new marketing campaign. When, how and what you communicate with them is key.
Change can be difficult
When you embark on a new service offering or develop a new product or program, your employees will be affected one way or another. Sure, you hope your customers will be excited about the new offering, but sometimes such a change can be difficult for employees. This new and exciting big idea just might start some grumbling among the employee ranks: Why are we doing this?! What’s the point?! There’s no way customers are going to pay for this?!
That’s why it’s essential to start talking with your employees well before you roll out any new process, product or program to your customers.
Employees as ambassadors
When we work with clients to provide media training services, we often take the opportunity to discuss public relations in general. This includes covering not only what the PR team can do for your company, but it also includes the very important role that all your company employees play as ambassadors of your brand. Your employees are PR agents or spokespersons for your company whether it’s intentional or not.
Think about it. Your employees have lives outside their jobs. They spend time on Facebook. They go to school functions. They coach the youth baseball or soccer team. They volunteer at the food shelf or hospital. They have hobbies. They are active in local politics. In short, they talk to other people (maybe even to your customers)! And it’s likely that they will talk about their work and your company.
Do you want them grumbling about your new product or service — even before it hits? Of course not!
So what’s a company to do?
Seek employee input to engage
The best way to turn your employees into positive ambassadors for your new product or service is to ask for their input and feedback from the very start — and the key here is to really listen to it. In other words, engage your employees in the development of this new idea. If it’s a new website you’ve designed, ask employees to take it for a test drive. Ask them what they like and don’t like. Ask them what they would change and why.
If it’s a new program or service offering for your customers, provide them with training and education early in the process. If it’s a new product, let them use it for a while and test it. You need their support and buy-in to help make it a successful launch.
When employees become actively involved in the process, they will feel a sense of ownership for the new product or service. They will feel a sense of pride because they were involved in its development. And if all goes well, they will become an advocate for your new product or service.
So seek your employees’ input and listen! Once your employees become engaged, aside from your happy customers, they’re going to be your best brand ambassador and provide a powerful testimonial to help get that new product, program or service off to a great start!
