What Everyone Should Know About Internal Marketing
Every organization has procedures and processes that they have implemented to creative uniformity, improve efficiencies and ensure everyone follows the rules. Now, some of these measures are straight-forward and no-brainers such as employees arriving on time or a sexual harassment policy. But there are other initiatives that firms implement that they need the entire organization on board for.
Customer loyalty programs are a great example. As the executives sit in corporate boardrooms discussing these programs, they see how executing a loyalty program will help the company. Repeat purchases, loyal customers and increased revenue guarantee these same executives will see praise from their bosses and maybe even a increase in salary. BUT before the loyalty program is in place, they first must sell their employees on it. Yes, there must be marketing of the program to the rank and file before any external marketing of the program ensues.
Your employees must be involved in presenting the program to your client base in a favorable light. They must convey the value of the program to them and convince them signing up and/or participating is in their best interest. That said, executives must do the same thing with employees: show them the value in participating in selling to clients.
If employees don’t believe in the program or do not see any return/value to them, how convincing would they be selling to clients? The answer is: no very convincing at all.
Sending down a corporate decree declaring all employees must present and push the loyalty program is not going to work. Like all marketing programs, you must include a call to action and an incentive for them to act. Usually, this can be achieved by appealing to people’s sense of competition. A contest. A contest with a significant personal reward is a pretty motivating prize.
While ideas like these are a dime a dozen, the success is in the details. Make sure you provide enough information and incentive to the ones that will make your program successful. Wagging your finger and barking orders doesn’t provide value to your employees and only makes certain of failure.
What are your thoughts?
adam-oleary
Adam is a graduate of Colorado State University (bachelor’s degree in marketing), and he has experience on both the client and agency side of the marketing world. These experiences led him to come up with a unique, more efficient business model, which he’s incorporated into Encite Marketing. Adam sets the strategic direction for all Encite projects, developing integrated marketing campaigns that bring results. He takes a consultative approach with clients, educating them about how the process works, and keeping them in the loop about end goals, steps, and tasks.