You can run the best marketing campaign in the world, but at the end of the day, it’s a waste of money if your employees can’t wholeheartedly support your brand. Your employees are one of the most powerful tools you have to help you succeed. Turning them into brand ambassadors is a vital step for improving your relationship with your customers. Remember: everyone can see the advertisements that feature people who are thrilled with your product or service, but it doesn’t mean anything if your employees don’t share that same enthusiasm.
Pay Attention to Their Feedback
Employees all have something valuable to say. They want to make meaningful contributions that can improve your company, but their hands are tied if nobody is listening. If you can’t open your ears for them, you can’t expect them to go the extra mile for your brand. They need to feel involved in the decision making process. The feeling of empowerment that comes along with that isn’t comparable to anything else.
Show Them You Respect Them
Don’t micromanage. Let your employees make the decisions. If they disagree with how something is done and they believe they have a better solution, what do you have to lose by letting them demo things out? Brand ambassadors work with you, not for you. Give them the space to show them you respect their ideas. You’d be surprised how much innovation can come out of the deal – not to mention the stronger connection your employees will feel to your brand.
Encourage Them to Be Honest
It may seem like a great idea to prepare a foolproof sales pitch, but in reality that’s not the best idea. People hear sales pitches a million times over, and your employees are only going to lose hope when potential customers stop falling for them. Instead, encourage your employees to speak truthfully. What do they really think about your products or services? How do they suggest your customers utilize them? Allow them to be truthful and creative.
Shape Your Plans Around Your Employees
You’re doing something new. You’ve given your employees a chance to try things out, but they really don’t like it. They know the business better than you do. It’s their job to be on the ground representing you. If they don’t like it, you need to change your plans. You should always optimize things for your employees. Forcing unrealistic standards on them or implementing unfeasible ideas will only complicate their jobs. If you want ambassadors, you need to provide them with a path that’s smooth to navigate.
Give Them Free Stuff
As much free stuff as you possibly can! Company t-shirts, product samples, free services. Anything that will draw them closer to their line of work. It’s hard to consider yourself an ambassador for something if you don’t have much personal experience with it. Do everything you can to help them integrate your brand into their everyday lives. You need to provide them with something more meaningful than a career. They want an experience that they can enjoy and provide honest, satisfied testimony about.
Your employees want to love their jobs. Being actively engaged in company culture, having a sense of pride in their employer, and believing in what they do are things that are genuinely important to them. It’s your job to create the right environment to foster that pride.
About the Author
Monique Craig is an employee at Oneflare, a reliable online marketplace from Australia. In her free time, Monique enjoys reading self-improvement books and learning more about new technologies and strategies that allow businesses to grow and expand.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
