Are Employees Speaking Your Brand Language? 2005 Qtr 1
Chances are, there’s a pretty big disconnect between what you want to be saying to customers and what customers are “hearing” from your organization.
After all, if we haven’t taken the time to explain our brand position — our reason for existing as an organization — it would be pretty difficult for employees to understand how they are expected to represent the brand in their daily interactions with customers.
When the popular press writes about the topic (usually under the heading of Customer Service), consumer companies like Nordstrom’s and Hertz are often mentioned as excellent examples. But what about in business–to–business companies? Does it really make a difference if everyone in the organization understands and acts in keeping with the brand? We think so.
Big companies like Fed Ex get it: they know that if their drivers don’t make their deliveries on schedule, if local office phones aren’t answered promptly, and if their web site for on–line package scheduling, tracking and delivery status isn’t working then their core brand position is damaged.
Little companies understand it, too. A ten–year–old software company serving the financial services industry, called OneBridge™, gives every new employee an orientation that focuses on the OneBridge brand, and what they promise to customers.
And at orientation, every new employee is given a “brand book” by the president of the company. This pocket–size booklet helps explain the importance of becoming a OneBridge brand ambassador. There are no rules and guidelines for using the logo and all that stuff; rather, it focuses on the difference each individual can make. An excerpt includes the following:
“The OneBridge brand isn’t our logo. Or our tagline. Or the comfortable chairs in our main conference room. It’s a combination of all these things, and the impression they make on our customers. From the tone of our brochure to the way we answer the phones to the real–world benefits our products provide, our brand is built on the relationships we have with our customers. Building and sustaining the OneBridge brand is simple. Promise only what we can deliver. And deliver more than we promise.”
Now, of course, saying it is one thing. Walking the talk is another thing altogether. It’s not enough to give people the story and expect them to internalize the passion of the brand. It takes time, positive reinforcement and activities that help everyone make the connection. When you see everyone on the team acting like the brand, you’ll know the internal efforts are paying off.
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