Internal Marketing is Powerful Business Growth Strategy
Milwaukee WI (PRWEB) July 22, 2008 -- Looking for a sure way to grow your business? Make sure that your customers have a positive experience at every touch point with your company.
That may sound easier said than done, but an internal marketing strategy can make it happen, according to Bill Lowell, founder and president of Business Development Directives (http://www.bddonline.com), a national research-driven marketing firm based in Milwaukee.
There's good reason to engage such a strategy, Lowell said, pointing to an in-depth study his firm did on the breadth and impact of internal marketing. The study revealed solid evidence that companies with strong internal marketing programs experience on-average higher growth rates and better profitability than companies where employees are not on board with the company brand.
According to Lowell, "Internal marketing simply means preparing your employees to handle every interaction a customer might have with your company. It is also the process of building 'relationship capital' through effective communication with employees. Relationship capital is created when everyone is focused on providing a positive brand image and delivering that brand promise to each and every customer."
Lowell said HR departments can play a key role in ensuring that employees understand and convey the corporate brand promise, and that the internal messaging is in sync with external marketing efforts.
"HR professionals can play a critical role in helping their organizations grow through internal marketing," he said. "At the same time, an internal marketing program can raise the credibility and profile of an HR department."
Lowell cites numerous studies that back up his findings of the importance of internal marketing, including a Harvard University study indicating that 70 percent of customer brand perception is determined by experiences with the organization's employees. Another study found that companies with highly engaged employees have a 112 percent three-year return to shareholders versus a 76 percent return for companies with low employee commitment.
Internal marketing not only makes customers more satisfied, it can make employees happier and, thus, more productive and less likely to leave the company, Lowell adds.
"People are really what make any company unique," he said. "Competitors can replicate product or service offerings, but what they can't replicate are the people who comprise an organization's personality and culture. That is where the real competitive advantage lies, and that is why employees need to be brought on board with a well executed, internal branding program."
Such a program, fully described in a Business Development Directives internal marketing paper (www.bddonline.com/InternalMarketingArticle.pdf), covers all the touch points that customers and prospects have with a business. Touch points include recruiting efforts, advertising, public relations, staff attitude, the appearance of your lobby/reception area and your building, how someone answers the phone, e-mail correspondence, the sales team, employee orientation programs, company vehicles, customer service representatives and invoices.
Business Development Directives created a list of 103 tactics companies can take to engage an internal marketing program. (www.bddonline.com/InternalMarketingTacticsList.pdf)
"Make sure your employees know what your organization stands for and promises, so they can deliver that promise to the customer," Lowell said. "Through comprehensive strategic planning and strong communication, all employees should be aware of the measurable results they are expected to produce as individuals and how their successes contribute to the overall goals of their respective departments and the organization as a whole."
The Business Development Directives research, which involved more than 200 human resources executives across the nation, found that the majority (66%) have neither an internal brand nor internal marketing initiative.
"This lack of an internal branding initiative can undercut otherwise successful hiring strategies and can thwart business growth initiatives," Lowell said. "Take the time to start an initiative inside your company; it will pay huge rewards."
###
This press release has been reprinted from PRWEB per the terms and conditions of the copyright notice.
|
|
 |
 |
Affiliate Programs - Points To Consider
It seems as though you can't visit a web site now without being asked to join their affiliate program - they're everywhere! Affiliate programs are attractive, as they offer a means of earning money from product sales without having to actually take orders, ship merchandise, deal with customers, stock inventory or take a financial risk. Post a banner to your web site and you're in business. Affiliate programs do offer a means to make additional income from your site, however, there are a few points to consider.
Graduate Sales Training Program
Finding a suitable role in the sales job market can be a challenging task for most graduates. The main reason for this is because employers prefer to hire seasoned sales professionals who have years of sales training and experience under their belt. Moreover, there are very few sales recruitment consultancies and commercial establishments who are prepared to invest the required time and money into training graduates and graduate calibre people. Over the last decade, sales recruitment firms and agencies have been providing an invaluable service to their graduate recruits and corporate clients. These companies believe that with the right attitude for sales, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. So far as their graduate trainees have t...
Online Sportsbooks and How To Win Free Cash.
Online Sportsbooks and How To Win Free Cash! Online sportsbooks are here to stay! Online sportsbooks have become so popular that even people who live in Las Vegas will place bets online, rather then drive two minutes to their local sportsbook to wager at the land based casino. Online sportsbooks have grown dramatically in the last few years. You have the choice of hundreds of them worldwide. One of better advantages of placing a bet online is that online sportsbooks will hand out bonuses to players for signing up with them or returning back to their online sportsbooks. You rarely see land based sportsbooks doing that to new players or returning players. You can also join as many online sportsbooks as you want that offer these kinds o...
Climate Change Skeptics: 'Censored' In U.S Speaking Out Online
Scientists refuting climate change are repeatedly silenced, but many now discover true freedom of speech can be found online.
Using Credit Cards Securely Online
Nowadays, shopping online is a very common thing. Making your purchases without leaving your house is an attractive option for many of us.
E-Psychology: Increasing Your Sales On-Line
As any successful entrepreneur knows, there's more to generating on-line sales than owning a web site. To produce sales, your web presence must be effective, easy to navigate, and properly marketed – all of which require a well-rounded understanding of your target client.
Are You A Network Marketing Professional? Or, Are You An Amateur?
Do you look like a professional Network Marketer? Do You Talk like a professional Network Marketer? Do you write like a professional Network Marketer?Do your marketing results show you to be a Network Marketing professional? And, most importantly, does your team see you as a professional? Or, are you viewed by them as an amateur?You know, when I went to school they never taught us about professionalism. And, from what I hear, it is no different today.
National Foundation for Cancer Research Joins Online Charity Shopping Mall
The National Foundation for Cancer Research is partnering with iGive.com to allow consumers to support various charities, including NFCR, through online shopping.
5 After Sales Marketing Techniques To Improve Customer Retention
It's been widely reported that some website owners are facing the threat of legal action because they do not offer a website that is easily accessible for disabled people But, even ignoring the legal threat, it is good business practice to ensure that your pages are accessible for anybody that wishes to view them
The N.C. Center for Nonprofits Partners With Donorbuddy? to Provide Low Cost Online Donation and Member Fee Collection Solutions to its 1,600 Member O
Agreement provides discounted pricing of the Donorbuddy Solution to all Members of the N.C. Center for Nonprofits.
Online Auto Loans No Credit Check-Make Your Work Fast
Introduction
Is It A Good Idea To Apply Online For A Home Mortgage Loan?
For some people, deciding to apply online for a home mortgage loan can be a struggle. With a little education, the prospect can seem less daunting and more feasible. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about applying for a mortgage loan online.
Blog Advertising - What is Internet Blog Marketing?
So you have been hearing all about these blogs that are all the rage lately in the internet world. However, you have yet to start one of your own, and pretty much figure that you are the last person on earth that does not have one. While you may think that this is true, you are going to be shocked that not everyone has a blog, and most of those that do, have them for internet blog marketing purposes. Internet blog marketing is all of the rage just as much as blogs are. When you talk about internet blog marketing, you are meaning that you use the internet to market things on your blog. That would be the most simplest way to put it.
MSNSmart Marketing During A Slow Market
The economy is slowing down and you have inventory to sell. Now is the best time to strategically spend your marketing dollars. If you pull back on marketing you risk losing your customers to your competition who are continuing marketing efforts. When times are slow smart businesses can turn a bad economy into their advantage.
WebmasterRadio.FM Features Digg Co-Founder Owen Byrne on Internet Marketing Show 'GoodKarma'
On-demand and archived, "GoodKarma" host Greg Niland's interview with Digg Co-Founder and Senior Software Engineer Owen Byrne is available at www.WebmasterRadio.FM.
|
 |
|
