Remember last month’s column: And the Winner Is … ? It was all
about winning recognition as a company or organization and turning that win
into traffic through your door. For this article, we are going to stick with
our winning theme and explore how giving out awards, instead of winning them,
can be an effective marketing tool.
Get creative
An award can be almost any recognition of a good deed or an achievement.
Truthfully, it is your award so you get to determine the criteria and
eligibility and purpose behind it. Maybe you want to create an internal award
for years of service to the company, volunteer efforts or recognize an employee
of the month. Do it. Decide what accomplishments mean the most to the mission
of your company or those attributes that deserve a pat on the back and applaud
them.
You do not necessarily have to stop at the implementation of internal
recognition either. Maybe there is a patient or customer you would like to
recognize. In the O&P field we are surrounded by people overcoming
obstacles every day. What better reason is there to celebrate someone? Maybe
you can create an award for most motivated patient and recognize someone, not
only for what they are able to accomplish, but how hard they are working to
achieve a desired goal. Sometimes it is not about winning the race, but about
giving it your all. Consider that when you are creating these for both
employees and patients or customers.
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| © 2010 iStockphoto.com/Sean Locke/Digital Planet Design |
Be creative when you are coming up with ideas and keep in mind that you
are running the show.
Publicize
Giving awards is great but a win-win is even better. Make the awards you
grant work for you. Now that we can publicize everything ourselves it is
incredibly quick and easy to handle our own publicity and tell everyone what is
going on within your company.
If you have an employee of the month award, are you posting it on your
business Facebook page? Are you putting it on your company’s website? Is
there a framed photo in the waiting/reception area? If you are not doing these
things: why not? Let people know that you believe you have some stellar
employees and they should be proud to be able to call them their prosthetist,
orthotist, pedorthist, fitter or technician who worked on their device.
The same goes for your patients or customers who receive awards.
Celebrate them publicly. They deserve the praise and the kickback to the
company is just a perk.
It is good publicity. Everyone likes to see people recognized for their
hard work. It is a morale booster and it creates awareness for the organization
as well as the person or company who is giving the award.
For more information:
Mansfield E. And the winner is … O&P Business
News. 2010;19(11):88. Also available at:
www.oandpbusinessnews.com/view.aspx?rid=68224. Accessed: Sept.
10, 2010.
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