The term “buy-in” is an idiom meaning “to agree with; to accept an idea as worthwhile.” Have your employees bought in to your marketing plan? Do they know they are even part of the marketing plan? Are they aware they are all part of the marketing team?
Part of the team
Recently, we wrapped up the Midwest Chapter of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (MWCAAOP)’s Annual Meeting. I love O&P because for the most part, we have, as a field, wonderful people doing amazing things and it is uplifting to be a part of that.
As the meeting wound down, I was feeling great. It is the next to last one of the year, our speakers were fantastic, the attendees were appreciative and the exhibitors were top-notch as always. Every person was a representative of their employer. They were all members of the marketing team, whether they knew it or not. I can guarantee some of them had no idea.
Be nice
People like to do business with those who they know, like and trust. The more they know you and like you, the more they trust you, and oftentimes you can get a “pass” if you do something you should not or behave in a way you should not.
If you have never met me and you do not know me, I probably do not know you. If I do not know you or feel that I know you because we are not friends on social media, then I cannot like you until I meet you. When I meet you and you are unpleasant for no apparent reason and I have been nothing short of delightful, you have done your employer a grave disservice. You have made the marketing department’s job harder. You have made your coworkers jobs harder.
If you cannot be pleasant to people you have never met, you should not be out and about representing your employer. You clearly do not understand the impact you have on your company’s brand.
Three little secrets
© Shutterstock
Inc. Magazine has a terrific article titled “3 Little Known Sales Secrets.” The first secret: People buy on emotion and back-fill with logic; the second: People like to buy, but no one likes to be sold; and the third: people do business with people they know, like and trust.
What is the likability factor of each of your employees? What roles do they play in your company? If they are not people-persons, are you aware of when they are interacting with the public? If you have employees who do fantastic jobs, but are rude and off-putting when dealing with anyone they do not know, do not fire them — just make sure their job duties do not include working with the public. If they must, then maybe you need to provide some wake-up calls or do some re-training.
I am amazed at the people who, once they get a job, immediately forget why they have that job. It is the customers. No customers, no job. Do not forget that.
Wake-up call
On my way home from the MWCAAOP meeting, I flew Delta. I watched the gate agent be incredibly rude to some non-English speaking customers who were trying to figure out when they should board the plane. When my zone was called, I presented the gate agent with my ticket and she could not have been nicer. If I were her manager, I would think about re-training because I am sure the Chicago O’Hare airport gets a fair amount of non-English speaking flyers.
Do you know any “gate agents” in your company who could use a wake-up call?
- Reference:
- 3 Little Known Sales Secrets. Available at: www.inc.com/bill-carmody/the-know-like-amp-trust-growth-model.html. Accessed Nov. 1, 2016.
- For more information:
- Elizabeth Mansfield is the president of Outsource Marketing Solutions and the Vice President of Clinical Education Concepts. She can be reached at elizabeth@askelizabeth.net.
