I just spent two days in Atlantic City at a leadership offsite where one of the resounding themes was COMMUNICATION. There were a couple of other themes floating around as well….like gambling and drinking but for purposes of this article, I’ll focus on the former. =)
So, to put it very bluntly, communication can make or break your success as an organization. If you publicize effectively, people feel informed, engaged, and empowered. Impactful internal messaging boost employee morale and incent them to drive toward set business goals.
If you communicate poorly and without an executable plan, you’ll experience the opposite effect. Employees become detached, disenchanted and siloed – all leading to a heck of a lot of angst on the part of management.
So what can you do to improve receptiveness?
- Tell people what they did well and how their efforts contributed to a specific goal.
- Make them feel like they are valued and solicit their ideas for improving planning and delivery of initiatives.
- Reward them for being active contributors.
- Target the messages so they are most impactful and relevant to each specific group.
Turning A Prospect Into A Sale
Communication is key…no matter how large or small the company.
This concept applies to startups as much as it does to mature companies.
Furthermore, identifying and resolving gaps in external communications is critical to the growth of your business.
Just as successes can drive employees to achieve, they can also incent prospective customers to BUY. Forget guerrilla marketing tactics…use accomplishments to your advantage. Celebrate them, ask for feedback, shower them with freebies or discounts, run giveaways for prospects who “like” or “share” something you’ve put out there. Anything to keep their attention focused on your company and what you are selling.
All of the efforts boil down to this objective…getting your name out to the masses. Highlighting awareness enhances credibility and if you are consistent and calculated with the types of communications you disseminate, people will be more likely to take a test drive. That’s your big opportunity to convert them into customers for life.
So don’t mess it up. =)
