5 Reasons Your Employees are Marketers - Even if They Don't Know It

Yes, I said it.

Every employee in your company is a marketer (whether they know it or not). It doesn't matter if they work in the warehouse, sales department, janitorial services or the executive offices -- your company's entire staff holds high stakes in the success and profitability of your business.

Think about the notion of 'employee satisfaction' as an unconventional 'marketing tool'. Employment is a huge investment to both a company and its employees. Why not make the most of your employees (and make their time working for you worthwhile, too)? Most of us already know that motivating and educating employees keeps them happy. But motivating and educating employees does a lot more than that, when a company plays its cards right.

Here is why:

1) Your employees are PR agents. When employees are mad, they will talk. When employees are happy, they will talk. So why tick them off? Some of the best word-of-mouth (WOM) agents are your employees. Give them reason to talk about you and they will. Take Southwest Airlines' "Nuts about Southwest" blog for example: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/. Southwest handed the reigns of their corporate blog to their best customers and employees -- and just look at the buzz and PR the company has created! It is brilliant.

2) Your employees send marketing messages. An employee who is well-educated through regular training is apt to send the right marketing message to your clients. One trick I remember learning in my graduate corporate communication studies is requiring ALL employees to memorize a 30-second "elevator" spiel about your company's products and services. Think about it: If one of your employees has 30 seconds to ride from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor in your building, would he or she be able to provide an effective description of your company to a potential client? A well-educated employee also knows the ins and outs of your website, org chart and products -- and where to effectively direct client questions.

3) Your employees make your revenue goals. Want to increase your annual revenue? Create bonus / incentive programs. It's that easy. When an employee knows, for example, that they will receive a 5% cut of the quarterly revenue, they will work much harder to meet deadlines and accomplish corporate goals. That is a no-brainer. If you can't provide bonuses, why not start a "wellness" program with milestones and goals promoting employee health? This will increase productivity, too. And we all know that productivity leads to harder work, which may indirectly lead to sales. You have to start somewhere.

4) Your employees have affiliations outside the office. With the rise in personal blogs, MySpace and Facebook accounts, as well as professional networking services like LinkedIn, chances are, at least one of your employees keeps up with the online trends. Obviously, a smart employee will keep any negative press about your business off the blogosphere (for their own good if nothing else). But chances are, if this same web savvy employee respects your business, he or she will cross-link your company blog and/or website. Maybe this employee will write up an entry about your products, services or internal culture. The opportunities are endless.

5) Your employees can promote stronger customer relationships. Without satisfied employees, chances are, you won't have satisfied clients. If your employees are in a bad mood, it is going to rub off on your clients. And nobody wants to do business with a resentful, unmotivated person, no matter what the need. The same goes if your employee lacks the knowledge of simple functions. For example, if your salesperson doesn't know where to find your company's press kit, customer relationships are potentially lost with the file. Keep your employees trained.

Happy employee marketing!