There is another target market you need to consider: your internal customer – your staff. Your internal customers are just as important to your business. These are the people who will ensure the success of your marketing plan. Your internal customers are your employees, upon whom you depend and who depend on one another to promote your company and to get the work done right and on time. Just as they serve your customers, your company and each other, you must serve them.

If you take a look around you, you will notice that winning organizations may not always have the most talented players, but they do have the most dedicated individuals and the strongest teams.

Your treatment of your staff is an important key to your success. If employees are appreciated, they will perform for you.Generally, your staff will treat your customers the same way you treat them.

If you cannot attract, motivate, and maintain effective staff, you will not be successful in business.

First Step: An Effective Recruiting Plan:
When you are attracting new employees, paint a realistic picture. Inflated and unrealistic promises will only result in later disappointment when you fall short of employees’ expectations.

Learn to recognize potential. Look at your candidate’s personality first, then look at talent. If that talent falls short, consider whether or not the candidate is trainable. Skills can be learned but personality is ingrained.

Motivating, Maintaining and Rewarding Your Internal Customer:
Contrary to popular belief, the number one reason people quit their jobs is not because of money. It is because of poor treatment. Often people tell you it’s money because they don’t want the conflict of telling you the truth.
As with external customers, you need your Internal Customer Marketing Plan. It must include:

Relationship Development
Education and Career Development
Effective Communication and Feedback
Rewards and Recognition

Remember that staff will be inclined to imitate your behavior. Employees will be more likely to follow through on your marketing example if you demonstrate the techniques on them.

The Manager as Server:
A good manager has a strong vision. They know how to impart that vision to staff. They motivate employees and guide them. They do not try to control them. Again, consider successful companies – the level of respect for their staff is very high. These companies are always looking for ways to serve their employees better – through their work environment, resources available, courses offered, training and development, and rewards. Always reward the behaviors you want to see repeated.

Many entrepreneurs are not managers; rather, they are visionaries and developers. These type of entrepreneurs should hire effective managers to serve their staff.

What is the Cost of Marketing to your Internal Customer?
Budgeting for a marketing plan for your internal customer is vital.
A simple “thank you” or “job well done” is free, and a pat on the back can be effective, but it does cost money to implement a program involving training, development, and rewards. It is a long-term investment that will give you handsome returns. If you do not budget to market your staff, then you are budgeting incorrectly.

A Living Document:
A marketing plan for internal customers is just like an external marketing plan. It must be addressed on an ongoing basis, and it must be regularly revised to make it effective. Your internal marketing plan will be more effective if you ask staff for input. An anonymous questionnaire that encourages honest feedback from your staff will provide the information you need to satisfy your employees. They will remain motivated and dedicated to you and your company when they see you are dedicated to them.

Staff Incentive Program:
It is vital that you reward staff for their valuable input. Many employees are on the frontlines, a vantage point that allows them insight that owners and managers may lack. There are three main areas of input you should reward:
1.Suggestions of how to improve customer service.
2.Suggestions of how to increase profits and decrease spending.
3.Suggestions of how to increase sales.

Your staff should have easily accessible forms on which they can jot down their ideas as inspiration hits them.

These ideas would then be forwarded to management for analysis and consideration. All recommendations should be rewarded; implemented ideas should be rewarded relative to their value.

The rewards can be given in the form of points. For implementation ease, ten points could equal a one dollar value. Redemption of these points should occur at the employee’s discretion. The staff should choose the selection of rewards. Money should not be a reward as it is all too soon forgotten; luxury items are remembered much longer. Choices could include: a massage, movie passes, hockey tickets, a pedicure, a CD, house cleaning service, Ticket master gift certificates, or even a day off with pay (must be booked a specified number of days in advance, with approval).

Implemented ideas from employees should be announced in-house, in your newsletter, on your website, on your bulletin board, at a staff meeting and, if appropriate, to customers and the public.

You should also show recognition to employees that go the extra mile for clients, fellow staff, or the company.

You would document this behavior and award the employee appropriate points.

Penny Wise and Very Foolish:
Being militant about such petty things as the exact minute an employee starts the day or returns from breaks, charging for coffee or uniforms, or not paying staff for attending after-hours meetings, can all be a cause for conflict. (Note: There are positions that do not allow time flexibility and, in such cases, other flexibilities can be granted).

Although you may think you are saving money, the negative attitude your staff will adopt will ultimately hurt you far more than the savings you will realize. You are generous to your external customers; extend that same generosity to your internal customers.

Worth the Investment:
An Employee Benefit Plan provides staff with security and compensation enhancement. It is an excellent way to demonstrate your intent to establish and maintain long-term employment relationships. Plans do vary in cost and complexity. Popular coverage choices include medical insurance, dental and vision plans, term life insurance, short and long-term disability, a matched RRSP savings plan, or any combination thereof. New and creative plans are continually being developed.

Most employees should receive business cards. Each employee has a valuable function and contributes to the team’s success. If you want to instill corporate pride in your people, give them a business card. It makes them feel important. A business card in the hands of an enthusiastic employee becomes a powerful marketing tool.

Your staff will not only give them out to business prospects, they may be given to recruit employees.

It is a good idea to develop an employee referral program for your staff. Rewarding staff for referring quality employees that join the team helps ease the time and cost of recruiting and increases the chance of a new employee being a good fit. Most employees will not recommend questionable people as it risks their own credibility.

Learn Why They Leave:
When an employee decides to leave your company it is vitally important that you clearly understand why.

Conducting an exit interview and asking the right questions may provide you with the data, you need to improve your work environment. Most employees will tell you they are leaving because they found a job that pays better.

Although your employee might be moving on to a job that pays more, the question you need answered is, what other factors contributed to them leaving? Ask the employee leaving to rate the workplace. If you want honest feedback you must remain calm, positive, and open during these discussions.

1. JOB DESCRIPTION "Did your job description match what you actually did?"
2. OPPORTUNITIES "How satisfied were you with your chances to advance, learn new skills and develop your career?"
3. WORKPLACE QUALITY "Did you feel that you fit in here, or did the workplace environment clash with your beliefs and values?"
4. RELATIONSHIPS "Did managers praise you enough?" "Did you feel appreciated" "What - if any - problems did you have with managers, co-workers or customers?"
5. LEADERSHIP "What doubts - if any - did you have about the organization goals or direction?"
6. COMPENSATION "How satisfactory was your pay & benefits?"

Learn Why They Leave:
Realize that your employees are your #1 customer and have a genuine desire to serve them.
Surround yourself with passionate people, empower them & hold them accountable.
Create a strong clear vision and get your employees to buy into it.
Make your company a place people want to work.
Invest time, training & money in your employees.
Know and do the things that give you a good return on your investment of time, energy & money.
See things through the eyes of others.
Make sure everything you do results in a WIN/WIN situation.
Deal with difficulties swiftly & wisely.
Be the kind of person people want to follow.

Written by Lori Colborne, President - LSL Marketing Consultants
Lori Colborne is an international keynote speaker, consultant & author of “Innovative Marketing Made Easy!