Editor’s note: Paul Kirch is CEO of ActusMR Inc., a Lewisville, Texas, business and sales consulting agency. Kirch can be reached at 214-295-6111 or at pkirch@actusmr.com.
Communication touches almost everything we do. It offers us numerous verbal and nonverbal ways to share ideas, information, stories, warnings and so much more. Personal communication can be loose and potentially unstructured, since much of it is casual in nature. But what about business communication? Should expectations be different? How is communication treated within your company? How does it impact the sales process?
A consistent message
With a virtually unlimited number of ways to communicate, is it any wonder many firms don’t focus on a consistent message? If you assume, without verification, your entire staff is saying the same things to clients or prospects, you may be surprised to learn what’s really happening. It’s more important than ever to have a clear, consistent message and get the staff on board with positioning that message.
Why is this important? As you probably realize, our industry has become more business development- and sales-focused than ever before. Yes, it’s still an operationally-driven industry but sales initiatives are taking on a bigger role. More competing calls and meetings are making it harder to stand out. The more messages your prospects and clients hear, the more confusion there is. When your staff is inconsistent with their message, that confusion can grow, as you’re simply adding to the noise.
Creative and engaging
There are many benefits to developing a consistent message, some that go far beyond offering clarity to prospects and clients. Companies that have consistency tend to have creative and engaging work environments. By including your staff members in the process and making sure they are engaged in the exercise, you’re helping to boost morale and foster loyalty.
Staff buy-in can create a very positive atmosphere, satisfying the human need to feel valued and important. This explains why smaller companies sometimes have extremely loyal staff. By the sheer nature of their business, all staff members have to take on an active role in determining the direction of the firm. However, at larger firms there are often management layers that don’t exist in smaller agencies and many staff members are kept out of the decision-making process.
If you want to create a great work environment, create a culture where voices are heard and buy-in is important. Then, work together to form the message clients and prospects should be hearing. If the staff plays an active role in developing it, they’ll be more likely to use it. They might even shout it from the rooftops. Force something on them that they don’t believe - without buy-in - and the results may not be what you had hoped.
A stronger, more sustainable brand
If project, support, sales and all other staff are on board with the company direction and they know how to position your firm, you’re on your way to speaking with one voice. Marketing and advertising should support that message by helping develop a stronger, more sustainable brand. Branding is hard to achieve if there’s inconsistency and confusion coming from within. A brand is as powerful as its message and how clients view it.
A great way to test how your message is resonating is to ask your clients. Client satisfaction surveys, an annual sales audit or informal open dialogue can provide great insight into how they perceive your company. Are they validating your claims and messaging? Do they associate your messaging with your firm? If not, you might want to work with your team to get consistent with your positioning. Also, don’t neglect staff training – it works to get everyone on the same page.
When the sales team is out talking with clients and they know how the company is positioned and are confident that their colleagues are using the same message, there’s great strength. There are few things more frustrating for clients than finding that their sales rep is not on the same page as the operations or technology team. Getting everyone on the same page with differentiation, strengths and other such elements will give your sales team and your bottom line an advantage.
A team mentality
It’s a big shift for some companies to create a culture where buy-in is desired or expected. It can’t happen overnight. I’d recommend starting with a company-wide discussion about the state of the company, emphasizing that future growth starts with a team mentality. Each individual has a role but a unified organization can withstand the toughest storms, especially if all hands are on deck - ready to work and happy to be there.
Beyond the cultural shift, to develop a unified message, identify how your company differentiates itself. Differentiation of service offerings, staff approach, marketing, sales messaging or anything else can help a brand stand out. However, each element has to be seen as valuable to clients and prospects. Sadly, many companies are lazy when identifying differentiation and end up with a watered-down message, which doesn’t help to quell confusion.
In addition to differentiation, what are the words and phrases that staff members use to describe your firm? What are some of the success stories? Failures? Look at all of these items to create a message that resonates with the team and stands out to clients.
Consistency and review
The outlined steps provide a powerful start but, like anything important, developing a unified message requires consistency and review. Be consistent with the expectations of staff and with the use of the messaging. Then, make sure this process is reviewed regularly. Today’s business market is one of change and you need to be constantly looking at what your competition is doing and how your own business might be changing. Keep talking to your staff and clients – and really listen to what they have to say. What matters to them should matter to you or, at the very least, it should lead to some questions about your direction.
Use communication to build the best model for sharing your company message, focusing on one voice. One voice means unity, strength and sustainability. If you’re not using one voice, what messages are your client’s really hearing?