Some things just never change. As long as there have been businesses, we all remain well aware that word of mouth has shown to be the best form of advertising that a business will ever achieve. This seems to be a fact that simply never changes. What has changed, however, is the fact that word of mouth has been placed on steroids with the advent of Social Media. The American Marketing Association recently conducted a study that has revealed that 64% of the Marketing Executives interviewed believe that word of mouth advertising is still the best form of advertising. So, what’s new, you ask?
It’s becoming more and more apparent that in today’s world, former employees may just be some of your finest Brand Advocates. This will, of course, depend upon how you, your management and supervisors treat their employees during their tenure with your company and even more importantly, how they are treated as they exit the company.
Your employees, while they are working within your particular company culture have come to understand exactly what you’re offering, the benefits and the quality of the company and all that it has to offer on many levels. Employees are constantly educating themselves about all aspects of your company and its practices with both clients and employees.
With this in mind, it’s likely very important that from the moment you onboard an employee, they are more than just another body filling a laborious need. They are also an investment beyond just the education and money you’re paying them; they are future Brand Advocates. Each and every employee will potentially be some of your richest advertisers. What sort of advertising they share will be largely up to you.
If you would like former employees to be ongoing advertisers for your company upon their departure consider the following among others:
• Do your best to create a close-knit environment that encourages all employees to depend on one another with you as their trusted go-to person even if something has gone awry. We’re all human, and we’ve all had to learn something the hard way.
• Be certain that evaluations have something positive to offer, even if there are plenty of issues that require attention. Always offer some sort of positive feedback.
• It’s likely that every employee is going to make some mistake that will cause you dismay; smile at them anyway; encourage them to improve their practices and move on. If they feel that their job is safe, they will most likely do everything that they can to earn back your care and respect.
• If you find that an employee isn’t working out for some reason, or, should you find you’re approached with an unwanted resignation, keep your positive interactions in place until the moment they leave your company.
If your employees are pleased with their experiences during and especially at the end of their employment period with your organization, they will continue to not only spread the word about the quality of your products and services; your former employees may also refer you to quality future employees. Remember also, depending on your products/services, should your former employees find themselves in need of your offerings, they will feel most comfortable returning to your company for their needs as your client.
Whether you realize it or not, every employee that you have will be an organic investment in the advertisement of your brand. This is the case while they are with you and especially when they leave the company. Although it won’t always be possible to please everyone, employees, just like clients, prefer to leave their experience with a handshake, a smile and well wishes for their future endeavors. Employees will always remember how they felt while they worked with you and how they were treated when they left.
At Cogent Analytics, we never stop looking for ways to improve your business and neither should you. So, check out some of our other posts for helpful business information:
