We are all Marketers!

As a strategic marketer for close to three decades now, I have had the immense pleasure of working with some inspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders, all of whom have positively influenced my career in some way.

Over this period, marketing has changed dramatically with the advent of the digital revolution (a landscape that continues to be fast moving and ever changing) and the emergence of more specialist marketing roles.

But, in the midst of this evolvement one thing remains steadfastly the same - the influence of employees on the perceptions and actions of customers and prospects. Whether you are a multinational with a workforce of thousands or a small business running a team of five, each person you employ is a MARKETER – they might not realise it, but they are!

Let us explore this statement in a little more detail. I am not insinuating that all employees are marketing experts, nor should they take on the responsibilities of a marketing team. Far from it, but they are all communicators. And irrespective of job roles or functions, their interactions with other people can have a positive or negative impact on the outcomes for a business.

So, with considerable time and resource invested in the creation of strategic business and marketing plans, how much focus is afforded to communicating this to the wider team for it to be understood and embraced?

Ask any employee and they should be able to recite your business vision, business objectives, value proposition, key messages and more. And if they don’t, what is the likely impact on the perceptions of your customers and prospects? Damaging, I would say.

Whether you are a project engineer, software developer, receptionist, or any other role for that matter, clear and consistent internal communications are essential for business growth. An ability for each member of your team to grasp what the business has set out to achieve, how this will be accomplished and where the value exists in what you do. Suddenly conversations with customers become easier and more engaging. And there's not a member of the marketing team in sight!

Take the case of a software developer. This is someone who may not ordinarily spend a significant amount of time interacting with customers. But when they do, imagine the power of them being 'on-message'. The ability to communicate key business information with purpose or talk confidently about the launch of a new product. And a willingness to share, like and comment on social media posts for the wider benefit of the business.

This is effective marketing nurtured outside of the confines of a marketing department. A way of communicating positive messages to the external market, but one that demonstrates connected thinking. When your employees are engaged with people in this way, opportunities are created.

Remember too, that your business is only as strong as its weakest link. How an employee talks to a client or reacts to a problem or query will either paint a positive or negative image of your business in a person’s mind. Call it what you want, but it is simply good or bad marketing.

If business owners and leaders take it upon themselves to regularly communicate key business information and strategy across their teams, it will help to maintain a connected culture, good employee relations and nurture effective engagement with the market, irrespective of role or title. Yes, we are all MARKETERS!