BUILDING BRAND AMBASSADORS

Maintaining team morale and enthusiasm for your company and its mission can be a struggle. Most of us that are constantly on the lookout to improve one percent better every day, fail to remain enthusiastic and energetic about our work environment unless we’re surrounded by inspirational leaders and equally committed team members. In the end, it really does take a special culture to create and maintain “brand motivation”.

The truth is, your brand is not what you perceive it to be, it’s what your consumers say it is and in most cases, it’s your team of people that exemplify the brand. With that said, here are 5 ways to create ambassadors of your brand and how it can thrive.

1. Always Recruit. Even if you don’t have any openings, there is always a weak link on the team. It sounds harsh, but after you have invested time and coaching into the individual employee, it may be time to replace them if performance and attitude do not elevate. Be on the lookout for star players everywhere you go because your best team members actually want to be surrounded by those that make them better. The fact is, great collaboration comes from having great people.
2. Dig deep into their “WHY.” Simon Sinek made this popular for organizational success and helping or fueling your employees passion and purpose is essential to ensure they align with your brand. There’s nothing better than having team members that sincerely believe in your product, service and what you stand for. Enthusiasm always wins!
3. Protect “the code”. The code represents behaviors and those expectations that go above and beyond the non-emotional job description. These standards are actually created by the leader and/or team of leaders of your culture and and are agreed upon initiatives that help create the best work environment and performance possible. “The code” also helps protect and ensures your brand consistently lives up to its promises.
4. Recognize and celebrate. Most managers create budgets and goals. Leaders and coaches create targets and actually have “fun” with KPI’s (key performance indicators). Use your numbers aka “scoreboard” wisely. Use them to motivate vs. creating stress and fear. Recognize even small progress and soon enough you will have a reason to celebrate big wins, which positively impacts the appreciation for your company and brand.
5. Take a 360° Approach to Your Ethos. Most companies put the majority of the focus on their customers, but the best of the best companies know that they must inject that same brand mission into their team first. As a result, it’s the team that interacts mainly with the customer and they have the most impact attracting and retaining your brand identity. Put your employees first and your brand will explode.

While there are a plethora of initiatives that help support employee brand motivation on the short and long term, please remember whether you are an owner, a manager or a teammate, it starts with each of us.

If you're interested in "injecting" your brand ethos into your team, shoot me an email at [email protected]. I would be glad to help.