It’s a new year and as companies and organizations think of communications planning, it’s good to step back and inventory your assets and think about how you will communicate their value inside and outside of your company or organization.
Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often organizations don’t fully understand what their true assets are.
True assets are the things that matter both to a company or organization AND to the customers, clients, partners, donors and others they wish to engage. So if you are wireless provider, you may think that having devices with the latest features and fastest speeds are your best assets. As a customer, I expect you to have those things. What matters to me is that you stand by your product, don’t keep me on hold for eons when I call with a problem or question and treat me fairly in my interactions with you. Customer service is an asset, one feels like it’s near extinction these days.
Good employees are also an asset. If they are happy, they will make the customer happy. So good, honest and consistent communications with them is vital to maintain this asset. Recently, the PR and marketing director of a large company suggested to her boss that he send out a message to the staff, thanking them for their hard work in 2009, a very tough year, and laying out his vision for 2010 and beyond. At first, the boss was hesitant, thinking it was corny. But he did it and was pleasantly surprised by the positive response. In fact, several employees thanked him for doing it. Knowing where the company was headed and being recognized for what they were doing does not change the tough circumstances facing the company but it goes a long way towards keeping people focused and motivated.
What are your company or organization’s assets? How will you communicate their value inside and outside of your enterprise?
