Increasingly we hear from clients that what is most important right now is how their workplace culture helps (or possibly hinders) their reputation and brand. Importantly, while our clients continue to care about important topics such as ethical behavior and legal compliance, top of mind in today’s current economy is not merely brand, but developing brand ambassadors.
So, is brand important? Yes, we hear loud and clear that it is.
Your brand represents positive equity in the promised experience offered to your customers and employees. More than a logo or a webpage with pretty colors and crisp typography, your brand announces who you are and what you stand for; most importantly, your brand unites your teams and reminds your customers and clients why they want to do business with you. And, the ambassadors of your brand are the people that carry the torch, both internally andexternally, epitomizing loyalty to the organization and sincerity in conveying the value of what you offer. Indisputably, brand ambassadors do more than talk; they walk the walk. Their actions are critical. For example, if integrity is part of your brand, it must be demonstrated in your ambassadors’ interactions – no matter what challenges or obstacles they face.
Brand ambassadors leverage the greatest positive impact when they are skilled in consistently demonstrating key values-based principles in every aspect of their interactions; as a result, they promote good will – sharing the good news of who you are, what you do, and how you do it. By virtue of their own positive behaviors, the most effective brand ambassadors naturally convert other employees and customers into brand ambassadors as well.
Where do we find them? Importantly, ambassadors are not appointed; they are inspired. Whether excited about a product, a mission, or even a feeling, an ambassador’s inspiration comes from a sense of pleasure or satisfaction in the experience offered — and that level of experience, or better, is offered over and over again. When people can rely on a great experience, not only are they satisfied, they also want to share it. There are few things more exhilarating, for example, than being a part of a winning team – it’s contagious first amongst the team, then to fans, and then to the community at large. Inspiring that winning feeling begins with four key elements:
- Positive Impact– understanding what we do well
- Shared Vision – knowing where we’re headed and how we plan to get there
- Meaningful Values – committing to the belief that how we achieve results is as important as the results we achieve
- Mutual Trust – caring about each other as members of the team
At ELI, we know from more than 25 years experience working with our clients that fundamental to every successful organization is a solid commitment to treating people well, specifically treating people in ways that help them to thrive and work together effectively. Teamwork and collaboration are paramount to achieving success, and whether breaking down silos, mending fences, or reaching out to each other across the globe, brand ambassadors remind us all that the mission and vision of our organization are “the bosses”.
When our workplaces deliver these experiences in a consistent way at every level of the organization, we have the opportunity to effortlessly develop ambassadors that, in turn, help us all to succeed. Our brand ambassadors demonstrate through their own behaviors that our brand is bigger than our logo or tag lines, it’s who we are. . . even when no one is watching.
