What if you could multiply the number of messengers that could tell your story?
What if you had a team other than your sales or marketing departments who can share your story with passion, conviction and, with guidance, accuracy?
The fact is, there’s no “what if.”
You already have a built-in PR team in your employee workforce. It’s a team that requires only clarification about what you’re already saying about your business and your encouragement to share that message.
Aren’t employee relations and public relations the same?
Employee relations can be viewed as form of public relations. But the audience is a cohort of one – your employees.
What your employees say about you is taken at face value by those who listen to them. They talk to their families, their friends and, in many instances, are the only connection between you and your customers.
Because people view your employees as an accurate barometer of your business’ capability and reputation, your employees are a critical audience to have on your side.
Employees may not clearly understand what to tell others about you.
Just because an employee works for you, doesn’t mean they automatically know how or what to tell others about your business.
Their point of view is frequently shaped by whatever job area they spend their work time. A hotel housekeeper, for example, will see or know very little about an overall employer’s goals or mission. An administrative worker in the front office, however, will likely be quite knowledgeable about their employer’s business.
All your employees likely don’t know precisely what you do, how you express it and how their services benefit your clients.
So, how do you fix that?
Active internal communications
A good starting point for equipping your employees to serve as PR messengers is an active, ongoing internal communications program.
It means you must communicate what you’re doing with your employees on a frequent basis. You must let them know what’s going on in your business and your industry and how it relates to them.
And, at every opportunity, you must communicate your respect and appreciation for their hard work and professionalism. Let them know you’re grateful for their efforts and how much their work means to you and your clients.
Harness recognition power
Use internal communications to take advantage of the power of recognition. State clearly and simply that you understand what your employees do, what kinds of challenges they face and that you value their presence at your side.
You can get better acquainted with the power of recognition in creating a Culture of Recognition.
So, what should you put into an internal PR program?
No two internal communications programs are alike. And many of them are baked into employee relations programs, which sometimes fail to act with the frequency and capability of a professional PR program.
HR folks, in fact, often view internal communications as an extra duty and must struggle to find the time and resources necessary to conduct an ongoing internal communications program.
At the very least, internal PR programs should provide employees with:
- A clear statement about what your business does (e.g., We build widgets)
- A clear statement about the benefit(s) your business provides for customers (e.g., We provide families with an enjoyable time together)
- Ongoing news about your company’s activities
- Recognition of achievement on the part of employees
But HOW do we establish an effective internal communications program?
That’s where the Wellons Communications PR firm can help.
We spend all our work time providing clients with effective communications programs that build awareness, recognition and sales.
Using the same models and approaches we use to conduct global, national, regional and local PR outreach, we can build an effective internal communications program for your business…with an emphasis on affordability.
We’re ready to start building closer relationships between you and your team members.
Give our Central Florida PR firm a call at 407-462-2718 or email will@wellonscommunications.com to find out more about how we can create or freshen your internal communications program.