Whether you work for a small business or nonprofit organization, its brand determines its success. Every touchpoint conveys the brand to customers. And, who’s in charge of touchpoints? Employees!
A recent infographic from Good.co and published in Website Magazine clearly demonstrates that 70% of American workers are disengaged at work and NOT working to their full potential. Ouch!
The saddest part of this problem? It doesn’t take a ton of money to change this problem, so why aren’t more organizations doing something about it?
So, let’s see. Employees who are dissatisfied with their direct managers, don’t feel appreciated, or feel that their voices don’t matter, cost the U.S. between $450-550 billion each year in lost productivity!
Related Article: What Do Bosses Owe Their Employees?
And, what happens if you change the culture to one that values employees and practices internal marketing? A lot! Engaged employees perform better, have higher productivity, higher sales, higher creativity, create the most new business, and are less likely to jump ship.
And, who does this affect? Customers! Happy, engaged employees lead to happy customers who trust your brand.
In my upcoming book, Beyond Your Logo: 7 Brand Ideas that Matter Most for Small Business Success, I tackle this issue head on.
As with external customers, your small business [or nonprofit] would not exist without internal customers—its employees. They have tremendous influence on its success or failure. Do you want to take chances, hoping they get it right?
The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer demonstrated the importance of internal customer centrism:
How a company treats employees can significantly help – or harm – overall trust. ‘Respecting employee rights’ is among the top three most important factors positively affecting trust – nearly as critical as ensuring quality control and protecting customer data.”
In Part 2, I’ll give you some tips on how to achieve internal customer centrism.
This article was originally published by Elaine Fogel
3 Easy Tips to Support Employees When the Economy Reopens 
4 Ways to Invest in Your Employees (And Why You Should!)
Contractor vs Employee: A Mini Guide for American Small Businesses