We are now entering a period of slow or negative economic growth where most businesses are fighting to retain clients, fend off aggressive price-led competition and shore up slumping share values.
As organisations look to a variety of different measures to stave off a recession, to my mind one of the simplest and most effective strategies is for leaders to inspire and demonstrate vision. This is not about fluffy nonsense. It is about re-engaging customers. Employees at all levels need to connect their actions and the effect they have on the business. Through times of growth this becomes lost amid a view that if one customer leaves another will soon arrive. In the current climate every customer must be seen as the most valuable asset the company has. So regardless of what a business does, I would recommend five tips to ensure employees have the right level of fighting spirit to engage customers.
Reconnect with the brand
Remind people what attracted them to the 'job' in the first place. No doubt it will have had something to do with the attraction of working for the brand, and its products or services. At times we can all get caught up in the mechanics of the job and lose why we chose it in the first place. By understanding what could be lost, you develop the motivation to survive.
A responsibility to the customer
Within all organisations the concept of a cause becomes lost. The larger the organisation the more difficult it is to address. That is because people come to work to do a job that in many cases becomes detached from the effect it has on the business.
Overcome inertia
Churchill famously used his rhetoric-filled speeches to create a passion and zeal amongst the population. In his famous 'on the beaches' speech he laid down a key principle, that the destiny of Britain was in each individual's hands. For team leaders this same message needs to be applied. For marketers this should be a time of optimism for the fight ahead.
Gain momentum
Constantly refer to success. It is about creating forward momentum. People need to feel good. Many will not have faced a recession before, so while we see doom, we never see the end of the tunnel. Focusing on small, forward looking steps, builds momentum and optimism.
Keep driving forward
Never allow public doubt. Leadership at all levels is about setting a course and focusing on the path ahead. Tough decisions have to be made, but by doing everything to motivate and lead, those decisions will be put in a context that is far easier to understand.
- Duncan Daines is Start Creative's Director of Strategy. He has a 360-degree perspective of the branding and communication industry
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