Best Practices

1. Be consumer-focused and mission-driven — every time you open your mouth.
The best leaders start every conversation, every speech, every interview, and every employee meeting, with an intense focus on their customers, and their mission of advancing the interests of those customers. They strive for an emotional connection.  They show they care. Not surprisingly, this tactic is natural to politicians, as they rely on votes to retain their job.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen mistakes made by well-intentioned business leaders who let short-term profitability sneak into the message.   Consumers deeply resent it when companies or institutions care more about their own profitability, than about customers.  We buy their products:  It should be all about us.

Of course, the companies that maintain a clear focus on their customers, and invest in serving those customers well, garner strong brand loyalty.  Further, they reap rewards including strong sales and healthy stock prices.

Employees (“promise keepers”) follow their leaders when it comes to caring for customers.

And, don’t forget your employees.  Employees “follow the leader:”  Leaders who talk to employees about profits instead of customers will find their employees devalue the importance of satisfied customers, often taking short-cuts that may save the company money or boost short-term sales, but eventually erode consumer good will.

Again, in my experience, the “best” leaders spend their time talking with employees about customers and how best to serve them.

2. Use the right words. Ask the consumer.  Do your research. 
Research can be your best investment.  It’s essential to know the right words before you undertake any PR or marketing campaign.  I am astounded as I read advertising or press releases that fail to tell us “what’s in it for me, the consumer,” or “why should we care?”

Worse case happens when communication campaigns, because of word choice, actually deliver more harm than sales.  How does this happen?  Too often business leaders make communications/message decisions, based on their world– without validating these assumptions with the consumer.  It’s even worse when messages are developed by “group-think” situations.  And, when marketing campaigns are launched on these non-consumer-validated assumptions, it is costly.

Years ago I worked for a brilliant hospital president, who fortunately was a huge proponent of research.  When I joined the organization, she twice suggested marketing approaches that used wording considered positive to those in the hospital world.  Coming from a retail marketing background, I suggested that we test the wording.  Even I was surprised by the strong negative connotation these words engendered in the minds of consumers, implying a low standard of care.  Not only did we avoid costly mistakes, but our final word choice resonated with both patients (increasing market share), and just as importantly, with our employees.

3. Know your brand promise and never break it.

One of my favorite books is by William McEwen of Gallup:  “Married to the Brand:  Why Consumers Bond with Some Brands for Life.”  McEwen, relying on Gallup research, demonstrates that organizations that understand their “brand promise,” and live that promise (ensuring employees are empowered to never break the promise) have a significantly higher ROI for their brands.

It’s amazing to me how many companies repeatedly put out messages and take actions that chip-away customer loyalty.   Take for example ATT:  every nine months they try to increase your rates by 30-50%.  If you take the 45 minutes to call ATT, threaten to move your service, eventually new “promotions” appear to bring your bill back into line.  Can ATT possibly think this engenders loyalty?

Or compare most major airlines to Southwest.  They charge for ticket changes, bags, seat location – anything they can charge for.  Years ago, I was a proud and loyal AA frequent flyer; now, I only fly them when I have no choice.  By contrast, Southwest loves me.  It’s their brand promise; they even have the heart in their logo.  They also know that you don’t nickel and dime those you love, not if you want a long-term relationship.

4. Mess up … Fess up … Dress up.
This little saying, coined by the media training pro Tripp Frohlichstein, has proven true time and again.

Companies all make mistakes – they are run by humans.  Those who win the consumer’s respect will “fess up” when they’ve made a mistake, and then in the same sentence tell consumers about the steps they are taking to “dress up,” i.e. prevent such “mess ups” in the future.

Companies that deny or try to cover-up their mistakes risk losing consumer confidence and damaging their reputation for years.  Unfortunately, Wells Fargo is still paying for its cover-ups. They’ve lost customers, lost good employees, and continue to pay huge federal fines.

One of my favorite positive examples happened at Brown Shoe.  They followed this premise and avoided a $380 million class action judgment.  Decades earlier, the company had purchased a factory, which allowed a low-level carcinogen to seep into ground water.  Brown Shoe cleaned up the plant and when the company determined chemicals were in the groundwater, they met with neighbors and paid to mitigate homes.

Some 15 years later, a plaintiff’s attorney filed a class action suit asking $380 million for the homeowners.  During the trial, Brown Shoe’s then-CEO Ron Fromm “fessed up,” honestly telling the jury Brown Shoe took ‘six months too long’ to tell the neighbors after it discovered the problem.  He then “dressed up” by saying the company put safety of its neighbors first, and would continue to spend the money needed to protect their homes.  He didn’t hide behind lawyers.  In the end, Fromm’s honesty and integrity, together with the responsible actions of the company, convinced the jury.

5. Always tell the truth.

Think of the public careers ruined by lies:  Brian Williams, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Anthony Weiner and John Edwards, just to name a few.  Take a minute to Google “careers ruined by lies” to find many, many more.   Just tell the truth; in the end it’s much safer.

Five simple rules about communicating.  They matter to your customers, and to your career.