AMiable Solution #75: Going the Distance

What makes Cisco, the networking experts, so attractive to employees that it has helped land the company on Forbes’ list of “Best Companies to Work For” 14 years in a row? 

In addition to offering a high average pay and on-site childcare, the company supports a successful telecommuting program.  How successful?  According to Forbes, more than 80% of Cisco’s employees regularly work from home or outside the office.

Would your organization have a happier workforce if it offered a telecommuting program?  Odds are, yes.  According to the folks at Global Workplace Analytics and the Telework Research Network, 47% of employees who have the option to telework say they are “very satisfied” with their jobs. Only 27% without a telecommuting option claim the same satisfaction, and 50% of the U.S. workforce (64 million employees) holds jobs that are compatible with at least part-time telework.

So why don’t more employers offer telecommuting?  For starters, supporting such a program requires the right tools: hardware and software that enables the necessary communication and document sharing.  In addition, some organizations are just too small to be able to offer telecommuting.  Maybe the biggest reason employers hesitate to offer telecommuting to employees, however, is a matter of trust. Employers don’t want to be played for fools by employees who take advantage of the opportunity to work fewer hours, accomplish less, and ultimately cost the company more.

But that fear is unfounded.  While it’s true that some folks are better suited for working at home than others, those who take the opportunity seriously are actually--as reported by the Global Workplace Analytics folks--more productive than their coworkers in the office.  Because they have fewer interruptions, better time management, and greater flexibility in their hours, they not only work harder, but they also work longer hours.

And they aren’t the only benefits.  Every employee that works half time at work can save an organization up to $10,000 per year!  Those kinds of numbers make everyone happy.

AMiable Solution #74: Exempting What Counts

What’s a quick, easy way to reduce your bottom line in a big way?  If your response is “personnel reduction,” you’re itemizing your staff in the wrong column.  To have a happy work force and a successful organization, think of employees as assets, not expenses. 

Although employees do represent a significant portion of your expenses, they also represent--more than any mission statement or written company communication--the heart and soul of your organization.  If your employees are dissatisfied, uninterested, or not invested in what they do, your clients, customers, or members will not only pick up on that, but they’ll also get a subpar experience.

What does thinking of employees as assets instead of expenses mean?  It means investing in your employees.  Giving them responsibility and holding them accountable.  Listening to their ideas.  Training them and helping them grow.  Thinking of them as a key component of your business, not as a line item that can or should be minimized.

Certified Six Sigma (a business process that allows companies to improve their profitability) experts Kenneth Levine and Peter Sherman identified, in a July 26, 2010, Quality Digest article, “Ten Simple Principles for Treating Employees as Assets,” some very practical recommendations. All of them are free, and all of them are things you can implement immediately, including

• Tell your employees the truth, particularly in trying times
• Establish trust by making and keeping commitments
• Include employees in key decisions and planning
• Encourage employees to make suggestions for improvement

(To see the complete list, click here.)

Operating a productive, competitive, and successful organization or business depends on many factors beyond your control.  Your organizational culture--and your customer’s experience--isn’t one of them. 

AMiable Solution #73: May the (Labor) Force Be With You

What’s the secret to nurturing a happy, productive workforce?  It seems that companies who pay more sometimes receive less in return: fewer turnovers and fewer customer service issues. 

Every year Forbes identifies the top 100 American companies to work for.  This year, in addition to identifying the usual 100, Forbes also identified all of the employers who have appeared on all of the company’s “Best Companies” lists--16 of them since 1998.  Of the 13 employers identified on this list, four are called out for offering generous or higher-than-average pay: Cisco, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Goldman Sachs, and Nordstrom.

CostCo, too, appears to buy into the “pay employees more than you need to” mentality.  According to a September 3, 2013, article, “On Labor Day, 3 Companies Worth Celebrating,” by Jeremy Bowman, the warehouse giant pays its employees more than $20/hour.  Rival Wal-Mart pays $13/hour.

The lesson here?  Sometimes money does buy happiness, and loyalty, and success. 

The good news?  Not every company, particularly new or small companies, can afford to be generous in their wage offerings.  Fortunately, money isn’t the only thing that motivates workers or that lands an organization on Forbes’ list.  Check back next week--and every week in September--to see what other traits keep companies successful and employees satisfied.

AMiable Solution #72: Marketing to Baby Boomers

True or false: Baby Boomers love to dwell on the past.

If you answered “yes” and you market to your audience that way, you don’t know Jack.  Or Mike.  Or Susan.

Unlike Millennials, who respond to nostalgia marketing, Baby Boomers--those born between 1946 and 1964--don’t want reminded about the past.  They don’t want you to make them think about the days when they were younger.  They prefer to feel younger.  To think about the future.  To feel ageless.  To embrace new technologies and new products that help them achieve their goals. 

                                                                                                           

And they buy.  According to Jay Ehret’s June 25, 2011, “The Marketing Spot” blog, Baby Boomers make up 47% of all spending.  Forty-seven percent!  If you aren’t targeting this group, the numbers suggest you should.

What’s the best way to market to Baby Boomers?  Though they’re often thought of as old-fashioned, when it comes to marketing mediums, they’re new age.  Ehret reports that Baby Boomers spend more time on the Internet than any other age category.  And we’re not just talking about surfing the web.  Baby Boomers have a strong interest in social media, particularly when it comes to niche communities that involve their passions. 

But don’t overlook traditional direct mail marketing: research suggests that Boomers use direct mail as a starting point for gathering information. 

Finally, don’t make the mistake of assuming all Baby Boomers are alike.  As you’d do with any large population, segment and target them for their particular interests and spending preferences.  There’s more to them than every Tom, Dick, or Harry.

AMiable Solution #71: Marketing to Generation Xers

Are you targeting Generation Xers, those sandwiched between the Baby Boomers generation and the Millennials generation?  Direct mail may be your best option for reaching them.

                         

According to a brochure issued by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), “Gen X, Gen Y, and the Mail,” Generation Xers have a great appreciation for mail but for different reasons than older generations.

Unlike Baby Boomers, who grew up using mail for personal letters and other correspondence, Generation Xers use mail largely in terms of commercial opportunities. A study conducted for the USPS showed that 86% of Generation Xers bring in the mail the day it’s delivered, 75% think the mail they get brings value, and 74% read advertising mail.

How can you make sure you’re making the most of your direct mail opportunity to Generation Xers?  Jay Ehret, founder of The Marketing Spot, a marketing education and resource center for entrepreneurs and small business owners, suggests making a very clear and honest offer, preferably with a money-back guarantee.  Generation Xers don’t like to be told what to do, so he suggests giving them facts and letting them make the decisions for themselves.

Ehret also says Generation Xers are more diverse than previous generations in terms of race, class, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and suggests celebrating that diversity in your marketing.

Finally, since Generation Xers tend to be less traditional than other generations, your efforts can be more personal.  Ask for feedback and share information with them regularly.  Use an informal communication style instead of slick marketing pitches.  And utilize recommendations from their peers.

AMiable Solution #70: Marketing to Millennials

Marketing to Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, can be tricky. After all, they know more about technology and gadgets than any other generation.

How can you capture your millennial audience’s attention without inventing new bells and whistles? Do more than appeal to their emotions. Take them back in time.

If you think Millennials aren’t old enough yet to get nostalgic, consider how many companies have already loaded up the nostalgia bandwagon with nods to the 90s. Internet Explorer created a 90s-inspired commercial celebrating its origins, Nickelodeon started re-airing 90s sitcoms, Volkswagen and Honda incorporated iconic 90s characters in their ads, and Pepsi reverted back to 90s product formulas and packaging.

Can’t remember what was popular a month ago?  Walk with us down memory lane.

In the 90s, the Internet came alive, lively neon colors rocked just about everything, everyone’s favorite boy wizard—Harry Potter—made his first appearance in print, reality television got its start on MTV, a hair style dubbed “The Rachel” became popular thanks to the TV show “Friends,” another group of friends chronicled the highs and lows of high school life in a certain Beverly Hills zip code, and pretty boys and grunge boys alike set teen hearts aflutter.

Giving your marketing some 90s nostalgia can—and should—be fun. Helping any consumer, particularly Millennials, remember “the good old days” makes your organization and your product or service more accessible. No batteries required.

AMiable Solution #69: Making a Good Impression

Humility is a great quality. It makes people and organizations likeable and approachable. No one likes a braggart, especially a company or organization. I’ve rolled my eyes more than once at a commercial or ad for a company’s blatant boasting.

Creating brand awareness and sharing your organization’s special accomplishments should be part of your communication strategy, but how can you do it without looking like a jerk?

Let others help tell your story.

Instead of speaking to your market directly through your channels, let a third party tell your market through theirs. Hearing about your organization through a non-biased, separate company gives your organization more credibility and the opportunity to celebrate its successes without looking or sounding arrogant.

How can you generate good publicity? You have several options:

• Write a press release and distribute it to organizations, publications, and news outlets in your market. Be sure to include facts, not a sales pitch. Reporters know the difference between news and marketing hype.

• Contact the producers of local radio and television news stations and offer the expertise of one of your top employees.

• Host or co-host an event, whether it be a charitable fundraiser or a community-wide conference about local issues.

• Distribute general-interest information, like top-10 lists or tips about a particular subject, based on your organization’s expertise.


Building your organization’s name recognition and reputation doesn’t have to “take a village,” but it does help.