Guest blog post

Employee engagement has been a hot topic amongst corporations, large and small, for almost two decades now. Most organizations recognize the importance of an engaged team; it helps you lower your risk of turnover, boost customer satisfaction, realize higher productivity, improve the bottom line and increase your company’s overall chance of success.   Yet less than 33% of employees are engaged in their jobs in any given year.

Companies have been focused on this metric for years, but the engagement numbers haven’t changed much since 2000. In one of Gallop’s recent reports, The State of the American Manager, they determined that managers account for as much as 70% of variance in employee engagement scores. Thus, bringing truth to the phrase “people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.” So, is there anything you can do to make your employees feel involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace? Happily, YES!

Leaders should view every interaction with an employee as one with the potential to influence engagement and inspire effort. How leaders interact with and manage their employees can substantially affect engagement levels in the workplace, which in turn influences the company’s bottom line. Here are few strategies organizations can use to help build engagement with their employees:

 

1. Have and Communicate a Clear Vision

Engagement starts with the leadership communicating a clear vision for the organization. People naturally want to belong to something greater than themselves. Your vision should inspire passion and commitment from your employees (and other stakeholders) and should serve as the rally cry for your organization. If you team knows, understands and believes in the direction you are moving they are much more likely to engage.

 

2. Explain the Why

People need to understand why they are being asked to do things. The best managers and leaders are transparent with their teams (to the extent they can be). Let your team know why they are doing things (or not doing them) and how their work fits into the bigger picture. The more they understand, the more likely they will be to want to help.

 

 

3. Set Processes, Procedure and Expectations

From the first day of employment, make sure you have clearly laid out processes, procedures and expectations for each employee. People crave certainty and they find it stressful when they are unsure of what is expected of them from day to day. If you are clear from the beginning, neither you nor the employee should encounter surprises.

 

4. Get to Know Each Individual Employee

The strongest leaders take the time to personally connect with their teams. They get to know them at a personal level, outside of just their work, and remember that they are human with real thoughts, feelings, responsibilities, families and challenges. These leaders are interested in their team’s hobbies and families and allow each employee to bring their “whole self” to work. Showing you care creates trust and loyalty. Knowing that they are respected as individuals at work can have a significant impact on how employees view not only their jobs, but their overall lives.

 

5. Understand Individual Motivators

We each have different motivators that drive our desires and our decisions. As a leader, it is your duty to identify the motivators for your team. Each person is likely driven by a different factor, so by understanding them you will be better equipped to tap into the right ways to engage your team.

 

6. Create an Incentive Structure

Now that you know what motivates the individuals on your team, you can create incentives that speak to those motivators. Great organizations have at least six different incentives available for their teams. Here are a few examples of motivators and incentives to support them:

• Security – benefits, job stability
• Financial – fair salary, bonus opportunities, one-time incentives
• Learning – on-going training and development opportunities
• Leadership – opportunity for advancement into management roles
• Expert Status/Recognition – new hire mentor, trainer
• Altruistic – community service projects
• Relationships/Connections – committees (i.e. safety, employee engagement), team building events

 

7. Encourage Regular Feedback

People want to feel valued and know their input matters. Give your team a safe forum to let you know what is happening within your organization. Be open to ideas and suggestions from your team. Often the best ideas and solutions come from the people living through the pain points or those who are closest to the customer. Remember, you don’t need to act on everything. However, you should address and acknowledge each suggestion and explain why you are tabling it for now.

 

The best leaders ensure that all their employee engagement efforts are aligned. They find ways to communicate the impact of the engagement efforts to the entire team throughout the year and they share best practices across the organization. Strong leaders use every opportunity, every touchpoint and every communication vehicle to reinforce the organization’s commitment to employee satisfaction and engagement.  Employee engagement becomes a piece of the organization’s strategy.  Your team is your organization’s most important asset, make caring for them a priority.  If done right, these seven strategies will help you inspire trust with your team.

Stacie Riffert is a certified FocalPoint business coach and is the owner of Empowered Leadership, LLC. Stacie’s 20 years of business experience, as a General Manager and Sales Director with PepsiCo, and the proven FocalPoint tools combine to powerfully empower business owners to maximize their productivity and profitability. For more information visit https://stacieriffert.focalpointcoaching.com or contact her directly at sriffert@focalpointcoaching.com

 

 

Tomorrow, October 5, 2018, is  Manufacturing Day. This month, across the country, people will join in celebrating modern manufacturing. Students, educators, media, and business people into their facilities to educate them on manufacturing careers and change the public’s perception of the manufacturing sector.

At Felber PR & Marketing, we love the excitement that comes with Manufacturing Day and work with our clients to develop great content that portrays manufacturing progress. Content is an excellent tool to highlight your company’s expertise, educate your prospects and customers, and add value. In order to stay competitive, manufacturers need to have a strong digital marketing and content strategy. Case studies provide your company an opportunity to showcases specific projects or work with your customers. Case studies also add third-party credibility and could be the difference between your prospects choosing you over your competition during the decision process of the buyer’s journey.

Why Case Studies Are Effective

Since the invention of the white picket fence, neighbors have stood on both sides and asked each other for advice. Who’s the best landscaper, which store has the best produce, or even which doctor do you prefer? Humans trust opinions before sales pitches and case studies provide your prospects with the assurance that other credible companies have purchased your products. What’s the biggest white picket fence (e.g. platform) in the world? Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram  – all social for that matter, are the platforms for the world’s conversations. Ever seen ISO______. In search of (insert your product here).

 

Third-Person Credibility

How often are we asked for referrals? Almost every prospect we meet asks if they can talk to our customers. Case studies are written proof that other companies, real people, have trusted (and not been burned) by your work. We’re often amazed by the great stories our clients tell us about the solutions they provide. Unfortunately, these great salespeople, owners, and technicians have never committed these stories to writing. I mean NEVER have they posted a blog, NEVER told their story an industry reporter or printed a one-page document about their achievements. Stumped on how to ask your manufacturing customers for case studies? Read our blog: How to Convince Your Stubborn Manufacturing Clients to Participate in Case Studies

 

Case studies can be featured on your website (like our success stories), sent in follow up emails to engaged prospects, or used in a coordinated media relations program. We speak to a lot of editors on behalf of our clients. Editors and reporters love case studies. It is the single biggest request we get from these media professions. Why? Media inherently want to stay neutral in the content they present to readers. Readers trust the content in magazines to be journalistically vetted. Remember the neighbor giving his opinion? This is just as powerful. Could your company improve their position in the marketplace by posting, emailing and tweeting an article in one of these trusted publications?

 

So how do our writers learn about and actually help these stories come to life? We love factory tours. We renamed them ‘content tours’ as they provide the material needed for case studies. I can already hear you. “But we’re engineers, not writers!” No worries, we are! Learn about this service here.

There I was, having a nice conversation with a colleague I had not seen in a while. Then it happened… a classic case of device interruption. I got a notification through my smartwatch. Reflexively I turned my wrist for just a brief glance. It could have been an appointment reminder, a weather channel alert or even the notification that I made my steps for the day). It didn’t matter. That slight twist of the wrist and glance down killed the conversation.

 

Almost immediately she said, “I’m interrupting you.” Conversation over. I quickly said “no it’s just a text,” but I knew we were done. I felt like I had done something wrong. Afterward, I could not shake the feeling that I had been rude.

 

We’ve fully transitioned to the point where nearly everyone has a smartphone. Every other article we read (on and about devices) warns of overuse. We’re connected like never before. We know where our teenagers are 24/7, can bank from the pool, respond to customers in just about every channel they prefer, text, email, snapchat, etc. So, why are we often disconnected?

 

Look around the line at the post office or a doctor’s waiting room. WiFi has been the glue that keeps us connected…and the solvent that keeps us separated. We’re losing the art of conversation. The opportunity to engage with the person next to you, to learn from them and make a human connection. Don’t read this as yet another rant on the dangers of self-isolation. I’m bucking those AARP applications and I have always loved my technology. I miss my StarTac flip and I was on the bleeding edge of the Palm Pilot. There just needs to be some balance.

 

Have a conversation with those around you. Ask if they are reading anything cool. You can text them later how much you enjoyed the conversation. I was always the guy at the grocery store that would start a conversation with the person that forgot to take off the hello my name is name tag. (my kids quickly blended into the frozen foods or worse ran the other direction. Trailing voices echoed, Dad, really?!

 

Do you have a similar story? Have a good rant? Share with us hear or better yet, arrange a time to meet in person.

Email automation is an amazing tool that allows salespeople to nurture prospects through the sales cycle. However, if used incorrectly, automated sales emails can be a relationship killer. We’ve all seen email automation used the completely wrong way– Spammy emails with paragraphs about why you should use their product or service, generic copy and pasted wording with zero customization. Unless you like emails sent at a frequency that completely clutters your inbox, read on. Below, learn my top tips to create strong, automated emails that are customized; allowing salespeople to strengthen relationships with their prospects and ultimately, acquire them as customers.

 

What is a sales sequence?

 

Sales sequences are a pre-written, customizable series of emails and task reminders. Sequences turn repetitive tasks, such as follow up reminders into simple, easy-to-launch messages. My manufacturing clients utilize sequences to follow up with prospects for a variety of reasons. Some examples of sequence use include: prospect went dark, called and left a voicemail, new connection on LinkedIn and trying to establish a relationship, or prospect requested sales information but has gone cold. During sales enablement training, we work with clients to identify common sales scenarios and develop a series of emails for each of them.

 

How to make customization easy

 

Many email platforms allow people to send automated emails. Our agency and our clients use HubSpot for their sales enablement needs. HubSpot allows you to customize the series of emails (typical 3-4 emails per sequence) so that you aren’t tasked with remembering to follow up with a prospect throughout the week. Since all the emails in the sequence are pre-written, customized and scheduled, it allows salespeople to quickly and efficiently focus on client accounts and other sales tasks, without having to worry if good prospects are falling through the cracks.

 

How to Properly Customize an Automated Sales Email

 

In order to explain how to customize automated sales emails work, I’ve created a mock template for a fictional client and a customized version. The client is a Henry, a VP of Business Development at an agrochemical equipment manufacturer, Sprouts Equipment. The client is looking to partner with a chemical blending company, Jameson Chemical.

 

Prospect Request Information Email #1 Template

Subject: The Information You Requested

Hey{{First Name}},

It was great speaking with you earlier. I enjoyed learning about INSERT COMPANY and your unique products. I found INSERT INFORMATION about you especially interesting. Below are some resources that I think you will find valuable.

• Link 1
• Link 2
• Link 3

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to set up a time to talk more in depth.

Best,

{{ contact.hubspot_owner_id }}

 

Prospect Requested Information Email #1 With Customization

 

Subject: The Information You Requested

Hey John,

It was great speaking with you earlier. I enjoyed learning about Jameson Chemical and your liquid and powder blending services. I found Jameson’s ability to reach 83% of the continental US with one-day shipping remarkable. Below are some resources that I think you will find valuable.

• Case Study: How Sprouts Equipment agrochemical equipment increase productivity by 10%
• Sprouts Equipment Agrochemical Equipment Brochure
• Sprouts Equipment Wins Consumers Choice Award 2018

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to set up a time to talk more in depth. I look forward to the possibility of partnering with Jameson Chemical.

Best,

Henry

 

Why This Customized Email Works

 

This sequence email works because it doesn’t appear to be a pre-written automated email. Henry mentioned information from their previous call which shows John that he values Jameson Chemical and the work they do. Instead of writing long paragraphs about why Sprouts Equipment is great, Henry gave John 3 strong pieces of content for John to read based upon his interest. The case study and award article especially showcase Sprouts Equipment’s strengths and add validity to the everything Henry has said since they were approved by a 3rd party.

 

If John does not reply to this email in the sequence, he will receive another email in 3 days with more information. If John doesn’t respond to that email, he will get another email a few days later. Many times it takes 3-4 tries to get someone to answer so the key is to not give up. As long as you’re customizing the emails and adding value, the prospect will not feel spammed.

 

Email automation is a powerful tool for salespeople to connect with prospects and optimize the sales process. Prospects will receive emails based upon their behavior, allowing sales managers to nurture prospect until they’ve indicated they are ready to buy. The key to using sales sequences is customization and allowing strong content to nurture your prospect through the sales cycle. Stumped on how to develop strong content? Check out the resources below.

• 10 Ways to Reignite Your Manufacturing Blog
• How to Get Your Stubborn Manufacturing Customers to Participate in Case Studies
• The Industrial Manufacturer’s Guide to Inbound Marketing

Content is an incredible tool to strengthen relationships with prospects and customers alike. If used effectively, content has the power to turn a prospect into a customer. Is your content moving the needle and bringing in sales qualified leads (SQLs)? A biannual content audit is essential to determine if your content marketing is impacting sales, and if not, figure out why it’s not working. Below, learn how to perform a biannual content audit and create a content strategy that boosts brand awareness, lead generation, and customer acquisition.

1. Organize Current Content

One of the first things we do when working with our business-to-business manufacturing clients is establishing a centralized place to organize content. We call this digital archive “The Content Vault”. In it, you will find published editorial articles, unpublished blogs, white papers, landing pages, product photos, and digital collateral, all organized in an easy and simple to find place. It is essential to establish a system and maintain it. That way, no content is falling through the cracks and your salespeople and marketing team can easily access the content they need to be successful.

 

2. Determine Which Prospects Should Be Targeted By Content  

 

When writing pieces of content, it important to keep the prospect you’re targeting in mind. Generalized content doesn’t appeal to anyone. To create a sound content marketing plan, it is essential that you take the time to identify your ideal customers. This process is called creating buyer personas. Buyer personas help manufacturers identify their best prospects. A purchasing manager and a sales engineer at a mid-level manufacturing company might both be buyers of your product or service. However, both buyer personas have their own motivations and challenges. It is essential that you have content that speaks to the persona in their language and addresses their unique problems and challenges.

3.  Determine What Stage in the Buyer’s Journey The Content Fits

Once you have identified what content is suited for each buyer persona, it is important to evaluate which stage of the buyer’s journey the piece fits into. The buyer’s journey essentially refers to the steps that your ideal buyer takes in their decision. Below, I have highlighted how content can fit into certain stages of the buyer’s journey. For this example, you are a manufacturer of commercial cabinetry looking to work with “Designer Dan”, a Director of Design for Major Retail Companies (i.e. Piada, Cabela’s Dick’s Sporting Goods, etc.)

 

Awareness: Blog – How Commercial Cabinets Affects the Commercial Retail Experience

 

Consideration: White Paper – Retail Industry Design Trends Analysis

 

Decision: Case Study – How American Eagle Differentiated Itself within the Commercial Retail Space

 

When creating content for your buyer personas, aka ideal prospects, it is important to think about their buying process, not your sales process, and writing content that talks to their unique problems and challenges and answers their questions. Note that the awareness piece is a broader topic and the consideration and decision pieces get increasingly more technical. The decision stage piece of content should always be a differentiation piece about why someone should work with you instead of your competitors. Case studies are an excellent way to show prospects that you do excellent work and give 3rd party credibility to your brand. Don’t have case studies? Stumped on how to ask your customers to be interviewed for a case study? Check out our blog, How to Convince Your Stubborn Manufacturing Customers to Participate in Case Studies

4. Writing Content with SEO Strategy in Mind

 

Have a lot of pieces of content written about one specific topic? Utilize that to your advantage. Search engine optimization has changed drastically. In the past, the way to rank in search was by including specific keywords or key phrases in your content. Now, the way to rank in search is more so about the volume of content you have on a specific topic. The way to beat the search algorithm is by writing a significant amount of content on a certain topic and categorizing all the related the content together. That way, Google’s search algorithm will identify you as an expert on that topic and you will rank higher when prospects are Google searching for things related to your product or service. Check out The Biggest Change in Internet Search: How to Beat the New Keyword Algorithm for more information.

5. Filling in the Gaps

Once you’ve done an audit of your current content and organized it into a manageable system, it’s time to evaluate where the gaps are in your content and create a content plan moving forward that addresses those areas. Creating a content map is a great way to lay out your campaign strategy for the next 6 months to a year and determine the type of content necessary, graphic elements required, and where the content will be utilized. That way, your company won’t lose momentum and will be creating targeted writing that impacts lead generation and sales. Check out Why Manufacturers Need a Content Map for tips on how we design content maps with our business-to-business manufacturing clients.