Employees need to be your brand ambassadors

Do the people you employ act as ambassadors for your business?

Since moving to Wiltshire I have used the same barbers shop to get my hair cut. It is part of a small chain and over the past couple of years I have been served by many different barbers. While this may superficially seem like a reason to find another barber I have always come away happy with the service that I have received.

This week my hair was cut by yet another different person, a lady who was on duty for just one hour as she had come from another branch to cover a colleague’s lunch break. While having my hair cut I discovered the reason why I keep going back.

The owner employs people who represent his business positively. They can all cut hair well, keep the shop clean & presentable and have great conversational skills. They are all ambassadors for the owner and his business.

All the fantastic retailers know that the people that they employ are a key part of their success. It starts with only employing people who understand that the job is customer-service focused. The Better Retailing retailers all say that their employees only become ambassadors for their business when they have been clearly trained in what is expected of them.

Nick Shanagher wrote a review of The Challenger Sale, his final few lines are useful to repeat. “Great salespeople will automatically clinch the sale but the rest of us need help with good processes and sales stories. You need to train your staff to explain why a Mars bar bought from you is better than a Mars bar bought in the multiple competitor across the road.

This is where it gets hard. In most places being “local” is not good enough on its own. You need a compelling story for why your shop is great. And you need to train your staff to use it!”