The people who know most about an organization, the employees, play a considerable part in advocating, or not advocating, for their company. They have the opportunity to make massive changes with the things they say and share with others. Samantha Stone, interviewed by John Golden, explores employee advocacy trends.
This expert sales interview explores employee advocacy, including:
- The survey information is based on
- How passion plays a part
- Why providing guidelines can increase employee advocacy
Stone’s Survey:
“It sounds like something that should just happen, right? We should all just be talking about or companies and services and products because were employees! And it feels so very natural,” said Stone. “But, the reality is that a lot of employees don’t. And there are a lot of reasons for that. I wanted to understand when and why they do and don’t share information.” Stone conducted a survey of 499 people across a variety of different organizations and gathered relevant information about what makes for positive employee advocacy. Because, after all, “if our employees are unwilling to advocate for us, how can we expect our customers to do so?” said Stone.
The Passion Factor:
Research verifies something that you might have guessed. Passion for the job, company, and the company’s vision play an essential part in employee advocacy. Ultimately, if the employee doesn’t believe in what their company is doing, they’re going to be resistant to share at any level of consistency and regularity. Employees must be passionate and care about what they do and whom they do it for, to become regular advocators for their organization. People believe that their social sharing is a representation of them, not just their employer. They share because they want to be smart, they want to promote their own interests, and because they’re proud of what the company is doing and achieving.
Giving Guidelines:
Your audience, including your customers, your prospects, your partners, and your community, believe information that comes from your employees more than when it comes from the cooperate brand. When it comes to an employee, it is coming directly from a person. This is an invaluable opportunity for positive public relationships. However, even the employees that have good things to say about their organization can sometimes be hesitant to do so. They acknowledge that there is sensitivity around representing their company. To combat this hesitation, organizations can create documented social media guidelines for their employees. “It’s not because they’re restricting people,” said Stone. “But rather they’re freeing people from that worry and uncertainty of not knowing what is appropriate to say. By writing down the expectations and freeing employees, it makes a big positive difference in the number of people who were advocating.”
To learn more about employee advocacy, watch the expert sales video! It covers additional information and provides more essential tips on how to create positive employee advocacy.
About our Host:
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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