As seen on TV... Part 6

This week was the finale for this series of Mary Queen of Shops, and we were left with an interesting lesson:

The importance of staff in delivering the brand.

An independent DIY shop in Surrey, and Tony, the owner, was the focus of Mary's attention. Overtime shop had expanded to stock a depressing array of tat, in addition to what you'd expect to find in a DIY store. And as the shop lost customer-focus, so it lost customers. But as Mary did her best to uncover a glimmer of enthusiasm in Tony, it was the staff that came to the fore. They embraced the change and reveled in increased responsibility.

Staff should be great brand advocates, and arguably they need to be. Any member of staff that is customer-facing has the opportunity to sell the brand. Or sink it. (And in the days of social media, every member has the potential to be customer-facing). But if you want staff to sell the brand, you need to tell them what it is they're selling (what the brand stands for), and more importantly, they have to believe that.

So can your staff sell your brand? Do they have the skills, knowledge and, most importantly, desire to do it?

If you'd like to talk about communicating your brand, and the opportunities that exist for you to do that, email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk or call 01392 248107.