Sounds strange at first glance doesn’t it? I read a blog post today on mycreativeteam.com that got me thinking about how we communicate with employees. More than likely you spend many tens of thousands of dollars and for some of you hundreds of thousands of dollars every year advertising to your current and prospective patients/customers. How much effort and for that matter money do you spend marketing to your employees?
Every employee is much more than a cost of doing business on your balance sheet. Every employee is a potential profit center. How many of your eyecare employees truly understand your vision? Do your employees understand what you sell and why you sell it? Do they have a good knowledge of the various brands you sell both in frames and lenses? You may have opticians who are technically adroit and know how to fit eyewear superbly. If they do not share your philosophy as to how you want your practice/store run, are they doing your brand good or are they hurting your brand?
Most of us have worked at numerous business over our lifetimes, each with their own nuances and philosophies. What is the nuance and philosophy you want your employees to share with each and every patient/customer who walks through your doors?
Do you take as much time and as much care with how you communicate with your employees as you do with your patients/customers? Don’t you think you should? You and your employees are not immune to the rest of the world out there. You are competing with their attention, both consciously and subconsciously. We are all bombarded with thousands of messages every single day. How many of them are your messages? After all, who delivers your philosophies and communicate your brand to your patients and customers more often than your employees?
Daniel Feldman, is a co-founder to the Visionaries Group visionariesgroup.com or on Facebook and CEO of dba Communications dbadesigns.com, a web design and social media firm specializing in helping eye care practices achieve success.