Integrate, Integrate, Integrate

Southwest ensures that these messages as well as any marketing message is integrated throughout every part of the organization and in every point of contact with the customer—noting that the customer is both the Southwest employee as well as the purchasing passenger. This ability on Southwest’s part to create a marketing organization—or a marketing culture—allowed it to weather economic downturns and adverse industry trends. Becoming a marketing organization also allows the entire team to understand the value of the firm’s products to the customer and behave in a manner in which selling is a way of life. For example, a consulting firm may have strategic consultants working on projects at the client’s office. Because of this situation, the consultants are able to observe the client’s business processes at every stage, and thus have an inside view of the needs of the client. This can create an “up sell” opportunity. Up selling is the process of adding a product or service to an existing project. For all marketers, gaining more share of an existing customer is a more effective overall marketing strategy than working hard to find more customers. Customer or client loyalty is a much smarter long-term strategy, because satisfied customers become “salespeople” in attracting new customers. Additionally, satisfied customers have trust and confidence in your firm’s offerings and are more likely to buy more, buy more often, and, be- cause of the lower marketing costs associated with existing customers, become more profitable. The most expensive customer to acquire is a new customer; the most cost-efficient customer is an existing one.If the employee doesn’t “get it,” the customer won’t. There are numerous ways that all businesses can become marketing organizations and create buy-in on all levels.

 

Communication. A firm may ensure that decisions are communicated quickly and honestly on all levels of the company so that employee questions, fears, and rumors do not erupt.

Training. Training is important to ensure that every employee knows exactly what the firm does to generate revenue and what impact that individual has on that process. Ongoing training in customer service at all levels of the organization will add greatly to the effectiveness of the company’s marketing strategy.

Tools of the trade. People take action when empowered with the right tools to do so; therefore, it is important to create the tools to make each employee’s job easier—whether it be a technological system or a brochure to distribute to customers or the process to do his/her job with clarity.