Crystal Clear Communications Blog

Are your employees telling your story? Use a message map to train them.

It’s well known that employees are your brand’s biggest asset. To make the most of this valuable asset, team members need to be able to tell your brand’s story.

Yet a Gallup survey on brand alignment found that only 2 out of 5 employees (41%) strongly agreed with the statement “I know what my company stands for and what makes our brand(s) different from our competitors.”

Your employees are the face and voice of your brand. They talk to clients, neighbors, investors, and other stakeholders. In fact, they have more potential and authority to spread your message than almost any other source. Do your employees know how to tell your brand’s story?

In good news, according to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, employers are the most trusted source of information. That means there’s a strong chance your employees will believe in your message.

So how do you get employees to spread your story? Here are three ways to help your employees learn, remember, and share your message.

Train employees on your Message Map

It’s not enough to create a Message Map and use it as the basis for your content marketing. You also need to make sure every employee understands and can speak from your Message Map.

First, train all current employees on your Message Map. You can do this via Town Halls, small meetings, or even a Webinar. Ensure you include all employees. Even employees who don’t interact with stakeholders have friends, families, and communities, and they need a clear, concise, compelling answer to “What does your company do?”

Then, incorporate Message Map training into your onboarding process, so all new employees learn how to tell your company’s story to stakeholders.

Keep in mind that not all of your employees need to be able to explain your entire Message Map in detail. Employees who interact with clients, the media, and other key stakeholders must be able to clearly explain their full message.

But a short, sweet, memorable story called an elevator speech – meets most employees’ needs. They only need to know your Message Map’s home base and three positive points, a 7-second message.

Repeat your message

Telling your employees your company message one time is not enough. Why? Because research shows people need to hear messages 3 to 20 times before they will remember and act on them.

There are ample opportunities to repeat key elements of your message to your employees:

• Make it your company’s default computer background and/or screen saver.
• Start or end Town Halls with it.
• Include it in internal communications.
• Put posters up in physical offices.
• Provide wallet cards or posters for employees to put up in their workspaces.

By repeating your message in a variety of ways, you help ensure employees hear and see it regularly.

Make your message easy to find and share

To make the most out of your employees knowing your message, you want them to share it outside of your company. You can do this by ensuring your message is easy to find and easy to share.

When it’s easy for employees to share your message, they are more likely to do so, and it’s best to give them several options:

• Create a slide for your PowerPoint template.
• Ensure your key message slide is in all external pitch decks and sales materials.
• Provide an email signature for your employees to personalize and use.
• Encourage your employees to share company posts on their social media

Ensuring your employees can tell your company story and employer brand well goes a long way to growing your brand’s awareness and preference. Training your employees on your message and making your message easy to find and share can help you get your brand’s story heard.

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