Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/120608
Twelve Step Program continued from page 51 Every person in your organization must commit to this philosophy if you want to gain more new customers, increase wordof-mouth advertising and establish high levels of customer loyalty. This holds true regardless of the size of your business. Below is a step-by-step process to accelerate your culture transformation. Communicate the following: • How much you appreciate their hard work Step #1: Create or improve upon your values statement. Everything you do should start and stop with your core values. Far too many companies fail to promote their values in their marketing materials and throughout their organization. Others do, but they are too simplistic. Yet others don't establish them at all. The core organizational values are your company's foundation (just as your personal values are the foundation on which your life is built and from which it is "managed"). Performance and action stem from the fundamental values a company (or individual) holds dear. Core values are the non-negotiable aspects of your company and cannot be compromised. Create a values statement that defines your beliefs, doctrine and business philosophy. On what does your company stand? To what ethical standards do you adhere? Values that impress customers and help established customer loyalty are: • Honesty • Why creating a dynamic organization is necessary in order to remain competitive • Ethics and Integrity • That their commitment to this initiative, teamwork and exceptional internal customer service is vital to success. • Customer Focus • That you can't accomplish anything without them • Your vision for a more successful future • What needs to happen and what is expected from them • That smart companies in every industry are raising the bar for performance and making Sales-Service Excellence an important strategic initiative • That establishing a new and improved culture is not optional; it is critical to your success • That you need your team to display initiative beyond their job descriptions • That everyone must fully endorse and support the company's mission and uphold its values • That everyone must be on the same page if you are to succeed • That there will be positive outcomes for them (reward, recognition, profit-sharing, bonuses, etc. Don't forget to address "what's in it for me?") when successes are achieved • Excellence • That their involvement and participation is essential. Outline a plan that provides for both individuals and teams to determine ways to help the new initiative succeed. (These teams can take fragments of ideas and structure a wide variety of ideas, options and solutions to problems.) There is a good reason to involve employees in your initiative. People tend to buy into what they help create. • Education • That they are to assist with these projects: • Continuous Improvement a) Finding ways to better support the sales team At this initial meeting, ask a few people on your sales team to share their challenges and identify ways employees can better support them. b) Creating guiding principles for how you will treat customers and each other. This is the most important action to take to transform your culture. Here are a few principles to get you started: "We will demonstrate the core value of honesty in all of our dealings." • Respect • Teamwork • Accountability • Health and Safety • Family • Social Consciousness • Stewardship for Earth and the Environment Print your values statement or list of core values on business card-sized cards. Give two to each employee—one for their desk and one for their wallet. Make sure these values are on your website. (Note about that last core value: The Green Movement is not about to go away. Plus, the younger generation is increasingly environmentally-conscious. These are reasons not to dismiss it.) Step #2. Communicate There are many ways to communicate your goal. The best way is to hold a company-wide meeting. Communicate that a major strategic initiative is in place for 2013 and beyond…to establish a Sales-Service Excellence Culture. Dynamic leadership will be required to make it happen. Your ability to get people to follow your lead will now come into play. You are about to find out how well your people work as a team. "We will answer the phone immediately and sound "ready to serve." "We will be meticulous in our work. We will make every effort to find and ship the part as fast as possible." "We will find parts quickly and be ready to step in and help our parts manager whenever needed." (Be sure to train five people who can step in and help when needed.) "We will display a sense of urgency to serve customers and each other." Continued on page 55 IDA UNIVERSAL March-April 2013 53