Do you understand Power of Internal Marketing ?

Internal Marketing is an important part of Holistic Marketing. It is a task of hiring, training and motivating such employees who have yearning to serve the customers. Internal marketing is also important like external marketing since there is no meaning of external marketing such as promise or commitment to customers until unless our internal system is ready to serve external customers with full enthusiasm. 

Success of Internal marketing is key to success of the organisation. Marketing succeeds only when all functions works together to achieve organisation’s goals. All functions work under their domain such as R&D carries out research to develop innovative product to meet customer needs. Production/service functions produces goods for customers or delivers services to customers. Accounts functions maintains books of accounts and Audit function carries out assurance works for the Management. HR function ensured availability of right talent to meet organisational goals. 

Suppose National Marketing Head of a company wants to increase the market share of his company. He will strategies to improve customer satisfaction by providing better quality product, better services to channel partners so that they may support the customers in time, better after sales service and customer feedback management system and off course at genuinely lower cost to customers. He may not have authority to interfere in functioning of other departments but he has to educate all concerned so that he may command the alignment of all functions for the purpose of organisational goal.

Internal Marketing requires vertical alignments with senior management and horizontal alignment with other departments so that everyone understands, appreciates, and supports the marketing efforts.

Whether there is really excellent alignment in Marketing and non-marketing departments in your organisation?

Entire system of the organisation works for the mission of the organisation. Each department or function may have their micro responsibility different from each other but ultimate responsibility of all together is same. Sustainability of future lies ultimately in customer satisfaction. One satisfied customers become brand ambassador of the organisation when he feels delighted. One service delivery to create a delighted customer may need effort from various departments. For example, one scheme benefit need to be given to a customer. Our sales Front line commits to a customer that such benefit will be given in particular period. If details are not given to accounts department with requisite schemes or if given but with incomplete requisite approvals or if given but accounts department did not do it due to XYZ reasons, then customer will not get not benefit. In that situation he will not get benefit and he will get demotivated and blame the organisation not any particular department. Now question arises that if alignment is so important then why it is disturbed? Actual reason of misalignment is lack of policy and procedural clarity, Lack of delegation matrix resulting into delay in handling exceptions and individual ego of senior employees.  Senior Management need to take appropriate action and ensure the availability of policy & procedure, delegation matrix to handle the exception matrix and Service Level Agreement to ensure timely delivery. Further management need to ensure that no one’s ego should misuse his authority causing loss to the organisation irrespective of his seniority.

What steps need to be taken to improve Internal Marketing -

1) To improve Internal marketing, we need to promote the company's objectives, products and services to employees within the organization. It will increase employee engagement with the company's goals and fostering brand advocacy.

2) Giving a feeling amongst employees that their contributions are essential to the company's success. There need to be buy in from team. Without buy in this exercise will be fighting a losing battle.

3) All employees need to be educating about the company's products and services. If required job rotation also need to be done.

4) This concept need to be reinforced again and again that customers are the souse of our salaries.Therefore, they can control their own future/destiny by aligning with corporate mission not by isolated aspiration of zealousness ego or pride. Therefore, they shall be held responsible for delivering results within scheduled time.

5) Communicate in communication mode liked by your team i.e Whatsapp and Skype etc. Although it is not monitored by management, but it is checked by peers and people are held accountable. Sharing joke, stories, as well as asking relevant questions of each other makes relationships better.

6)  Improve communication with team to understand about them, so that you may understand their energy level. Further it will improve sharing of creativity in the team. 

7) Share your feeling love etc also with your team. Suppose you love community serving then let the people know that you are attached with a noble cause. There is no harm in knowing them that you are you are utilizing love and compassion in other parts of life.

8) Increase to have fun in cross functional team. When everyone is being too serious, just go with open plan for dancing, jokes and fun. It breaks the ice and relieves their stress levels instantly. When you are not in office encourage others to step up and do the same.

9)  If anyone have genuine problem, listen him sympathetically. Encourage them to come out of fear zone and enjoy the life. It's the small things that matter the most. 

10)  No-one is perfect. Let repeat it again and again... no-one is perfect. Humans are not robots. So give up trying to be perfect or expect perfection. As long as team learns from mistakes then that is all that matters. I know many perfectionists who have destroyed the work culture in their organisation. Since they never talk about perfection in their work rather always evaluate others.

11) Improve team bindings. Each member appreciates the others point of view and personality.

12)Everybody wanted to win and cherish winning since they feel uplifted with winning. This feeling on winning need to be remembered in order to desire more such feelings. 

Therefore, every Manager and HOD need to be think creatively in improving the internal marketing so that our manpower remains connected with organisational objectives and contribute in sustainability and enlarging market share of the company.

Please read below articles
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