It does. And we know because from the vantage point of view our work gives us, we see it all the time.

It makes a huge difference to find out from your own people what they think about a campaign, a launch or a promotion that you’re planning. They know. They know whether the adjectives you’re piling up match the new product or are just trendy. They know whether production and assembly can meet the deadlines you’re announcing. They know whether the distribution schedule is realistic. And if you ask them, they will know that they count. How about that?

As we were updating information for the Milton CAT technician recruitment website, we were reminded of the strategy we followed when we first created it – we had decided to make it very pertinent to the young tech who’s considering a job, and that meant making it not so much about the company in general but about the location.

Our client Milton CAT has facilities in 12 different locations, ranging from rural Vermont to the coast of Maine and suburban Milford; some of them deal with gentlemen farmers and artisan cheese makers, others with loggers and lobstermen and still others, with giant contractors and multistate paving conglomerates. It makes sense that a young tech who’s considering a move needs to know about the personality and the vibe of each place. They want to learn a bit about the service manager at the location they are interested in, listen to the other technicians’ opinions and last but not least, find out about the area itself.

When we interviewed technicians, we were surprised at how many of them were married or had a live-in partner, even though they were very young, and how often they had kids of their own or their partners had kids. Schools, sports and clubs were important factors in their decision to choose a job, and of course, so were leisure time activities in the area, whether snowboarding, mountain bike riding or hunting.

Who hasn’t been there? Campaign is ready to hit the streets; press release about the new partnership is one click away from BusinessWire; invitations to the open house have been approved… the last thing you want to do at this stage is take any extra time to tell employees what’s happening. They are all nice guys who work really hard but…

• 1) They’ll find out soon enough.
• 2) Anyway, their #1 concern is getting their paycheck on time.
• 3) What can a floor person or a receptionist add that’s of any value?
• 4) They’re really busy.
• 5) They won’t get it.

Euh. Sounds like manipulation 101. But, isn’t that really what we’re trying to do when we say something? We want to sell what we’re saying – whether it’s a plan or a change of plans; an opinion or a project for which we need our listener’s buy-in.

Wait. Maybe answering our listener’s WIIFM would help us say it so it sells. Most people want to know “What’s in it for me?” before buying it.

You’ve signed up for a trade show.  Now, what? Now we have some Inside Out trade show tips to share:

DO:

Announce to the entire company that you’re attending the show, and tell them why. Tell manufacturing, front desk, human resources… you get it. Everyone counts. Everyone talks. Everyone should feel part of it.

Research the list of companies that have signed to attend, including competitors, customers and prospects. Circulate the findings.

Let your customers and prospects know that you are attending.

Have your social media team circulate the news, and post the announcement on your website. While you are at it, clear the old news.

DON’T:

Underestimate the importance of incorporating your staff’s opinion as you develop the official list of goals and objectives for the show.

Forget to check out how you did the last time your company attended that same show.

Neglect having a professionally written press release ready to hand out to any press member, stating who you are, why are you at the show, whether you’re introducing a new product or service.

Take for granted that the show people will have everything you need; bring extra supplies of scotch-tape, staplers, electrical cords, lightbulbs, spot remover, static-free, magic markers, magic glue, magic drinks.

These are the top five; you can probably come up with a few more reasons of your own for why it’s a good idea to operate inside-out. Meaning, to let your own people know about your new product, before you tell the outside world. To tell the reception and phone staff the details about the upcoming promotion, ahead of its launch.

1) THEY ARE NOT BLINDED BY LOVE.

2) THEY COULD BE CLOSER TO THE END USER.

3) IT’S A GOOD DRESS REHEARSAL OF THE REAL LAUNCH.

4) THEY MAY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING SIMILAR IN A PREVIOUS LIFE.

5) THEY’LL FEEL OWNERSHIP.

 

“Inside out” is a concept that defies trends and works under different circumstances. I’m reading “Presence, ” the book by Amy Cuddy, exhorting us to watch our body language. She has an impressive amount of scientific evidence showing that how we move, how we sit and how we stand can positively or negatively affect our feelings and our attitude, and therefore, influence how others perceive us and how they relate to us. (An updated take on behaviorism, right?)

The good news is, we are not stuck with our current “inside,” neither as people nor as companies. If it’s not working for us, we can start to change it. And when we’re ready, we’ll show the outside world the new, real us.

EMBARRASSING.

So here I am pontificating about the importance of communicating with your #1 audience – your own employees. I write blog after blog regarding the do’s and don’ts; the reasons why; the five ways to make sure you have done it right. And then… I fail at it. Listen to this one and feel free to join the mocking.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to write a press release for a client of ours, a local Chamber or Commerce, that every year sponsors an event honoring the top graduates of the region’s high schools. So I did, quietly, in my own copywriter silo of self-sufficiency. Never shared or commented with anyone, even though it’s precisely the sort of news that I love sharing because it’s happy and solid, makes us all as parents and aunts and uncles feel good. Next day, our creative director told us he had been to a great Chamber event the night before, since one of his sons had received an award. Oops. He was unaware of our relationship with the chamber, and didn’t even know we had been writing releases for them.

Is there a touchstone?

Yes I am obsessed with the importance of sharing news with your own people, making sure they know what’s happening in the company and in the industry in general too. I think it discourages gossip, empowers them and makes them better at their jobs. And then of course I know sometimes you cannot do it.

Is there some magic way or at least a quick and easy way to decide whether a piece of news should be shared with your own people? I think this is it:

Share your news, for sure, if it’s going out anyway.

If the news is going to be shared “outside” via press releases, public announcements, press conference, ad campaign, sales promotion, etc., then it’s important enough to be shared “inside,” too. If not first, in cases where legal reasons or equally serious ones make it not advisable to do so, at least as soon as possible.

That goes for corporate news including hirings and firings, acquisitions and divestures, openings and closings, as well as for product or service launches, sales, special offers and discounts.

Want to make sure your next campaign is as robust as it can be? Make it an inside-out campaign.

Have your marketing communications or advertising guys ask your people what’s their own opinion about the new product you want to launch. (Make sure they explain to them first what you’re trying to do and why.)

Your staff should be told to punch as many holes as they can in the new product, and whenever possible, to put it to work as a customer would, with big expectations and no pity. Have them try your competitors’ equivalent product, and comment (freely) about the differences, both positive and negative. Don’t forget to find out from the people on the floor, not just from their managers, whether the new product can be developed, tested, manufactured, packaged and delivered on time to meet the campaign promises. And… keep the phone operators and receptionist in the loop so when a prospect calls, attracted by your awesome advertising campaign, and wants more info about the new product, she doesn’t utter the damning words – “Sorry, sir, I really cannot tell you about it, I have no information.”