Author: Dylan Kohlstadt
Brands don’t have values or Employee Motivation. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull the rug out from under you so quickly, but it needed to be said. Before you close this article thinking “that’s absolute rubbish”, just wait a moment. Dust yourself off. Sit back down, have some coffee. Ready? Brands do not have […]
Brands don’t have values or Employee Motivation. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull the rug out from under you so quickly, but it needed to be said.
Before you close this article thinking “that’s absolute rubbish”, just wait a moment. Dust yourself off. Sit back down, have some coffee.
Ready? Brands do not have values – wait for it – because they’re only concepts. Brands cannot make decisions, they cannot think, they do not have any form of intelligence. People, however, are a different story (although I have met some people without any intelligence, but that’s a different blog entirely). People can have values, and they can use these to drive the brand in whichever direction they choose.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
It is imperative for you and your staff to really live your brand and employee motivation is the only way to achieve this.
Let’s say that you own a mobile pet parlour, and your slogan reads “Punctual & Professional Pet Groomers”. You assure your clients top-notch quality. Except that your groomers are never on time and your client’s prize-winning, long-haired fur-baby now looks like a naked mole rat.
Your brand says one thing but the customer has a totally different experience. When they write a review on your Facebook page (believe me they will) they’re not going to say that you were “punctual and professional”. They’re going to write a stinking post about how poor Snuffles now has pet PTSD, and it’s entirely your fault.
So How Do I Live My Brand?
1. Create Personal Values
Don’t fake your way by taking on values you think you should have – you’ll fail by pretending to be something you’re not. Identify what you value most and brand your business to match that set. Serving your consumers will become much easier if there’s a link between your business and your core values.
Don’t be afraid to take on a minimalistic approach here; if you end up with 20 values you’re not going to have a very clear path.
2. Be Authentic
Basically, your brand isn’t the work you do but how you do it. Your brand promises have to match your actions. Here’s a look at how MAC fails to be authentic:
MAC makeup is super popular, except amongst those who only use cruelty-free products. MAC claims to be ‘a leader in the movement to end animal testing globally’. They have a very convincing paragraph on their website that reassures makeup lovers that they ‘do not test on animals’, they ‘do not own any animal testing facilities’ and they ‘never ask others to test on animals for us’.
Except that they sell their products in China, which requires animal testing by law. MAC even addresses this discrepancy on the same page that claims to be cruelty-free by stating “we love our fans and we never want to exclude them anywhere.”
How Do I Show It?
Your staff and your customers need to see proof that you’re not just a poster on the wall, but that you live and breathe the values that you instil in your business. The only way to provide that evidence is by documenting your actions on social media. Your team want to have a relationship with you, even if it is a digital one. The goal is to brand yourself as a trustworthy leader worth following.
How Does This Motivate My Staff?
Because your staff are the ones your customers interact with, your staff become the biggest representatives of your brand. They are the foot soldiers on the front lines of your business. If they think that you’re an unfair jerk with zero leadership skills, and also, you stink, do you think they’re going to put 100% into the work they do for you? Not a chance.
But if they fully believe in what you stand for and trust you as a leader, they’ll want to put 100% into your business. If your staff do their work well, and provide your customers with a great brand experience, your business will just grow further and further.
I wrote an article called Happy Staff + Happy Customers = Quality Brand, and it has some practical tips on keeping your staff happy.
How Is This a Win for Me?
This is a no-brainer; if your staff feel totally demotivated they won’t represent your brand in a positive light to your customers. The people who buy your products won’t want to return if they’ve had a horrible experience. But if your staff are motivated by your leadership and they want to put the effort into your business, your customers will have a great brand experience. A great experience obviously means that your customers will return, they’ll spread the word to their friends and you’ll make more money.
Leading your staff by example is the best thing you can do for your brand. Not only will they be motivated to make your business more successful, you’ll also gain by becoming more digitally relevant.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Why choose WeSpeak Global which is more than just a source for dynamic Speakers, Trainers, Celebrities and Entertainers. We have extensive resources and a limitless supply of talent. Along with fulfilling your booking needs, we understand your challenges and can advise and share helpful information on many of the intricacies of making great meetings happen. […]
Some say great leaders are born. We say great leaders are made, HOW TO BE A GREAT LEADER. There are many different types of leaders and leadership styles. While it’s important to find your own style, there are many qualities of leaders throughout history that have stood the test of time. While we will view […]
Lizette Volkwyn is also one of only two certified PEI human lie detector in South Africa! Meet Lizette Volkwyn, an energetic, dynamic and focused South African who believes that all you have to do today is to be 1% better than yesterday. Lizette encourages individuals to strive for self-acceptance and to appreciate their self-worth. She […]
BEING MINDFUL OF MINDSETS and The Power of a Growth Mindset by Grant Driver In July 2019, I experienced one of the most significant and yet most daunting moments of my career as a professional speaker. I had been invited by Discovery Healthcare to present a 3-hour workshop to thirty Neurosurgeons on my research into […]
I mean, isn’t that the nature of goals to begin with? What’s missing between you and your goals might be walking the walk of your goals — not just talking the talk. Or rather, running the run of your goals. I’ll tell you what I mean. Goals are easy to think of but harder to achieve, aren’t […]
The Silicon Valley Unicorn craze is slowly fading, and in the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, all eyes are riveting to startup in Africa, India, and South America as the new battlegrounds, yet people have no real understanding of the challenges faced by homegrown startups in these regions, trying to innovate in harsh environments, […]
What are the warning signs of an empty resilience tank? HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO PAUSE In my experience, there are four primary indicators that tend to show up each time my resilience tank is running low. They don’t always show up in the same order but, without fail, they will show […]
If you’ve ever seen expectant parents in a baby shop, you’d know that pregnancy is a life stage that usually triggers an avalanche of consumerism and to find Pink Sheets. I (thankfully) never tallied what I spent during my pregnancy, I just know that becoming a mum, while filling my heart, has drained my […]
No results available
ResetOur Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME