Five Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated and on Track!

Keeping a team motivated can be one of the most challenging things to do. There needs to be an environment where employees feel appreciated and knowledgeable about their position and how it all adds into the big picture. Here are five ways how to keep your team motivated and on track!

1. Communicate with everyone. Communication is key when you are working on crating a common goal among peers. Whether it be leaving a note, or sending an email, make sure everyone is on the same page so there is no confusion!

2. Recognize good behaviors. Make sure your team is recognized! Once a goal is met do something special for your team. Buy lunch or snacks, give a gift card to the top performer, plan a game day, do something fun!

3. Make corrections when necessary. Constructive criticism is the best way to go here! You want your team to know that you care about their performance and each employee plays a part in making the business run smoothly. It's easier to correct the action in the beginning than wait until the behavior has been learned.

4. Set reasonable goals. Don't force too much workload on a team member. Sit down with them and come up with a game plan. If a project is big, set up reasonable time goals that your employee and you feel comfortable with.

5. Lead by example. If you don't want your employee checking their cell phone every five seconds, then you shouldn't be on your phone. Make sure that your actions mirror what you want your employees to be doing. Don't be a hypocrite!!

5 Ways to Create A Fantastic Employee Culture

I hate the days when I'm about to leave work so stressed out and it feels like I've accomplished nothing. It's a great feeling though when you have a close relationship with your peers who tell you tomorrow's going to be a better day.

This is where I come to tell you that employee culture is just as important as customer satisfaction. 

When employees feel like they work in a loving, caring culture, the levels of satisfaction and team work skyrocket. When an employee feels accomplished and praised, they will show up for work more often and their attitude toward clients changes for the better. Here are five ways to start creating a fun and appreciative employee culture.

1. Start with the CEO
• To create a culture of appreciation, the CEO has to take charge and not look at the lessors as if they are peons.
2. Expectations must be clear
• Managers need to set clear expectations and be honest with employees when problems arise. No one wants a wishy-washy manager.
3. Managers need to be available
• A manager should be available to an employee 24/7.
• The manager should set boundaries for when the employee should contact them, but they should always be responsive when an employee does feel the need to speak
4. Build relationships with employees outside of work.
• Choose team building activities outside of work that most employees would enjoy! Show you're employees that you're not just the big dog that everyone is terrified of.
5. Make sure to pay attention to things happening outside the office
• Showing your employees you care is so easy
• If you're a manager, remember to send the anniversary card or congrats card if an employee is getting married or having a baby or a birthday. A little bit can go a long way!

These things and more will be the start to a great culture. Have fun and be professional!

10 CEM Best Practices

What is customer experience marketing? 

Basically it's taking care of the customer as best as one can. This can be done by a series of different marketing practices that should be implemented throughout the company. Here are some best practices that I believe can make a CEM strategy excel at any business. Remember, if you hate getting on the phone with an automated "person", so will your customers!

1. Build a flexible infrastructure

• Reduce customer efforts by allowing customization at all touch points

If there's one thing I hate it's when I go to a company's website on my phone and the website is not optimized to mold to mobile. Make sure that all points of access to your company are smooth and easy to use.

2. Omni-channel optimization

• Be present on multiple channels
• Make sure all channels are consistent and convenient
• Ensure all channels are receiving the same experience and message

The best way to provide great customer service is to respond in an appropriate manner. Whenever I have an issue with a product I've purchased, I just go straight to social media. That way, the company is quick to respond and I'll get my issue solved in about half the time I would have if I called in.

3. Integrate social media

• Customers are sharing thoughts and opinions on social media
• SM increases brand loyalty
• Helps businesses understand their customer needs or wants

Companies need to be on social media. It's basically free advertising! It also allows for the flexibility to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., this gives companies the flexibility to cater to all target markets.

4. Encourage, track, measure and listen

• Encourage customers to provide feedback
• Track and measure KPI's
• Analyze data and make changes

What are the point of analytic tools if you're not going to use them?! This is the best way for companies to track weather or not their customers are happy and engaging, hopefully positively, online! Klout is a great way to measure your online presence. It even shows you which posts are gaining the most engagement. Take advantage of the small things!

5. Invest in customer recovery process

• Train staff to acknowledge customers and take responsibility
•  Allow optimal solutions and alternatives. 

If a customer makes a complaint and you don't immediately take action, remember an angry customer is more likely to talk about their experience than a happy customer. Pick your battles wisely.

6. Build relationships

• Do not just try to sell a product. 
• Talk to the customer to find a common interest that will help them believe you're not just in it for the sale. 

More recently I've had a friend take a sales position, and now I feel like every time we try to meet up, it's just so she can try to sell me something that I'm clearly not interested. It's frustrating.

7. Talk to customers in real time

Talk to customers on the phone or through chat. No one wants to talk to an automated voice.Employees should feel empower and engage customers with confidence. I know when I have a problem with my internet or cable I better have a nice chunk of time dedicated to waiting to talk to a customer service rep. Just remember, the CSR is not at fault for the company. Bare with them while they're helping you!

8. Create a culture where employees feel comfortable to make decisions that are best for the customer

When I worked at a specific retailer, I won't mention names, one of the managers would always side with the customer instead of the employee. It got to the point where the employees wouldn't want to even answer any questions for customers because they knew their decision, which was usually the right one, would just be overturned. That's not okay. Never make your employees feel like that.

9. Gather customer feedback and quickly implement change

Listen to what customers are saying on social media and take those comments and relate them to changes being made to improve how things are done.

10. Adapt and refine customer experience using business intelligence analytics and reporting

• BI allows employees to help customers see a specific part of their business that may be struggling and what might be a better alternative.

When you're working with business intelligence, be sure to only put information that is relevant to the company. Give them exactly what they're asking for. Otherwise, BI can get confusing very fast.

So there you have it. If you can make sure these 10 things are being practiced in your CEM strategy, I don't think there's going to be much else that can go wrong!