We had a good laugh recently when we read about the conversation between a woman seeking a divorce and her lawyer. The first question he asked her was, ‘Do you have grounds?’

She replied, ‘Yes, about two acres.’

‘Perhaps I’m not making myself clear,’ he said, ‘Do you have a grudge?’

‘No, but we have a carport,’ she responded.

‘Let me try again. Does your husband beat you up?’ he said impatiently.

‘No, generally I get up before he does,’ she said.

At this point the lawyer decided to try a different tack. ‘Ma’am, are you sure you really want a divorce?’

‘I don’t want one at all, but my husband does. He claims we have difficulty communicating.’

I guess you are laughing too.

Every time we share our experiences, we’re telling a story. From what happened on our way to the office, to getting through everyday deliverables, our life is full of stories. In the same way, every business has a story.

In the business world, these stories are often told through advertisements on TV, billboards, over the radio on the internet via our company website and social media channels. The goal is to connect us to customers and share our brand stories. The goal is to position our brands in the eyes of our customers and the goal is to ensure the radio jingle is etched in our memories and remains top of mind as we consumers have touch point moments and interactions with our brands.

These stories are about communication and communication is the essence of marketing. Who else would be a more convincing story teller of your brand than the people who work night and day for that brand?

While millions of naira is spent on developing great marketing campaigns, we must also give some thought to the greatest brand ambassadors: our employees.

When employees are emotionally connected to your organisation, it is a sign of employee engagement. Engaged employees understand their contribution to the organisation; feel connected to their team and put in discretionary effort.

Getting to this point goes beyond just liking the work experience- it’s a psychological commitment. This is a critical factor in providing the kind of customer service that creates and retains customers. Engaged employees become brand Ambassadors who give meaning and dimension to your company’s brand. Like in the divorce story, is there difficulty communicating?

Give thought to your internal brand ambassadors. Who is telling your employer brand story?

-Ngozi Adebiyi is the CEO/Lead Consultant @OutsideIn HR

“OutsideIn HR- We develop commercially astute HR leaders and equip business leaders & employees to build an Ownership mindset!”

How we translate Value – http://youtu.be/Q53MzXSpd58