“People will stay at a job they hate because they work for someone they love. Alternatively, people will leave a job they love because they hate the people they work for.”
On today’s episode, Adrienne and Mark are chatting creating and maintaining a company culture people want to be a part of. Today’s work force no longer adheres to the working 80 hours a week with zero appreciation. Recruiters are ruthless and employees are a hot commodity.
Listen or watch as they discuss how to create culture, who is doing it well in the industry and a few tips you can put into action to ensure your business is where people want to work.
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FULL TRANSCRIPTION
Mark Kinsley
recruiters are coming for your people. They’re offering them more money and promises they might not be able to fulfil, but they might jump anyway, here’s how to market to your people, so they don’t leave. The fan marketing show begins in 30 seconds, furniture, appliances, mattress, film dot news welcome to the fam Marketing Show strategies, tips and ideas to help retailers and brands grow their furniture, appliances and mattress business. We’re talking about your people today but one of my favourite peoples here with a trivia question and get us kicked off. What’s up? Yo, Adrian?
Adrienne Woods
Yo, yo. Okay, question. Do you have a $2? Bill?
Mark Kinsley
I do have a $2 bill, my grandpa gave it to me.
Adrienne Woods
Okay, so which president is featured on a rare $2 bill in USA currency?
Mark Kinsley
On a $2? Do
Adrienne Woods
you not know this off the top of your head?
Mark Kinsley
I don’t know it off the top my head Hold on. I think I have one right up here. Hold on saying I’m totally gonna don’t don’t look, don’t cheat, don’t cheat, not gonna do it. I’m not even gonna look it up. Okay, so you got the answers for us here at the end of the show. If you know who’s on a $2 bill helped me out, go over to fam dot news and text us on our podium number. And make sure and text us any ideas you have for how you are keeping your people. So I heard from a guy that’s a recruiter in this industry. And he was talking about what’s happening in the talent acquisition and retention space. And if you want to talk about a major distraction for your business, and a great way to really kind of cripple things temporarily, it’s, it’s to not have the ability to keep your people. And you know, I’ve said in the past many, many times you have to market your marketing. Well, you have to market your business to your employees as well. And part of marketing that business to your employees is not just helping them sell more product through the marketing the advertising you put together. It’s not just helping them with their social selling strategies and things they can do on their own time. We’re talking about creating a culture and reminding them through consistent communication and marketing, about what that culture means stands for and the purpose behind your business. Now, Adrian, you have run a small business, multiple small businesses talk about culture from your perspective.
Adrienne Woods
So I’ve had a unique perspective on culture in a couple different ways. Yes, I have run my own small business. But I’ve also worked for a major corporation. And I’ve had multiple bosses. And if there’s one phrase, I don’t even remember where I heard it from, it’s probably super famous, I just don’t know who to attribute it to. But it is this idea that people will stay at a job that they actually hate because they love the people they work for. In turn, they will also leave jobs that they love because of the people that they work for. So if you’re not creating a culture where people want to stay, even if it’s a great job, and it’s one that they’re really good at, they are going to leave that is proven. And so I will tell you, I have had some incredible bosses. But the last I don’t wanna say the last job I left. But there the the last job I worked for was at a major corporation. And there was just things about it, even though I actually loved the job I just didn’t loved kind of get my ultimate leadership, and they were great people. And it was a combination of things. But I will say I have found that to be true. Moving over purchased a small business, when I bought it, pretty much everybody was ready to quit for that very reason. They had just had leadership styles that they didn’t feel valued as people, but they were all incredible at their job. And they all told me they’re like we have stayed because of our clients. That’s the only reason. But they were on the verge of leaving. And so I think it’s really important, as we talked about this idea of marketing to your employees, that you have to walk the walk, you may be passionate about your job, but is that accurately translating to your employees? And are you doing things for them to help them buy into your mission?
Mark Kinsley
What are your thoughts with Mr. Kelly’s told me once I’m culture is what you create, or what you tolerate. And so you have to remember that about creating the culture that you want. And sometimes your culture isn’t what you hope it would be. And you have to take very drastic measures to change it, and to shift it. But in an environment where people are coming after your people they’re being recruited. They’re being offered more money. You just described exactly why people stay. Is their purpose behind the business. Are they working with people they like? And if you check the boxes on those things, people are going to know you know, if they jumped ship, you’re not going to get what you get here. You can figure out the money piece as you go along. There was a gentleman by the name of Bill Creek Meyer bill is with Pinnacle search partners. She’s the president there, and I heard him speak on a panel and he said, you know, your people are being recruited, there’s inflationary pay, hybrid work is winning, you need to have 401 K if you’re recruiting candidates, you have to move fast and keep them engaged. And that was the piece that I paused on and thought about. From a business standpoint, keep your people engaged and keep them reminded of the culture you are building and the purpose behind your business. I don’t think anybody does this as well, that I’ve seen as Charlie Maloof with broad river retail, Charlie is a boots on the ground CEO, he was voted the most beloved CEO and all of Charlotte, we exchanged emails with Charlie from time to time. And it’s just, it’s just a joy, because his passion and his sense of purpose comes through in everything he does. His people are called memory makers at Broad River retail. And they’re not called sales associates, because they know that they’re making memories for and with their clients that come in that store. So this is a marketing show. But look, he’s really good. Charlie is at marketing to his employees in a sense that he tells their stories through his podcast stories from the river, and many other channels that we probably don’t see. And that consistency of communication and marketing through storytelling and social media, and internal outreach, and being boots on the ground at the store. That is marketing. And that is culture building. And all those things start swirling around until that is really absorbed by the people. And then once they absorb it, and then they start bringing it out to others. That’s when you know you’ve really created momentum and beaten momentum goes beyond traction, because it can be self perpetuating. It can be flywheel in a way.
Adrienne Woods
Absolutely. Charlie does something I’ve read, I forget the book that I read it from, but Disney does that, like from their princesses and princess to all the way down to like their bellhops. They’re all like magic makers. And they have figured out how to make every level of their corporation buy into this idea of the Disney Magic. And so they all feel like they have a piece of it. The other thing I was gonna say, and I don’t know this about Charlie personally, but I’m sure he has to being at the top means you have to also be willing to have some tough conversations and criticisms about yourself, because you don’t know everything. And if you’re not willing to do that, then you’re going to struggle in marketing to your employees.
Mark Kinsley
And I’d say it’s going to be way harder to find new people than to keep the good ones that you have. So coming up with a way to consistently if you’re a larger organisation, you do this at a much broader level, if you’re a smaller organisation, it clearly is a lot more one on one, but figure out how to create purpose behind your business and look in the furniture, appliances, a mattress business, we have a lot of purpose, I mean, the home has never been more valuable than it is today. People that need to get a good night’s sleep, understand that it’s tied to wellness and their health. And the health topic is one that is winning today. And then just the home in general, people still want their looks and their nest to be perfect. And so there’s a tonne of purpose behind what we do. And always remember to that help your people understand that most folks are going through some sort of transitions whenever they come into your store. And transitions are places of uncertainty. And you get to be the person that provides an assurance of an outcome. And that’s what folks want. And so anyway, mark it to your people be consistent with your messaging, remind them of who you are and what you stand to stand for. And do it through vivid examples live that out your actions, prove your value. And whenever you do that, that internal marketing is going to manifest itself in the communities that you serve. I’m confidence I see this all the time.
Adrienne Woods
Absolutely,
Adrienne Woods
absolutely. I don’t want to say that we my business partner and I were great managers. But nobody ended up leaving save one person who probably just needed to anyway, and I had several of them say it was as if you finally listened to us, like a lot of leaders will come in and say, you know, hey, we want to be here. We want to take your feedback. But they didn’t actually feel until we came along that any of their ideas had actually been heard. I mean, because there’s a very big difference between asking somebody and letting them you know, give them give you your feedback and actually taking it a step further and implementing it. You can’t implement everything. Obviously they don’t have all the information that’s needed. But putting some action behind investing in your employees
Mark Kinsley
and circling back and telling them thank you for this feedback. Here’s what we did with it. If you have feedback for us, news, texts us on a podium.
Adrienne Woods
I will say this I think the most powerful words a business owner can say to customers and to their employees are I’m sorry, and thank you don’t undervalue those. Those words.
Mark Kinsley
Hit us with our trivia question. Remind us what it was
Adrienne Woods
a guest. Okay,
Adrienne Woods
who which president
Adrienne Woods
is on the $2 bill?
Mark Kinsley
Ah doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo Do Coolidge?
Adrienne Woods
It is not Calvin Coolidge. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but if I had not gotten to be an attorney, I was going to be a presidential historian. I love presidential history. So the correct answer is Thomas Jefferson.
Mark Kinsley
Thomas Jefferson. Actually, that was the first one I saw on the fiver
Adrienne Woods
for some reason with your gut. Always go with your gut.
Mark Kinsley
Thomas Jefferson. Hey, if you got it right, holler at us. Go over to fam dot news, text us. Appreciate y’all being here. This is the fam marketing show. Please share this with a friend of yours. Give us a little love on Apple on Spotify. And be sure to subscribe and never miss an idea that could make you
Adrienne Woods
a president
of your company of the United States doesn’t matter president
Mark Kinsley
or a presidential historian
Adrienne Woods
or a Memory Maker, a Memory Maker put it out there.
Mark Kinsley
Join us each week as we bring you more FAM marketing magic.
