Creating a Strong Employee Onboarding and Retention Strategy

Have you ever bought a product and felt like everything during the sales process was amazing? The company was super talkative, constantly calling and messaging you, and their marketing was everywhere. But the moment you bought the product, it was radio silence – the item you bought didn’t live up to the expectations set during the sales process.

This same scenario often happens to employees. They read a beautiful job description, hear about a company aiming for the stars, and talk to people who sell them on why it’s such a great opportunity. But once they start the job, the reality is the complete opposite.

Understanding Employee Retention

Imagine your worst employee—the lazy person who doesn’t show up on time, and doesn’t get their work done. What if we told you that their behavior might actually be your fault because you hired and trained them? Ensuring the success of your employees after hiring is crucial for retention, and it starts with you as the leader.

As your business grows, consistency becomes key. Many people think of consistency in terms of sales, revenue, marketing, and leads, but it’s equally important to have consistency in your teams. Employees are the ones pushing the buttons, coming up with creative ideas, and recording the content.

Setting Clear Expectations

When you hire someone, there are three critical aspects to ensure their success: onboarding, setting expectations, and providing context.

Onboarding

Onboarding is crucial for setting the foundation for a new hire’s success. It’s integrating new employees into your organization and equipping them with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive.

Setting Expectations

Expectations are the verbalization of how you would like something done. Many employees come into a new job playing by the rules of their last job. Unless told otherwise, they’ll continue doing what worked before. Therefore, you need to set and reinforce different expectations. First, set the expectation of what you want, verbalize it, add it to the job description, explain it, and follow up by encouraging them when they meet expectations.

Providing Context

Providing context means ensuring new hires understand how their role fits the bigger picture. This involves consistently repeating the same message in every interview. Make sure candidates understand what the business does and how their role contributes.

Strategies for Success

To ensure your employees are successful and reduce turnover, consider these strategies:

Accurate Job Descriptions: An accurate and well-thought-out job description can help candidates understand if the job is right for them. This description should be a reference point and an agreement on what the job entails and what the company will hold the employee accountable for.
Consistent Messaging: Repeat the same message in every interview to ensure candidates understand the business and their role within it. Make sure they know how their role connects with other parts of the business.
30/60/90 Day Goals: Set clear 30, 60, and 90-day goals. Collaborate with new hires to set achievable goals, creating predictability and security in their new role.
Discuss Problems Ahead of Time: Be upfront about any existing issues in the department or challenges the new hire will face. This transparency helps set realistic expectations.
Overdeliver on Conditions: Either set expectations slightly lower than the reality or find ways to overdeliver on job conditions. This approach can make new hires feel great about joining your company.

By following these strategies, you can create a strong onboarding process, set clear expectations, and provide the necessary context for new hires. This will help ensure their success and improve employee retention, ultimately contributing to the growth and consistency of your company.

This article is sourced and inspired by Leila Hormozi’s BUILD podcast.

ADA-Compliance and Accessibility for You Website

Web Design

ADA-Compliance and Accessibility

Why is web accessibility so important?

Making the internet accessible is about leveling the playground for 20% of the world’s population. The internet has become the most important innovation of our lifetime. Making it inclusive is the most significant step towards achieving a society that prioritizes the inclusion of all its people and values, everyone, for who they are, regardless of abilities. By making your website ADA-compliant, you will:

Reaffirm your brand as inclusive
Optimize the reach of your website with improved performance and increased traffic, and you improve your SEO
When you make your website accessible, you become compliant with the law
By making your website accessible, you mitigate the legal and financial risk

For Blind Users

Blind users use screen readers to verbally dictate what is on the screen. Most websites lack alternative text for images and ARIA attributes for content and behavior-related adjustments that screen readers rely on.

For The Motor Impaired

When it comes to websites, physical and motor impairments are defined by the inability to use a mouse. Luckily, a keyboard can do everything a mouse can do and more. Unfortunately, most websites are not optimized for keyboard navigation, leaving people with motor impairments excluded from certain website elements.

For Cognitive Disorders

People with cognitive impairments have certain limitations in mental functionalities that can affect how website content is perceived and understood. For example, slang and abbreviations can be very confusing for people with cognitive disabilities. Without the proper context or orientation adjustments, the context may be misunderstood and lead to incorrect actions.

For Epileptic Users

The internet is filled with blinking and flashing animations and GIFs that are dangerous for people with photo-sensitive epilepsy. Many of the users will avoid pages and content for fear of triggering a seizure.

For Vision Impaired

Websites come in many shades, colors, and sizes. For people with visual impairments, the wrong color combination or font size/shape can make it hard for them to see your website’s content. Common visual impairments include blurred vision, color blindness, and glaucoma.

For The Hearing Impaired

Website owners and marketers often prefer to deliver visuals in the form of video. While this is a great form of engagement, hearing-impaired users aren’t able to understand what the video is about unless it incorporates closed captions.

Help Make My Website ADA-Compliant!

The Power of Branding in Wealth Management

Branding, Digital Marketing, Strategy

The Power of Branding in Wealth Management

In the dynamic world of wealth management branding often takes a backseat. Yet, in this world, a well-defined brand can be a game-changer – influencing client attraction, retention, and market expansion. Today, every industry is dominated by technology, and your brand’s digital presence is its first impression. Whether it’s optimizing your website, engaging on social media, or implementing cutting-edge client interfaces, we teach you how to stay relevant, stay connected, and let your brand be the beacon in a tech-driven financial landscape.

Modernizing Brands Handed Down Through Generations

For those who’ve inherited a financial advisory business from the previous generation, the challenge is twofold. Not only do you navigate the intricate world of wealth management, but you’re also tasked with revitalizing a brand that may have stood unchanged for decades. In an era of evolving client expectations and digital landscapes, a static brand risks becoming a relic. We delve into strategies to seamlessly merge heritage with modernity, breathing new life into your brand.

Branding as a Catalyst for Market Expansion

Expanding your market reach involves more than just targeting new demographics; it requires a brand that resonates with diverse audiences. We explore the pivotal role of branding in crafting a narrative that transcends traditional boundaries. From the visual elements that spark recognition to the messaging that speaks to a broader clientele, we decipher how strategic branding becomes the linchpin in successful market expansion.

Building a Brand that Attracts the Best

Attracting top-tier talent is an ongoing struggle in wealth management. A compelling brand not only draws in high-caliber professionals but also fosters a workplace culture that retains them. From crafting an employer brand that communicates your values to integrating it into your recruitment strategy, discover how branding becomes the magnet for the industry’s best minds.

Positioning Your Brand for Future Growth

Your brand isn’t just a logo or a tagline; it’s the promise of a future where success and fulfillment coexist. Explore the strategies that position your brand not merely as a wealth management service but as a comprehensive solution for clients’ evolving needs. From educational content to personalized experiences, discover how your brand becomes the catalyst for long-term growth.

There’s no time like the present for a brand revolution in wealth management. Whether you’re steering a legacy ship or starting something new, strategic branding is everything. Brands aren’t just built; they become the driving force behind lasting success.

Culture Meets Brand: The Winning Formula for Business Success

Culture

Culture Meets Brand: The Winning Formula for Business Success

In the business world, culture isn’t just about fun office decorations or fancy coffee machines; it’s the heartbeat that pumps life into your brand. To truly make an impact, aligning your brand with your company culture is paramount.

The benefits of having a strong culture are numerous. First, a strong culture acts as a guiding force, providing a shared sense of purpose and values that aligns employees toward a common goal. This fosters a sense of belonging and commitment, leading to higher employee engagement and satisfaction. When employees feel connected, they are more likely to go the extra mile, collaborate effectively, and take ownership of their work, resulting in increased productivity and performance.

A strong culture also enhances the customer experience. When employees embody the company’s values and are aligned with its brand promise, they are more likely to deliver exceptional customer service consistently. Customers can sense the authenticity and passion in interactions with employees, building trust and fostering long-term loyalty. A strong culture creates a positive reputation for the company, enhancing its brand equity and differentiation in the marketplace.

On the other hand, the challenges of not having a strong culture can be detrimental to a company. A lack of a strong culture can result in a fragmented and disconnected workforce, where employees lack a clear sense of purpose and direction. This can lead to decreased motivation, morale, and productivity. Without a unifying culture, employees may struggle to collaborate effectively, hindering innovation and hindering the company’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

Additionally, a weak or toxic culture can result in high employee turnover and difficulty in attracting top talent. Employees are more likely to seek opportunities elsewhere if they do not feel valued, engaged, or aligned with the company’s culture. This turnover disrupts team dynamics and knowledge transfer, impacting overall profitability and stability.

here’s how to get started

Define your culture: Before you can align your brand with your culture, you need to define what your culture truly is. Take a deep dive into your company’s DNA, uncovering the values, beliefs, and quirks that make your team unique. Embrace those quirks, for they are the secret sauce that adds flavor to your brand.

Craft Your Brand Identity: With your cultural compass in hand, it’s time to craft a brand identity that reflects your company culture. From your logo and visuals to your messaging and tone of voice, infuse your brand with the essence of your team. Let your brand speak the same language as your culture – be it witty, quirky, or boldly innovative.

Walk the Talk: Alignment isn’t just about looks; it’s about substance. Ensure your brand strategy aligns with the actions and behaviors of your executives and managers. A culture of transparency and collaboration should be reflected in your brand’s customer interactions, internal processes, and even in the way you handle challenges. Authenticity is the key to gaining trust and loyalty.

Enforce Teamwork: Bringing your brand and culture together requires a collaborative effort. Involve your team in the process, encouraging them to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas. Nurture a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to live and breathe the brand. Remember, a united team can move mountains and leave an indelible mark on the world.

When your brand strategy resonates with your company culture, it becomes more than just a logo or a tagline – it becomes a living, breathing embodiment of who you are. So, lace up, embrace your culture, and unleash your brand’s potential.

Build consumer trust with strategic brand development

Branding, Marketing, Strategy

Build Consumer Trust with Strategic Brand Development

81% of consumers need to trust a brand before they buy from it. Let that sink in. That’s four out of five opportunities walking away if they simply don’t trust you – that means your differentiation, quality, pricing, service and so much not only need to hit the mark but also need to be communicated in a way that does so.

This is the world of brand, friends. It’s where your reputation trumps all. But good news: there is a path to success here and we like to call it strategic brand development. Two things to note, though. First, it is a forever commitment and second, it’s not easy.

Do you have trust issues with your brand?

We’ve established the trust criteria for consumers to purchase. But what about when they are already a customer? Reports cite that only 31% of consumers actually trust the brands they use. This matters greatly because it leaves a huge vulnerability for another brand to take your place and we stand by the fact that it is cheaper to keep customers than to attract new ones. So where are some areas you can look to see if you have trust issues?

Consistent messaging

It is easy to have messaging evolve over time and it is easy for it to get splintered and diluted over time. This can happen even if there are only a few people who are hands-on if careful attention is not paid. As messaging appears in highly visible places online, make sure what is being communicated with stakeholders in business conversations, customers in support calls, and your intended audience at tradeshows is also in line. Inconsistency can lose consumers before you even know their potential interest. Are you consistent more often than not? Give yourself a pat on the back! While this is an anecdotal measurement, it’s an important one as a leading indicator.

Online sentiment and net promoter scores (NPS)

To get more quantified in how things are going, evaluate your brands online sentiment and NPS. Both of these measurements do take a process to get going but they will give you a steady pulse in a measurable way on opinion, which is an indicator of trust. Additionally, while they both are measures of opinion and thus grouped here, they are different in many ways and one should not replace the other.

Conversion rates

Looking at conversion rates will hone in more on the lead generation and sales development aspect of trust. There was enough trust to potentially share an email address but is there enough trust for a phone call? A demo? What are the comments coming out of those conversations? This assessment can yield quantitative and qualitative insights that can be cross-referenced with the previous two types of activities suggested.

Customer attrition

Seeing customers go for preventable reasons makes us sad. It’s terrible for a brand and should not by any means be ignored or hidden from the team. These are opportunities to find out where the weak areas are in the brand and address them immediately. Not only with fixes but with proactive measures with other customers. No matter where in the customer journey attrition is happening, it indicates that there is a break in expectations and reality. It could be how the product works, how pricing compares to value, or even the amount of attention they wanted versus are receiving. It could be a communications and/or operational issue but both will break trust if not addressed.

A brand strategy that can make it through tough times

While trust isn’t built overnight, doing it right and maintaining it over the long term might help it from not being broken overnight. True story. We had a client that took their brand trust to heart for decades. The leadership knew what the company stood for and the employees were clear on how to operationalize it. Customers could feel it; exchanges were familial and NPS was incredibly high.

Then one day the inevitable came for a tech company and an incident disrupted service. The team immediately jumped on it but, in short, it was a multiple day disruption and a big deal to customers. Throughout the incident, leadership clearly and calmly communicated with customers, taking ownership of the situation in full.

Thanks not only to the professionalism and transparency in the moment but the years of investing in building the brand, customers literally reached out to say thank you and that trust wasn’t broken. Not a single customer left because of the incident. An absolutely priceless reward.

Two areas to research to support your brand development

It’s possible to appeal to the 81% of consumers that need to have trust before purchasing. It’s imperative to build the number of current customers that have trust above 31%. This can absolutely be done with a strategic brand strategy.

To get started today, take an inventory of the data points you have available to you. Are there processes you need to get in place to have better visibility on quantitative information? Secondly, survey your customer-facing teams to learn the themes they are hearing in conversations.

What do consumers and customers love about the brand?

What are they surprised by?

What aren’t they asking about?

And what bothers them?

A simple tally of recurring comments will give you a starting point for more research. Once these things are identified, you can revisit your marketing and branding fundamentals and see where updates are made. And, of course, work with your operations teams to ensure items are being addressed on their end(s) because they are a vital part of a healthy, trustworthy brand!