Empowering Employees to Use Social Media on Behalf of the Organisation

Many organisations are still wary of social media and the implications of employees using it within, and on behalf of, the business. The business world has changed. Where previously large impersonal companies had all the power in the marketplace, smaller businesses with visible 'real' people are now coming through and taking a much bigger marketshare than ever before.

You've heard the phrases 'people buy people' and 'people buy from people who they know, like and trust'. The new social world allows us to connect with 'people' from companies as individuals and, more than ever before, it allows us to make decisions about buying from organisations based on what we think of their people and the relationship, albeit virtual, that we have with them.

'Talking' to the customer publicly on behalf of the business used to be what the marketing department did, when communication was linear and structured and controllable. Now there are public opportunities at all levels for relationships to develop between your employees and your prospects and customers. Your prospects and customers take little account of position and job role, they just want to connect with people who can help them to achieve their aims.

So, the challenge is for companies to create an empowered work force and a culture that enables employees at all levels to 'talk' effectively to customers on behalf of the organisation. They need processes, training and support in place to help employees to create relationships online as well as to help them to deal with potential customer service issues.

Before, happy customers would tell a few people and unhappy customers would tell a lot more. Now, with social media facilitating 'one to many' written conversations, customers can tell, and influence, many more people whatever their feedback, and it has more longevity.

Many businesses still believe that not getting involved in social media is a way to avoid dealing with negative comments posted online. Let's be clear: avoiding engaging with that information does not make it cease to exist.

In this presentation find out more about operating in the new 'social world', social customer care, why your business needs to be doing it and how to sell this concept into your organisation.

HR Managers and Directors; Senior Managers and Directors; Customer Service Managers

- how social media is impacting business relationships in the new 'social world' - why you need to be implementing social customer service in your organisation - how to sell this to your senior managers

http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/03/16/the-confusing-rise-of-social-customer-service-infographic/ http://www.salesforce.com/uk/socialsuccess/social-customer-service/mini-guide-social-customer-support.jsp

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