ENGAGED!

About the Author

Gregg Lederman, the author of "ENGAGED! Outbehave Your Competition to Create Customers for Life," is the founder and CEO of Brand Integrity, an experience management company. He is a respected thought leader and a highly sought-after speaker whose message of "Managing the Experience" has transformed the culture in many leading companies. Lederman is also an adjunct professor teaching Executive MBA students at the Simon School at the University of Rochester. His insights into building and sustaining customer loyalty through engaged employees are the cornerstone of his professional and academic endeavors.

Main Idea

The central thesis of "ENGAGED!" is that the key to creating fiercely loyal customers who proactively recommend your business and buy more frequently lies in having engaged employees. These employees are motivated and committed to acting in the company's best interest, effectively delivering a branded experience that resonates with customers. By cultivating a workforce that understands and lives the company's brand values, businesses can achieve greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn drives profitability and growth.

Table of Contents

1. Define a Living the Brand System
2. Get Every Employee on Stage, Delivering the Experience for Customers
3. Make Happy Employees to Create Engaged Customers
4. Don't Just Announce Your Culture, Make It Visible
5. Sprint from Culture Talk to Culture Change
6. Measure and Manage the Experience
7. Quantify Your Culture to Turn Common Sense into Common Practice
8. Any Monkey Can Survey, Start Building Relationships with Customers
9. Put the Carrots Away, Rewards Don't Work the Way You Think They Do
10. Manage the Experience to Build Trust in You as a Leader

Define a Living the Brand System

Creating a Living the Brand System involves ensuring that all employees understand and embody the company's mission, values, and brand positioning in their daily work. This system is not owned by any one individual or department; rather, it is a collective effort that requires clear definition, regular reminders, and quantifiable measures to ensure consistency and effectiveness.

• Define: Clearly articulate the branded experience that you want to deliver.
• Remind: Continuously communicate expectations and hold everyone accountable.
• Quantify: Measure the impact of the branded experience on financial results.

Get Every Employee on Stage, Delivering the Experience for Customers

In the companies that are most beloved by their customers, every employee understands that they are "on stage" delivering an experience. This concept highlights the importance of every role, no matter how far removed from direct customer interaction, in contributing to the overall customer experience. Leaders in these companies recognize that knowing and doing the brand lead to stronger work cultures and more profitable customer relationships.

• An employee in the accounting department ensures invoices are accurate and timely, supporting the sales team's efforts to provide a seamless customer experience.
• A warehouse worker handles products with care, understanding that their work affects the quality and timeliness of deliveries.

Make Happy Employees to Create Engaged Customers

The level of employee engagement significantly impacts the customer experience. Disengaged employees are less likely to provide excellent service, leading to dissatisfied customers. On the other hand, engaged employees are more productive, provide better service, and contribute to a positive customer experience. According to research, 70% of workers are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged," highlighting the need for companies to focus on employee engagement.

The Five Levels of Engagement: