Many businesses struggle to clearly see the connection between employee engagement and profitability. Often viewed as merely a nice extra, engagement is wrongly underestimated for its potential to impact the bottom line positively.
However, evidence suggests that highly engaged employees lead directly to significant financial benefits. Research by EnterpriseAlumni indicates that companies with high staff engagement enjoyed a remarkable 20.1% increase in revenue over three years – nearly 2.5 times higher than the industry average. Meanwhile, HR Cloud’s studies reinforce this, showing highly engaged workforces achieve about 21% higher profitability and 17% greater productivity.
The relationship is clear: a motivated internal culture translates into loyal, satisfied customers externally. But how can your business create and nurture this winning culture?
At Maverick, we apply a business philosophy we call InsideOut Marketing.
So, what exactly is InsideOut Marketing?
Traditional marketing strategies typically focus externally, placing customers at the forefront – what products do customers want, and how do we sell them? This approach, known as outside-in marketing, emphasises digital marketing spend on social media and advertising to ‘tell and sell’ to customers. Whilst this works to an extent, there’s a disconnect within the organisation. Sometimes employees only discover new products or services when customers do.
InsideOut Marketing flips this model. It positions organisational culture at the centre, prioritising employees as the first audience in the marketing chain. This approach ensures employees feel included, valued, and engaged in company strategies right from the outset. By involving staff early in marketing and communications, companies create advocates who genuinely embody brand values. Internal and external marketing strategies start to align seamlessly, leading to authentic and consistent messaging across Product, Brand, Marketing and Sales.
Implementing InsideOut solutions yields numerous advantages. Internally, aligning your company’s culture with strategic goals results in smoother communication, increased job satisfaction, higher retention rates, and ultimately, improved productivity. From a customer perspective, this cohesive approach ensures meaningful interactions that strengthen brand loyalty.
We applied this approach with DHL Express, part of the DHL Group. In 2017, DHL Express sought more effective engagement with SMEs driven by the booming e-commerce market worldwide. Historically accustomed to large multinational client, DHL’s sales teams needed to shift their perspective.
Working closely with in-house teams, we developed a new sales concept named “Power Up Your Potential“. This programme trained sales teams in the techniques of consultative selling, enabling them to become trusted advisors who help SMEs navigate complex cross-border e-commerce challenges.
The internal shift created significant staff engagement – teams felt genuinely involved in empowering their small business customers, helping them grow and leading to improved revenue over the customer lifetime.
Externally, DHL launched Discover, an SME-focused website providing practical guidance and advice to help businesses succeed internationally. Supported by targeted social media marketing and paid advertising campaigns, the InsideOut website was designed to reflect the same conversations that Sales teams were having with their customers.
The benefit went two ways – existing customers were directed to Discover by Sales and Account teams, and new prospects arriving through Discover were able to have informed conversations with Sales when signing up to an account with DHL Express.
The campaign was an immediate success, driving a remarkable 40% increase in revenue in its first year alone.
DHL’s Leendert van Delft, VP Global Sales Programs, (Digital) Marketing and Global E-commerce, summarises their experience…
The approach was a revelation. Generating 100% buy-in, not only across the sales teams but across the entire business, was achieved in a remarkably short timeframe. And it’s our customers who are seeing the greatest benefit - increasing sales and accessing new markets…Leendert van Delft, DHL Express
The DHL example clearly demonstrates the comprehensive power of an InsideOut strategy. It emphasises that aligning organisational culture internally translates directly into authentic external communications and customer trust.
For most businesses, adopting InsideOut Marketing begins with strategic InsideOut recruitment. Leveraging your existing company culture to attract like-minded talent helps build a workforce who resonate deeply with your organisational values. Defining these core values – essentially your business’s DNA – is vital.
However, this can pose challenges; business leaders might project desired characteristics rather than objectively identifying genuine organisational values.
Therefore, partnering with an external, unbiased InsideOut agency becomes essential. Experienced professionals offer the impartial expertise needed to successfully identify authentic organisational culture and ensure it permeates your marketing strategy.
The transition towards an InsideOut model represents a fundamental shift in how businesses operate and communicate internally and externally. It leverages digital marketing, compelling content strategies, and authentic social media marketing campaigns rooted in organisational truths.
When employees see their own values, beliefs, and contributions reflected back to them, they become powerful brand advocates. Customers, in turn, engage with a brand whose authenticity and values align with their own.
Ultimately, embracing InsideOut Marketing is not merely adopting another business strategy – it’s creating a holistic experience that drives productivity, profitability, and lasting success. It’s about walking the walk, not just talking loudly and saying nothing.
Ready to explore InsideOut Marketing for your business? The Maverick Group offers tailored consultancy and recruitment services to guide you through this transformative journey. Get in touch to discover how we can help you unlock your brand’s full potential from the InsideOut.
