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As I’m sure many of you face, engaging field-based sales employees is a challenge.  One of the biggest in fact.  But I think we just might be at an interesting crossroads where the proliferation of new technology and communications are reaching a better point of alignment.  Sure, CEO and executive blogs are great, intranets are finally delivering against a long-overdue promise of effective and efficient internal communications, but what about our brothers and sisters in the field who are out there selling our products and services?

In almost every communications assessment we do, we hear that field sales employees don’t have the time or the inclination to ‘tune in’ to corporate employee communications.  So how do we break this impasse?  First you have to nail the content and in doing this help educate field sales teams about the power of corporate brand in increasing reputation and increasing their sales. But how do we break through all of the clutter when time for them is of the essence and they’re not naturally predisposed to our efforts?

It’s nice to be able to say that the answer to this question is, finally, technology – or what we’re calling mobile sales force enablement.  As we thought about this with our team and some of our partners, we’re realizing that new communications platforms such as the iPhone and Google’s new Android technology are turning up everywhere.  The proliferation – and acceptance – of these mobile communications tools is opening the door for what we can do with our messages to provide field-based sales and other remote employees with timely, concise and – usable – information that enables them to do what they do even better and more efficiently.

While I believed we were on to something, I knew we had a winner when I was preparing to leave for the airport for a business trip and I received a notice from Continental Airlines that I could now receive my boarding passes electronically on my mobile phone or PDA.  Suddenly as I headed into the field myself I knew we could use technology to make employee communications even better than before.

Not too long ago, I conducted interviews with sales and marketing leaders of a client we serve. The purpose of these one-on-one discussions was to discover the role and importance of employee communications to these segments of the employee population. As always – it’s amazing to hear what people know and are willing to tell you when you simply ask them. In the case of the sales and marketing folks, they said the following:

1. “We’re the face of the company.” Sales and marketing professionals play a unique role with the corporate brand that is often overlooked. They interact with their direct reports, with peers and with their managers and senior leaders. They also represent their organization in very critical ways with customers, communities of interest and third parties.
2. “One size doesn’t fit all.” Those who work in these areas need customized communication on changes or major developments in their company. An earnings release or general communication may not be sufficient to address the subtle issues or specific nuances. Their message: Don’t treat me like an investor or a general employee. Give me sufficient context to explain what changes or new developments may mean so that customers and others are satisfied.
3. “I’m on the move 365-24-7.” One senior sales manager told us he is relies on a PDA, a cell phone and email delivered remotely for his connection to the organization. He’s mobile all the time; with social interaction and team dialogue limited to telecommuting for people like him, we must find new delivery strategies and creative applications to keep these professionals informed, turned on and focused. Leading organizations are creating manager portals, webcasts and customized packages that can be delivered on the go to address the needs of their road warriors.
4. “I can’t interpret ‘corporate-speak.’” Too often, companies use complex and stilted language that their people simply don’t understand. At one automaker we served as a client, employees quickly deleted any message that came from “Corporate” because these messages were viewed either as being cryptic or full of jargon. Our job as employee communicators is to help translate complex plans and business objectives into simple, actionable ideas.
5. “Tell me the truth.” Out in the field, sales people operate where the “rubber meets the road” with a customer. When a client relationship comes under fire, sales people know they are on the line – personally and corporately. They need clear, compelling facts. They need storylines. They need FAQs to help equip them with real answers. They sometimes need customized training and role playing to help prepare them for difficult situations. Most of all, they need the truth.

Three years ago, we saw the emergence of a more specialized focus on creating customized employee communications models for sales and marketing professionals. Today , that trend is taking root across more industry sectors. By 2010, employee communications programs designed for specialized segments will be the norm, not the exception.