UpShift Culture. Aligning your company culture with the needs of an increasingly diverse customer can differentiate your business from its competitors and draw in a larger audience. The UpShift Culture Certification will help participants identify their current culture and develop goals and tactics to become more inclusive. In addition, this certification provides communication and marketing tools that will align an inclusive culture with the company’s brand. By completing this certification, businesses will learn to implement cultural awareness into their day to day business, engage with a diverse population online and in turn attract new customers and increase sales.
Session 1: Create an Inclusive Culture
Session Instructors:
Martha E. Rader, Ph.D.
McCeil Johnson, J.D.
Whether you want to create a more female friendly environment, understand agism, Gen Z or engage the LGBTQ community, culture is key. In order to reach your intended goal, it is important to first understand your current culture, identify needed changes, examine bias, and determine anticipated outcomes.
This class will educate participants on the wants and needs of the diverse population in our nation. Participants will understand current trends and community expectations. It will then dive into an understanding of your current culture, and inclusivity model, and guide participants through setting goals to create a more inclusive culture.
Outcomes:
- Soar Analysis of currency business culture
- Development of SMART Goals to create an inclusive culture
- Tactics and tools to create and reach a diverse customer base
- Improvement of diverse employee retention
Session 2: Inclusive Communication
Session Instructors:
Claire Calhoun, MS
Using inclusive communication with your team members is essential to building an internal culture that is progressive and attractive to all intended audiences. Internal inclusive communication develops a positive work environment and in turn increases productivity. Inclusive communication in marketing and branding tactics, both internally and externally is essential to building a brand and culture that draws a diverse audience.
By incorporating these tools into your company identity, customers will see your brand as progressive and inviting.
By using team building skills and listening strategies, you will attract new employees and increase productivity in your current team. Launching an internal communication plan that focuses on inclusivity is key when attempting to build an inclusive culture. Externally, strategic public relations, social media and communication you can attract new customers to your business and change the image of your brand.
This workshop will explore your organization’s current culture and identify areas where inclusive communication techniques can improve the culture’s quality. Participants will gain applicable tools for internal inclusive communication. In addition, they will understand the development of an internal communication plan and the basics to external inclusive communication. External tactics will include the basics of media relations and earned media coverage along with social media campaigns and implementing your certification into the culture of the business.
Outcomes:
- Identification of current organizational culture
- Tools to improve inclusive internal communication
- Internal communication culture shift
- Development of an internal communication plan
- Understanding of earned media coverage
and media relations - Tools to implement UpShift Culture Certification into external marketing and daily business activities
Session 3: Attract a Diverse Customer Base
Session Instructors:
Claire Calhoun, MS
Martha E. Rader, Ph.D.
All communication is a reflection of your brand. When implementing a new tactic or campaign to attract a new customer base it is important to start by cleaning up your house. Training your team on strategic customer communication is essential to reinforcing your brand message. You have to walk the walk to talk-the-talk.
Training team members on inclusion is important but teaching them how to implement this communication is what will generate results. Whether your team is communicating face to face, via the phone, email or web the message must be consistent with your brand message and attractive to a diverse customer base. This class will focus on a variety of communication methods and how to best reach the intended audience.
Outcomes:
- A strong understanding of active listening and sales approaches
- Engagement of online customers and an increase in brand awareness
- Development of a team approach to inclusion of a diverse customer base
- Positive web-based reviews and an increase in SEO
- Increased sales through relationship building
Session 4: Engaging Customers with Digital Marketing
Session Instructors:
Claire Calhoun, MS
Donna M Wagner, MBA/MAAP
If you are not connecting with your customer before they arrive at your business, you probably will not win their business. Over the past several years, the automotive market has seen a huge change in the purchasing process of most customers. Clients no longer arrive at a dealership or service center without knowledge. They have done their research and are prepared to make a purchase when they arrive.
Research is gathered online through reviews, word of mouth and brand awareness. Customers have determined where and how they want to spend their money based on a relationship that is developed online. Humanizing digital communication is key to connection and building that relationship. Customers want to know your story and believe in the business they are supporting. This class will teach you how to reach that customer, connect with that customer and in turn close a sale before they even enter your place of business.
Outcomes:
- Development of a large reach to online customers
- An understanding of customer behavior online using analytics
- Development of a message that reaches a more diverse market
- Development of a strong brand position leading to a loyal customer base
- Increased online sales and inquiries