There are many moving parts that make a business succeed, from projections and revenue to marketing and social media. But the people behind these initiatives and numbers matter even more—they are the lifeblood of every objective achieved.
One indispensable team member who doesn’t always get their just due for their contributions, though, is administrative professionals (APs). With the spotlight shining on these workers during Administrative Professionals Month, it’s an ideal time to dig deep into all they bring to the corporate world.
Thanks largely to television and marketing, most of us have a notion of the employees previously called secretaries for most of the twentieth century: dutiful, superefficient assistants who spend each workday typing away, filing papers, greeting people, and answering calls. Up until around the 1930s, the position was actually largely taken up by men—however, World War II and the postwar economic boom soon necessitated more workers, and women took advantage of the opportunity to fill the role.
Shortly after, the criticalness of the job was acknowledged by two events: the founding of the National Secretaries Association in 1942 and the federal government declaring the first National Secretaries Day and Week a decade later. As a new millennium dawned, these honors were renamed Administrative Professionals Day and Administrative Professionals Week, respectively, signifying an increased awareness of these workers’ significant corporate status and function.
It’s also important to note that the actual titles under the umbrella of “administrative professional” may vary depending on responsibilities, department, and seniority. According to the American Society of Administrative Professionals’ (ASAP) 2024 State of the Profession report, there are over five hundred, with the most common being executive assistant; other frequent ones include administrative assistant, senior administrative assistant, senior executive assistant, and administrative coordinator.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are approximately 18.5 million APs, and their responsibilities generally include organizational communication, management support, and task administration—but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Per ASAP’s report, surveyed APs selected an average of twenty-two duties as part of their job functions, from purchasing office products to disseminating internal information to coordinating schedules and events. In other words, they do anything and everything necessary so that the people they support can focus on leading their respective teams and meeting their corporate goals.
And who, exactly, do they support? Much like any other profession, APs can be found at every level of an organization, though most work at the highest levels and thus have more and greater responsibilities; according to ASAP, 70 percent are the trusted assistant for a VP or higher and 50 percent for a director or above. However, it’s not always a mere one-to-one work relationship. Over half of the APs surveyed reported supporting two to nine people, with the average being five to six. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that those in these positions tend to skew older (over two-thirds are at least forty-five) and experienced (almost half have twenty or more years of experience)—yet another indicator of their professionalism and reliability as the glue that strengthens an organization.
With these team members’ significance being so evident, it is simply good business to not only show your appreciation for them but also encourage their career growth. Concerning the former, you should, at the very least, do something special for their annual dedicated day/week. But also go further with frequent gestures throughout the year to consistently demonstrate how vital they are to you and your business. For example, seek their opinions and insights in various areas, and openly communicate with them about their workloads to ensure that they feel comfortable with their responsibilities.
As for their development, sit down with them to determine the best way to support their goals. Organizations such as ASAP offer both training and certifications that can help APs in your organization stay up to date with their vocation and maximize their skills and potential, which will be a boon for them (on average, an additional $4,000 to $6,000 a year in salary) and your business. ASAP’s 2024 survey indicates that APs have already gained an average of “six to seven new technical or power skills in the past year to keep up with the changing demands of the profession.” In short, your administrators—and your company—can either keep up or get left behind. As a bonus, offering to send them to conferences and other events can be personally and professionally fulfilling, allowing them to become more ingrained in their peer community.
It’s clear that administrative professionals are vital, yet often unsung, heroes of their organizations. Appreciating and fostering those in yours, not only this month but all year long, can only benefit them and contribute to your company’s overall success.
TAKE ACTION:
Brainstorm how you can advocate for administrative professionals within your organization.
The ability to manage one’s emotions and cultivate relationships is critical in all areas of life, but it can sometimes be overlooked in the business environment. Known as emotional intelligence (EI), this asset can allow you and your employees alike to make better decisions, foster collaboration, and increase productivity at each level of your organization. In fact, a 2024 Forbes article rated EI as the most important skill for high-performing professionals to possess. For more on the value of this ability, explore this guide to its main components and how you can nurture it in yourself and your team.
First defined by American researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1990, the concept of emotional intelligence really hit the scene five years later thanks to psychologist Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. In essence, EI is simply the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage emotions, including your own and those of others. Strengthening it can make a person highly capable, giving them the ability to stay calm under pressure amid various situations and interact well with individuals, communicating and navigating conflicts like a pro. (Side note: this term is often used interchangeably with “emotional quotient” and its abbreviation, EQ.)
Emotionally intelligent individuals are frequently sought after by companies at all levels for a multitude of reasons. Their ability to exhibit empathy may allow them to build strong relationships within and outside of an organization, ultimately benefiting team dynamics and client interactions. Their exceptional people skills may also permit them to motivate others effectively toward achieving common goals, from negotiating contracts to meeting deadlines. And in high-pressure situations, these individuals can remain composed, providing a sense of calm and fostering a positive work environment for all involved.
In general, EI encompasses four main components: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skills. Each go hand in hand, requiring the development of all of them in order to become more emotionally intelligent.
Self-awareness
Perhaps the most important part of EI is being able to identify and label your own feelings. Many conflicts or issues, especially in the workplace, are caused by individuals letting their emotions drive their actions. For example, an employee may get hostile during a performance review out of defensiveness, or a manager may bring grumpiness over a disagreement at home into the office and inadvertently take it out on their team. Both leaders and employees will benefit from being able to pause, examine what they’re feeling, and identify its source, putting words to it so they can begin to understand how it’s impacting their behaviors.
Self-management
Naturally, self-awareness is just the first step. Emotional responses are impossible to prevent entirely, but by recognizing them, you can stop them from causing you to react in detrimental or inappropriate ways and instead take more positive action. This can be beneficial in all sorts of scenarios. Salespeople can better temper impatience or frustration over a difficult customer, allowing them to adjust strategically to still land the sale. Team members can develop a more open mind to facilitate better collaboration on projects. And leaders can mitigate any personal feelings to provide more objective and useful feedback to employees. All in all, self-management may effectively allow individuals to respond more consciously to strengthen communication and boost creativity and productivity across the board.
Social awareness
This component, also known as empathy, involves being sensitive to others’ feelings and experiences. It goes beyond simple kindness, enabling you to gain valuable insights into the desires and needs of others, which is crucial in any business context. For instance, putting yourself in the shoes of your clients can help you better intuit their preferences, needs, and pain points to improve your marketing. Likewise, learning to read the room in the workplace can reveal when your team is feeling a bit deflated and could use an understanding pep talk for extra motivation. On top of that, when said employees are similarly empathetic, they may be more receptive to others’ ideas and exhibit greater tact during collaborative meetings, fostering a more comfortable and productive work environment for all.
Social skills
As touched on with social awareness, feeling attuned to others’ emotions can allow you to speak and behave in a way that may better reach or influence them, increasing the chances of a desired outcome. Empathetic leaders, for one, may have better communication skills and excel at cooperation, allowing them to effectively coach and work with their team as well as represent their company at networking events to establish potentially worthwhile connections. Further, socially adept workers can more readily adjust their attitudes and behaviors to prevent needless conflict and offer assistance to their coworkers. This ability to help pull a group together can, in turn, make it easier for everyone to strive toward a common goal.
Now that you’re better acquainted with the numerous benefits of EI in business, you can actively work to both enhance it in yourself and support the development of it in your employees. As a leader, there are many ways you can improve your EI, including by connecting with a mentor. Their objective perspective may help you pinpoint your current strengths and weaknesses so you can build on the former and mitigate the latter. Another strategy for increasing self-awareness specifically is to keep a journal detailing your daily decisions, noting the emotions involved in each one so you can better understand how they impact you.
For your employees, you’ll primarily want to create a positive work environment and provide resources they can take advantage of. For instance, you could plan optional workshops on topics such as self-care and stress management or implement an employee assistance program (EAP) that offers confidential assessments, counseling, and other services to support their mental health. Or even consider fun team-building exercises they can opt into, such as games and social events, which can enable everyone to glean insights into how their coworkers think and feel.
Emotions are an unavoidable part of life, which means they are an unavoidable part of business. But if you invest in the development of emotional intelligence for the whole workforce, you can turn them into an asset that can help transform your company for the better.
TAKE ACTION:
Consider investing in EI training for yourself and your team to foster a more productive work environment.
In today’s crowded marketplace, having a great product or service is no longer enough to set your brand apart. What truly makes the difference is its story—a narrative that explains your company’s values, mission, and personality and how it came to be. When done right, this powerful tool can transform your brand from a faceless entity into something customers can relate to on a personal level. In turn, they may grow emotionally connected to it and develop a deep sense of trust and loyalty, becoming not only consistent buyers but also fierce advocates who will recommend you to others.
Discover what makes a compelling tale, how to craft one that’s unique to your business, and ways to seamlessly integrate it into your marketing to create a brand identity that sticks.
Think about it: every day, consumers are hit with an overwhelming number of marketing messages, most of which go in one ear and out the other. A well-told story, though, will stick because of its ability to tap into emotion. By incorporating dramatic descriptions, characters that provoke compassion and empathy, and compelling plotlines, such a narrative has the ability to truly engage people and connect with them on a profound level.
When it comes to your brand, this means aligning who you are with what you do to shape your identity in a way that sets you apart from your competitors. In essence, the goal is to demonstrate your business’s why. As marketing guru Neil Patel writes on his website, “Why does your business exist? . . . An answer such as ‘to make money’ is shortsighted.” You need to go deeper, he explains, to show your customers that you understand and are like them, proactively answering the question “Why should I buy from you?”
The best way to build a brand story that achieves this will depend on your industry, business type, and overall mission. You might embed your why in your origin story, vision for the future, commitment to a cause, or beliefs and values. But in all cases, the key is to elevate your brand beyond just your products or services to reveal a motive your audience can respect, relate to, and support. Take Nike, for example. Its passion for people overcoming obstacles and pushing limits is baked into its identity, and that drives millions of people to “just do it” every day. It’s not just about the sneakers—Nike is selling inspiration.
Of course, it’s not as easy as writing a statement about who your company is and slapping it onto all your messaging. To really make an impact, your brand story needs to hit a few essential notes.
Authenticity
The most effective brand stories come from a place of truth, requiring you to center yours on something that is directly reflected in your company’s history, offerings, or mission. Patagonia nails this with its commitment to sustainability—it offers to repair an item as an alternative to replacing it, donates a percentage of sales to environmental organizations, and organizes cleanup events, trail repair, and nature-focused education programs. The company’s activism is woven into everything it does, so its customers know it’s the real deal.
Conflict and resolution
You may have heard of the “hero’s journey,” a classic tale where the protagonist embarks on a quest, faces adversity, and emerges victorious. This structure taps into a universally familiar and emotionally resonant narrative, giving it a depth that draws people in and keeps them engaged.
Begin by casting either your brand or your customer as the hero. For the former, share how your company took on and conquered a challenge, whether it was solving a customer pain point, addressing a broader societal issue, or eliminating a hurdle that has plagued the industry. And for the latter, depict the consumer already achieving success or avoiding a failure, with your product or service acting as the guide or tool that helped them get there.
Consistency
If you want your story to build trust, it needs to be consistent across every channel—your website, social media, ads, customer service, and even the conduct of your employees. If there’s a disconnect between what you say and what you do, your brand will lose credibility.
Once you’ve nailed down your brand story, the next step is to make sure it’s integrated into all your marketing efforts. Here are a few ways to do so.
Website and social media
The “About” page on your website is prime real estate for storytelling. Share the origin of your business along with its mission and values, making sure to use descriptive and intriguing language. Then on social media, take opportunities—whether through posts, videos, or interactions with followers—to remind your audience of who you are, what you do, how you do it, and why. Some examples include giving behind-the-scenes looks of your company’s operations or snippets of its community activities that support the bigger narrative.
Content marketing and advertising
Blogs, longer-form videos, newsletters, podcasts, and advertising campaigns are great ways to showcase your brand story because they allow for more detailed and immersive storytelling. For instance, if your brand prioritizes innovation, consider sharing the tale of a groundbreaking product development or spotlighting the creative team behind your latest technology. Where you can, use video or images to let the people involved share their own words—authenticity will make the content more memorable.
Client feedback and real-world stories
A top avenue for telling your story is through your customers. Testimonials and case studies are powerful proof that your brand delivers on its promises, and having others recount their experiences rather than you creates a more relatable and genuine outcome. Simply peruse your online reviews for any that are highly flattering, pulling out the most effective quotes. You could also follow up to request longer conversations and videorecord their comments or use what you learn to write case studies. Whatever you choose to do, incorporate what you gather into your marketing.
In a world of endless choices, a strong brand identity built through storytelling can be your secret weapon. When you implement this tactic in your website, content marketing, social media, and customer interactions, you’ll do more than stand out—you’ll invite your customers to become part of something bigger, enticing them to continually come back for more.
TAKE ACTION:
Identify your company’s “why” in a concise statement, then consider ideas for crafting a narrative around it and conveying it to customers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luke Acree is an authority on leadership, a lead-generation specialist, and a referral expert who has helped more than 30,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their companies. He hosts Stay Paid, a sales and marketing podcast, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Foundr.com.
One of the greatest ways to coax your audience into buying your products or services is to leverage marketing content, fine-tuning the verbiage to shape your brand identity and effectively pitch what you sell. However, consumers are barraged by ads every time they look at a smart device, take a drive, or walk down a busy street. So how can you craft emails, social media posts, and print materials that hook their drifting attention? If you’re eager to supercharge your organization’s omnichannel content strategy, adapt it to an easy framework: the customer journey.
An essential sales and marketing tool, the customer journey maps your prospects’ decisions before, during, and after making a purchase. The general stages of this process are:
For a more elaborate introduction to the customer journey and a template for drafting your own version, check out this in-depth guide. Once you understand the exact ways your clients interact with your business, you can identify unique lead-conversion challenges and opportunities at each step—and proactively strategize marketing that caters to prospects based on which phase they occupy.
The bulk of your marketing content may be focused on this stage, wherein you introduce the public to your business and promote its offerings. Because these cold leads have no prior connection to you, it’s your job to speak to their needs and motivate them to make a purchase. Craft social media posts and ads with concise language that appeals to readers’ emotions and briefly illustrates who you are, what you do, and what makes your brand unique (e.g., “This software tool could be your answer to payroll stress.”). Also make sure that you customize content for each platform to boost engagement.
As for bringing organic leads to your website, take care to follow SEO best practices on all pages: write quality posts, utilize descriptive headers to ensure that they’re scannable, and incorporate searchable keywords like “personal accountant in New York.” And don’t overlook the power of blogs. Post ones that answer FAQs about your products and delve into general-interest topics, even if they only mildly pertain to your brand. For example, a landscaper could publish updates about interior design trends, wrapping up with a call to action like “Interior style trends change often, but our garden designs have long-lasting appeal—call us today.”
Once they hit the consideration stage, prospects are actively looking for solutions to their needs and are weighing your organization as an option. Send segmented emails and text messages to those who have followed embedded links to your website, downloaded white-paper content, or otherwise demonstrated an interest in your offerings. Write personalized and engaging headers like “Still Interested? So Are We” to increase their open rates.
Because leads are still assessing the benefits of purchasing from you, your goal with consideration content is to leverage persuasion. Reflect on the value people can gain from your products or services and what makes your company exceptional: low pricing, superior craftsmanship, attentive service, etc. Craft content that succinctly and convincingly promotes these perks, especially for follow-up touchpoints, and you may just reel in those leads who are on your hook.
Although consumers at this stage have already made a purchase, tailoring marketing content for them is more crucial than you may realize. Buyer’s remorse can hit quickly, so utilize verbiage that makes them feel as if they’ve been initiated into an elite club. For instance, a flyer in your product packaging could state “Welcome to [your company]. You’re on your way to surefire success!”
Most importantly, though, acquisition content should express sincere gratitude for your buyers’ patronage. Thank them in postpurchase emails or text messages immediately after they’ve handed over their money to inspire warm feelings, leaving them with an all-around positive impression of your business.
Customer service is the name of the game in this phase, during which acquired customers learn how to obtain the most value possible from their purchases. Write detailed instructions that guide them toward using your products or services effectively while driving home their benefits. Take the example of a home stereo installer, who could provide steps for pairing speakers with smart devices, understanding the remote’s functions, and troubleshooting common issues like no sound.
However, don’t make your customers feel too independent—remind them that you are always one message away to help them feel more secure in their purchases. For inspiration, consider the conclusion of home decor brand CB2’s postpurchase emails, which not only informs clients that help is available but also embeds links to pages where they can obtain instant support and browse similar products.
Every current client is at risk of becoming a former one. Price wariness, promotions from competing businesses, or even plain loss of interest could derail them from making future purchases. So it’s essential that you maintain ongoing contact, such as through text messages, emails, and mailers, to keep your business top of mind. This will guide converted clients into the engagement phase, where they remain plugged in to your messaging.
Primarily, focus on developing entertaining and intriguing content that will entice more views, follows, and interactions via likes, comments, and shares. Try leaning into humor on social media by capitalizing on a viral trend or showcasing the lighter side of your work, or craft ads that tease new products and promote temporary discounts. Keep previous purchasers hooked with attractive content, and you can “acquire” them once again.
Alongside high product quality, you need good marketing content to incentivize one-time or irregular buyers to proceed to the advocacy stage. In this culmination of the customer journey, they become steadfastly faithful to your brand over your competitors, turning into frequent shoppers and even sharing word-of-mouth referrals.
To encourage such commitment, promote loyalty programs and referral bonuses with rewards like discounts on upcoming purchases; you could also offer gifts for posting reviews on social media and Google. Broadcast these perks across your socials and in segmented emails, placing them front and center: “50% off your next consultation!” With such appealing content, you can transform acquired customers into brand advocates who make numerous purchases—and eagerly spread your message.
TAKE ACTION:
Referring to your organization’s customer journey, brainstorm omnichannel content that will be most effective at each stage.
