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#103 Transforming Workplace Culture with Kerry Gilliam

“To help a company create a workplace culture where employees love to come to work… you’ve got to tap into their emotions and sentiments.” -Kerry Gilliam
Kerry Gilliam has more than 25 years of experience in enterprise technology and is currently the Head of Customer Success & Marketing at Most Loved Workplace. She is passionate about crafting solutions that solve real-world business problems. During her career, she has also held leadership roles at Jobvite, Talemetry, Page Up, PeopleFluent, Infor, Dun & Bradstreet Software, and Navigar Consulting across marketing, product management, and customer support. She holds an MBA and is also PMP certified. Join us as we delve into leadership training, customer success, and authentic marketing strategies in this interview.

About the Episode

Welcome to the NTM Growth Marketing Podcast! Today, we are thrilled to have Kerry Gilliam, a pivotal figure at the Best Practice Institute, joining us. Kerry heads up customer success and marketing at this revolutionary leadership training organization. In this post, we’ll delve deep into her experiences, the ethos of her company, and valuable insights on the intersection of customer success and marketing.

About Best Practice Institute and Kerry’s Role

The Best Practice Institute (BPI) is not just another leadership training organization. It is the bedrock behind “Most Loved Workplace,” an initiative aimed at transforming workplace cultures across the globe. Kerry Gilliam, who oversees customer success and marketing, shares the mission of BPI:

“Our founder and CEO, Louis Carter, an organizational psychologist, discovered through years of research that to create a workplace culture where employees love coming to work, you need to tap into their emotions and sentiments. Thus, the ‘Most Loved Workplace’ index was born.”

The Driving Force: Louis Carter

Louis Carter’s research underpins BPI’s efforts. As an organizational psychologist, Carter unearthed the importance of emotional connection in fostering an engaging workplace. This led to the creation of the Most Loved Workplace index, a construct dedicated to identifying and nurturing positive workplace cultures.

A Day in the Life of Kerry Gilliam

Working at BPI is fast-paced and ever-evolving. Kerry’s day is a whirlwind of customer meetings, strategizing marketing initiatives, and partner discussions. Here’s a glimpse into her daily routine:

  • Customer Meetings: Regular interactions with clients looking to get certified as a Most Loved Workplace.
  • Marketing Leadership: Overseeing all marketing activities, from digital campaigns to event planning.
  • Partner Collaborations: Constant communication with partners to refine offerings and broaden reach.

Kerry describes her role as a blend of customer success and marketing, encapsulating the essence of BPI’s customer-centric approach.

Customer Centricity in Marketing

Kerry’s dual role enables a deeper connection with customers, directly influencing marketing strategies. She explains:

“By having customer success and marketing under one umbrella, we gain real-time insights into what our customers care about. This allows us to fine-tune our messaging, services, and offerings.”

Diving Deeper with Customers

Understanding customer needs goes beyond asking if they want to buy more or refer friends. It involves:

  • Value Identification: Gauging the significance of Most Loved Workplace certification for talent management.
  • Metric Evaluation: Whether it’s talent retention or acquisition, understanding the strategic impact is crucial.

Kerry emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to unearth genuine customer insights.

Core Marketing Principles and Philosophy

Several guiding principles shape BPI’s marketing strategy:

  1. Customer Centricity: Everything revolves around the customer.
  2. Authenticity: Genuine interactions and research-backed initiatives.
  3. Rapid Experimentation: Trying new strategies quickly and adjusting based on results.
  4. Continuous Improvement: Monthly reviews of all marketing activities to identify areas for enhancement.

Engaging All Team Members

A unique aspect of BPI’s approach is the shared responsibility across the marketing team. Regardless of specific roles, everyone contributes ideas and observations, fostering a collaborative environment.

Leadership and Tenure in Marketing

Kerry addresses the startlingly short tenure of Fortune 500 CMOs, often less than 24 months. She suggests:

“It’s vital to understand what matters to the CEO and align marketing efforts accordingly. Marketing can mean many things—data-driven insights, brand vision, lead generation. Ensuring a good fit with the company’s expectations is key.”

Building Bridges with CEOs

Effective communication with CEOs involves:

  • Understanding Priorities: Knowing what’s crucial for the CEO and the board.
  • Simplifying Metrics: Explaining marketing terms in straightforward language.
  • Building Relationships: Regular, clear communication fosters trust and alignment.

Embracing Innovation: The Role of AI

Discussing innovation, Kerry shares mixed feelings about AI. While recognizing its efficiency in accelerating processes, she warns against over-reliance on AI-generated content:

“AI can quickly generate content, but it often lacks depth and quality. It’s a useful tool, but we must ensure the final output meets our standards.”

AI and Personalized Marketing

AI’s potential for personalization in marketing is undeniable. Delivering the right message at the right time can significantly enhance customer engagement and conversion rates.

Looking Forward: Marketing in 2024

Kerry’s vision for the future centers on building tighter relationships with customers and leveraging advocacy marketing:

“Customer testimonials and success stories are incredibly powerful. We’re focusing on helping our customers become heroes, sharing their achievements to bolster both their credibility and ours.”

Making Customers Heroes

BPI emphasizes the importance of highlighting customer success stories. By helping customers articulate their wins, BPI strengthens relationships and increases its influence when these customers progress in their careers.

Conclusion

BPI is redefining workplace culture through research-backed, customer-centric strategies. Kerry Gilliam’s insights provide a roadmap for creating a workplace where employees love to work, driven by continuous improvement, innovation, and authentic customer relationships.

If you enjoyed this deep dive into the Best Practice Institute, don’t forget to subscribe to the NTM Growth Marketing Podcast for more episodes featuring industry leaders!

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