What happens is that an existing team member is given the job of leading and managing the internal marketing.

That person is usually internet, smartphone and social media savvy, has an open mind and is willing (cheeky) enough to engage patients and ask them for selfies, check-ins, reviews and video testimonials and articles for the email newsletter.

No big prizes for guessing that Millennials usually fit the bill (technically, age 17-37).

So they come to my workshops, meet their peers, get all fired up and, back at work, they start to get marketing things done (much to my delight).

A while later, I get the email that says they are struggling with the attitude of some of their fellow team members.

“I still do reception/nursing/TCO/management – but when I’m doing marketing, everybody thinks I’m just upstairs, playing with my laptop”.

Playing with my laptop.

So the initial enthusiasm is replaced by the anxiety of being gossiped about and alienated by the rest of the team.

The internal marketing then slows down.

This annoys me on multiple levels but the simple business case is that I’m working with clients who have been relentlessly maintaining their internal marketing for a year or more and they are reporting back up to 50% growth in new patient enquiries WITH NO ADDITIONAL SPEND.

So can I make a suggestion to the Principals who might be reading this post, having internally promoted someone to marketing champion?

Watch out for the bitch-fest – keep an eye and an ear out for it and, if it happens, nip it in the bud.

Better still – get the team together when you start internal marketing and explain that when the marketing champion is at work, she isn’t “playing on her laptop” – she is doing more to help build everybody’s future job security than any digital advertising agency, poster campaign or business coach could ever do.

p.s. If you are an existing or budding marketing champion – hang in there – I believe in you.

Rant over – thank you.