Why do companies fail, time and again, to implement strategies, programs, and initiatives? Whether it's a brand strategy, process improvement program, new technology, employee recognition program, or customer service initiative, great ideas and initiatives fail resulting in disappointment and wasted budgets.

My answer is simple:

An employee in your company has bought into your strategy when the three parts of the formula (below) -- understanding, commitment, action -- are in place. If any value is at zero, then buy-in equals zero. Plain and simple. You do not have buy-in unless all three components are achieved.



When I began formulating the structure of my book, I paid a visit to Jack Trout, a well-respect author and expert on the subject of brand positioning. Trout coined the term "positioning" as we know it in the business world today. Trout remains a sought-after speaker and consultant, having now written many books on the subject of marketing, positioning, and branding.

Trout was very intrigued with the Achieve Brand Integrity book for one reason -- the concept of gaining buy-in.

I asked Trout to share with me his thoughts on implementation: "Jack, how many of your clients actually implement the strategies you create for them?" Having worked with so many clients, he wasn't likely to give me a specific answer and of course, he didn't.

Trout said, "The majority of my clients are challenged to implement for one reason -- egos! If you can find a way to overcome the egotism inside a company, then you really have something special."

Well, in collaboration with some of the best companies in the world, my team and I have created something very special.
We have proven if you stay committed to the principles of clearly set expectations and employee participation, egos get put aside and powerful brand/cultural alignment becomes a reality.

Buy-in doesn't happen over night. You need to set realistic expectations for yourself and your company. Obviously there are internal and external factors impacting the speed of buy-in (e.g. industry, company size, state of business, etc.), but below is a model for helping to position you to set realistic expectations for employee buy-in.