If you've clearly envisioned your brand and have just read about the three groups of brand ambassadors your company could have, you're probably eager to build your own corps, but where to begin?

A first step to creating your own corps of brand ambassadors is to assess your company today: its mission and vision, its image and standing, its culture and the quality of customer interactions. This can be hard work; it's not easy to see that the mission and vision of a company are just words on a plaque somewhere, or that when you call one of your stores as a mystery shopper your sales representatives are curt and uninformed. It might be easier to not know those things. A comprehensive assessment of the state of your brand and your employees is the first step. Mystery shopper experiments, surveys, in-the-field interviews with employees and customers are all a part of this research effort. This step is especially crucial because armed with this information, you'll be able to create a training program that's as effective and efficient as possible, and that speaks to your employees in their language, from their starting point.

Depending upon the state of your business, you may need to re-up employees or customers, get them invested in your company and its goals again. Sometimes this takes airing dirty laundry. If employees have been disgruntled for years and you expect them to be brand ambassadors, it's time for them to unload their complaints. It might not be pretty. Giving employees avenues for feedback and communication is one of the most effective ways to end complaining. Show employees that they don't have to complain to their co-workers about their managers; provide avenues for feedback without reprimand. Open the lines of communication. Create anonymous feedback boxes and public, online bulletin boards. They will go a long way toward creating an active corps of brand ambassadors for your company.

Many companies are finding it useful to "create" and collect their stories: their history, anecdotes and examples, in story form, that exemplify best practices, jobs well done and the company's values, brand and mission. Stories provide compelling, moving identities and ideas around which groups can rally and unify. Consider them your allies in building your brand. Research and write them well.

Once employees are on-board, institute a systematized training program that will provide them everything they need to do their jobs well, and the same every time. Arm them with knowledge and outstanding collateral materials. Help them prepare for tough customer questions and complaints. Preparation is the key to success. A prepared employee is a good brand ambassador, because he or she can create countless customer brand ambassadors.

Any training program used must have two parts and be exactly the same across the entire enterprise: first, it must impart valuable knowledge about the company and product. Second, it must provide a space for employees to practice using what they've learned. People learn best by doing. Have them use their knowledge over and over before they try it out on customers, and before they've forgotten it.

Finally, evaluate your progress. Mystery shop again. Make sure employees are walking and talking the brand. Repeat training as necessary. Open the lines of communication with customers, too, to discover what works and what doesn't work. Do more of what works, less of what doesn't. And watch the happy customers, referred by other happy customers, roll in.

Creating your own corps:

1. Clearly envision your goal. Establish the future state before you begin.

2. Current state assessment. Assess your company today: its mission and vision, its image and standing, its culture and the quality of customer interactions. This may get ugly, but it's worth it.

3. Clean out the closets. Give employees and customers opportunities to air their dirty laundry. You cannot build on uncommunicated complaints and resentments.

4. Re-enlist your ambassadors. Enroll employees and customers alike in the vision you have for your company, your brand. Good marketing and advertising can go a long way here.

5. Training and development. Institute a training program that will provide employees with everything they need to do their jobs well, and the same every time. Arm them with knowledge and outstanding collateral materials. Help them prepare for tough customer questions and complaints. Preparation is the key to success.

6. Evaluate. Evaluate your progress. Mystery shop again. Make sure employees are walking and talking the brand. Repeat training as necessary. Do more of what works, less of what doesn't.