THE ANNUAL REPORT: SELLING TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

Many companies and organizations spend an excessive amount of time annually preparing, reviewing, confirming and establishing the financial numbers and images required to satisfy their shareholders and superiors.

A company’s management has the responsibility for preparing the company’s financial statements and related disclosures. The company’s outside independent auditor then subjects the financial statements and disclosures to an audit. Interest in the bottom-line details come from analysts and accountants as they may fill a role that requires oversight, whether from a political or stock market emphasis. Data should be as much a part of the design as any other piece in your Annual Report.

Understanding the numbers is serious business - and most employees do not pay enough attention to the changes of fortune that their employer has shared publicly. Certain private-owned enterprises do not broadcast their insight into business activities, and the ‘guesstimate’ of revenue growth or decline needs to be properly deduced from sources close to the originator. In the public world, the glossy publication released by many of the Crown Corporations paints a rainbow picture of operational control, stability, and good fortune. A report can elicit an emotional response, moving people to action. The manner of production and layout can appear intimidating to try and decipher or understand the vagueness of the terms and insinuation that the management group has the upper hand in business transactions. Self-congratulatory phrases can be read inside these pages by the executive as they impress the Board of Directors with their wisdom, guidance, and action. Not everyone is fooled or influenced by the paragraphs of content cleverly written and used extensively. Inside companies an opportunity exists for sharing of the fortune that each organization experiences throughout the calendar year.

The best Annual Reports can do the impossible – engage shareholders, inspire employees and win loyal fans. This can be performed simply by educating employees within voluntary lunch-and-learn sessions or included in regular training programs. The physical future of the company lies within the personnel present and the interest shown in their marketplace. By opening eyes and explaining how the products or services being produced are sold, advertised or marketed across the global regions and the financial risk currently taking place daily.

Austria Solar – a solar energy company produced a ‘blank’ Annual Report that required the power of the sun using specially formulated inks that remain invisible until sunlight falls on the pages. Bold, minimalist graphics appear in a flash that communicates creatively what the brand is about. UHAUL designed their Annual Report to look like a packing box with images and THIS SIDE UP on the front page.

Knowledge is power - and by opening the vaults on this aspect of the economic position, management can win over new supporters as they appreciate the intensity of thought and action undertaken by the sales team and marketing departments. The presentation content is easily digested, and by keeping it simple, the resources will be able to upgrade their participation in progressive output when the call comes for action. Exposure of the details can be viewed negatively or positively by workers and investors. For unions representing the employees, the figures make for good negotiating discussion around the bargaining table. For investors, the quantity of capital available to pay dividends or acquire new businesses and include in the company’s portfolio of firms is valuable and consistent with recognizing commercial prospects. Create something unique to your brand that reinforces your business message – staff and customers will love you for it.