Application of Internal and Relationship Marketing Strategies

Globally, organisations strive to establish and retain durable competitive advantages in a dynamic economic environment characterised by intense rivalry and more complex client demands. Human resources are one of these competitive advantages since they are in short supply, expensive, and hard to duplicate. Therefore, while organisations strive to get external customers, they need to ensure that the internal customers (staff) are contributing maximally. Poor relationships among employees can negatively affect operational excellence. Relationship marketing attempts to establish, grow, and maintain successful exchange connections with the Company's internal and external partners. It signifies the transition of businesses from a transactional and offensive focus to a relational and defensive orientation. Internal marketing is a specific tool for managing the relationship that exists between an organisation and its employees. Applying internal and relationship marketing strategies in an organisation will help drive accountability and joint ownership leading to operational excellence.