What's the real secret to how internal communications can show it's value to leadership and their organization? Return on Investment (ROI). In this presentation, we'll walk you through the Why, What, How and When of ROI for internal comms.

1. The Why, What,
How and When of
ROI
Sara Jackson &
Tarek Kamil
ALI July 21, 2020

2. Sara Jackson
Internal Comms Pro
2
Internal comms evangelist using events,
teaching, & podcasting to collectively raise the
value of the internal comms industry.
Reach me at:
▪ www.internalcommspro.com
▪ sara@internalcommspro.com
▪ Twitter @pixiedustsara
▪ LinkedIn Sara Jackson

3. Tarek Kamil
CEO, Cerkl
3
Software engineer who loves math, A.I., big
data. “How can we use technology to make the
world a better place?”
Reach me at:
▪ www.cerkl.com
▪ tarek@cerkl.com
▪ Twitter @tarekkamil
▪ LinkedIn Tarek Kamil

4. 1.
WHY
SHOULD I
CARE
ABOUT ROI?
You’ll “value” this
answer.
4

6. VALUE
ROI is the key to showing the value of what you do. How do you add value to the business?
6

7. 2.
WHAT IS
ROI?
It’s easier than you
think.
7

8. ROI:
the
financial
benefit to the
company
vs cost of the
initiative.

9. Gain - Cost
Cost
X
100
Hint: ROI is reported as a
percentage.

10. Hurdle Rate:
The minimum
ROI acceptable
by the
company.
(get this from
Finance)

11. 3.
HOW DO
YOU USE IT?
It’s easier than you
think.
11

12. This is how your friends
in marketing speak...

13. This campaign
drove $2 million in
sales for an ROI of
300%.

14. $2 million - $500k
$500k = 300% ROIx 100

15. “3
Legged
Stool”
- Natalie
Guzman
Internal Comms
Pro Podcast S3E1
Innovation requires more than an
idea. Secure buy-in BEFORE
approaching finance. Use ROI to
secure buy-in.
15
HR IT
Internal
Comms

16. “
The CFO never argues to
the left of the equal sign.
- Jay Shelton
Internal Comms Pro Podcast S3E2
16

17. 4.
WHEN DO
YOU USE IT?
Show me the money!
17

18. Any time you are 1 step away from dollar savings.
Some examples:
When to
calculate ROI
Open Enrollment
The value of each employee enrolling
for benefits is $X/year.
18
Customer Satisfaction
Every point increase in customer
satisfaction is worth $X/year to the
company.
Employee Time
Saving our employees Y minutes per
month is worth $X/year to the
company.
Reducing Errors
Every percentage reduction in errors
is worth $X/year to the company.

19. Let’s take a look at some examples...
19

20. The Scenario:
Digitize Your Employee Newsletter

21. Let’s calculate the ROI...

22. Agency Design $20,000
Printing $15,000
Mailing $20,000
Staff Time $8,000
TOTAL $53,000
COST TO PRINT 4 NEWSLETTERS PER YEAR
Agency Design $2,000
Staff Time $24,000
TOTAL $26,000
COST TO EMAIL 12 NEWSLETTERS PER YEAR

23. 53,000 - 26,000 = 27,000
27,000 / 26,000 (Cost)
=
1.038
X
100
= 103.8% ROI

24. The Scenario:
Intranet upgrade

27. “I’m
drowning.
I don’t have
time for this.”
Your Day
Map out your current day
or week. Identify where
you and your team are
spending your time.
Color code the following:
▪ Strategic planning
▪ Content creation
▪ Meetings
▪ Responding to
email
▪ Creating
newsletters
▪ Analyzing data
Tools to Automate
Identify areas of work
where duplication efforts
are present. These are
hints of areas that can be
automated.
▪ Meetings
▪ Content
Distribution
▪ Content Calendar
▪ Newsletters
▪ Templates
▪ Measurement
▪ Reports/Dashboar
ds
Teach to Fish
Set up an internal comms
toolbox to empower
other departments.
▪ Resource Guide
▪ Photo Library
▪ Service Delivery
▪ Establish levels
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28. Resources The following free resources are provided by Cerkl and Internal
Comms Pro.
Cerkl Resource to calculate ROI:
▪ ROI Real-time Calculator
▪ Downloadable ROI Spreadsheet
ICPro Podcast Episodes:
▪ Demystify Internal Communication ROI: Secrets from a CFO
▪ The Perfect Trifecta
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29. Thank you very much
for your time!
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If you have any questions about anything
in this presentation, please don’t hesitate
to reach out to Sara or Tarek.