This is the time of year when marketing initiatives are being hatched and launched. Many of you will be relying on your foot soldiers (front-line employees, customer service representatives, sales force, etc.) to carry out the plan and bring back the bounty. For most of us, our employees play a pivotal role in our marketing success or our marketing failure. They’re the ones who interact with our customers.

So why is it that when we’re about to launch a new marketing effort, the employees are often the last to know? Many times, they’ll see your TV spot on the air or find a direct-mail piece in their own mailbox and think, “Hmm, I didn’t know we were doing this!” That’s crazy, but it happens every day.

If your marketing team does not have a system in place to always introduce your efforts internally first, you need to create one. Think of it as an informal training opportunity and a pep rally rolled into one. Nothing feels better to employees than being clued in – made to feel like an insider. Once you make them feel included, they’re going to be much more interested in learning what you need them to know, to deliver on your marketing promise. Don’t just show them the communications tool – explain the whys and hows behind the project. Then get them excited about it. Help them see the potential results if you’re all successful. Most important, help them see how they can play a role in achieving the results you all want.

This is a simple, no-cost fix that will reap you many a reward. Don’t dismiss it.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.