You respect them. You couldn’t dream of having a successful business without them. You understand their importance to your success and realize that your organization could not thrive without them. And with that in mind, you put in a great deal of effort to keep them satisfied.

At first blush, you may think this describes how you feel about your customers—and rightfully so. Every business owner knows they need to hold their customers in high esteem. However, this should also describe the way you regard your employees.

However, some business owners forget how important it is to keep their workers happy. And that’s a mistake that not only causes high turnover: Taking employees for granted means an organization is not taking advantage of one important marketing tool. The following are reasons why nurturing employee satisfaction is one of the most effective ways to market any business.

Customer service. The way employees treat your customers is generally a reflection of how management treats them. Happy workers are more likely to give great service and build a long-lasting relationship with customers. And in turn, these happy customers sing the praises of your company throughout the community and bring more business to your door.

Talent. Workers who love their job tell people about it, which gets others interested in working for you. Happy employees can help you market your business to a potential workforce, which may create a pipeline of great talent for your organization.

Reputation. Just as happy customers can help you build a good reputation in your community, unhappy employees can contribute to a bad one. Not only are they less motivated to do a good job, which results in unhappy customers, they will complain to anyone who will listen about their grievances—which can result in good talent and customers alike steering clear of your company.

Consumer preference. Employees are not the only ones concerned with how they’re treated: Studies show more and more consumers are making purchase decisions based on employee treatment. Not only are people willing to buy products sold by companies with a reputation for treating their employees well, they’re willing to spend more money on those items.

With these factors in mind, wise business owners thrive to keep both their customers and employees happy because both groups are the lifeblood of their business and a powerful marketing tool.