Lately, I’ve come across entrepreneurs and sales professionals who, although passionate about what they do or the service they provide, fail to deliver a concise message. The first step in any sales process is connecting with your audience or prospects with your message. If this step doesn’t go well, it is likely there wouldn’t be another step.
How do you create a message? First, let’s explore what a message is. In our sales bootcamps and coaching sessions, I breakdown a sales message in two parts:
- The Content: What is the point of the message? What do you want the audience to get from this message? The key here is to be as concise as possible but descriptive enough that it is clear to the audience. The old saying “keep it simple” is crucial here.
- The Delivery: Who is the audience? What is the platform – email, social media, networking event, 1st call, presentation, marketing collateral? The platform with which the message is delivered dictates the length, tone and call to action or next steps contained in the message.
Now that we’ve covered the parts of any message, let’s look at the keys to a great message regardless of the platform:
- Be Concise: This point cannot be stressed enough. You want to give just enough information to get attention and interest, but not overrun the conversation or bore the audience. Make sure the message is understood.
- Be Relevant: Understand your target audience and make sure the message resonates with your ideal market place. Be focused on the value to the audience i.e. why they should listen to your message.
- Be Connected: People need to connect emotionally and psychologically to the message for them to act immediately or remember your message to act at a future date/time. This goes together with being relevant. Case studies, when appropriate, are helpful here because they help the audience “see” themselves in the scenario the case study highlights.
- Be Consistent:
This aspect of a message is crucial especially with larger organizations or organizations
with remote teams. Nothing is more heartbreaking than hearing one thing from
leadership and other variations from Marketing, Sales or Operations.
This is perhaps the most important aspect of creating a message.
How then do you go about making sure the message is consistent across the organization? It starts with the company’s purpose tied with leadership’s vision. The purpose is never-changing, therefore, as processes change, new competencies are developed or the platforms to deliver the message change over time, the core message stays the same.
The next step is identifying the ideal client/service base to define the need or problem the company is solving. Lastly, bring in Marketing and Sales to create the message and the rest of the organization to embody the message. These steps require effort but will be well worth the time.
Ultimately, the message should be the same internally throughout the organization. Externally, the core of the message must be the same, but with a slight variation depending on the delivery platform.
Need help creating your message? Have inconsistent messaging across your organization? Reach out, let’s talk: info@TheCommissionInternational.com