The Information Age is suffering from too much information.
Between the constant chatter on social media and Americans’ disintegration of civil discourse, trying to be heard can be downright discouraging.
You can’t control the noise or avalanche of information. But you can control what you say and do – individually or on behalf of your organization. This begins with the basics. The foundation of all communication is a solid message platform.
Typically, you should have three messages. An excellent way to start is to answer the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why should anyone care?
This simple exercise should get you thinking about how you present your company or organization to the outside world. You can form three buckets from this based on a specific message or theme.
Don’t overthink this. All the details and facts can be listed underneath each message to serve as “proof points” to lend credibility to your messages.
Once your team has agreed on the messaging, it must be inserted into all communications – written, digital, visual, or verbal.
Remember, messages are not scripts meant to be memorized. They are themes that need to be internalized and presented in ways that are compelling. One trick is to fold your messages into stories or anecdotes that punctuate what you are trying to convey.
Remember that less is more. So, embrace and shape your messages in as many ways as possible – always sticking to the three or so you establish.
You can’t control the outside world, but you have a better chance of being heard with a disciplined approach.
