THE IMPORTANCE OF A KEY MESSAGING GUIDE
Words to Thrive By
Your business has a story. It’s what differentiates you from the competition. Finding the most powerful version of your story can be a challenge—so is controlling how it’s told. Your sales reps may say one thing, your marketing team another. And the external world may believe a version of your story that’s entirely wrong. Whether you’re a start-up or an established company with global reach, having the right story, and telling it in a consistent way across all mediums, is vital to building success.
That’s where a Key Message Guide comes in.
A Key Messaging Guide distills your company’s story into inspiring language. Whether for marketing, sales, or even customer service, you tell your story in a powerful way and own your differentiators. You can influence how your customers think and act—about your company, your products, and the industry as a whole.
So what’s the first step to creating a Key Messaging Guide?
Take A Deep Dive
Your own employees and sales reps have direct contact with your customers. That’s why it’s important to listen to what they say to your clients—and to make sure everyone’s saying the right thing the same way.
By performing a detailed discovery process, you’ll discover where your company and brand currently stand. If you’re a new company, the discovery process will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Through the discovery process, you:
- Learn from the past. Review all assets, including campaigns, videos, brochures,emails, conference collateral, and more. What’s working, and what’s not.
- Identify your knowledge leaders. Interview them for their perspective on your company and products.
- Study your customer interactions. Analyse your sales pitch, sales challenges and goals, and resulting customer questions.
- Listen to your front line. Talk to your sales reps about customers in real situations.
- Reach out. Consult your customers. What are they saying, what are their questions, what are they asking for, and what are their pushbacks?
- Go wider. Research your competition and their messaging.
Once you understand the lay of the land, you’ll be able to develop what you want to say— and how best to say it.
Spark Interest
With the discovery process complete, your company’s key stakeholders can come to a consensus on your company or product’s most important messages. If you want to change the industry narrative, the Key Message Guide can serve as the foundation for a completely new conversation.
You’ll want your key messages to:
- Be simple—hone 3-5 key messages that are short, specific and engaging.
- Answer client problems by showing how your company or product solves them.
- Appeal to the emotions of your audience so they care.
- Be focused. Create specific versions of your messaging for different target audiences.
Now that you have a concise, inspiring Key Messaging Guide, it’s time to put it to work.
Inspire Action
Your Key Messaging Guide helps ensure everyone says the same thing, all the time, across all forms of media. A consistent message helps your customers clearly understand how you can solve their challenges.
With your Key Messaging Guide, you can easily create:
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- Sales pitches
- Presentations
- Marketing brochures
- Website copy
- Social media posts
Concise Consistency Creates Connections
A thoughtful, powerful Key Messaging Guide can help you differentiate yourself in a crowdedmarketplace and become an expert in your field. It’s a vital tool for changing opinions, shifting the conversation, and connecting to customers—all which drives success.
For more information on how your business can create powerful messaging, visit us at: www.peopleproductions.com/key-messaging-guide
Differentiate Yourself with a Key Messaging Guide.
Get more information on how your business can create powerful messaging.
Ready to get started? Get a free consult.
Call Don Poe at 303-449-6086 or email don.poe@peopleproductions.com, or fill out the form below and we’ll contact you.
