relentlessPR

Last year, I met with a leadership team that consisted of the principals of a privately held, national firm who were interested in fine-tuning their key messages. Specifically, the key messages that would help separate themselves from their competitors in the eyes of prospects during a new business presentation. Sound familiar?

I asked the group to indulge me in an exercise. Rather than try to craft key messages, I asked them to tell me the three things they’d like a prospect to conclude about their company and to consider what it would take to accomplish this. The reaction was great. They immediately grasped the difference between key messages (what they would say about themselves) and creating a total framework for the prospect so that the prospect would reach the desired conclusions about the company. The approach transformed the way the firm presented to its prospective clients.

For example, if you want your prospect to conclude that you’re creative, saying so isn’t going to cut it. The audience needs to experience your creativity in every aspect of your interaction. Don’t say you’re strategic; instead, demonstrate your strategic thinking. Some people assume if you don’t tell your audience your good, then they’re going to miss it. The fact is, when you tell them you’re good, the audience (more often than not) is likely to conclude that you’re not as good as you think you are.

Trust your audience. Think in terms of conclusions, not messages and you’ll be the big winner for it.