6 steps to help your organization communicate what it does

How to develop consistent and unique key messages

Do you ever find yourself thinking – wow, my colleagues, bosses and I all describe our organization, work and priorities completely differently?! You aren’t alone – this is a common challenge in companies, nonprofits and even governments, big and small.

The best way to start unifying how you, your coworkers and even your superiors talk about your work is to brainstorm your organization’s key messages.

WHY your ORGANIZATIONS needs Key Messages

Before I get to the “how,” here is the “why.” You might be thinking, does this really matter? So what if we’re all talking about our work differently?

The goal is to speak with a consistent and unique “voice” that supports your business goals and differentiates you from the competition. Everyone in the company should use this “voice” on every channel – from the CEO’s conference presentation to a new trainee describing the company to their friends and family. That doesn’t mean you have to use the same exact words to describe what you do to board members and your grandmother – but the messages will be the same.

This helps your business stand out, and everyone from prospective clients to your employees understand what you do, and why it matters.

6 steps to develop and use key messages:

1. Identify 3-5 main topics your organization focuses on that you think will win you new business. This is easiest with a small group of senior staff/managers from various departments.
2. In a larger group (from different departments and levels of seniority), brainstorm key phrases and words you think should be included in your key messages. Here’s a example of what a brainstorm could look like on Jamboard, my favorite tool for digital brainstorms.  Your ideas should be:
   • Aligned with your mission, business plans and strategic goals
   • Unique to your firm
   • Convincing and credible
   • Simple (with little jargon or acronyms)
   • Memorable (easy to recall and repeat)
   • Concise
3. A strong communicator (such as a PR/communications colleague) needs to sift through the brainstorm and formulate 1-3 sentences for max. 3 key messages per topic. They should be relatable (written in active voice), and follow the suggestions above.
4. Have your small group of senior managers/staff members review and approve the key messages.
5. Present your key messages to the larger group. Make sure they are easy to say and remember. Refine if needed.
6. The real work begins! Share these messages within your organization – interactive approaches work best – and integrate them in your external communications (e.g. website, blog, social media accounts, media appearances and conference talks).

Need help crafting and disseminating your messages?

Barber Communications helps organizations define their key messages and integrate them into external communications. Get in touch if you’re interested in communicating strategically about your work and don’t know where to start, or need help along the way.