As a communications professional, you know it’s critical to target the right audiences with the right message so that your awesome, creative work doesn’t fall on deaf ears. But getting there can be a struggle – especially if other folks in the organization are not aligned on who the priority audiences should be.
Before I lead a corporate messaging session with the small- and mid-sized businesses or nonprofits I support, I ask attendees to complete an exercise in advance so they can get clear on who they believe the organization should be targeting and why. I have yet to facilitate a session where everyone is in complete agreement.
At best, they’ve all listed the same stakeholder groups and it’s just a matter of prioritizing. At worst, they’ve all envisioned someone different and we have a lot more to wade through.🧐
But the important thing is that we’re wading through it.
They’re working together to share their thoughts and opinions and ultimately agree on the groups most critical to business success. They’re getting aligned on where to best allocate their staff, time, and (usually), limited budget.
When leaders and their staff don’t have an opportunity to work through this together, the lack of alignment can lead to miscommunication, wasted budgets, and confusion. And where there is confusion, there is a lack of engagement, brand loyalty, and ultimately, sales or donations!
That’s why corporate messaging sessions are so incredibly powerful — different departments in the organization are working together to decide what to highlight to whom and why. When they understand through this process that targeting an audience requires additional planning, creativity, design, and more, the need to protect not only the budget but also company harmony becomes crystal clear.
You can facilitate this type of clarity!
In my five-month “train-the-trainer” program, Corporate Messaging for Communicators, I teach you how to lead cross-departmental messaging sessions that get everyone on the same page. You’ll learn how to guide executives and their staff through workshops that result in clear, concise, aligned messaging that can be used everywhere they communicate, market, or sell.
By honing your communication skills with a powerful framework, you’ll not only yield great messaging results, you’ll also strengthen company culture because you’ve given employees a space to have their voices heard. That kind of impact is transformative.
Join a community of impact-driven communications professionals and apply for the next cohort of Corporate Messaging for Communicators. Click here to learn all the details and to apply now.
I can’t wait to help you expand your skills, gain more confidence and show up as the strategic advisor you know you’re meant to be!