Does the consistency of your message matter more than the message itself? Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s definitely important. Studies have shown that sharing your message consistently can increase visibility by four times. It can also drive loyalty and revenue. Consistency also drives efficiency, which saves time, money, and frustration!
Here are five actions you can take now to drive consistency:
Prioritize your one key message. Determine the overall message that is most important to your mission and focus on it alone. Repeat this key message continually. It may seem redundant to you, but to the outside world, it’s likely not. Remember, few people live and breathe our work the way we do.
But wait! You may be thinking that picking one message ignores all the other work you do. If that’s the case, your one key message isn’t broad enough. All the work you do should serve as proof points to your one key message. For example, a community health center may offer a wide variety of services, from prenatal care to dentistry. However, all those services are proof of their overall message: The center is there to take care of the community.
Prioritize your proof points. It’s not enough to continually reinforce your one key message; you must continually reinforce a limited number of its proof points in the context of your one key message. Of all the services that your community health center offers, what three have the biggest impact? Alternatively, can they be categorized into three or four buckets? For example, the overall message is that the center is there to take care of the community. They do that by helping people create healthy foundations (e.g., prenatal care), healthy changes (e.g., smoking cessation), and healthy habits (e.g., continual check-ups and nutrition plans).
Get consensus. Depending on your organization, this step might need to be the first one. It’s an important one, no matter where it comes in the process. If a clear consensus seems elusive, get people to disagree and commit. When people feel heard, they are more likely to support something, even if they disagree with it.
Equip colleagues. Once you have prioritized your message, give your colleagues the tools to help you. These tools should include a quick reference guide for how to use your message, as well as the rationale behind it. People are much more likely to support you if they understand why it’s important.
NOTE: Your one key message also applies to your internal communication. Reinforce it inside your organization as well as out. Language is contagious!
Purge. Finally, look for the situations in which older, out-of-date, or unorganized messages exist. Pull them or reframe them within the context of your new one key message!
Remember, your goal when communicating is not to impart all knowledge to everyone all at once. It’s to tell your story gradually in a way that is authentic, compelling, and memorable.
If you need help, remember that’s why we’re here!
