I’ve just visited a business website but quickly left it utterly frustrated by the confusing messaging.
Certainly, you’ve had similar experiences with some presentations, websites, brochures, or pitches that were so overloaded with information that you just couldn’t find the point.
The business spoke about a bunch of customer problems. They mentioned a bunch of products with a bunch of features and then a bunch of ideas that they are working on. They elaborated on the company’s history, the mission, the vision, fact, stats, awards, you name it.
Basically what they did was throw all that information at you and hope that something sticks.
Essentially, they delegated the hard work of figuring out what their core message is to you.
To their audience, to their customers.
What a bad choice!
That’s work you should never delegate.
A great tool that helps you avoid this is what I like to call the “pass along phrase”. After someone listens to you or visits your website, what would they pass along to their colleagues?
That’s always short and to the point. It’s never 30 features, it’s one or max. two things.
When you have clarity on what you would like your pass along phrase to be, you can arrange your story to actually deliver it. You can decide which info is essential and which isn’t. You also know how to arrange the info cohesively so it all leads to that message.
What would your audience pass along from your communication?
