Does your message survive the handoff?
Like, when you’re not in the room, how do they speak about it?
That’s what so many leaders get wrong about communication.
It’s not clear when you say it.
It’s clear when they can repeat while you’re not in the room.
Whenever I ignored this, I set up my idea for failure.
Sure, I made it sharp, simple, and unmistakably clear.
But for myself.
Not for them.
And that’s where things went wrong.
Because when someone else had to explain it …
it wasn’t my message anymore.
They got the point slightly wrong.
The nuance was lost.
The energy faded.
By the time it reached the next person, it barely resembled what I had said.
That’s why, to me, clarity is more than logic.
It’s not about making people understand.
Or finding words that make sense
It’s about finding words they’re able to pass on:
- intact,
- unchanged,
- and still compelling.
Startups run into this all the time. The founder has the charisma. But if the team, the customers, or the investors can’t pass it on, the idea fades.
Obsess over the words your team can easily repeat.
Because if you don’t, others will.
And perhaps in ways you won’t like.
The idea morphs – and often fades.
Successful ideas travel.
They move through what I like to call the pass-along phrase.
A line so clear and crisp that people repeat it without thinking.
If your message isn’t designed to spread, it stops with you.
So, what’s the one phrase they’ll carry forward, exactly as you intended?
I’ve made a little cheat sheet to help you get clarity on your pass-along phrase. Download it for free on my resources page.
Keep lighting the path!