Rediscovering why: declutter your comms

We live in a world with a lot of communication.

We’ve gone from being exposed to about 500 advertisements a day back in the 1970s to as many as 5,000 a day today.

It consumes our mailbox, our inbox, our phone notifications, our highways and by-ways, our stores, our TV, our radio…..you get the picture.

There are a lot of messages out there.

And the problem is not restricted to the external.

In our organisations the more we grow, the more complicated we become. Our infrastructure becomes more complicated, our service or product offering can become complicated, and more often than not our messaging and communications can become more complicated.

So the question is, how do you de-clutter you comms?

How do you grow a business or charity and ensure that your message remains compelling, clear and targeted?

Simple.

Rediscover the why.

There may be a long list of “what” you do as a company, but those are features not compelling vision statements. They don’t speak on an emotional level.

To attract and keep employes, customers, donors, clients, or supporters – you have to connect with them on an emotional level. You have to have a heart connection.

They need to believe in the vision.

They need to know the “why”. Why does your organisation exist?

What felt need would be missing, if your organisation was no longer in business?

What is it that drives you as an organisation?

As Patrick Lencioni puts it, this vision has to stop just short of “making the world a better place”.

It’s not intended to be cheesy, fluffy, or vague. It’s meant to be compelling, strategic, and full of passion.

In your communications, in your conversations – maybe you could rediscover the why and share that vision with those who want to buy from you, support you, give to you, or be ambassadors for you and your brand.