While writing earlier today about how dissent and debate can create energy and interest around our businesses, I also started thinking about how there are times when we really need to share a specific message—we have either a marketing message or a piece of information that we need to get out to our customers and clients and we need to make sure that it is clear, obvious and delivered to the people who need to hear it. Sharing a specific message can be challenging unless we know how to keep it clear and simple.
It is important when you have a specific message to share about your business or your industry that you keep it from getting convoluted with a lot of details and superfluous attachments. Think of it this way, if someone says to you: “You should buy that yogurt because it is good for you in some way, but maybe you can get the same benefits from cheese but maybe that is not right—it might be skim milk but the yogurt is still really good for you.” What are you going to think? Chances are you are just going to tune them out and think that they have no idea what they are talking about. Or, you may just not know what you are supposed to do with the information. There is no clear call to action and no clear message for you so you let it go.
In your business, if you want someone to make a purchase, the message needs to be clear. Even if you are trying to send a message for other purposes, it needs to be clear. For example, when you send out an invoice, the message should be to pay the bill: “Please pay in full by August 31, 2008.” Simple, concise and obvious. You are stating something very specific and not letting it get clouded with other messages.