“Call me Nomar!” my two year-old demanded whenever we stepped outside to play whiffle ball or catch. To neighborhood kids buzzing by on scooters or bikes who called out to him by his (actual) name, the message echoed loud and clear. “My name is Nomar!” he tossed back with a sparkle in his eye and fire in his baseball soul.
My #2 son’s message was clear, and it had little variance. He was a communications (and baseball) prodigy!
Any organization or program can follow his lead—and should. Your message matters most. It’s your pitch. Really. If the pitcher doesn’t actually ever throw the ball, the play never begins. You need to focus on the message as the essence of your communications effort.
It must be crystal-clear. It has to be crafted so that anyone responsible for communicating that message formally and informally can deliver it easily—in person, in written communications and across social media platforms.
Refine messages to be vibrant, focused and simple to repeat. They must be simple enough for your customers to understand and creative enough for them to remember. Depending on your customer groups, create a series of messages that are focused on various benefits of your program, service or product that specific customers or audiences value.
Without a focused message, you’re left without a fastball, sinker or a mysteriously fabulous Wakefield knuckler. You can’t begin your own play.
So take it from my own black-haired “Nomar,” now a veteran 11 year-old Little Leaguer with a tenacious approach behind the plate, on the mound and at the plate. A clear message delivered consistently and with great passion will be the best pitch you ever threw.
PR around the horn 