Why bad messaging always gets found out

When it comes to media training, almost all the focus is on getting spokespeople prepped and ready to face whatever questions and brickbats may be lobbed at them. Quite right too! After all, they’re the ones going out to face the media.

So it’s only right that spokespeople are properly trained so that they know what to expect and how to handle themselves. 

They need to know, for example, what journalists want — and expect — from an interview so they can tailor their preparation and responses accordingly. Ditto with their story and their narrative. And they need to have armed themselves with subtle communication skills such as bridging, flagging, and signposting to help ensure they’re taking part in a two-way conversation. 

All of these things combined enable people to speak with confidence. If nothing else, media training provides a great dress rehearsal for the real thing, helping to settle the nerves and keep a lid on those pesky butterflies.

But while a great deal of time allocated to media training is spent on the individual, there is another area that is often overlooked. And that’s the messaging itself.

Even the silkiest of media performers will struggle if their message is too wordy, too vague, too complex…or plain rubbish. If you’re in any doubt, listen to any current affairs programme where a politician is sent out to promote the latest hare-brained scheme. 

More often than not, the cause of these ‘car crash’ interviews isn't the individual but the message itself. Defending the indefensible — or promoting something that is easily debunked — is not a pleasant task. 

The biggest problem — messages that say way too much

Thankfully, the interview calamities we tend to see on screen are rarely experienced in B2B tech interviews. But that is not to say they are immune. In B2B tech, the biggest common mistake people make is overloading the message so that it tries to say too much. 

There’s a tendency to develop messaging that is densely packed, jargon-filled paragraphs that are complex to comprehend. On the one hand, it’s understandable — businesses have a lot to say. But, while a comprehensive message may look good on paper, it simply won’t cut the mustard in an interview. 

Not only is it almost impossible to remember and reel off, journos — the very people with whom you’re looking to communicate — are likely to give it short shrift. Similarly, attempts to get around this by using catch-all and vague descriptions can lead to messaging that is too ‘fluffy’ or meaningless to have any real merit. 

The test of any good messaging is how it’s viewed — not in the boardroom but by the audience. They’re the people you need to impress, not the chief exec. 

After all, when it comes to interviews, journalists and their audiences simply don’t have the time or patience to engage. Rather than tuning in to the message, chances are they’ll tune out and listen to something else instead. 

For example, imagine being a spokesperson and having to remember this mouthful. 

"Our company is committed to delivering innovative, AI-driven solutions that enhance operational efficiencies, improve customer experiences, and drive long-term sustainability through a scalable and customisable technology platform designed for businesses of all sizes."

That’s 33 words that no one will want to remember. Now, with a bit of hard pruning, it could look like this: 

"We help businesses work smarter with AI-powered solutions."

That’s just eight words, and it tells the audience exactly what matters. Or even better, how about: 

“Putting intelligence into AI” or “There’s nothing artificial about our AI.” 

Okay, they may not win any Cannes Lions awards, but they will make life a heck of a lot easier for spokespeople preparing themselves for an interview. As a message, these shortened versions are more memorable and make an impact. Which is exactly what they have to do.

Single word messaging

If you’re really looking to hone your message, one approach favoured by some is to base it on a single word. For a B2B tech company, you could take your pick from these: Trusted, Innovative, Partner, Secure, Data-driven…

The beauty of this approach is that they’re easy to remember. And as long as you have a narrative — and your wits about you — these words can have multiple uses. Because, for instance, ‘Trusted’ could refer to your hardware, software, and consultancy. It could also refer to how your customers, staff, and other stakeholders see you. 

In other words, you use single words as pillars — or headings, if you like — which relate to different parts of your business. 

The rule of three: make it memorable

Regardless of whether you use a soundbite or a single word, the best advice is to have no more than three core messages. The reason is pretty straightforward. People remember things in threes — it’s how our brains work. If you try to deliver five, six, or a dozen key messages, few, if any, will stick. 

As an interviewee, a shopping list of messages will be a struggle to remember. And even if you land all your messages, which one is the most important? Which one should the journalist focus on when writing their story? 

The truth is that the best communicators boil everything down to three core points. And the very best have the confidence to go into bat with just one. In truth, that’s all you need. One. Simple. Message. That’s it. ‘Nuff said. 

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