HOW TO BUILD YOUR MESSAGE FOR YOUR STARTUP

BY GEOFFREY BYRUCH

INTRODUCTION

AT T H E E A R LY S TA G E S O F Y O U R S TA R T U P, F O U N D E R S O F T E N S T R U G G L E

T O C O M E U P W I T H A S T R O N G U N D E R LY I N G M E S S A G E T H AT I S

R E L ATA B L E T O T H E E V E R Y D AY P R O B L E M S O F T H E G E N E R A L P U B L I C .

A S M U C H A S T H E Y C A N S P E A K A B O U T T H E P R O D U C T A N D T H E C O M PA N Y,

R E L AY I N G T H AT I N F O R M AT I O N T O T H E C O N S U M E R B A S E M A R K E T C A N B E

M O R E C H A L L E N G I N G T H AT T H E D E S I G N A N D P R O D U C T I T S E L F.

HOLISTIC THINKING

• In reality, this type of challenge is not surprising.

• Coming up with a simple yet appealing message that can hit home with everyday people can be a huge defining moment in the growth of your business.

• Because of its impact, you want to make sure you invest the necessary time, money, and resources to simplify and perfect your story in the most attractive way possible.

• But to do this, you first have to start by looking at your journey in a holistic bird’s eye view.

THE MESSAGE

N O W, W H E N I T C O M E S Y O U R M E S S A G E , Y O U WA N T T O M A K E S U R E T H AT I T C A N

R E S O N AT E W I T H T H E P U B L I C .

CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

H AV I N G T H AT D E E P E R U N D E R LY I N G C O N N E C T I O N W I T H Y O U R C U S T O M E R S , I N V E S T O R S , A N D P O T E N T I A L E M P L O Y E E S W I L L P R O V I D E Y O U R B R A N D T O S P E A K L O U D LY T O W H Y P E O P L E

S H O U L D T H I N K , B U Y, A N D I N V E S T I N T O Y O U R I D E A S .

T O S TA R T, L O O K AT Y O U R M E S S A G E A S A PA R T I C U L A R J O U R N E Y W H E R E E V E R Y T O U C H P O I N T C A N S H A P E Y O U R

V I S I O N A N D G O A L S F O R T H E F U T U R E . PA R T I C U L A R I N F O R M AT I V E VA L U E I N T O W H AT Y O U A R E S AY I N G .

Y E S , Y O U R M E S S A G E C A N B E A C C O M M O D AT E D W I T H C L I C H É P H R A S E S L I K E ‘ C H A N G E T H E W O R L D , ’ ‘ I N N O VAT I O N , ’ A N D

‘ WAY T O A B I G G E R A N D B R I G H T E R F U T U R E . ’

B U T Y O U A L S O WA N T T O M A K E S U R E T H E R E I S PA R T I C U L A R I N F O R M AT I V E VA L U E I N T O W H AT Y O U A R E

S AY I N G .

ESTABLISH YOUR GOALS

T O E S TA B L I S H Y O U R B R A N D , S TA R T O F F W I T H W H E R E I T F I R S T H A P P E N E D . D I V E I N D E E P E R W I T H T H E P R O B L E M .

AT T H E E N D O F T H E D AY, A L L O F T H E S E P O I N T S S E N D A M E S S A G E A B O U T Y O U R C O M PA N Y A N D Y O U R G O A L S .

SPEAK ABOVE AND BEYOND

W H E N B R A N D I N G Y O U R M E S S A G E , Y O U WA N T T O M A K E S U R E Y O U C A N S P E A K B E Y O N D Y O U R B U S I N E S S ’ S S O L U T I O N .

M A N Y I N V E S T O R S A N D B U Y E R S A R E C O N S TA N T LY I N T R O D U C E D T O

N E W A N D I N N O VAT I V E I D E A S .

B U T T H E O N E S T H AT C O N T I N U E T O R E S O N AT E W I T H T H E M A R E T H O S E

T H AT T H E Y C A N R E L AT E T O .

HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEM

W I T H Y O U R S T O R Y, M A K E S U R E Y O U H I G H L I G H T T H E O V E R A R C H I N G P R O B L E M T H AT I S P L A G U I N G T H E G E N E R A L P U B L I C T O D AY.

S P E A K L O U D LY T O H O W I T I S N E G AT I V E LY I M PA C T I N G T H E I R L I V E S A N D W H Y T H I S P R O B L E M N E E D S T O S T O P. E V E N G O A S FA R A S T O P R O V I D E T H E M W I T H A PA R T I C U L A R E X A M P L E .

H AV I N G T H I S A S Y O U R S TA R T I N G P O I N T I S N O T O N LY A G R E AT WAY T O I N T R O D U C E Y O U R P R O D U C T A N D Y O U R C O M PA N Y, B U T A L S O T O S T R AT E G I C WAY O F C A P T U R I N G T H E AT T E N T I O N O F Y O U R A U D I E N C E .

SPEAK ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT

O N C E Y O U H AV E H I G H L I G H T E D T H E P R O B L E M , Y O U S H O U L D T R A N S I T I O N I M M E D I AT E LY I N T O Y O U R P R O D U C T.

N O W T O D O T H I S I N T H E M O S T O P T I M A L WAY P O S S I B L E , M A K E S U R E Y O U R E X P L A N AT I O N I S S I M P L E Y E T A P P E A L I N G .

AT T I M E S , B U S I N E S S L E A D E R S M A K E T H E D R A S T I C A S S U M P T I O N T H AT T H E I R A U D I E N C E W I L L A U T O M AT I C A L LY U N D E R S TA N D H O W T H E I R P R O D U C T W I L L W O R K J U S T F R O M A S H E E R E X P L A N AT I O N O F T H E P R O B L E M .

U N L E S S T H E A U D I E N C E I S I N T H E S A M E F I E L D A S Y O U , Y O U W I L L D E F I N I T E LY N E E D T O M A K E S U R E Y O U C A N S I M P LY Y O U R E X P L A N AT I O N T O A P O I N T W H E R E Y O U C A N E X P L A I N I T T O A N E I G H T- Y E A R O L D C H I L D .

T H AT T Y P E O F E X P L A N AT I O N W I L L A L L O W Y O U T O P O S I T I O N Y O U R M E S S A G E I N T H E M O S T B A S I C WAY P O S S I B L E S O T H AT Y O U C A N R E A C H A G R A N D E R M A R K E T T H A N W H AT Y O U H AV E I N T E N D E D .

BUILD CREDIB IL ITY

N O W T O H E L P E S TA B L I S H Y O U R M E S S A G E , M A K E S U R E Y O U P R O V I D E FA C T S A N D S TAT I S T I C S O N T H E O V E R A L L S U C C E S S Y O U A R E S E E I N G W I T H Y O U R B U S I N E S S .

T O F U R T H E R B U I L D U P Y O U R C R E D I B I L I T Y, T R Y I N C L U D I N G P O S I T I V E C O M PA R I S O N S W I T H Y O U R P R O D U C T A N D Y O U R C O M P E T I T O R S .

H AV I N G T H E S E N U M B E R S I N Y O U R A R S E N A L W I L L A L L O W Y O U T O S H O W C A S E H O W W E L L AWA R E A N D W E L L AT T U N E D Y O U A R E T O T H E O V E R A L L G E N E R A L P U B L I C .

THE FOUR E ’S OF MESSAGING

I N A D D I T I O N , M A K E S U R E Y O U F O L L O W T H E F O U R 4 E ’ S O F M E S S A G I N G :

• E X P L A I N • E M O T I O N • E V O K E Q U E S T I O N S • E X C L U D E / I N C L U D E I D E A S

B Y F O L L O W I N G T H E S E H I G H L I G H T E D P O I N T S , Y O U W I L L B E A B L E T O F R A M E Y O U R M E S S A G E I N A N I N T E R E S T

A N D E N G A G I N G A P P R O A C H .

COMPANY V IS ION• Last but not least, make sure you

have the necessary resources to showcase your company’s vision.

• Many people have done this through various visual aids such as PowerPoint slideshow and visual media based presentation.

• Whatever you can do to get your audience hooked on it, make sure it happens.

• Sometimes, all people need is a two-minute video segment of what can eventually change the rest of their lives.

To Learn More

❖ To learn more about Geoffrey Bryuch, please visit the following sites and social media sites below:

❖ https://twitter.com/geoffreybyruch

❖ https://about.me/geoffrey_byruch

❖ https://www.crunchbase.com/person/geoffrey-byruch#/entity

❖ http://geoffreybyruch.com/