Self- v. Others-Focused
What’s your focus gap? Where are you focusing your efforts on your comms and messaging?
Here’s a self-audit to start seeing where’s your focus.
Something VERY important: It’s a spectrum — it’s totally ok to be somewhere in between. The idea is for you to identify where you are.
Think of it as a dial. Wherever you are, you can regulate and adapt your messaging to a new state. :)
Language Do you use your language or your client’s?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Voice Do you sound like “you” in real life or are you trying to sound smart?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Jargon Full of words only you and your peers understand? (You can use jargon that your clients use AND understand → their language)
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Complexity Is it simple or complex to understand what you’re talking about?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Fluffy-ness Says everything and nothing at the same time: we offer solutions, experiences, customer-centric and so on.
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Hardness Focused on numbers with no context 9863556 visitors, 500% increase…
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Interchangeability Do you sound like everybody else in your field?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Focused on the inputs Time, the work to be done, resources you’ll use
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Focused on the outputs What you’ll deliver, set of features, the execution
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
Focused on the outcomes What’s the transformation, new state you help achieve?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
So what? Does any statement you have answer this question and brings clarity or does it sound like you’re not that special snowflake?
SELF • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • OTHERS
3 resources you might find interesting re: comms and messaging by friends of the list and daily-emailers
• Kevin Freidberg (article)
• James Turner (article)
• The Business of Authority w/ Jonathan Stark & Rochelle Moulton (podcast ep.)
Let me know how I can help. :)
