Connect Your Message With Your Audience

Although it is widely stated that 93% of communication is non-verbal, getting the remaining 7% that is verbal right is essential in building credibility and trust with your target audience.

This year I have been speaking to various networking groups about “How to Improve Your 30-Second Elevator Pitch” as a part of our Back to Basics 2.0 business series. These presentations emphasize the importance of constructing the right message(s) in communicating your customer value proposition to a diverse audience, and building new alliances and business relationships.

Whether it’s your 30-second elevator pitch, headline for a sales letter, Blog article, YouTube video or another form of communication, here are some important things for you to consider when developing your message with a specific target audience in mind:

  • Have something important to say. The message to your target audience needs to be clear, concise, on-topic, and packed with rich content that motivates them to keep reading or listening.
  • Choose your words carefully. Make sure your vocabulary fits the intended audience. Use powerful words and phrases they fully understand to help engage them in a dialogue.
  • Create a visual image for the reader or listener to strengthen the connection with your audience. Tell a brief story relevant to the topic to peak their interest, and help get your point across.
  • Be sure your message is goal oriented and designed with a specific outcome in mind. Your message needs a call to action so the audience knows what you want and most importantly, what is in it for them.
  • Adjust your message content to ensure that you’ve connected with your target audience. If you are developing a new flyer for example, create 3-5 different messages and then test each to determine which one yields the best response rates.

One of the biggest challenges we all encounter is how to design the appropriate message when multiple target audiences are involved. Here I would stress selecting general topics or themes that appeal to the masses, or tighter focused messages that hit each of the target audiences separately. The latter requires much more effort and forethought, but ultimately should result in higher response rates.

While there is no one right answer when it comes to connecting your message with your audience, the more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to craft a message that produces the desired result.

COPYRIGHT © 2010-11 John Carroll