Clarity: The Key to Effective Communication

Is your corporate messaging clear both internally and externally? Have you defined your corporate vision and organizational principles? Sometimes businesses focus on leadership development and employee engagement in the office but miss actual clarity when it comes to developing the message of the business internally. Externally, there is so much noise from all of the information aimed at audiences that those target audiences actually suffer from sensory overload. They try to sift through the information that they process to decide what matters to them, but unless a message is clearly defined and targeted to stand out to the listener, that message may get lost in all of the “gray matter” that is out there. So, that is why clarity is so important to every business and is the key to effective communication. 

There are 5 elements on the approach to clarity, according to Steve Woodruff, the King of Clarity. His 5 elements are 5 basic questions that need to be answered very clearly. He says they are the same principles that are asked within the world of journalism: the “What, For Whom, Why, How, and Where.” But he applies them to the business world and says they are the foundation of any brand identity. These questions can define clear messages to stand out to listeners, whether those listeners are internal or external to a company. Steve says this “is the foundation of clarity. That's where all our direction comes from. That's where all our messaging comes from. That's where our sales efforts come from. And that's where our referrals will come from” when people know about the business and have developed the element of trust.

It is important to take a closer look at each of those questions. 

• The “what” refers to defining what exactly is being offered to the marketplace, whether that is a product, a solution, or a service. He says you must think of the “what” as the actual way you’re engaging with the customers. It’s important to note that this must be very specific so that your business does not get lost in a big general grouping. 
• The “for whom” also has to be very specific and look at who is feeling the pain that you can solve. Steve says you have to look at the organization you are targeting: what size it is, what kind it is, and even down to what department or title is held by your target. He says you should also consider the emotional state of that person or group, “And the more precise we get with the ‘for whom,’ the more targeted our sales and referral efforts can be because now people can actually envision the people that need us. We can't just say. ‘I do this for four big companies.’” The process of creating clarity when answering the “for whom” involves research to know actual samples and market sectors to target.
• When defining the “why,” that looks at the business pain or hope that your target audience is feeling. You need to know what is motivating them to look for your company in the first place. Why should they pay for your product or service? Why are they looking for a change?
• The “how” is what Steve refers to as the “superpower.” He says, “What's our magic? What's our differentiator? What makes Bill Perry able to do something for this group's leadership that other people can't do?” You have to explain what your magic is that differentiates you from others offering similar products or services.
• The final element, the “where,” refers to exactly where you are located and offering your business...that could be local, regional, national, or possibly virtual. You also need to define in what sector you are working, whether that is sales or human resources or other divisions. It looks at where you do your best work. This refers to both theoretical as well as physical locations. 

For true clarity in your message, this information must all be answered both internally as well as externally within any organization. It may take some effort, but it is worth it because, as noted in the title of Steve’s book, “Clarity Wins.”

To hear more about the importance of clarity, be sure to listen to this episode of The Bill Perry Show.