GRAHAM CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

CREATING A POWERFUL MESSAGE

"You have to understand, what I do is very complicated."

One of my earlier coaching jobs involved creating an oral presentation for a nationwide government contract. One presenter was responsible for sharing his leadership plan for supervising computer technologies. We looked at numerous ways to deliver his presentation. He kept repeating, "You have to understand, what I do is very complicated."

He was wrong. I didn't have to understand that it was complicated. I need to understand it would be simple. If I am the audience, voter, employer, buyer or judge, I need to be smart enough. I need to speak the same language.

If he wanted his audience to choose his team, he was going to have to simplify his message so it made sense to everyone on the judging panel. This is: making the complicated simple.

To get someone to vote for you, you need a simple message.
To get someone to campaign for you, you need a powerful message.

The New Message:

The oral presenter told a story about hiking through Yellowstone National Park. It seemed every time he got tired, he would come across a bench. When it started to rain, a covered shelter seemed to be right where he needed it. The shelters and benches were well maintained. It was as if someone knew where he needed them and they were awaiting his arrival.

He saw his job under this contract the same way. He would be responsible for making the lives of US citizens and government workers easier. His team would look to the future so that computer technology made interactions with this agency a virtual walk in the park. He would do everything in his power to make it happen. He would place the virtual "benches" and "shelters" where they needed them. The panel loved his story.

We told 7 stories in the presentation. It was reported one panelist cried. This is: making the simple powerful.

Graham Corporate Communications had a new slogan: making the complicated simple and the simple powerful.

AN EXAMPLE: LINCOLN'S POWERFUL MESSAGE

The battle of Gettysburg was one of the most horrible, deadly battles in the history of the United States. The battlefield dedication ceremony opened with the famous Ambassador to England, Edward Everett. He spoke for over 2 hours. Abraham Lincoln spoke next. He spoke for two minutes. No one remembers who Mr. Everett was, or what he said. President Abraham Lincoln used just 265 words, 210 of them were one or two syllables.

Everett's complicated message is forgotten.

Lincoln's simple, powerful message is remembered.

Lincoln delivered, in very memorable terms, the motivation, (liberty and equality) and goal (new birth of freedom and survival of the ideals) to go forward and win the war.

making the complicated simple and the simple powerful