Tool No 14: Core Statement
HOW? A good core statement is short, three to seven words, with an active verb. Find it by asking yourself, “What’s the one single thing that you want others to have a better understanding of once you have delivered your message?” Your core statement will lie in the answer.
You want your message to burn brightly. Come up with a core statement and repeat it word for word, time after time. Once you have whittled down the essence of your message into a single core statement, you will be able to say more with fewer words and use it to repeat your main point.
Imagine you’re presenting a new business plan to make your company the best in the market at costumer focus. If you are able to convey the concept in a short, simple statement like “Solving things together”, it will be easier to remember and act upon than something like “Ensuring alignment of expectations with customers”. I was once asked to help a de- partment in the pharma industry translate their new devel- opment strategy into more simple goals. We ended up using just three words: “Dare to rethink”.
A concise core statement that you reconfigure slightly in different circumstances helps reinforce the point. If you keep changing how you say it, your message becomes blurred, whereas minor variations keep core statements sharp.
