\n<\/p>\n
What happens when your team can\u2019t even agree on how to explain what your company does?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not a branding hiccup, it\u2019s a messaging problem. And chances are, if you asked five people on your team what your message is, you\u2019d get five different answers.<\/p>\n
Unclear messaging leads to longer sales cycles, misaligned teams, and prospects who bounce before they ever understand your value.<\/p>\n
So, what does \u201cclear messaging\u201d actually mean, and why do so many companies get it wrong? In this episode of Endless Customers, I sat down with Tom DiScipio, Managing Partner at IMPACT, to unpack what clear messaging really means. We talked about what happens when businesses skip the foundational thinking and jump straight into copywriting, and why that shortcut almost always backfires.<\/p>\n
We also explored how storytelling, structure, and intellectual property (IP) all tie into your messaging framework. And what to do when the way you talk about your business isn\u2019t resonating with the people you\u2019re trying to reach.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a business owner, marketer, or sales leader struggling to get prospects to \u201cget\u201d what makes you different, this conversation is for you.<\/p>\n
By the end, you\u2019ll know exactly what clear messaging means, how to build yours from the ground up, and why getting it right could be the best investment you make in your business.<\/p>\n
Most companies assume their messaging lives in their website copy or blog posts. But Tom made it clear: “Your company’s messaging, your point of view, your IP, the way that you think is not your website copy.”<\/p>\n
Messaging is deeper. It\u2019s your belief system. It\u2019s the way you see the world and the problems you solve. It\u2019s the set of principles that shape how you communicate and operate.<\/a> Think of it as your internal compass. It influences every interaction you have with customers, prospects, and even your own team.<\/p>\n A strong message shows up in every sales conversation. It gives your marketing team a foundation for the stories they tell. It\u2019s what creates consistency between your homepage, your emails, and what someone hears when they talk to a rep.<\/p>\n Messaging says: this is what we believe, this is who we serve, and this is how we help. Copy is simply how you share that message with the outside world.<\/p>\n When those two things are in sync, the results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n Clear messaging sits at the intersection of two powerful frameworks. As Tom explained, “It’s the crossroads between two different frameworks that I’ve always leaned into and followed.”<\/p>\n They are battle-tested systems that, when used together, create messaging that clicks.<\/p>\n The first is Donald Miller\u2019s StoryBrand<\/a>. It’s about making the customer the hero and positioning your business as the guide. “Which is really about story and narration,” Tom said, “and making the customer your hero.” This storytelling approach taps into how people naturally absorb and remember information.<\/p>\n The second is Peep Laja\u2019s B2B Message Layers framework<\/a>. Tom described this as the structure for how people want to consume information. It\u2019s grounded in psychology and organizes messaging in a way that\u2019s logical, direct, and effective. “Creating the right structure and flow for that information, while also including story and narration, which is how humans have passed things along over the years.”<\/p>\n When you bring these two together, you get messaging that resonates. As Tom put it, clear messaging leads to “resonance and understanding and validation.” It\u2019s about being direct while also speaking in a way that aligns with how your audience thinks and feels. It\u2019s not fluff. It\u2019s connection.<\/p>\n Story creates emotional investment. Structure provides clarity. And together, they help you speak to the right people in the right way.<\/p>\n But even with strong storytelling and structure, the landscape of messaging has changed, and fast.<\/p>\n They Ask, You Answer <\/em>taught us a lot. It helped businesses answer the tough questions and start building trust with their buyers. It gave teams a framework to align around and proved that transparency can drive serious results.<\/p>\n But the landscape has shifted.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve expanded beyond that approach with the Endless Customers System\u2122<\/a>. Not because They Ask, You Answer stopped working, but because the environment in which we\u2019re communicating has fundamentally changed.<\/p>\n The biggest shift? AI.<\/p>\n We used to write for two main audiences: our buyers and search engines. Today, there\u2019s a third player in the mix, AI tools like ChatGPT. As Tom put it, \u201cIt\u2019s just creating more noise.\u201d With so much content being generated so quickly, buyers are drowning in options that all sound the same. That means your content has to work harder to stand out.<\/p>\n To cut through, your content can\u2019t just be accurate or well-written. It has to reflect something real. \u201cAI can replicate the structure,\u201d Tom said. \u201cBut it can\u2019t replicate your IP, your story, your beliefs.\u201d That\u2019s the difference. Messaging today has to be rooted in a clear point of view. It has to carry your company\u2019s voice, experience, and thinking.<\/p>\n The companies that win aren\u2019t just answering questions. They\u2019re telling stories. They\u2019re building a connection through clarity. And they\u2019re standing out because what they\u2019re saying couldn\u2019t have come from anyone else<\/a>.<\/p>\n Messaging is what gives your content that edge. It makes your voice recognizable in a sea of sameness. Pretty powerful when you think about it.<\/p>\n When messaging feels off, it usually is. And as Tom shared, there are some common patterns that signal a disconnect between what companies want to say and what their buyers actually need to hear.<\/p>\n First, the message is too self-centered. <\/span>\u201cIf I look at a company\u2019s website and I see lots of we\u2019s and our\u2019s,\u201d Tom said, \u201cit\u2019s very self-centered.\u201d It\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of writing about your services, your awards, and your team. Buyers don\u2019t care about that stuff, at least right away. They\u2019re scanning your site for something else: proof that you understand their problem and that you can help solve it.<\/p>\n Second, the message jumps straight to features.<\/span> Visitors don\u2019t want a laundry list of what your software does. Not without context. They want to understand what problem you solve and why it matters. Answer the questions your buyers are\u00a0asking, like, \u201cWhat does your product do for me? What does it help me accomplish?\u201d If your messaging skips over that in favor of bullet points and specs, you\u2019re missing the mark.<\/p>\n Third, there\u2019s no emotional connection. <\/span>Buyers don\u2019t just want information, they want to feel something. Trust, confidence, alignment. Your messaging should speak to more than just logic. It should hit a nerve (in the best way possible).<\/p>\n And finally, your teams aren\u2019t aligned.<\/span> You might describe your company one way, while your sales rep explains it another. \u201cMessaging should be a shared doctrine,\u201d Tom explained. When everyone inside your business is on the same page (sales, marketing, leadership), you come across as consistent, trustworthy, and reliable.<\/p>\n Clear messaging isn\u2019t just for your customers. It\u2019s a tool for your team. When they can all explain who you are and what you do in the same way, you don\u2019t just sound better. You operate better.<\/p>\n The good news is you don\u2019t need to start from scratch. You just need clarity, and a few tools to guide the way.<\/p>\n Start by digging into the two resources Tom highlighted earlier: Donald Miller\u2019s StoryBrand and Peep Laja\u2019s B2B Messaging Framework. Together, they\u2019ll help you position your business as the guide and organize your messaging in a way that\u2019s clear, relevant, and valuable\u2014in the order your buyers expect to see it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Next, take a hard look at the messaging on your website. Run a quick search for \u201cwe,\u201d \u201cus,\u201d and \u201cour.\u201d If those words show up more than they should, it\u2019s a sign your content is too focused on you.\u00a0<\/p>\n A good rule of thumb: 80% of your messaging should speak directly to your buyers\u2014their problems, their goals, their questions. The remaining 20% can be about you (what you offer, how you help, and why you\u2019re different). If you\u2019ve got those numbers flipped, it\u2019s time for a rewrite. Shift the focus. Make your customer the lead character. That\u2019s how you create messaging that\u00a0connects.<\/p>\n Then document your message. Create a brand script. Get clear on your point of view. Define the problems you solve and the beliefs that drive your work. Share it across your team. When sales, marketing, and leadership are all speaking the same language, \u00a0they can speak about your company with confidence and consistency.<\/p>\n When your messaging is clear and consistent, everything gets easier.<\/p>\n You attract better-fit customers. The ones who show up are already aligned with your values. That leads to fewer wasted conversations, more referrals, stronger retention, and partnerships that feel like a natural fit.<\/p>\n You also create internal clarity. During the episode, I pointed out how messy things get when two people on the same team describe the company in completely different ways. That kind of disconnect confuses prospects and weakens your brand. But when everyone\u2019s speaking the same language, the whole experience feels aligned. Sales, marketing, and leadership aren\u2019t just on the same page. They\u2019re telling the same story<\/a>.<\/p>\n And just as important, you stand out. In a world full of auto-generated content, the companies that break through are the ones that sound human. They share real stories, real beliefs, and real value. That\u2019s what makes people stop. That\u2019s what earns trust.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, unclear messaging doesn\u2019t just confuse your audience\u2014it creates friction across your entire business. If your team struggles to explain what makes your company different, or if your content sounds just like everyone else\u2019s, that\u2019s a sign your message needs work.<\/p>\n Now you know messaging isn\u2019t just copy. It\u2019s your belief system, your structure, your story\u2014and it needs to live in every part of how your team communicates. When those pieces align, everything flows. Sales get easier. Marketing hits harder. Your brand feels stronger.<\/p>\n Start by grounding your message in the right frameworks. Use StoryBrand to center your buyer<\/a>. Use Peep Laja\u2019s Message Layers to organize your thinking. Audit your site for \u201cwe\u201d and \u201cour\u201d language. And most importantly, document your beliefs and your values so your entire organization can speak with one voice.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the work we do at IMPACT. If you\u2019re ready to cut through the noise and build a message that actually connects, we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n Check out Tom\u2019s bio<\/a><\/p>\n Connect with Tom on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow storytelling and structure make messaging stick<\/h2>\n
Why today’s messaging must go beyond just answering buyer questions<\/h2>\n
4 common messaging mistakes that confuse buyers and cost you sales<\/h2>\n
How to build messaging that resonates and aligns your team<\/h2>\n
What clear messaging looks like<\/h2>\n
Your next steps to clear, consistent messaging<\/h2>\n
Connect with Tom DiScipio<\/h2>\n