Companies are constantly sending a message. Whether through advertising, social media, email campaigns, customer service, or word-of-mouth, employees and customers alike are listening to the message. Eventually, the message begins to lose its strength and stability. That’s when trust begins to erode. Therefore, companies must establish a trust infrastructure that permeates every level of the organization.
Consistent messaging is the core of that infrastructure.
It’s what keeps things stable. Strong products and a loyal team can’t save a company that sends mixed messages. A lift chair may be the most comfortable lift chair available. However, if each of the departments responsible for selling it describes it differently, the buyer walks. A Hospital Bed for Home Use may entirely change a patient’s ability to recover after surgery. However, if the patient receives multiple versions of safety information before use, the potential for recovery diminishes.
Below is a closer look at how maintaining consistent messaging saves organizations from collapse. Practical ways to ensure alignment across departments, as well as reliable methods of communicating with customers will be discussed below.
Hidden Costs of Sending Conflicting Messages
Sending conflicting messages drains resources. Furthermore, sending conflicting messages kills momentum. Consider a healthcare equipment supplier. Rep #1 tells a customer that a Lift Chair will help increase their mobility. Rep #2 tells the customer that it is intended solely for relaxation purposes. The customer has no idea what to believe. Consequently, the sale never happens.
Studies have shown that inconsistent branding can decrease revenues by as much as 23%. Those numbers are staggering. Furthermore, internal conflict between staff members wastes hundreds of man-hours per year. Staff members spend countless hours debating which version of the message to send out to customers. Materials are created and destroyed. Apologies are given to customers that were frustrated with having to deal with conflicting messages.
Why Organizations Are Ignoring the Issue
Many leaders view messaging as “soft” issues and therefore are less likely to invest in it compared to developing features/products. This is a potentially catastrophic oversight. Leaders are essentially building cars while ignoring the steering wheels.
There are many reasons why organizations avoid investing in messaging, however one major reason is urgency. While it may seem easier to fix a broken chair versus repairing a damaged message; damage caused by an inconsistent message is typically done slowly over time and thus is difficult to perceive. Inconsistent messages damage trust among stakeholders over periods of several months rather than several days.
A Real-World Scenario
Suppose you run a hospital bed provider in GTA. On your website, you advertise 24 hour delivery. However, your phone representatives advise callers that deliveries take 48 hours. There is a family in desperate need of the bed tonight. After calling your office twice, they receive contradictory responses regarding delivery times. As a result, they lose confidence in anything else you claim.
As a direct result of receiving conflicting information from your organization, the family will purchase a bed from a competitor. Moreover, the family will also post negative comments on review websites. As such, your organization loses credibility not due to poor product quality, but due to lack of coordination in messaging.
Creating an Infrastructure of Trust
Trust is not something that magically occurs. Rather, it is developed using intentional strategies. Each organization requires the development of established practices for generating each type of message as well as accountability throughout each area of the organization.
Develop a Single Source of Truth
You will need to establish a single source document that outlines all messages used throughout the organization. The following elements should be included in this document:
Brand Promise(s): 3 (or fewer) core statements that define what your organization stands for
Product Descriptions: Word-for-word descriptions for each of your products
Support Scripts: Pre-approved and regularly reviewed (monthly) support scripts
Sales Talking Points: These should match marketing’s messaging
Each department will reference this document exclusively as opposed to creating their own separate documents. Schedule regular (quarterly) meetings to evaluate the document and make updates as necessary.
Training All Departments/Staff Members
Not just sales personnel need training on delivering consistent messages. Your front desk staff, delivery staff, even your temporary social media manager need training. Why? Any employee can represent your brand.
Example: A driver who installs a hospital bed in a home may be questioned by the homeowner regarding durability of the bed. Without training, he may provide a personal opinion which could become a guarantee or warranty. If his statement does not accurately reflect reality, he will lose credibility and break trust with the customer.
Provide him with 3 pre-approved statements he can deliver during these conversations and role play possible scenarios with him periodically. Hold annual evaluations to assess his comprehension of messaging rules.
Utilizing Technology To Support Consistent Messaging
Technology plays a significant role in supporting consistent messaging efforts. Develop automated email templates with fixed fields that cannot be altered by users. Utilize chatbots that retrieve information from the same data repository as customer facing applications. Implement CRM-based triggers to remind agents of follow-up messages.
Monitor customer-facing content (i.e., web pages, social media posts) on a regular basis (weekly). Grammarly Business and/or Front can alert administrators to any off-brand messaging. Detect problems before they impact customers.
Leadership Roles & Responsibilities Regarding Messaging Discipline
Leaders determine organizational culture and set examples for employees to emulate. When a CEO continuously varies messaging during town halls, employees will experience mental whiplash. Therefore, executive-level management must model consistency in their own communication.
How Leaders Unintentionally Damage Trust
Leaders frequently introduce new programs/initiatives without removing existing ones. Leaders often praise speed over accuracy. Leaders often dismiss minor messaging missteps until they grow into larger missteps.
For example, a leader may say, “Just tell people we’re the best Hospital bed provider in GTA.” That’s vague. What makes us the “best?” Price? Speed? Features? Without clear criteria, employees will fabricate their own messaging rules. And chaos ensues.
Correcting Leadership Behavior
Host monthly “Message Auditing” sessions where senior leadership reviews recent customer interactions (calls/emails/social media) and searches for any instances where messaging deviated from the documented master plan. Praise employees who consistently communicate using approved messaging rules. Provide additional training to employees who do not adhere to approved messaging rules.
One simple leadership guideline is: If you cannot commit it to writing in the Master Document, do not state it publicly.
Actionable Strategies For Maintaining Consistency
It is now time to move from theoretical concepts to actionable steps. Below are ten “bulletproof” actions you can utilize to promote consistent messaging within your organization.
- Create a Message Calendar for All Public Communications
- Establish one person accountable for each key messaging element (No shared responsibility).
- Test Messaging With Actual Customers Quarterly
- Recognize employees who identify/make corrections to inconsistencies
- Conduct Surprise Audits of Call Recordings and Chat Logs
- Limit Product Descriptions to Five Features Max
- Develop FAQs Based on Real Customer Questions
- Produce video-based training sessions so all hear the same words
- Publish Trust Page Showing Promises Made Through Messaging
- Update Website Within 24 Hours of Any Internal Changes
Score messaging consistency, similar to sales metrics, using a scorecard and distributing results weekly. Include consistency in messaging evaluation in performance reviews.
Real-Life Example: How One Organization Was Able to Save Its Own Business
Take the case of Care Home, a hospital bed rental in GTA. About 2 years ago CareHome came close to going bankrupt; customer complaints increased by 300% . Why did this happen? Sales assured white glove delivery upon installation. Delivery reps said they would simply place the beds outside for pickup. Marketing stated complimentary delivery within 24 hours upon purchase and financing required payment for weekend deliveries.
The founder believed the issue was operational; however, CareHome discovered through investigation that the real issue was the messaging sent by various departments in the company.
The Turn-Around
CareHome ceased all marketing activity for 14 days. During this time CareHome developed an initial document outlining 7 primary areas of messaging. CareHome trained all employees from delivery drivers to administrative assistants on utilizing this document. CareHome implemented a policy that read “if it is not documented here, don’t mention it.”
After six months customer complaints decreased by 78%, and revenue increased by 34%. Today CareHome is considered the most trustworthy hospital bed provider in GTA providing homecare solutions including both Lift Chairs and Hospital Beds for Home Use.
Lesson Learned: Consistency Saved Them From Bankruptcy
Not better trucks nor lower pricing saved CareHome from bankruptcy; reliable words saved CareHome from bankruptcy.
Most Rebranding Efforts Fail At The Messaging Level
Rebranding plans typically address financial concerns or new product lines; yet if the messaging remains fractured; customers will not return. Broken trust is akin to breaking glass — once shattered, rebuilding it takes 10 times longer.
Moreover, employees quit working when organizations fail to maintain consistent messaging; they feel misled. They cease advocating for their employer brand. Thus turnover increases significantly. Employee training costs skyrocket. The demise continues.
Messaging Is Infrastructure
Without an infrastructure of trust via consistent messaging; an organization operates similarly to a house constructed on sand.
Closing Thoughts
Consistent messaging provides an infrastructure of trust; an infrastructure which supports protecting an organization from failure/collapse; an infrastructure which unifies departments; an infrastructure which instills confidence among consumers relative to products/services such as Lift Chairs or Hospital Beds for Home Use.
Moreover, becoming the most trusted hospital bed provider in GTA requires more than having an adequate stockroom supply; becoming the most trusted hospital bed provider requires adhering to principles of disciplined messaging relative to every interaction (email /phone/ advertisement/etc.) an organization engages with consumers; consistently stating the same message clearly and consistently every time