Tuesday, December 8, 2009

LOOKS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING!


My dad used to tell us a story of his college days back in Boston. It was a lesson learned the hard way.

One of his roommates, Chuck, thoroughly enjoyed chocolate and had stashes of the confection everywhere. My father and another roomate had discovered most of the hiding places and would routinely sneak a bite (or mouthful) at will. After Chuck would replenish a stash, my father and his cohort in crime would ransack the goods. This went on for some time before Chuck would take his revenge. Chuck wanted them to get good and comfortable helping themselves before he would make his move.

The day had come. My father entered their room after class. He was alone and seized the opportunity to help himself to a chocolaty afternoon snack.

An hour or two past and my father was feeling less and less well. He could take it no more. He rushed down the hall to the facilities where he spent a good portion of the afternoon.

When my dad returned to the room he was greeted by Chuck, who explained he had not eaten chocolate, but instead had indulged in a sizable helping of Ex-lax.

My dad was a little lighter, but had learned an important lesson; looks can be very deceiving (and … don’t steal.) Now, if my dad had carefully inspected what he had been so quick to pop in his mouth, he would have noticed these were not your typical pieces of chocolate. At which point, I think he would have passed on the indulgence.

It’s the same with an organization’s message. It can’t just appear to look good. IT MUST BE GOOD! It must be consistent, truthful and explanatory. The last thing you want is for a customer, client or donor to start seeing inconsistencies and holes in your message. You lose people’s trust and confidence when you are not clear, concise and consistent.

Whether you’ve been in business 50 years or are just putting an organization together, you must have a consistent message. This is how you brand your organization. Don’t water it down! Make it strong but not over bearing, clear but simple and lastly, make it compelling!

WordUp!

No comments:

Post a Comment