One of the greatest reasons that small businesses fail to grow is because they lack one really important thing: clarity.
Whether it’s lack of clarity in your messaging, your client journey, or the value you add in the market – when you aren’t clear, your marketing will always struggle to engage and keep clients in your corner.
At Oh Yes Communications, we approach this entire conversation differently. While other agencies prematurely focus on the “fun stuff” like logos, colors, and revamping collateral – we believe that messaging MUST come first.
Messaging first, always.
Our “Clarity in Your Messaging” workshop is designed to give you the clarity (and the confidence) you desire to stand out and build a brand of impact that lasts. Follow along as we get into the nitty gritty of a messaging workshop and what you can expect when you set yours up with the Oh Yes team!
Pretty websites are cool, but they don’t convert. Words, and more specifically, the RIGHT words, create a connection worth acting on with the people you’re best positioned to serve. And if we haven’t clarified our message, what we’re saying is white noise.
Which is why, starting with messaging BEFORE developing your visuals is essential. Your messaging not only influences your branding, from the colors used to the design that will appeal to your target audience, but a thorough and strategic messaging deep dive also gives you the clarity of knowing where and how to show up so your clients find you.
Until then, we’re committed to helping our clients save time, money and energy with messaging that is aligned and worth their efforts.
The Oh Yes “Clarity in Your Messaging” workshop is a 1-day collaborative intensive designed to bring clarity to your messaging and client journey. Messaging workshops are held virtually or in-person (local to the DMV and surrounding areas).
Throughout the day, we tap into 4 core sessions that guide us along to craft a cohesive message and client story that leaves a lasting impression.
In a messaging workshop, we take a deep dive look to uncover what makes your brand different so that you not only create consistency in your word, but hone a brand that builds trust in the process. We’re not just scrolling for trends in the current marketing world – we’re using timeless principles and an effective marketing strategy to position you as the expert you are.
Here’s the thing:
You already know your business like the back of your hand. You’re a seasoned business owner with years of experience in your industry, so what could you possibly get out of a messaging workshop this far into business? We’re glad you asked…
You started your business with a skill and mission, but after a few years of “entrepreneuring”, you got caught in the “what” of your business and forgot to lead from the “why”. This workshop taps into that and clarifies every way your “why” influences the internal and external part of your business and team.
While your business may be growing, whether in revenue or in team members or both, there still seems to be a lack of clarity. This disconnect in workforce misalignment makes it difficult to hire the right people, and makes it confusing for current team members to embody your company culture and deliver your desired client experience.
A messaging workshop helps clarify between the internal and external culture, so that there are clear expectations for team members and all marketing efforts are aligned.
Your brand is intact, but you’re ready to take it to the next level. The problem?
You spend a lot of time trying to promote your business, but never truly know what to say or how to say it, leaving you feeling less accomplished and even more disjointed in your process.
This can result in being reactive in your marketing approach, rather than actively moving your business to the next evolution. A workshop helps find the words to create a messaging strategy that remains cohesive over time, so that you spend less time “brainstorming” and more time reaping the benefits of knowing what to say.
Oh Yes “Clarity in Your Messaging” workshops are led by 1-2 Oh Yes messaging experts and bring you a full day of value-packed, clarity-driven messaging and marketing sessions so that you start showing up with confidence, both online and off.
With that being said, you can’t spell “workshop” without “work”.
This intensive is not meant to be easy. In your 1-day intensive, we work with you to peel back the many layers of your brand and client experience, requiring a lot of creative energy in the process. We want to make sure that you feel as prepared (and excited) as possible when your workshop day arrives by giving you an overview of what that will look like.
We don’t want you walking into your workshop blindly. Before you head into your first call, there are a few things you can do to prepare so that you feel confident when we start working together:
It is possible to have multiple team members from your company join in on different workshop session calls. While this helps keep a steady flow of conversation and brainstorm bouncing during the calls, we still recommend having a designated leader from your team who will be in attendance throughout the entire day and making final decisions for the messaging guide.
Our general rule of thumb is that we should be able to “feed the room” with a large pizza. We’ve found that the most effective workshops limit the team members to 3-5 people total.
Having an established business in place can give us tons of past material and content to pull from. Before the workshop, we will ask you to send over any relevant files or documents to help us get a better understanding of your brand and the foundation that you’ve built along so that we can refine what’s currently working in your marketing. This can range from current Brand Guides, white papers, collateral you’re actively using, and links to all of your digital footprint.
The value you receive on the day of your workshop alone is enough to make you want to get out there and start showing up with newfound confidence.
You will walk away with immediate feedback day of – while you and your team are the ones telling us about your company, our team of marketing experts pierce through the noise and help you navigate on-brand word choices to stand out.
We always start a messaging workshop by spending time defining your brand values.
Why, you ask?
Your core values influence the way you approach everything in your business, from internal communications with the team to how to approach client-facing interactions. Not only this, but we focus on internal values first because it also helps to clarify:
Most businesses operate from the WHAT and not the WHY of their brand message. After time, many fall prey to just trying to make the sale by only showing what they’re offering. You’re not offering a unique service, but your approach and why you offer it is.
Enter, Session 2 of the messaging workshop.
Consider your why statement the “north star” of your brand – it’s something that you and your team can always come back to when any messaging feels out of alignment. It serves as both a reminder of why you’re here and the recognition it gives your audience.
The importance of this statement is so significant, that it also almost always makes a debut in the two taglines we craft in your messaging guide.
Storytelling is the most powerful tool available to compel a human brain. Story formulas teach us how to position our products and services so people pay attention.
When it comes to messaging, the story you tell shouldn’t actually be about YOU. Your client is not your competition, but rather the character of why your company exists.
Every story is about a character who wants something and has to overcome conflict to get it. Through this session, we draft out your Brand Story at the company level to ensure all of your content creation positions your client as the hero. From understanding your clients’ pain points and challenges, to how they think, and what they appreciate, this technique can even be used post-workshop to create unique “Brand Stories” for each service or product pillar, clarifying your messaging even further.
The last and final session in a messaging workshop takes everything we learned about your ideal client to create a signature process that takes them from introduction to “I’m all in!”. It will become the foundation upon which all future marketing efforts, materials, plans and messages are created.
From marketing-specific demographics or geographic characteristics to developing a solidified brand promise, this marketing strategy makes everything in your messaging streamlined, so that your audience (and your own team) know exactly what is being said every single time.
Retainer clients get a bonus session in their first month of working with Oh Yes, Clarify Your Client Communication Journey.
In this session, we discuss your client communication journey to identify any gaps or opportunities that may be present in your current marketing framework. During this time, we look at your overall communication process, from how clients are finding you, how you are attracting them, and ultimately how you’re converting and retaining them.
This messaging workshop will bring you and your team into alignment, leaving you feeling ready and eager to market your upgraded brand. We have yet to complete a workshop where the client and their team wasn’t energized and amped to hit the ground running in a NEW strategic and tactical way. (Take a peek at our 5-star Google reviews for real-life client testimonials and reactions).
Within one week of your messaging workshop, our team drafts your Messaging Playbook and presents our recommendations for updates to your current brand. Once your messaging playbook has gone through the review process and your branding is updated, you receive a multi-page Brand Guide that fully details all of the finalized messaging we crafted during your workshop in one simple and organized file, as well as any new/revised colors, logos, typography, patterns and sample collateral that bring your brand to life visually. Additionally, our team drafts new homepage copy for your site to show your new messaging in action!
The Playbook brings a newfound simplicity to your marketing as you can (and should) refer to it each and every time you create content moving forward. This, along with your branding visuals, takes your marketing to the next level, connecting with your audience and increasing interest in your brand and services.
You’re just one move away from a marketing plan you can be confident in and a team you can rely on. Let us elevate and bring excitement to your brand so you finally stand out! Book a Discovery call today to connect with our team today!
Ready to have absolute clarity in your messaging? Keep up with Kathy & the Oh Yes team on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin
