Find Your Red Thread

Your messages are the clothes you put on your “invisible person” of an idea, depending on your audience and the outcome you seek.

just like you need a different outfit depending on whether you want to get in a good workout or have a night out with your friends. Every time your audience changes, or even when the same audience moves closer to acting on your idea, they need a different version of your message—one they can recognize as the answer to a new question in their minds.

Step 2: Define the Outcome Your Message Should Achieve

people don’t just want the answer. They want their answer. They need to find their own way to your idea.

First stage, “about us” presentation Investor pitch Breakout session Keynote presentation Multi-part workshop Internal conversation asking for commitment or resources Fundraising asks: Fundraising materials and slide decks Case statements First conversation The Ask Books: Summary for a book proposal or treatment Back cover copy

Story is the map of the maze.

Problem: Your idea has and is a story, but stories and ideas aren’t the same. There’s always more than one way to talk about your idea. Truth: Situation drives story. What you say about your idea depends on whom you’re talking to and what you want to achieve. Change: Find the story that suits the situation. Action: Define the application, outcome,

Step 1: Define an “Application” of Your Message

Every time you need your idea to produce a different outcome, it needs to “wear” a different message,