Spread Like Wildfire

Every message has three components:

1. An idea you want to convey;
2. An audience you would like to reach;
3. The delivery of that idea to that audience.

This is obvious, right? In marketing, you'd call this product / market / medium; in a presentation, you'd call this content / audience / delivery; and so on.

But it's one thing to understand these things exist; it's another to use them whenever you deliver a message.

How do you turn your message into something they listen to, act on, and remember long after you've gone?

In high school physics, I learned that the gravitational attraction between two planets depends on three things: the size of the first planet, the size of the second planet, and how close they are to each other. The bigger they are, the greater the gravitational force between them; and the closer they are, the greater the force.

The same applies to your messages. Your success depends on three things:

1. The quality of your idea
2. Your understanding of your audience
3. How well you deliver that message to that audience.

How good is your message?

Think about an idea, product, service or concept you'd like to deliver - whether it's in a one-to-one sales meeting, a group presentation, a marketing flyer, or your Web site.

How well are you doing these three things?

1. How well have you developed the idea?
2. How well do you know your audience?
3. How good are you at connecting with your audience?

Use these specific questions to evaluate your message ...

Your Idea:

1. Solutions: How well do you provide solutions to your audience's problems?
2. Expertise: How much expertise do you already have?
3. Packaging: What's your experience with creating messages in this format?
4. Margin: What's your profit margin?
5. Leverage: How can you use it in other ways?

Your Audience

1. Niche: Are you aiming this message at a small, clearly defined, niche group?
2. Problems: How well do you know the audience's problems, questions, concerns, challenges, and worries?
3. Demand: How well do you know the demand for your message?
4. Price: If you're selling a product, have you tested the price people are willing to pay?
5. Relationship: What is your existing relationship with your target audience?

Your Delivery

1. Strategy: Do you have a strategy for rolling out this message?
2. Reach: How easily can you reach them?
3. Tactics: Do you have experience already with the specific delivery techniques you're planning to use?
4. Interest: How interested are you about your audience?
5. Commitment: Are you really committed to the process?

Use these 15 questions to evaluate every message before you deliver it.