Are Your Storytellers Aligned?

by Michael QuintFebruary 20, 2011

I was recently running a messaging summit with the executive team of a successful government contractor in the cloud space. Just 13 months ago this company had very little presence and visibility in Washington among key decision makers. Today, through an aggressive PR and lobbying program, they are part of the right conversations.

Now that they are on the map they are ready to aggressively drive sales. So the conversation came around to making sure that all of the management team could deliver the same message, and I asked if we put the top executives into separate rooms and asked for a quick elevator pitch on the company would they all be on message. The immediate response was that they could sure do a better job of it today than when they decided to get serious about marketing and communications last year.

Of course that comment made me smile, and it led to a discussion about one of the fundamental things I tell all clients – the first step in getting the outside world to understand who you are and your value proposition is to align inside your company – ensure that all of the management team (and employees) can tell the same story. Management team and staff are your brand ambassadors – if they can’t easily articulate why you matter then you have no chance convincing decision-makers.

So next time you think about the message you are delivering to the market think about that exercise – if you put all of the members of the management team in different rooms and asked them to describe the company and why you matter, would they deliver a consistent story? If the answer is no then give me a call – it may be a reason why your marketing and communications campaigns are coming up short.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why does leadership message alignment matter so much for sales growth?

Prospects hear your story from many mouths — executives, sellers, and subject-matter experts — so inconsistencies erode trust. When leaders deliver the same clear elevator pitch, it shortens sales cycles by removing confusion. Alignment also equips employees to act as confident brand ambassadors. Consistency is a force multiplier for awareness, credibility, and pipeline velocity.

How can we test whether our executives are telling the same story?

Run the ‘separate rooms’ exercise: ask each leader for a 30-second description of who you are and why you matter. Record and compare the pitches for differences in value proposition, proof points, and audience focus. Gaps reveal where messaging needs refinement or training. This low-lift test often exposes why external campaigns aren’t landing as expected.

What's the first step to fixing misaligned messaging inside the company?

Codify a concise narrative-problem, unique value, and proof-that everyone can remember and repeat. Translate it into an elevator pitch and a few modular talk tracks for different audiences. Then enable leaders and teams with quick coaching and durable reference materials. Internal alignment must precede external persuasion to be effective.

Is alignment just a marketing exercise or a company-wide responsibility?

It’s company-wide. Every employee who interacts with customers, partners, or media shapes brand perception. When product, sales, and comms use a shared story, each touchpoint compounds the last. Misalignment, by contrast, forces buyers to reconcile conflicting claims. That friction slows deals and weakens the brand’s authority.

How often should we revisit our elevator pitch?

Revisit it whenever your market position, offerings, or audience priorities shift. A quarterly gut-check alongside major launches or strategic changes keeps messaging fresh but stable. The goal is evolution, not churn-refine without rewriting the brand every few months. Continuity sustains recognition while updates keep relevance high.

What role do employees play as brand ambassadors?

Employees extend the brand story far beyond formal marketing channels. When they can explain the value proposition in simple, confident terms, they amplify campaigns organically. Provide them with crisp language and social-ready assets to make sharing easy. This grassroots consistency often differentiates brands in crowded markets.