#154. “Act like a shepherd”: The importance of messaging buy-in with Steve Earl

Throughout 2025, we’ll be exploring the path towards Presentation Excellence. One of the first steps to achieving such rare air is getting messaging buy-in. Without it, messaging adaption can never happen and it will have a huge impact on presentations throughout your organization.  Steve Earl, Executive Director of GhostRanch, has a rich enterprise tech background which afforded him the experience of “selling” messaging buy-in first-hand.  He shares 3 vital tips if you have also found yourself in these shoes, wondering how best to walk: 1) Think like a sales person 2) Communicate like it’s a high-stakes presentation (it is) and 3) Act like a shepherd.  You are the wise messaging wizard and it’s up to you to bring stakeholders along the journey.  This is an episode for: product marketers, stakeholders and anyone that’s had to create or sell messaging. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Tune into Steve’s other appearances on the ‘cast: Episode 70: Steve Earl on the work before the Presentation Starting Line Episode 141: Best of Product Marketing (so far) Advice for dialing in messaging?  I get most of my refinement from working with salespeople… I'm not a salesperson, I'm a marketer. But I felt that what really advanced the way I did messaging was by talking to the best salespeople and what was important to them And that helped get rid of the fluff, right? We mention Emma Stratton a few times Her new book, Make it Punchy, is the most fun book you’ll find on strategic messaging Steve is a fan of behavioral science + marketing Corporate Visions’ work and content does this especially well Steve’s walkout song? Beautiful Day - U2