CGM blog: Communicating your values

26 May CGM blog: Communicating your values

I was touched by the recent 75th Dunkirk anniversary commemorations.

Many of the Dunkirk veterans spoke of a life-long desire to do good and live a good life after all they’d encountered.

Experience, however horrid, has shaped them and made them better people. Good, bad or indifferent, we all have experiences that make us who we are and what we want to be.

Values matter – for life, in our chosen careers and definitely in business.

Contrast this to a shallow experience Dave Morris, an astute been-there, done-it management consultant had when meeting with a fellow business coach recently to see if there may be any synergy between them.

The coach, clearly bored with details of Dave’s background and method of coaching, rudely butted in: “Let’s cut the crap, Dave… you just want to make money.”

Offended, Dave immediately called time on the meeting. There was an absence of trust and understanding.

Pity that coach’s poor clients. Sure, we all like to make a shilling, many of them hopefully, but to recommend it all comes down to a base motivation of making money is to miss the point.

Ethics matter. Espousing values has value and is valuable – being, literally, value-able is crucial.

People buy from people, and if they buy into you, the better chance you stand of doing business with them. They don’t have to share your values (though there’s always a chance they might), but at least they understand you have some ethics.

More than simply saying: “I want your business, here’s the price” your values should run as a consistent core throughout your business communications so that clients, customers or anyone else sharing a business relationship with you, will know what and who they are getting – be that skill, experience, expertise, determination, quality, creativity – or any combination of ingredients that often make us the right fit to provide a service or product.

So whether it is PR, social media, blogging, your website, emails, brochures, conversations, networking, newsletters, case studies, testimonials etc make values matter in your communications.

I like to think that when our clients employ Chris Green Media or attend one of our courses or event they benefit from things the varying members of our team have achieved or experienced and is clearly conveyed in our consulting, coaching, doing (our work for you) or media training.

This is more than merely getting on message (though that is important, too) it is about connecting with your audience – understanding and tapping into their needs and wants.

Without it, you’re like those young soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk 75 years ago – hoping and praying a flotilla will save you… sometimes it does, most times it doesn’t.

Chris Green is managing director of Chris Green Media.