Presentation Thinking™ #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:
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?