What comes to mind when you hear MVP?
For a most people, it means "Most Valuable Player"... that star that wins the game or has a huge impact.
In development circles, it means "Minimum Viable Product"... where a new product is developed with the bare minimum set of features to prove a concept, get to market quickly and collect feedback for future improvement.
Techopedia has a great description with three key characteristics:
It has enough value that people are willing to use it or buy it initially
It demonstrates enough future benefit to retain early adopters
It provides a feedback loop to guide future development
That's great for product development... but what about YOUR MESSAGE?
Think about key messages like presentations, speeches, or elevator pitches. How many are filled with way more information than the audience can retain? The typical result is no action... or delayed action. It doesn't have to be that way.
In order to advance your idea (or your sales effort, change management, etc.), consider developing your Minimum Viable Message. By that I mean deliberately paring down your message to the bare minimum ingredients needed to help your audience understand and take action. That requires:
The message itself delivers enough value the audience is willing to listen
The message topic demonstrates enough value that the audience takes the next step (be it a second meeting, a trial, the purchase, or a change in behavior)
The message delivery generates feedback and dialog to guide future activity
Of course the challenge is paring down your message. We can help through training or consulting, but here are some places you can start:
Focus your MVM on a VERY specific audience. When it comes to messaging, one size does not fit all. Don't waste their time with a generic message.
Make your MVM and your content about your audience, not about you. What do you know about their business that they don't? How are you going to help them? Why should they care?
Keep content at a fairly high level. If they want technical detail, they will ask.
If you can make your point in 15 minutes, don't talk for 30 or 45 or 60.
Don't lose the critical ingredients your audience needs: interest, context, emotion, and evidence.
What do you think?
©2017 Deliberate Consulting LLC