1. Prepared for Executive Education at BrookingsSuzanne E. Henry, Four Leaf Public Relations LLCwithEnergy Focus Coaching and Consulting May 2009

2. Importance of proactive positioning andmessaging Getting Ready Questions to ask Intelligence to gather Messages to determine Message Development Recipes for success Exercise 3. If you are not communicating who you are andwhat you are doing, someone else will They likely will get it wrong 4. Why am I thinking about my message? What do I want my audience to do? How much do I know about my audience? 5. Increasing competition Staff disconnections/lack of communication Falling value proposition(s) Diminishing participation, Invisibility memberships or sales Negative member or Other falling statisticscustomer feedback Gut feeling of being off the mark 6. Internal Analysis Current message audit Self perception analysis External Analysis Competitive message analysis Target audience research 7. Message exercises Target audience description Concept pyramid Good word, bad word list Messages to Develop Positioning statement Elevator pitch Tag line Power bites Take-away statements Organization/Agency boilerplate Value messages 8. Who are you?CONCEPT What do you do? CONCEPTHow do you do it? CONCEPTWhy do you do this?CONCEPTWhy would someone get involved withyou?CONCEPTWhy else would someone get involved? CONCEPT 9. Who are you? A non-profit org committed to encouraging tomorrows engineers to findalternative energy solutionsWhat do you do? We hook up universities and colleges with experts and current alternative energyengineers (as visiting professors) and provide curriculum on alternative energy topics How do you do it?We identify , fund and place these current experts for 2 week stints at a university orcollege; we also help them develop the curriculum to deliver their expertise to the students Why do you do this?We believe educational institutions can impact and accelerate our ability to develop alternativeenergy technology; we also believe our program helps produce more scientists and engineersdue to the hot nature of this topicWhy would someone get involved with you?The visiting professors get attention for their companies and expertise; the investors get attentionfor funding an action-program to our energy dilemmaWhy else would someone get involved? Its future orientation is naturally appealing; alternative energy topics are hot; the earlyplayers will gain fame 10. Good Words Bad Words Avoid overused words, Identify jargon, such assuch as professional solutionsand excellent Choose stronger words, Identify words someonesuch as formidable and might use, but you wouldcatalyst rather they didnt 11. Compelling Truthful/Appropriate Differentiating 12. Powerful Messages Are Clear Concise Short Consistent 13. A mix of authenticity and eloquenceabout something that is relevant to your audience and which sets you apart from thecompetition And, its clear 14. GoodNot So Good CVG is the business CVG is a membershiporganizationgroup created tocreated byaddress the need forentrepreneurs, foreducating andentrepreneurs promoting the localentrepreneurialcommunity 15. NOUNS 16. Positioning statement Elevator pitch 17. Describes who you are Does not necessarily describe what you do Describes who you are in relationship toeverything else Refers to the competition without actuallyaddressing it 18. CVG: An organization that was created by entrepreneurs, forentrepreneurs Ipsos is the largest market research firm in the world, owned andoperated by market research professionals The Greenscape Business Alliance advocates the value of properlymanaged turf and landscapes for our communities The Southern Environmental Law Center is the largest, non profitenvironmental advocacy organization dedicated solely to preservingand protecting the Southeast 19. How are you unique? different? special? (from other choices) Really Who says? What feedback have you received to date (from your target audience)? Where do you want to be? What are you trying to do for your audience? Where are you currently? What are you actually making happen? 20. Tag line: Todays Students, TomorrowsEnergy Experts Positioning Statement: NewEnergyForce helpsour educators focus our future scientists andengineers on tomorrows world energychallenges 21. Short: A 30 second, verbal answer to: Whoare you and what do you do? Creates curiosity: Meant to cause yourlistener to want to learn more Direction: Gives people enoughinformation that they walk away with theright idea about you 22. The coalition is a national group of organizations whose membersare in the business of providing and maintaining greenscapes. Wecommunicate the value of properly managing lawns and landscapesbased on years of practical experience and hard scientific research. Greenscapes have significant economic and environmental benefits cleans the air, cools the cities , traps run-off, filters rainwater, pullsdown dust, absorbs carbon (CO2) and generates oxygenBut, onlyif done right. We, essentially, are dispelling the notion that brown is the newgreen. We have reliable information on how to responsibly managethese green investments, and why... Would you like to see some of this data? 23. 1. Burning Problem What is your audience facing?2. Unique Opportunity What is happening in the world where you are the answered prayer (or at least a good answer)?3. What You Do What do you actually provide?4. Benefit(s) Why should someone choose you over another choice?5. Call to Action What do you want them to do? 24. We are. 25. Develop an elevator pitch for your agency/organization or a project 26. Suzanne E. HenryFour Leaf Public Relations LLC Suzanne@FourLeafPR.com 434-972-7278www.FourLeafPR.com