Wall Street is hungry for "clarity" from our government. The market has been in a free fall and is not expressing confidence in how the government is handling our financial crisis.
The populist is expressing anger over the AIG bailout and the huge bonuses handed out to executives at a time when they have seemingly run their companies into the ground.
The media and pundits are calling this a "crisis of confidence." What is going on? Why are we stuck in neutral?
The key was expressed in the first line above -- clarity. It's missing in action.
When Wall Street gets the sense that our new administration doesn't care to hear what Wall Street is saying, can you imagine the lack of confidence that creates? When AIG exes ignore the national anger over bonuses paid when they've been bailed out by government funds (our taxpayer dollars), can you imagine the lack of confidence that creates?
On a micro scale, can you imagine how your customers or key audiences feel when you confuse them with products that are anti-intuitive; with byzantine telephone answering trees that put customers in a merry-go-round; or with services that don't meet expectations?
When clarity is missing - anger, frustration, lost sales, and lost votes will fill the vacuum.
Here are some suggestions for reaching clarity with your important audiences:
- Write and speak in short statements.
- Avoid repetition.
- Be clear about the pros and cons. It helps the mind distinguish what's important.
- Use visuals, when possible. Not all people learn through logic.
- Focus on the most important issue at hand. Then, introduce other items later.
- Test your concepts before going public. Fresh input often adds to clarity.
- Take responsibility and do what's right and what's needed.
Take a quick look around now at your business and your marketing practices. Are you adding clarity to the conversation, or more confusion?
Choose wisely.
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