Three tips for cultivating authenticity in ghostwritten executive communications
In today’s fast-paced communications landscape, executives often rely on communications teams to develop messaging on their behalf as a way to amplify their vision and increase efficiency. Effective communication is a skill that requires practice, and while executives are experts in their field and oversee large teams, they don’t all bring professional-level writing skills to the table. The following three tips will help you develop messaging that’s authentic and true to the voice of the executive.
Understand the big picture
Knowing how the project fits into the broader organizational plan will help ensure your messages don’t become stale. Rather than creating a draft as a standalone, you should take a 10,000-foot view of their professional goals, communication preferences and personal style to develop messaging that can serve as a thread through the life of a project. Consistent messaging builds trust and positively shapes the professional image of the communicator.
Mind your mannerisms
In addition to getting to know them personally and building a strong partnership, study the executive’s past communications, watch recordings of previous presentations, and search Google for media quotes. Make note of their style, the signature phrases they default to, their tone and level of formality. Infusing the elements that make a communication style unique will ensure messaging comes across authentically and can be replicated by future ghostwriters.
Protect the key message
As your communication inevitably evolves through multiple iterations, make sure to protect the authentic sense of voice you’ve worked hard to cultivate. Ensure that key messages are not buried and calls to action remain clear. As various parties make suggestions to the communication, be sure the end product is formatted with the audience in mind: with the most important information first and articulated in a way that will resonate. If your message will be translated into other languages, consider simplifying language and avoiding idioms that won’t land consistently. As projects move forward, your requirements, deadline and goals may shift: be ruthless in protecting the key message.
Executive ghostwriting can be a powerful tool to help leaders effectively communicate ideas. With clear goals and a strong commitment to quality, ghostwriters can help executives use best practices to confidently deliver impactful messages while focusing on their core responsibilities.
Need a fresh take on executive comms? Pivot Strategies’ team of communications consultants are experts at finding unique ways to engage employees with authenticity and heart. Learn more about how we create clarity.
About the Author
Lydia Hemmer, Communications Consultant
Lydia partners with cross-functional teams and business leaders to understand complex business issues, distill them into digestible content, and develop a communication plan that engages its intended audience. As a communications consultant, she works to “connect the dots” between strategies and their desired outcomes using an empathy-first approach. Her experience includes merger communications, employee engagement initiatives, executive communications and strategic internal communications. Before joining Pivot Strategies, Lydia managed communications at several of Minnesota’s largest law firms. She is the 2021 Chair of Minnesota’s Legal Marketing Association.
