What framework or process do you use to develop messaging?

There’s no one-size-fits-all framework for messaging—it has to be tailored to the business, the audience, and how it will be activated. I have a loose message framework I use and modify for every company and business need whether it’s foundational company messaging, a sales play, or campaign messaging. The key as you’re going through the message creation process is to keep activation and make sure you’re providing the types of message inputs that will be actionable for your go-to-market teams.

As a general approach:

1. Start with discovery to answer the the "Who, Why, Why Now, and What"

Messaging starts with insights, not assumptions. Gather qualitative and quantitative data on customers and the market to understand who we’re speaking to, what matters to them, and who we’re trying to win them over from.

• Who – Begin by getting clear on the ICP and target personas. The more specific you are the more focused and effective your messaging will be. You can’t be all things to everyone.

• Why – What’s the most pressing problem the customer needs solved? Why should they care?

• Why Now – What market trends or pain points make this urgent?

• What and How – What is our solution? How do we deliver on pain/need in a way that’s unique and provable?

2. Build a Messaging Framework

Depending on whether I’m crafting company, product, or feature messaging, adapt this general framework and synthesize the insights from discovery to hone the messaging

• Target Audience – Who are we speaking to? Their roles, pain points, motivations, and buying triggers.

• Market Context & Trends – What external forces (industry trends, competitive shifts, regulatory changes) are shaping this space?

• Core Value Proposition – A single compelling sentence that articulates why we are different and valuable.

• Customer Pain Points – The top challenges our audience faces that our product directly addresses and the negative consequences.

• How We Solve It (Better) - How is our approach better than alternatives (not only direct competitors)

• Messaging Pillars – 3 key themes that reinforce our value and differentiation.

• Solution & Benefits – How our product solves those pain points and the tangible benefits it delivers.

• Customer & Product Proof Points – Real-world customer success stories, analyst rankings, positive business outcomes, and product features that validate our claims.

• Use Cases – Specific scenarios and competitive advantages that show why our solution is the best choice.

3. Test, Validate, Refine

• Talk to customers, prospects, and analysts (interviews, surveys, focus groups).

• Get feedback from internal teams (sales, marketing, product, execs).

• A/B testing it in-market (ads, landing pages, sales scripts, outbound emails).

4. Activate and Iterate

• Train sales and marketing teams on how to apply the messaging and then track confidence levels.

• Embed messaging into marketing campaigns and content - Messaging isn't copywriting, but to ensure messaging alignment across channels provide examples how the messaging can come to life across channels.

• Monitoring performance (e.g., ad CTRs, demo requests, sales call effectiveness, win rates).

• Iterating based on real-world feedback.
  

Remember messaging is an ongoing process—it evolves as customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscapes shift. A strong messaging framework provides structure, but the real impact comes from deep customer insight, validation, and continuous refinement.