Crafting a Key Message Workshop
This short workshop introduces participants to a simple method for crafting the "key message" around which a presentation, elevator pitch, email or conversation (or any other individual piece of communication) will be designed.
This workshop can be delivered as a stand-alone session to build transferrable skills, or it can be one module in a series of short skills development workshops offered weekly/fortnightly over a period of time. It can be delivered as part of a one- to two-day presentation or communication skills programme.
This template assumes that it will be run as a stand-alone workshop and includes time for set-up and conclusions - these can be removed as needed. This template also assumes that participants know each other, so no time has been included for participant introductions - you may need to build this in if you have a mixed group
Objectives
- Help a group develop their communication skills and understand the nuts and bolts of a key message
- Explore how to develop an effective anchoring message
- Develop an impactful key message using a step-by-step template
- Practice using your key message and get feedback from the group
Materials
Attachments
- Key Message Planner - Example.pdf
- Key Message Planner.pdf
Instructions
The quick summary: Often, when people think about “key messaging”, they think about branding, corporate communication strategies and the nuts and bolts of crafting a marketing campaign. Underpinning activities like these with clear key messages is vital, but we believe that key messages have a place in everyday communication, too.
This workshop has been designed to provide a short, sharp, interactive introduction to why a key message can be helpful and how to craft a key message in a relatively short period of time.
This workshop can stand on its own and is particularly useful for teams or groups who are interested in having a flexible tool in their communication toolkit that they can adapt to their needs.
Crafting a key message, however, is often an essential step that needs to be taken when planning a presentation, speech, elevator pitch, or even a blog post like this. With that in mind, you could also use this workshop template as part of a longer workshop or training programme around presenting, for example, or as a module in a multi-session series of effective communication workshops.
Who can facilitate it?
Facilitators and managers familiar with designing compelling key messages and leading presentations can easily run this workshop.
While you can run this workshop offline, it is effective in a virtual setting by using on online whiteboard and a virtual meeting space such as Zoom. We recommend bringing a co-facilitator or tech support to get the most from your session.
Author
At SessionLab, we are passionate about facilitation. We believe good workshop design leads to better collaboration, enabling people to achieve great things. SessionLab is the go-to platform for session design, with an agenda planning tool, library of facilitation resources and vibrant community for facilitators. It enables facilitators to streamline workshop design through drag-and-drop scheduling, automatic timing and seamless sharing with clients and colleagues.