What happens when your team can’t even agree on how to explain what your company does?
That’s not a branding hiccup, it’s a messaging problem. And chances are, if you asked five people on your team what your message is, you’d get five different answers.
Unclear messaging leads to longer sales cycles, misaligned teams, and prospects who bounce before they ever understand your value.
So, what does “clear messaging” actually mean, and why do so many companies get it wrong?
In this episode of Endless Customers, I sat down with Tom DiScipio, Managing Partner at IMPACT, to unpack what clear messaging really means. We talked about what happens when businesses skip the foundational thinking and jump straight into copywriting, and why that shortcut almost always backfires.
We also explored how storytelling, structure, and intellectual property (IP) all tie into your messaging framework. And what to do when the way you talk about your business isn’t resonating with the people you’re trying to reach.
If you’re a business owner, marketer, or sales leader struggling to get prospects to “get” what makes you different, this conversation is for you.
By the end, you’ll know exactly what clear messaging means, how to build yours from the ground up, and why getting it right could be the best investment you make in your business.
Most companies assume their messaging lives in their website copy or blog posts. But Tom made it clear: "Your company's messaging, your point of view, your IP, the way that you think is not your website copy."
Messaging is deeper. It’s your belief system. It’s the way you see the world and the problems you solve. It’s the set of principles that shape how you communicate and operate. Think of it as your internal compass. It influences every interaction you have with customers, prospects, and even your own team.
A strong message shows up in every sales conversation. It gives your marketing team a foundation for the stories they tell. It’s what creates consistency between your homepage, your emails, and what someone hears when they talk to a rep.
Messaging says: this is what we believe, this is who we serve, and this is how we help. Copy is simply how you share that message with the outside world.
When those two things are in sync, the results speak for themselves.
Clear messaging sits at the intersection of two powerful frameworks. As Tom explained, "It's the crossroads between two different frameworks that I've always leaned into and followed."
They are battle-tested systems that, when used together, create messaging that clicks.
When you bring these two together, you get messaging that resonates. As Tom put it, clear messaging leads to "resonance and understanding and validation." It’s about being direct while also speaking in a way that aligns with how your audience thinks and feels. It’s not fluff. It’s connection.
Story creates emotional investment. Structure provides clarity. And together, they help you speak to the right people in the right way.
But even with strong storytelling and structure, the landscape of messaging has changed, and fast.
They Ask, You Answer taught us a lot. It helped businesses answer the tough questions and start building trust with their buyers. It gave teams a framework to align around and proved that transparency can drive serious results.
But the landscape has shifted.
We’ve expanded beyond that approach with the Endless Customers System™. Not because They Ask, You Answer stopped working, but because the environment in which we’re communicating has fundamentally changed.
The biggest shift? AI.
We used to write for two main audiences: our buyers and search engines. Today, there’s a third player in the mix, AI tools like ChatGPT. As Tom put it, “It’s just creating more noise.” With so much content being generated so quickly, buyers are drowning in options that all sound the same. That means your content has to work harder to stand out.
To cut through, your content can’t just be accurate or well-written. It has to reflect something real. “AI can replicate the structure,” Tom said. “But it can’t replicate your IP, your story, your beliefs.” That’s the difference. Messaging today has to be rooted in a clear point of view. It has to carry your company’s voice, experience, and thinking.
Messaging is what gives your content that edge. It makes your voice recognizable in a sea of sameness. Pretty powerful when you think about it.
When messaging feels off, it usually is. And as Tom shared, there are some common patterns that signal a disconnect between what companies want to say and what their buyers actually need to hear.
Clear messaging isn’t just for your customers. It’s a tool for your team. When they can all explain who you are and what you do in the same way, you don’t just sound better. You operate better.
The good news is you don’t need to start from scratch. You just need clarity, and a few tools to guide the way.
Start by digging into the two resources Tom highlighted earlier: Donald Miller’s StoryBrand and Peep Laja’s B2B Messaging Framework. Together, they’ll help you position your business as the guide and organize your messaging in a way that’s clear, relevant, and valuable—in the order your buyers expect to see it.
Next, take a hard look at the messaging on your website. Run a quick search for “we,” “us,” and “our.” If those words show up more than they should, it’s a sign your content is too focused on you.
A good rule of thumb: 80% of your messaging should speak directly to your buyers—their problems, their goals, their questions. The remaining 20% can be about you (what you offer, how you help, and why you’re different). If you’ve got those numbers flipped, it’s time for a rewrite. Shift the focus. Make your customer the lead character. That’s how you create messaging that connects.
Then document your message. Create a brand script. Get clear on your point of view. Define the problems you solve and the beliefs that drive your work. Share it across your team. When sales, marketing, and leadership are all speaking the same language, they can speak about your company with confidence and consistency.
When your messaging is clear and consistent, everything gets easier.
You attract better-fit customers. The ones who show up are already aligned with your values. That leads to fewer wasted conversations, more referrals, stronger retention, and partnerships that feel like a natural fit.
You also create internal clarity. During the episode, I pointed out how messy things get when two people on the same team describe the company in completely different ways. That kind of disconnect confuses prospects and weakens your brand. But when everyone’s speaking the same language, the whole experience feels aligned. Sales, marketing, and leadership aren’t just on the same page. They’re telling the same story.
And just as important, you stand out. In a world full of auto-generated content, the companies that break through are the ones that sound human. They share real stories, real beliefs, and real value. That’s what makes people stop. That’s what earns trust.
At the end of the day, unclear messaging doesn’t just confuse your audience—it creates friction across your entire business. If your team struggles to explain what makes your company different, or if your content sounds just like everyone else’s, that’s a sign your message needs work.
Now you know messaging isn’t just copy. It’s your belief system, your structure, your story—and it needs to live in every part of how your team communicates. When those pieces align, everything flows. Sales get easier. Marketing hits harder. Your brand feels stronger.
Start by grounding your message in the right frameworks. Use StoryBrand to center your buyer. Use Peep Laja’s Message Layers to organize your thinking. Audit your site for “we” and “our” language. And most importantly, document your beliefs and your values so your entire organization can speak with one voice.
If your website and sales team sound misaligned or if your content just isn’t clicking, it’s time to revisit your message.
We help companies define their story, align their teams, and build trust that scales.
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It’s more than just catchy phrases or homepage headlines. Business messaging is your company’s belief system and point of view—the core ideas that shape how you talk about the problems you solve, the people you help, and the value you deliver. It’s what gives your content personality and your brand meaning. Without it, even the best copy feels hollow.
Because they skip the foundation. Instead of taking time to define their message, they jump straight into copywriting. That shortcut creates a disconnect. Your team ends up guessing at what to say, your messaging feels inconsistent, and your content falls flat. Without clarity up front, it’s like building a house without a blueprint.
A message resonates when it blends emotional storytelling with clear structure and speaks directly to the needs of your audience. It's about hitting the head and the heart. The right message makes people feel understood, validated, and curious to learn more. And it sounds like something only your company could say. That’s the power of combining frameworks like StoryBrand and B2B Message Layers.
If your team can’t explain what you do in the same way, or if your content sounds like everyone else’s, that’s a red flag. Another sign? Prospects land on your site and bounce because they don’t quickly grasp how you help. Messaging that’s vague, self-centered, or overly technical confuses buyers and slows down sales.
Start by auditing your website copy. Count how many times you use words like "we," "us," and "our." If your site talks more about your company than your customer, it’s time to flip the script. Rewrite your content with your buyer’s challenges, goals, and language in mind. That one shift can dramatically improve clarity and conversions.