Aside from hiking mountains, one of my favourite things to do is go to shows.
Musicals, stand-up comedy, and the occasional magic act or chaotic circus that I convince my kids to come along to… only for them to rave about it non-stop afterwards.
(Every time. Kids are hilarious.)
As someone who’s all about words, stories, and how people connect, I can’t help but watch these performances through a slightly different lens.
I notice the pacing and the tone. The way it builds toward a moment that lands.
Or sometimes doesn’t.
Now, call me a marketing dork if you must (no shame here), but after a recent show I saw, my marketing brain kicked into top gear and threw this bombshell at me:
Messaging is a stage show.
What your audience sees is only part of the story
When someone lands on your website, reads your LinkedIn post, or hears you talk about what you do, they’re sitting in the audience.
They’re deciding:
- Does this speak to me?
- Do I understand what’s happening here?
- Is this something I want to keep watching?
In other words, they’re watching your business in action: your marketing performance.
But that’s just the surface. Because behind the curtain is where the real magic happens.
Great messaging needs a sound script and a backstage plan
Like any strong production, what people see onstage depends entirely on what’s happening behind the scenes.
There’s a script, a director, a cast that knows their roles. Lighting that highlights the right moments, and timing that makes everything feel seamless.
Your marketing works the same way.
When your messaging feels clear, aligned, and confident, it’s because the groundwork has been done backstage.
You’ve taken time to clarify your positioning.
You know who you’re speaking to.
You’ve rehearsed your message enough times that it feels natural, not stiff or scattered.
But what happens when things are rusty or go a bit off-script?
Even in the most well-funded theatre productions, things can feel off if the backstage prep is rushed or a little out of sync.
The lighting is off.
The pacing feels uneven.
The script doesn’t quite land.
And when that happens, the audience tunes out. They start checking their phones. They stop paying attention.
No one’s rushing to tell their friends about what they just saw.
It’s the same story for your messaging.
If the words on your website, LinkedIn, or emails don’t reflect the depth of what you do. If your message is disconnected from what your audience actually needs to hear. Then even your most brilliant work can be overlooked.
And it’s frustrating as hell when you know you’re great at what you do, but the message isn’t coming across the way it should.
A quick backstage check for your own messaging
If your message has started feeling a bit off, here’s a simple way to step back and check what’s working, what’s a bit wobbly, and where there might be room to tighten things up.
Solid and working well?
- You know who you’re speaking to, and they know it too
- Your voice and values come through clearly in your content
- People understand what you do right away
Cracks starting to show?
- Your words look polished but don’t quite sound like you
- You struggle to explain how your offer is different from others
- You’re getting ghosted after good initial conversations
Opportunities to fine-tune?
- Sharpen your point of difference: why this show, not the one down the road?
- Check that your emails, website, and socials are all telling the same story
- Revisit your business “why”. Are you still clear on what’s driving the message?
When was the last time you sat in your own audience?
It’s so easy to be in the middle of things – writing the content, updating the website, sending the emails – without ever stopping to see what the whole “show” looks like from your audience’s seat.
But that’s the perspective that matters most.
So I encourage you to do something simple: take a peek backstage. Look at your messaging as if you’ve never seen it before.
Is the story clear?
Is the direction strong?
Would you keep watching?
If not, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean the show is doomed. It just means it’s time for a little “creative direction”.
If talking about what you do feels unclear or all over the place, that’s what I help with in Messaging Lift.
It’s a focused process where I help you clarify your message, then write the two most useful marketing tools for attracting clients and opportunities: a strong LinkedIn profile and a clear, confident business bio.
