SELLING YOUR COMPANY’S VISION
Modern executives must be just as good at communicating a company’s vision and purpose as they are at planning and executing strategy. With support and counsel from investor relations professionals, executives must craft a compelling narrative that tells the story behind a company’s product or service. Nothing attracts an investor to a company than a good story – one they can relate to, believe in, and get behind.
Unfortunately, a lot of companies struggle with the ability to communicate their vision. Even great companies with strong financials can have trouble conveying the deeper meaning of their vision and selling it to potential shareholders.
Entrepreneurs especially can be guilty of this and understandably so. They work tirelessly, putting their blood, sweat and tears building a company from the ground up, so it is unsurprising that communicating that vision can be an afterthought. Executives in blue-chip companies, where the company narrative has been around for decades, or even more than a century, are tasked with taking a dated narrative and keeping it relevant in today’s economy.
Communicating a bold vision requires careful planning and delivery. Companies should consider teaming up with Investor Relations Officers (IROs) as they craft their company’s narrative. Executives can rely on these expert communicators to play a key role in helping to engage with the investment community and leveraging feedback to refine messaging that resonates with the target audience and to amplify their vision to the wider investment community.
There are three components to consider when crafting a compelling narrative for your company:
Make people aware of the problem you’re solving and why! It's hard to feel compelled to get behind a vision if you don't really believe it solves a problem. Carefully consider how you are framing the problem and give it context so that resonates with investors and drives the desire to be a part of the solution.
Cereal maker Kellogg’s does a great job communicating their deeper purpose. As soon as you reach their investor relations website, you are greeted with a paragraph that includes their vision about “a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled.” It’s not just about selling cereal. That small statement captures the intention to promote economic justice, equal access to food, and so much more.
Communicate to investors how your company is contributing to a better future. How does your product or service make life easier for consumers in the future? Are you leading the charge on a new technology? Will your company be featured prominently as big shifts happen in your industry? It’s all about connecting what you do as a company to a more prosperous and exciting future.
Unsurprisingly, technology companies like Uber are great at future-casting and asking investors to imagine a better tomorrow. The first thing you see on their investor relations site is their mission, “We reimagine the way the world moves for the better.“ Again, it’s not about getting people from point A to point B on a map, it’s about imagining a future where we have solved today’s transportation challenges.
Make it clear how your vision of the company leads not only to solving a problem, but to financial performance. How will your vision of the future lead to profit? Assume that not everyone knows the company or understands the industry landscape as well as you. In the end, investors care about returns, so don’t forget to talk about financials while communicating your vision.
A well-crafted story is an invaluable part of your company’s strategy. A targeted message to the right audience that is easy to comprehend, and that asks investors to imagine a better version of the world that your company helped create, is vital to your success at attracting new support from the market.
