8 Steps to a Team of Powerful Messengers

4. Recruit your message team. E-mail or speak with your colleagues to:

• Request their help (attention, time and effort) in strengthening conversations and communications.
• Outline their potential impact as organizational messengers.
• Calm their qualms by sharing your realistic expectations about how much extra time and effort this takes. Note: In most cases, your colleagues are already having the conversations, and becoming a skilled messenger helps them do so more confidently, quickly and effectively.
• Build confidence and interest with a brief overview of how you'll help them prepare via training, practice and feedback.

Include the message platform and some context on why and when the messages were developed; how they connect with each target audience; and how they differentiate your nonprofit from organizations competing for attention, giving and other actions.