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By Simba Mswaka
COMMUNICATION is a very vital skill for any business and especially a start-up that is just trying to find its way in the market. Most start-ups don’t have a history of financial results that indicate that is making sales and it actually has customers. This is why the ability to exhibit value and how it matters to your audience is very important.
Steve Jobs is the perfect example of a master communicator. Steve Wozniak built the tech but Jobs understood how to convey value and the mantra of Apple products. This is why Apple consumers are labelled as being part of a cult by outsiders. Jobs was a master orator and his product launches were must see for the entire tech industry. We can’t all be Jobs but there are tools that can make it easier.
I recently was a judge for the African Business Heroes competition and I saw a number of applications of different businesses. I had to judge the projects with minimal country context and this was definitely a challenge but the projects that stood out addressed the 5 Ws. Those that did not address all five did not resonate as much with me, some addressed 2 or 3 but when someone hit 5 out 5, it all made total sense.
The project may have been the simplest idea ever, but once they addressed all 5 it was easy to follow the business and everything made business sense. Even if the business was not destined to be Multi-National, the roadmap was clear and you can see what the entrepreneur is thinking.
American entrepreneurs are a good example of addressing the 5Ws and closer to home, Nigerian start-ups are doing this, it’s not a coincidence that they get all of the funding. Zimbabwean start-ups have not fully mastered this art form and it will take practice but there is an easy method to do this. One may struggle to pitch in front of a crowd or may have a mediocre idea, but if you can fully address the 5 ws then you will have an audience.
So what are the 5ws you may ask – Who – What – When – Where – Why
They are definitely very simple but a number of start-ups do not address all of them and this is how they fail to sell themselves or convince a customer.
Who – This is important because you have to state who your audience is. When using this W, one must break their audience down to the smallest granule. Those who get this wrong come out with statements such as ‘our target market is anyone who lives in poverty’, this is good but it really does not exhibit understanding who this product or service is for. It’s more of a blanket statement that leaves the listener none the wiser. A better response is ‘our target market is low income households that earn less than $100 per month’, now the message is resonating and we can pinpoint exactly who it is intended for.
What – This is where you describe the product or service and break it down so that your grandmother or a 5-year-old can understand it. The audience wants to know ‘what is it?’ is it a software or hardware product, does it use electricity etc. When you correctly address this, the audience should not be second guessing what it is, they should rather question if it will work or how you can do it better, but never what it actually is. It could be an unmitigated disaster but it’s clear because you have explained it to the nines. I find tech founders don’t fully explain this because they just use words like ‘platform’ and they audience is not 100% sure if its only web based or it has an app. In this case the best scenario is to make it audience specific to increase clarity of messaging.
When – This W is all about time and setting the stage for the project or event. If you have a start-up the when can be when you plan to launch, when you are fundraising or when you came up with this great idea. This W is important because it gives the venture a sense of time that the audience can refer to.
Where – This is where your project or start-up will take place. Tell the audience where you occupy geography as a business. Do you operate online, is it physical? Where can customers find you and your services? A tech start-up with an app may say ‘find us on the Google Play Store’ and drop the link to their application. This is the exact address and it important to help customers navigate to your business. In the information age it is important to make it as easy and clear for customers to be able to find you and that’s why the where is important. Never communicate to an audience without telling them where they can find you that is a big disservice. Even if you assume they know, assume that they do not know. Better to remind them than missing the opportunity to inform them.
Why – This W cannot be overlooked as it is the basis for a lot of the work you are doing. It can come in many forms such as “why do you think you are the right person to do this?’, ‘why now?’ or my personal favourite “what is your why?” When I ask this question I want to know what exactly drives you to do what you do every day, why is this is so important to you?
The Why is tied to a purpose and if your why is strong it will resonate with your audience. If you can address the Why effectively you can really embed yourself and your business in the hearts and minds of your audience. The why doesn’t always have to be a sad story to convince people, it could easily be a trillion-dollar industry and you want to get your piece of the pie.
The why can also be focused on your audience by telling them why your product/service matters to them, the idea here is to demonstrate value and have them understand why what you are saying matters to their lives. Knowing which side to address the why question from is just as important as addressing it effectively.
In conclusion, armed with the 5Ws, any entrepreneur or anyone looking to pitch or communicate to people about their product or service should find it easier to convey their message. You should never have a marketing opportunity such as being on radio or TV and not address all 5 of the Ws, that is the big stage and your time to shine, everything else you may have said is almost lost if you have not informed the audience of the 5ws. Good ideas need good communication to become great, so make the 5ws a habit of your communication protocol.
Simba is the Programs and Partnerships Manager of Tech Hub Harare, Startup Mentor and Future VC.
He can be reached on simbamswaka@yahoo.com and on Linkedin
