Welcome back! In this final episode wrapping up season one, I walk through my formula for crafting compelling customer messaging.

As your host, I'm always grateful you've stuck with me on this podcast journey. It's brilliant we've made it to episode six together. I've wanted to start a podcast for years, so it means so much you've encouraged and supported me.

To recap, we've been exploring metalinguistics: the art of talking about talking. This season aimed to make you more curious about how your words work internally and externally. My hope is you feel equipped to bridge workplace culture gaps and create shared understanding.

Today, we get a bit nerdy (but really, when have we not been nerdy?) and look at my framework for building customer-focused messages.

First, let's revisit last week's episode on sociolects. Have you shared any hilarious words your family used growing up? My grandfather called Egypt "egg-wiped" and we said "weekies" instead of ears. Share your family's silly words!

But onto today's focus: the magic of customer messaging.

Your formula is:

• Your customer tells you what you do
• You tell them how you did it

This means leading with their experience, not yours. Your customer is the authority on your impact. Maya Angelou said "people will forget what you said and did, but not how you made them feel."

Their feelings are valid - you can't tell them their experience is wrong. Instead, ask them about your positive impact. Their feedback gives you authority to relay your value.

You have creative control over the "how." Explain your cultural values and brand story. Share what makes you proud and why it drives results.

Weave in those brand values from episode four into your methods. Show how your culture and approach lead to their experience.

So in messaging:

• Your customer describes the impact
• You describe how your values achieve that, backed by their words

This hierarchy resonates because it puts them first, not you. As Nick Anderson says, you have to earn the right to say "we." Put them front and centre.

That brings us to Grice's Maxims of Conversation. These provide universal principles for getting your point across effectively. See how they feel intuitively true:

Maxim of Relevance: What you say must relate to the topic at hand.

Maxim of Quality: You must be truthful and not mislead.

Maxim of Manner: You must be clear, avoid ambiguity, and explain appropriately.

Maxim of Quantity: Give as much or as little information as needed - no more, no less.

Think of when these get violated in life. You ask how someone is and they launch into overly personal details. The maxim of quantity got overlooked. Consider if your website and collateral uphold the maxims. Do they speak truthfully and clearly to your audience's needs without wasting their time? The maxims create a brilliant guide for engaging communication.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Notice when maxims get violated in conversations - it highlights communication breakdowns.
• Analyse your copy's percentage of "you" pronouns - higher percentages show audience focus.
• Ensure your messaging adheres to the maxims - your customers will thank you for respecting their time and intelligence.

That wraps up season one! Let me know your biggest takeaways and insights from the podcast so far. I may have a bonus episode coming soon, so stay tuned. Thank you for joining me on this journey - it means the world.