Who has the time for communications when you’re busy trying to change the world?

Especially at the early stages of the startup journey when needs and opportunities typically outweigh the bank account, most Agri-Food or ClimateTech startups struggle to implement an effective communications strategy, if any. But therein lies the problem. A startup that can’t clearly and quickly communicate its mission is a startup that often fails to realize its mission. It doesn’t matter how good your tech or solution is if nobody knows about it.

Not to mention the startup journey is a rocky one. You’re creating value where value didn’t exist before. That isn’t an easy lift. You’ll experience successes, failures, and surprises you never in a million years could have predicted. Communicating your way through that journey is critical. So, how do you effectively communicate and not just survive but thrive?

I turned to my friend and colleague Rachel Konrad to answer this question.

Chief brand officer at The Production Board, a venture capital firm working with agtech startups, Rachel has some serious communications chops. She served in top communication roles at companies like Telsa, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, and then Impossible Foods. Her journey from the world of sustainable auto-manufacturing to sustainable food is fascinating, a tale I captured during Rachel’s gracious visit as a guest on episode 50 of my Leaders On a Mission podcast.

Rachel Konrad on the Key to Effective Startup Communications

Rachel puts it very simply. Effective comms start with internal comms.

“One of my former bosses was the CEO and chairman of three major auto companies. He had 350,000 people working in his ecosystem, operations in 200 countries, and 97 plants around the world. At one point, I asked him what is more important internal or external comms? He did not waste even one-second thinking about it. Without a doubt, internal comms are the root of your external comms,” Rachel recalls. “And it’s by a long margin. That is the root of your employee retention, your employee morale, and your ability to sell the company vision internally, let alone externally. It’s all rooted in internal communication.”

Unfortunately, Rachel says, most CEOs and startup teams don’t give internal comms the credit it deserves. They may fixate on external comms but give no time to their internal messaging. “That’s one of the things I work quite frequently with CEOs and C-suites on. How and why do you amplify your internal comms?”

The why is obvious; there is no better endorsement of a company than an enthusiastic team, especially when it comes to a mission-driven enterprise, Rachel says

When things are going well, a well-informed internal team is the ultimate cheerleading squad. And when things go wrong (and inevitably they will), there is no better endorsement of the staying power of a startup than a workforce willing to stick behind the company and struggle and claw their way through a crisis. That doesn’t happen without great internal comms.

The worst-case scenario? Your internal team hears about big company news at the same time the rest of the world does. No employee in the world doesn’t hate that, Rachel says.

As your startup grows, paying attention to internal comms becomes even more critical.

“At 50 people or so, a CEO can literally get up on the table and rally the troops by voice alone, even if you’re not the most gifted communicator,” Rachel says. “But by 150 people, you’ve got this tiny little village to manage. You’ve gotten to a place where your operational and positional complexity has grown. Instead of standing on the table, now you need to be effectively operating a news organization to serve a small town in the Upper Midwest or something like that.”

Rachel says three elements are most important to company communications, internally and externally. Focus on these and you’ll be well on your way to comms success.

1)  Know Your Message

Whether it’s your mission, your values for a specific campaign, or the key points for a new product rollout, start by knowing your message. Unfortunately, many startups seem to forget this basic concept, Rachel says.

“I’m always shocked by the number of times I interact with executives and ask what’s the message, and they don’t know.”

Your message doesn’t have to be complex. A clear, simple message is best. Rachel recommends a “very short list” of three to six main bullet points to communicate. Build your list and keep returning to the same messaging points, time after time.

2)  Understand Your Audience

Tailor your message to the audience.

Knowing your audience can get complicated fast, especially for AgriFood and ClimateTech startups operating in the complex and diffuse world of food and agriculture. It’s not just about your employees and your customers, but investors, colleagues, and even consumers. And what if you’re communicating with a reporter from the Wall Street Journal? Or the nightly news program in Wichita?

Even though your key messaging stays the same, how you communicate those messages may change. Understand your audience and you can share your message in a way that resonates specifically with them.

3)  Mission Matters Most

Ultimately, Rachel says it’s all about the mission, whether you’re communicating internally or externally.

Keep your mission front of mind, whether that’s in weekly meetings, newsletters, blog posts, social media or literally “written on the office wall.” Make sure your internal comms always come back to that core message of the company mission.

“It really falls to the CEO, especially in these early stages, to set the framework for why you’re here. If employees are aware of the mission and aligned with it, they will work through any economic downturn, any downcycle with clients and any supply chain cluster that disrupts the business. They will endure because they believe in the mission.”

Communicating Your Way to Startup Success!

Hopefully, Rachel’s insights make navigating the trenches of startup communications a wee bit easier. At least clearer.

How about you? Have you felt successful in your company’s communications or failed miserably? What comms questions would you pose to Rachel?

Drop me a line. I’d love to chat! S.leich@cspartners-net.

Cheers!

Simon Leich, CEO

CS Partners