How to Replace Talking Points For Your Spokespeople

One of the most overlooked challenges in media relations—especially for organizations in agriculture, energy, and rural sectors—is internal alignment.You can build a polished media list, deliver a compelling pitch, and even land a major interview. But if your spokespeople deliver different messages or default to lengthy, overly technical explanations, the opportunity to influence your audience begins to slip away.

In sectors where public understanding is low, opposition messaging is sharp, and your internal stakeholder list is long—consistency becomes mission-critical.Yet, most organizations still rely on traditional talking points as their default approach.

Here’s the problem: talking points assume that your team members will memorize the same script, recite it consistently, and apply it to every audience the same way. That might work in a one-on-one briefing. But in the real world—where you're dealing with a large board of directors, a busy sales team, regional reps or dozens of partner organizations—it doesn’t hold up.

It’s not that people are saying the wrong things. It’s that they’re not always saying the same thing in a way that connects. That’s where a message wheel comes in. 

A Modern Solution to a Messy Reality

The message wheel is a messaging framework designed by the team at Paulsen to replace static talking points with a more strategic, adaptable and human-centered approach.At its core, it’s built around a simple truth: People don’t remember bullet points—they remember beliefs.

Instead of trying to force alignment through repetition, the Message Wheel works by providing a shared foundation (your “why”) and then giving individuals the flexibility to reinforce it in a way that fits their audience. For example, in a recent initiative involving a large, multi-stakeholder organization, we worked with more than 40 contributors from across the industry to co-create a message platform that could be used by everyone—from policymakers to producers to PR teams. Each stakeholder had its own proof points, examples and audience-specific goals. A single script wouldn’t cut it, but the Message Wheel created cohesion without demanding uniformity.

How It Works

The structure of the Message Wheel is both simple and powerful. It includes:

• A central “why”: This is the belief or purpose at the center of everything. It’s the statement that grounds your communications and explains why your organization or industry matters.
• Supporting claims: Around the core message, spokespeople can draw from a bank of key claims and real-world proof points, customized by audience (e.g., farmers, media, customers, policy stakeholders).
• Outcome-focused language: Rather than simply stating facts, messages are framed to emphasize impact—why this matters to people, communities and the future.

Unlike a typical message map, the message wheel is built to scale across functions and audiences. It becomes the centerpiece of everything from media interviews to elevator pitches to internal communications.

Built for Complexity

Where this framework really shines is in organizations with many voices, many initiatives, and many audiences.

Think about:

• A large board of directors who all interact with external stakeholders
• Sales teams or dealers that are expected to talk confidently about new campaigns or brand values
• A checkoff or membership organization with dozens of projects in motion at any given time
• An industry coalition facing opposition messaging and public misunderstanding

In any of these cases, talking points break down. They require memorization and don’t account for the nuance of real-world conversations. Even worse, they often put the burden on ambassadors to “stay on script” rather than equipping them to speak with confidence and clarity.

The message wheel solves this by anchoring everyone in the same message foundation, then offering the flexibility to adapt to context. Whether you’re in a sit-down interview or answering a hallway question after a panel, you have a consistent starting point—and the tools to support it.

Leading With Stories - Not Data

The most successful public-facing messages are simple, emotionally resonant and reinforced with facts—not the other way around. One of the most common missteps in agriculture and energy communications is leading with data. It’s tempting to believe that statistics will correct misinformation. But in high-stakes public conversations, emotion beats logic every time.

The message wheel flips that pattern. It encourages communicators to lead with the belief, then follow with the supporting data, not vice versa. That structure is more persuasive, more repeatable and more durable—especially when conversations go off-script.

Bringing It to Life

Building a message wheel is not a solo or quick process. It requires extensive discussion internally to create consensus about your central “why.”  Securing early buy-in is critical to ensure long-term adoption. When team members—from leadership to field staff—see their own perspectives reflected in the message, they’re more likely to use it, trust it, and advocate for it. The more collaborative the process, the more confident and consistent the communication becomes.

Once your messaging is developed, we often recommend tools to reinforce action. 

• A message “book” or guide for internal use
• Social and visual assets that reinforce key themes
• Training workshops to help teams adapt the message in their own voice
• A broader communications strategy to ensure a consistent rollout

The result? A toolkit that helps your people speak clearly and confidently—no memorization required.

A Stronger Way Forward

In today’s media environment—where attention spans are short and narratives move fast—having a clear, consistent message is no longer optional. But consistency doesn’t mean rigidity.  Paulsen’s  Message Wheel offers a smarter path forward — one that unites your organization around a common belief while allowing each voice to show up authentically.

Whether you're navigating public scrutiny, launching a new initiative or simply trying to keep a large team on the same page, this approach helps you replace scripts with strategy—and transforms every conversation into an opportunity to connect, clarify and lead.

This article was originally published at Forbes.com.