PMs: Master the Force of Communication

Crafting impactful messages that resonate with diverse audiences is an essential skill for building visibility and achieving career growth. With the right techniques, PMs...

Once upon a time, in a far, far away suburb of San Francisco, there was a young Jedi apprentice with dreams as tall as the skyscraper that housed the legendary Jedi Temple—a place perched high in the clouds. Every week, he would journey to this sacred temple, where the Masters convened in the tallest building ever built by man in the city.

This apprentice was no ordinary Jedi-in-training. Known for his exceptional skills, he was one of the most talented of his generation. His saber was unmatched when slicing and dicing release plans, and his agility in navigating complex product roadmaps was second to none. He felt ready—ready for the next big leap into the Jedi ranks to join the Masters' hallowed tribe.

But fate had other plans. Despite the unwavering support of his Master, his first nomination to the Jedi Order faltered under the scrutiny of the other Masters. “How could this be?” he thought to himself, frustration simmering beneath his calm Jedi demeanor. “It is unfair. What will it take to become a Jedi?”

During one of their weekly Jedi-to-Master sessions, the apprentice poured his thoughts into the Force, seeking answers. Master X, wise and seasoned, listened patiently before speaking:
“Patience, young one. A good PM you are. But a better communicator you must become.”

The apprentice took this wisdom to heart. Determined, he continued to hone his skills, mastering the art of slicing release plans and delivering product battles with precision. But this time, he added a new weapon to his arsenal: the art of communication.

He began crafting stories about his victories on the product battlefield—stories that showcased not just his saber skills but also the lives he touched, the villagers (also called customers) he saved, and the lasting impact of his efforts. He learned to wield words as powerfully as his lightsaber, framing his achievements in ways the Masters could feel through the Force.

One good communication at a time, the young apprentice built his path to Jedi. He spoke clearly, resonating with both the villagers and the Masters. And one day, after much patience and persistence, his efforts bore fruit. He was named to the Jedi Order, a Master in his own right.

The apprentice-turned-Master learned that hard work, skill, and vision are critical—but the Force of communication is what binds it all together.

The young Jedi’s journey to mastering communication mirrors the challenges many Product Managers face today. Crafting impactful messages that resonate with diverse audiences—whether executives, technical teams, or cross-functional peers—is an essential skill for building visibility and achieving career growth. With the right techniques, PMs can refine their core messages, tailor them to their audience, and frame their work around outcomes that align with organizational goals. Let’s dive into practical strategies and actionable recommendations to help you wield the Force of communication effectively.

Strategies for Building Your Brand and Visibility

Master Storytelling with Data and Emotion

Craft narratives that connect individual efforts to broader business goals using both data and emotional appeal.

Example: Share a customer story: “ACME, one of our largest strategic customers, reported that the new feature saved them 10 hours weekly, solidifying their commitment to our platform.”

Utilize Collaboration Tools Effectively

Share updates regularly through platforms like Slack to keep stakeholders informed and engaged. Celebrate team efforts and maintain transparency by sharing both successes and challenges.

Example: “Quick update: We've completed 80% of the A/B test rollout and are on track for full deployment by Friday. Big shoutout to the engineering team for making this happen ahead of schedule!”

Focus on Outcomes Over Outputs

Highlight the impact of your work on business objectives rather than listing tasks. Show how your efforts align with organizational goals.

Example: Instead of saying, “I launched a new feature,” say, “The feature launch reduced support tickets by 25%, freeing up resources for other priorities.”

Tailor Communication for Technical vs. Business Audiences

For technical audiences, provide details and data; for business stakeholders, focus on outcomes and impact. Adjust your messaging to match their priorities.

Example: To technical peers: “We improved API response time by 20ms.” To business leaders: “This optimization leads to faster transactions and a better user experience.”

Craft Roadmaps with Clear Business Objectives

Tie every release to a clear business goal and make it a recurring theme in discussions. Focus on describing features through outcomes rather than the work being done.

Example: Instead of saying, “We’re building an AI-powered search,” say, “This release will reduce customer search times by 30%, improving retention.”

Active Listening and Empathy

Listen to team dynamics, customer needs, and stakeholder concerns to better understand and address challenges collaboratively.

Example: In a user interview, reflect their concerns: “It sounds like the onboarding process was frustrating. We’ll prioritize streamlining it in the next iteration.”

Speak Up and Share Contributions

Make your voice heard in meetings and one-on-ones by contributing concise, valuable insights and sharing your achievements. Frame your successes as team efforts to encourage collaboration and foster goodwill.

Speak up in meetings: “I believe prioritizing Feature X will drive higher retention based on last quarter's user feedback.”

Share wins in one-on-ones: “The release I led last month improved user NPS by 15%.”

Highlight team achievements: “Our team's work on Feature Y helped reduce onboarding time by 30%.”

Volunteer in Group Settings

Step up during discussions by offering to lead initiatives or tackle challenges. Volunteering demonstrates initiative and positions you as a proactive contributor.

Example: In a PM group meeting, say, “I'm happy to lead the effort for the new mobile app project. I'll kick things off with an initial roadmap next week.”

Conclusion: Practical Tools for PMs

Mastering communication is key to building your brand and achieving career growth as a PM. To make these strategies actionable, I’ve included an appendix of AI-powered prompts. These practical tools will help you refine your messaging, tailor it to your audience, and test its impact—giving you a hands-on way to learn and leverage AI in your daily work.

I would love to learn how they work for you and if you found effective prompts to boost your communication skills.

Appendix: Prompting Techniques for Crafting the Right Message

Crafting the perfect message requires clarity, framing, and alignment with your audience’s priorities. These structured prompting techniques help PMs tailor messages effectively and assess their impact.

Refining Your Core Message

Use this prompt to clarify the message you want to share. It guides you through a chain-of-thought process to refine the content and its delivery.

Prompt:

I want to communicate something important to my team or stakeholders. Here's my initial message: [Insert message].

• What is the goal of this message? (e.g., inform, inspire, request action)

• Who is the target audience? (e.g., executives, engineers, cross-functional teams)

• Are there specific outcomes I want to achieve?

• Is there a specific tone I should use? (e.g., formal, collaborative, celebratory)
  Based on these answers, refine my message for clarity and impact.

Tailoring for the Right Audience

This prompt helps adapt your message to different audience types (e.g., technical vs. business stakeholders) while maintaining focus and clarity.

Prompt:

Here’s the message I want to share: [Insert message].
My target audience is [technical peers/business stakeholders/mixed group].

• What framing resonates most with this audience?

• How should I simplify or enhance my message based on their priorities?
  Provide two rewritten versions of the message tailored for the audience.

Generating and Evaluating Communication Ideas

Use this prompt to brainstorm and assess multiple approaches for communicating a single idea. It considers trade-offs between different methods.

Prompt:

I want to communicate the following: [Insert message].
My audience includes: [e.g., team members, execs, cross-functional stakeholders].

• Generate two distinct approaches to deliver this message.

• Explain the pros and cons of each.

• Recommend the most effective approach for this situation and explain why.

Framing with Outcomes in Mind

This prompt emphasizes framing your message around outcomes rather than outputs to demonstrate value and align with organizational goals.

Prompt:

Here’s what I want to communicate: [Insert message].

• What outcomes does this message relate to? (e.g., business goals, team impact)

• How can I frame this to highlight these outcomes effectively?
  Rewrite the message with a clear emphasis on outcomes and value delivered.

Test and Validate Your Message

This prompt validates the efficacy of a proposed message by testing it against the target audience and assessing its effectiveness using predefined criteria.

Prompt:

I’ve crafted the following message: [Insert message].
My target audience is: [Describe the audience or provide LinkedIn URL].
The goal of this message is to: [e.g., secure buy-in, inspire action].

• Assess clarity, relevance, tone, and impact.

• Provide a scoring sheet:

  • Clarity (1-10)

  • Relevance (1-10)

  • Tone (1-10)

  • Impact (1-10)
    Suggest improvements, revise the message, and provide an updated scoring sheet.