05 / COMMUNICATE
Make the value clear enough for people to act on it.
Communication connects evidence, positioning, audience, and action. The work can support customers, investors, partners, teams, or premium-brand audiences without forcing every story into a fundraising frame.
The phases give the work structure, but the process is iterative. New evidence can change the strategy, what gets built, and what happens next.Research → Test → Learn → Adjust
THE DECISION
What does this audience need to understand, believe, and do, and which claims can the available evidence support?
DIRECT ANSWER
What makes an investor or customer story credible?
A credible story makes the audience, problem, value, evidence, trade-offs, and requested action clear. The narrative should simplify the decision without hiding uncertainty or stretching a claim beyond its support.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD
Start with the uncertainty behind the decision.
- The audience and the decision being asked of them
- The strongest supportable value proposition
- The evidence, proof, and objections that shape credibility
- The sequence and format that make the required action clear
ASSUMPTIONS TO RESOLVE
Make the claims visible before acting on them.
- The audience recognises the problem and relevance
- The message distinguishes the offer from credible alternatives
- The proof is appropriate for the claim being made
- The format and channel support the desired action
WHAT MARCUS HELPS WITH
Shape the work around the decision.
- Positioning and messaging
- Pitch scripts, pitch decks, and investor narratives
- Product, founder, and commercial stories
- Product demos and SaaS walkthroughs
- Commercial content, video, launch, and sales materials
WHAT YOU MAY RECEIVE
Useful outputs, not a fixed package.
Depending on the decision, the work may include:
- A positioning or messaging framework
- A pitch or product narrative
- A pitch deck or presentation structure where relevant
- Commercial content, video, or demonstration material
- A clearer hierarchy of claims, evidence, and action
WHAT GOOD EVIDENCE LOOKS LIKE
Evidence must fit the claim.
Useful communication is tested through comprehension, objections, response quality, conversion, sales conversations, investor questions, and the actions that follow. Messaging should change when the evidence or audience changes.
WHO THIS WORK SERVES
The phase is shared. The context is not.
Founders may need product messaging, sales material, or an investor narrative. Premium brands may need positioning, digital storytelling, campaign content, video, or launch communication. Investor and VC work focuses on clarity and evidence, not cosmetic deck production.
WHAT JUSTIFIES THE NEXT COMMITMENT
Move forward when the intended audience can understand the value, the relevant evidence, and the action being requested.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Use the story to support the appropriate commercial, launch, partnership, or capital process.