In business, we craft messages every day, often without realizing it. Every phone call, every email, every customer interaction, every proposal or contract or marketing brochure…every one of these communication moments delivers a message to the customer.

In the midst of all of the activities that keep us occupied every day, we often lose track of the strategic significance of these messages, and the valued role that these messages play in shaping a picture in the mind of your prospect or customer.

Recognizing the critical role that messages play in the success of your business, it’s valuable to consider how Jesus crafted messages that truly mattered to his listeners. Throughout his ministry, Jesus applied three essential principles that are just as relevant today, and instantly applicable to the business environment:

1. State your case with clarity.

Jesus was always strikingly unambiguous when delivering his message. Sometimes, this created deep offense with some in his audience (such as the Pharisees). But Jesus knew — even then — humans are easily distracted and that messages are easily ignored. To create and deliver a life-changing message, it has to be impactful and it has to be clear. Jesus was willing to risk angering some in order to effectively communicate with others.

The same is true today: Don’t hesitate to be blunt or sharp, if doing so reaches your prospects and customers more effectively. Those who don’t like it, most likely, aren’t your target audience anyway and will self-select out of your messages on their own.

2. Use stories to capture and connect.

Stating a position or making a pitch is one thing. Making it relevant to your audience is something else entirely. For this, you need stories — deep, relevant, personal stories that help people feel engaged with your message. The parables and tales of Jesus’ time are strikingly similar to the TED talks of today, and they share something valuable in common: They use personal experiences, told in a compelling way, to transmit critical messages.

3. Establish a clear call-to-action.

You can be blunt and direct; you can tell compelling stories; but at the end, you need to tell your audience what to do. It’s that simple. Don’t ask them to consider possibly perhaps in the future buying from you. No! Instead, just tell them to do it. People respond dramatically to a confident message and a strong call-to-action. If you believe (and share) that your message is life-changing, your audience is much more likely to as well. If you feel otherwise, then your communication will fall flat.

These three strategies are essential to the powerful process you need to craft and deliver messages that resonate. Remember that the message you have to offer may not seem as life-changing to you, but on some level the product or service you’re offering will make a dramatic difference to your customer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be advocating for it to begin with.

Clarity. Storytelling. A call-to-action. Use these three principles and see your customers and prospects resonate, then respond, to the power of your message.