1. Every business, brand, freelancer, consultant, job candidate, or presenter needs to bring a voice to their message.
2. The best brand voices evolve: they’re not just randomly plucked out of the pile. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a moment of sudden clarity around how your voice sounds and the way it engages people (“Oh, here it is! I recognize this as my voice!”)
3. If you are having a hard time grasping voice, read a bunch of children’s books. Kids won’t accept voiceless stories. I’m not sure why adults will.
4. If your web site sounds one way, your emails sound another, and your manner on the phone is unlike either, people will notice the misalignment and be more than a little freaked out about it. You should start being freaked out about it, too.
5. You can use all the adjectives you want (passionate, empowered, sophisticated, enthusiastic, bold . . .). But your voice can’t just be a collection of words. It has to breathe this stuff—not just say it over and over again.
6. Not all voices need to be bold. A quiet voice can have as much power as a loud one (more, sometimes).
7. There are two big things you need to be stunningly clear on before you think about voice: why you do what you do (i.e., what your business really cares about) and who your people are. Because a voice with no soul and no intended target is just a bunch of noise.
8. Jargon is just a bully. Stand up to it, and it will back down and leave your voice alone.
9. There is no default professional voice for bios, web sites, memos, or speeches. There is only the lack of voice. Which is boring. And not memorable. And not helping your brand or bottom line in any way.
10. If you haven’t created a document that defines your brand voice yet, do it now. Talk about how the voice moves through a paragraph. What kinds of words it uses. What tone it takes. What traits it has. Who it sounds like. What it channels. What it avoids. Give it a descriptive name. And then make sure everyone in your company understands it.
11.A well-developed brand voice is like the distinct gait of someone you love. You spot it right away.
12. Too much is too much. When you’re solid in your brand voice, you know this. You know when to relinquish metaphors that aren’t working. And you know when to say less instead of saying more.
13. You always want verbal and visual working together. The sound of your brand voice should match the way it looks.
What does voice mean to your brand? What is your guiding principle? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Posted by Finding My Voice | Pattern Journey on 04/25/13 12:34pm
[...] “There are two big things you need to be stunningly clear on before you think about voice:¬†why you do what you do¬†(i.e., what your business really cares about) andwho your people are. Because a voice with no soul and no intended target is just a bunch of noise.” -Judi Ketteler¬†13 Ways of Looking at Voice [...]
