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Dear Reader, Ask someone to describe their brand voice, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear some combination of: Warm. Professional. Approachable. Well, sure. You’re surely not going to say you want to sound cold, unapproachable, and meaner than bull briar. Those words tell me how you want people to experience you. They don’t tell me what it sounds like to be in a room with you. That’s what I’m listening for. The phrase you keep coming back to. The story you tell when you’re trying to explain why something matters. The analogy you toss off without thinking. Your sense of humor. The words you’d never use because you’d feel ridiculous saying them out loud. Every so often, a client will say something completely offhandedly and I’ll think, There you are. She wasn’t trying to write copy. She was trying to make me understand. That’s voice. It isn’t something I give you. You came with one. My job is to recognize what’s distinctly yours and carry more of it into the words you use for your business. If you’d like to noodle on yours, the Voice Clarity Workbook is a good place to start. Already have 100 PDFs sitting on your desktop and would rather talk to a human? Book a Clarity Call. Best, |
Paralegal and financial pro turned copywriter bringing boring topics to life, serving as the Resident Writing Expert for realtors, attorneys, and financial pros. Check out my emails below and enter your email address to get my freebie, "5 Ways to Make Your Copy UN-Boring"
Hi Reader, One of the challenges of running a business for a long time is that you stop noticing things. The language you use every day feels ordinary because you've been saying it for years. The problems you solve seem obvious because you've solved them hundreds of times. The questions clients ask over and over again begin to feel so familiar that it's hard to imagine someone not understanding the answer. I've come to think of that as living inside the bottle. You can't read the label from...
Hi Reader, Years ago, an insurance agency that offered both personal and commercial insurance hired me to write a client newsletter. The goal was simple. They wanted to stay in touch throughout the year so clients didn't feel like the only time they heard from their insurance agent was when it was time to renew a policy. That made perfect sense. We didn't spend much time reminding people that accidents happen or that they should review their policies. Instead, we showed what good insurance...
Dear Reader, I have a homework assignment for you. The next time you're talking with someone who knows you well—a client, a colleague, a referral partner, or a friend—ask them one question. "If someone asked what I do, what would you tell them?" Then resist the urge to interrupt. Don't clarify. Don't explain what you meant. Just listen. Their answer will tell you something interesting. Sometimes they'll describe your business exactly the way you'd hoped. More often than not, they'll reach for...