Let’s get this out there:  writing is hard.  Writing about your business?  Even harder.  As I help clients refine their communications, I am reminded again and again of the importance of voice.  Unfortunately, many business owners either never think about voice, or assume that their own will do just fine.  I’m here to challenge those assumptions.  Here are six ways to find your voice:

Know what you’re looking for.  What is voice, anyway?  It’s the sum total of your words, the impression left by your word choices, grammar, sentence length, paragraph structure, and style.  Hard to define, but easy to recognize, voice creates expectations and delivers information in a unique, recognizable way.

Go back to basics. What values and goals are behind your business?  Your voice should reflect them consistently, religiously.  If you’re committed to simplifying your clients’ lives, why are you bombarding them with complex sentences and long, droning copy?  Get clear about why you’re talking, and let voice flow from there.

Be unique.  Take a look at what others are doing…then dare to be different.  If you don’t understand what makes you stand out from the pack, how can you be sure that others will?  Take some time to brainstorm the qualities that make your company and approach unique.  Look at the list before you write.

Kick assumptions to the curb.  It’s easy to assume that your clients will respond to a certain writing style…until it turns out that they hate it, or are turned off by it, or don’t get it.  It’s even easier to assume that your writing won’t pass muster.  Question those assumptions at every turn, and chuck the ones that are getting in the way of your communications.

Trust your reader.  Writing creates relationship, a subtle give and take between reader and writer.  Resist the temptation to overtell or oversell.  You’ll overwhelm your reader and cloud your voice (two major no-nos).

Chill out. It can be scary to commit to a particular identity for your business, but guess what?  Everything is impermanent, and you’re allowed to tinker, waffle, even change your mind.  So relax…better to try and fail than do nothing.

Image courtesy of It’s Holly

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