Ah, the tone of voice. That sleight of hand that conveys authenticity, honesty and builds relationships. But tone of voice is trixy. It’s elusive, intangible. Hard to pin down. Tricky to get right, yet it’s so darn obvious when it’s missing or just plain wrong.
I mean the words I’ve just written here are words I’d say to you if we were talking to each other. Maybe with fewer pauses and stumbles. That’s the joy of the written word. We can edit out the umms and aahs, but we don’t want to edit out the human being. Because that’s what we want from our written words isn’t it? Human connection. That’s why spending time getting your tone of voice spot on is crucial.
We must never underestimate the reader’s ability to sniff out inauthenticity. The reader will know straightaway when something just doesn’t feel or sound right. Mechanical, run of the mill, bland statements trotted out will be noticed.
There’s no magical tone of voice formula though because it’s personal. It’s all about character and nuance. It’s a bit like putting GSOH on a dating profile (or whatever the 21st Century equivalent is now). A sense of humour means different things to different people. It’s why details matter. What type of humour? Slapstick or satire? Irony or deadpan? Observational or surreal? Give the reader clear clues they can latch onto.
‘Tone is everything. That’s something rather unfair in a way. Because I’ve read people often who have such interesting things to say but they’ve got the tone wrong, and it really is a switch off. And equally, it’s an awful sleight of hand, but if you get the tone right and actually have nothing to say – i.e. loads of my columns – sometimes people don’t notice and like it anyway.”
Marina Hyde, The Guardian in conversation with William Turvill, Press Gazette
Listening and empathy are crucial when developing an authentic tone of voice
There might not be a magic formula, but I’d say my starting point is to adopt a ‘thinking with breadth’ mindset and that boils down to listening and empathy. Put away the pen, shut down the laptop and listen, and listen to understand.
Listen: to everyone involved. Everything they say, and everything they don’t say. Read round the subject, the client, the market. Do your research. Note down the words and phrases you come across. Weave them in and always look for that point of connection with the reader.
Empathy: understand the audience (so obvious yet still so often overlooked) and understand the person you’re writing for. What drives them? What switches them off and on again. What makes them, them? What are they saying and not saying. What do they stand for? What do you want the audience to know, feel and do? Ask if this sounds and feels right? Where’s your audience right now? What are they thinking and saying, and how can we weave that into the copy? Where are the points of connection between the message and the reader?
Writing someone else’s words – it’s a relationship and takes time to develop
Being asked to write someone else’s words and thoughts is a privilege, and a challenge. And success comes from having a solid relationship founded on listening and empathy.
You need someone who can take your ideas and thoughts and turn them into words, and as the writer that boils down to putting in the time and effort before you pick up the pen and start writing or tapping at the keyboard.
Drop me an email if you need help finding your voice.