ARTICLES
WHY WRITE WHEN NOBODY READS?
TELL ME WHAT I DON'T KNOW!
YOUR MOTHER WAS RIGHT
ARE YOU TALKING TO YOURSELF?
WHAT ARE YOUR ADS REALLY SAYING?
ARE YOU A LEADER OR A FOLLOWER?
WHY ENGLISH TEACHERS DESPISE COPYWRITERS
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(This article appeared in the May-June 1999 issue of The Business 2 Business Marketer, published by the Business Marketing Association. Versions of the same article have appeared in Hoosier Banker and Illinois Banker)
If you're like most marketing executives, you read the copy for your advertising, brochures, and other communications material very carefully. You want to make sure the information is correct and presented in an attractive, readable manner.
But do you ever listen to what those materials are subtly saying about you and the products and services you offer? Have you ever taken time to think about the way they speak to your current and potential customers?
Content and design are important, but there's a third consideration that deserves your attention: the voice used in the materials. No, I'm not talking about the voice talent used in radio spots; I'm talking about the voice of the items you put into print.
Hearing voices
What exactly is this "voice" and why is it important? Start by considering the reasons you use ads, brochures, direct mail, and the like in the first place. You want to make current and prospective customers aware of your products and services, and you want to provide answers to common questions about them.
Those ads, brochures, direct mail letters, and other communications tools stand in your place. They sell and inform for you when you can't be there to do it yourself. In a way, you're quietly sending a trusted employee into the homes and businesses of your customers and prospects.
When people read those ads and other materials, they hear that trusted employee's "voice" through the words and sentence structure. It's not a conscious thing; it just happens.
Think of the times you've read a novel and later viewed a movie or listened to a taped version of it. A lead character speaks, and your mind protests. "He's not supposed to sound like that." You're uneasy because you already heard the character's voice in your mind.
Voicing an impression
We're a verbal society. That's why teachers are more effective than textbooks alone. That's why ministers stir the soul more than verses. And that's why politicians rely on sound bites instead of position papers these days. Voices grab our attention and force us to listen to what's being said.
Based on the voices they hear, people draw very important conclusions about what's being conveyed and those who are conveying it. They decide whether you can be trusted. How you will treat them. Whether you're genuinely friendly or just an unconvincing actor. Whether you can explain things in language they'll understand or whether you sound like a directive from the IRS.
You can control that impression, because you can control that voice.
Inappropriate voices
Unfortunately, many businesses don't give too much thought to voice. Sometimes, they'll simply let the publication, their ad agency, or a staff member slap together a goofy-looking ad judged to be "cute" by some trusted soul in the office. The net result is that readers hear a goofy voice trying to convince them to buy something. I don't know about you, but "goofy" isn't high on the list of attributes I want in a company with which I might do business.
Others simply "borrow" approaches used by other businesses, sometimes within the same industry. Unfortunately, that makes them sound like everyone else - and I've yet to meet the manager who can't define what makes his or her company different from the folks down the road.
Imperfect and tense
Your ninth-grade English teacher will hate me for saying it, but perfect grammar may make your advertising and brochures less effective. When you're writing an essay on the symbolism in Silas Marner or an honors thesis about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, perfect grammar and style are critical.
But when you're trying to convince a busy purchasing manager to choose your widget, letter-perfect grammar may only make you sound pompous. (Don't believe me? TV's "Frasier" uses flawless grammar - but how does it make him sound?)
You see, people don't speak with textbook grammar. We start sentences with conjunctions, we end them with prepositions. We even use fragments. Using the second person (you) in an essay invites a bad grade, but it's usually the correct choice for copy. After all, good copy talks to people.
That doesn't mean grammar is useless or unimportant. Forgetting basic agreement or structure can make you appear to be uneducated. Overall, the degree of correctness should reflect the writing style and your voice. Don't be afraid to break rules - but do it selectively and with reason.
After all, phrases like "for whom one chooses to provide one's services" may earn the approval of those who taught you how to diagram sentences, but they'll tell the average Jane that you don't want her business.
About direct mail
Nowhere is finding the correct voice more critical than in your direct mail efforts, because direct mail is one of the most personal advertising approaches. But while companies invest small fortunes for complicated database systems which allow them to tailor efforts to specific groups of customers, many jeopardize the potential for success by sending remarkably impersonal letters.
Remember the importance of voice. Good direct mail letters talk with the recipient. They shouldn't sound like essays or brochures. They shouldn't be overflowing with legalese, jargon, or engineering terminology. Above all, they should speak directly to one person, making the benefits of what you're selling crystal-clear.
One caveat: if you choose to personalize your direct mail, use restraint. It's one thing to tell John Smith that you're glad he bought a Model 6XB from you in December. Cram fourteen more personalized details into a one-page letter, and you'll sound more like Big Brother than Friendly Seller.
Consistency counts
Once you've found that perfect voice, hang on to it, and use it everywhere. Customers should always encounter the same voice. Your ads should speak with it. So should your brochures and customer magazines. Even your employee newsletters should carry the same voice. If you've done the job well, you'll start to hear it in the voices of your employees. It's contagious.
If you outsource your advertising -- whether to an advertising agency or to trade publications -- demand consistency. In addition, don't let anyone's desire to be "creative" get in the way of your voice. Yes, it's much more challenging to be creative within limitations than without them, but real professionals know how to succeed.
Does that mean you should be unwilling to try new things or push your comfort level from time to time? Not at all. Progress isn't painless, and part of the responsibility of those who create your ads and other materials is to keep you contemporary and moving forward. Pay particular attention if their past work for you has generated success.
However, both your reputation and your voice are worth protecting. If each new ad that's presented makes you sound (or look) like a completely different company, something's wrong. Customers won't know what to expect from you. Don't be afraid to listen to your gut, but don't let it be the sole arbiter. Rely on those you trust to help you make the right decisions - and if you don't trust the people who are creating your materials, find new ones.
In good voice
What's the best way to determine whether the voice in your advertising or other communications materials is correct? It's the simplest: read everything aloud. (You might want to close your office door first, or you might hear hints about early retirement.)
If you find yourself stumbling over the phrases, running out of breath, or grimacing because it "just doesn't sound right," ask for a rewrite. Don't be intimidated, either - you're paying for it, so you have a right to have it done correctly.
On the other hand, if it sounds exactly like the way the sales rep of your dreams would explain something to one of your favorite customers, it's probably right on the nose. Or, right off your lips.
Article copyright 1999 Scott Flood All Rights Reserved
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