Marketing & Communication for Small Business; Part 4: Consistent Voice

A Consistent Voice Is Essential To Building & Maintaining A Consistent Brand

One of the most effective ways to be sure your company’s message is getting through is being able to speak to your prospects in a consistent voice.

From the content on your web site and blogs to the copy in your trade ads, sales letters and collateral material to any media or digital advertising you may do, the tone and manner of your communication is something you want to be sure is coming across in a consistent, informative and persuasive way.

A lot of companies underestimate the power of consistency in their communications. In fact, many companies ignore the notion altogether.

This is mainly because they lack the basic understanding that the tone and manner of their communications are the main elements that define the character of their brand or their company. And that companies, like people, are judged by the quality of their character.

Left Brain and Right Brain Functions

While the benefit and support for your product or service work on the analytical side of the prospect’s brain, the brand character, or tone and manner, work on the emotional side, helping to paint a picture of the company as an entity they would want to do business with…that they would trust…that would do the best for them.

The art of persuasion is one in which the analytical and emotional sides of the communication work together, so the prospect takes away the facts about the product or service and, equally as important, a good feeling about it.

Because a lot of this engagement happens subconsciously in the prospect’s brain, the communicator must be very careful in how he/she chooses to phrase his messages. Inconsistency breeds confusion and the minute the prospect becomes confused by mixed signals they are being sent, you can lose them.

The Power Of A Consistent ‘Voice’ Should Never Be Underestimated

Consistency and character in communications are always beneficial improvements to a company’s image.

The brand character element of your company's communication strategy should define the tone and manner for all communications. Inconsistency in voice will invariably occur when proper attention is not paid to a strong and clear working definition of your company's brand character.

Many communication writers tend to concern themselves mainly with the development of big ideas that will attract attention to the company they are promoting.

And this is fine. But attracting the prospect’s attention is no guarantee of a sale. Because if they become attracted, they are going to want more information before making their decision. And how persuasively this information is communicated to them and how much likability and trust they feel is critical.

Not An Innate Skill For Most Business Owners

Business owners, may be very good sales people, but many of them are not professional communicators. Consistency of voice in communications is something that is akin to a juggling act where one has to keep several balls in the air at one time.

So it’s not something that you can necessarily do on your own. That’s where finding the right team member is of utmost importance.

Ask them to show you examples of how they have helped other clients achieve consistency of voice.

This is the best way to find the communicator who is going to be an asset for your business moving forward. And while you are doing this, study their responses to gauge their level of interest in the work they have done. This will tell you a lot about their character and will get you much closer to determining of there’s a good fit between you.

It’s a tough, crazy world out there. And the simple reality is that if you are not optimizing every opportunity to effectively connect with prospects and build brand equity with them, then you are basically squandering that opportunity.

And that, simply, does not have to be the case.

Other Articles In this Series

https://www.bebee.com/producer/@jim-murray/slow-steady-is-the-key-to-success-personally-professionally

https://www.bebee.com/producer/@jim-murray/marketing-communication-for-small-business-part-2-branding

https://www.bebee.com/producer/@jim-murray/marketing-communication-for-small-business-part-3-branding-synergy

Jim Murray is a writer, marketer, editorialist. reader, sports fan and ] TV watcher. He has been actively posting on social media since 1998. Jim is also a former ad agency writer and art director & ran his own creative consultancy, Onwords & Upwords, from 1989 until recently when he closed it and opened a freelance enterprise called MurMarketing. He lives with his wife Heather in Canada on the Niagara Peninsula works with a small group of companies working to make a positive difference in the world.

Jim’s Current Blogs Include:

The Couch Potato Chronicles (Entertainment Opinion & Reviews (Book, TV, Movies, Sports, Web)

Brand New Day (Environmentally Conscious Products, Services & Processes)

Skinny Dipping In The Lava Flow (Social Commentary)

MurMarketing (Communications Advice)

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