How to adopt an appropriate tone of voice

-: So let's start with a question people always ask us, which is, "How do I adopt a professional tone of voice?" And that's a really great question, because giving your business writing the right tone is crucial ..to your credibility among your clients and colleagues. So what does a professional tone look like, or rather, sound like? Well, it'll depend on your corporate culture. For example, if you are a creative in an ad agency, you may have a less formal writing style than if you are an analyst at one of the Big Four accountancy firms. But the vast majority of corporate writers that we've worked with tend to make their writing too formal. In our experience, most business writers from whatever sector can afford to make their writing more conversational and more human, more written with people in mind. -: You probably know that old saying that people don't do business with businesses, they do business with people. Now, it is a bit of a cliche, but like many cliches, there's a truth to it. And it's a cliche that for us as business writers is always worth remembering, because it's always a good idea to write with people in mind and to keep things warm and human. -: In fact, you may have noticed that the more successful or senior someone is, the more they actually have the confidence to write like a human being. A great example of that is our writing hero, Warren Buffett. He's one of the most successful business people in the world and yet, he famously writes his shareholder letters in a friendly, down-to-earth, completely jargon-free style. -: Now these days, many organizations have tone of voice guidelines. These are documents where the organization lays out advice on how they want their employees to write. And every single set of corporate tone of voice guidelines we've ever seen, without exception, talks about using clear, concise, accessible, down-to-earth human language. Let's take a look at some examples of advice given in some tone of voice guidelines we've seen recently, including from our own clients. -: Here's one from a long-established asset management firm we worked with. "Language should always be clear, accessible, "free from jargon "and free from company-specific terminology." Host: And here's one from an international digital agency that we trained. "We try to be clear, concise, and unambiguous, "using precision to make complex situations understandable." Host: And this one from one of our clients that's a global investment firm. "The most effective way to get your message across "is to write in a clear and reader-friendly way." Host: And just to prove the point that it's smart, successful business writers who aren't afraid to write in a clear, simple way, here's some advice given in the tone of voice guidelines from a leading UK university. "Straightforward doesn't mean that we're dumbing down, "oversimplifying or being patronizing. "It means that we avoid over complicated terminology "and jargon that is exclusive to our sector or discipline." Host: And how about this From the style guide of that famously smart publication, "The Economist?" "Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. "So think what you want to say, "then say it as simply as possible." Host: And finally, from Arthur Levitt, when he was the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in the introduction to the "SEC Guide to Writing." "Speak to investors in words they can understand. "Tell them plainly what they need to know "to make intelligent investment decisions." -: So whether you are writing for clients, customers, colleagues, or investors, the message is don't try to impress with fancy words and complex language. Instead, keep your writing clear, simple, and human. Throughout this course, we're going to be showing you practical strategies for doing just that. But before then, it's over to you. -: As we've seen in this lecture, many organizations have tone of voice or writing style guidelines. So our first challenge for you is to do some research into the preferred writing style at your workplace. -: Ask around among your colleagues if they know of any guidelines or have a poke around on the internet, which can be a place where these kinds of documents frankly go to die, and see if you can answer the following questions. Does our organization have a set of guidelines on writing style? If so, what do they say? Do other people here seem to be using them? Does my own writing adhere to the advice they give? As a reminder, you'll find these questions in a downloadable PDF attached to this lecture. But if you can't find a style guide at your organization, you might want to take a look at "The Economist Style Guide." It's packed with really great advice for writing in a way that is smart, but simple. You'll find a link to that in the resources attached to this lecture, too. -: So have a think about tone of voice in your organization, then join us in the next lecture where we'll be looking at some real life examples of the impact tone of voice can have on your reader's experience. See you in the next lecture.