YOU HAVE A UNIQUE personality when you communicate — a style and tone that is entirely your own — and your company has a personality, too. Is your company’s personality coming through in your communications? If not, you are missing an opportunity to connect with clients in an authentic way. Why don’t business communications reflect company personality? It’s actually difficult to remove personality from communications, but companies often fear that customers and prospects won’t understand or appreciate their personality. We’ve also been trained to believe that business is serious. Because of this, most companies depersonalize communications to the point that no one wants to read them. Finding your company’s voice isn’t difficult, but you do need to give thought to these questions. What is your company’s culture? What are the personality traits within your business? How do you want customers and prospects to see you? How would you describe your company? Do you want others to see you as humorous and bold, caring and approachable, or even edgy and trendy? Moosejaw, an outdoor gear retailer with a strong online presence, has mastered the art of branding with a company voice. One of its strategies has been to pack a preprinted note with every order featuring a clever message, like this one: “If you are actually reading this note, you should be super happy. First, you have received your order, reading is fun, and getting something in the mail (even if you bought it yourself) has got to make the day better. Second, I put your order together all by myself.” The note is not only fun, but it makes you like Moosejaw more because of the message. It works because it is unexpected and memorable. While it is clear everyone who gets a package gets the same or a similar note, it’s refreshing not to get the typical promotional flyer. It makes you feel like there are real humans on the other side of your shipment. The tone is casual, with a slightly edgy sense of humor, which reflects the personality of the Moosejaw brand — a personality that appeals to the company’s target audience. Let’s face it; we all enjoy being a customer of a company that dares to have an interesting personality. More importantly, it makes the company stand out in the market, giving it a serious competitive advantage. At RedRover, Rover is our voice. He explains our sales and marketing philosophies by obvious overuse of doggone corny expressions, along with the occasional dog command like “speak” or “fetch.” Rover is a hybrid of the personalities of our firm’s employees, and he reflects our sense of humor. We bring this voice to life in our written communications, website, notecards and even in our office decor. If you’re looking to stand apart from your competition, there may be no better way than creating a unique voice. It doesn’t have to be silly, fun or cool. Even serious tones can carry a unique quality, engaging your customers and prospects to make them feel closer to you.
