I wrote recently about getting the tone of voice right and how important it is. I just want to add a few more thoughts.
Many moons ago while working at a local radio station, a young, female sales rep plonked herself down on the side of my desk and sighed.
‘What’s up,” I said as this, from her body language, was obviously the required response.
“I should really go to the gym,” she replied, “but I really don’t feel motivated.”
“I can motivate you.”
“How?”
“Simple… you look fat.”
At this point time stood still. The office froze. All the oxygen left the room and the only noise that could be heard was the simultaneous sound of chins hitting the ground.
A voice somewhere in the distance whispered, “You can’t say that to a girl!”
The rep and I just stared at each other before we smiled and burst out laughing. At which point all the lights came back on, the computers rebooted, everyone sighed with nervous relief. The rep and I are still good friends.
So, what am I getting at here? If the tone of voice is correct, you can get away with saying anything. However, I must stress that it is much easier to get the tone of voice right verbally than it is when writing something.
How many times have we written something in an email that has been taken the wrong way? I once made someone cry because I had neglected to start an email with “Hi” and the recipient thought that I’d upset them.
When writing copy it is often good to be a little controversial and push a few boundaries, but be careful. The way you have written something may not be the way in which it is received.
When writing something even slightly contentious, park it for 24 hours before reviewing and sending it. Better still, get someone else to read and comment on it first. Customers are hard enough to find as it is without driving them away with poorly worded copy that’s touched a raw nerve.
For more help on copywriting and tone of voice, get in touch or check out this link. https://jabberwockycreative.co.uk/copywriting
