Five Ways Brand Voice Enhances B2B Communication

By BILL FAUST

No matter what business you're in, your organization's story of what you do, how you do it, and why it matters should be simple and compelling. This story is your brand, and one of the most important elements of your brand is the brand voice.

Voice is not what a company says, but how a company says it. Too often, business-to-business companies assume business communications have to be emotionless. But every strong brand has a personality, and that shines through in every level of communication. Is the brand direct, focused, concise? Or is it conversational, clever, witty? How is the company communication structured? Through quick, factual sentences? Or through stories, anecdotes, and quotes?

Voice matters. And the more a B2B company can tap into understanding and creating its voice and make it consistent across all channels, the stronger that brand will be.

Why does brand matter? Many B2B companies rely heavily on sales, as they should, but empowering salespeople with consistent tools to help their sales can create great alignment across any company. Personal relationships are an important part of sales, but with different associates telling different versions of a brand story, a fractured overall brand image can emerge. A consistent, and smart, story holds it together.

Here are five ways how the right brand voice can enhance communication:

Voice Simplifies

Mastering a brand voice can allow important messages to stand out. When a company develops a brand-specific style of communicating, it can leave formal, standard, copy-heavy formats behind. That makes it easier for clients to dive into the information the company wants them to get out of the communication.

Voice Makes Connections

Voice can make the complex simple, for example, by using everyday terms instead of industry jargon. And that makes it easy for a client to understand and align with the brand instantly. The brand begins to talk with the client, not at the client. Remember, jargon isn't code for smart. It's code for unnecessarily complex.

Voice Differentiates

When a company develops its own unique style of communicating, you immediately set it apart from competitors. Clients will remember the brand for how clearly it communicates or how conversational it sounds.

Voice Unifies Different Communication Pieces

When a company communicates to customers in the same powerful way across mailings, collateral, digital experiences, and face-to-face meetings, they understand the brand and know what to expect. Time isn't wasted on pouring through details and introductions. They become familiar with how the company communicates and expect the same communication style every time. That makes it easier for them to get the information they want.

Voice Personifies the Brand

Be sure the brand personality matches up with the brand voice. It's the fastest way to make connections with customers. Instead of saying, "we're direct and focused," you can illustrate those parts of the personality in how the company communicates. And that creates an authentic brand experience.

Bill Faust is Managing Partner & Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie. Reach him on Twitter: @williamfaust, or email: bfaust@ologie.com.