Carolyn McMaster | August 20, 2013
It’s August—the calm before the storm. With many people taking their summer vacations, offices are often blissfully quiet. After Labor Day, that will change. People will be back at work, their batteries recharged, with a renewed focus on what’s important to them.
What’s this got to to with marketing? Being yourself, as you are on vacation, can recharge communications, too.
People often believe they need to talk about their service, product or industry just like everyone else does. They fear that if they don’t, they’ll seem out of the loop or not as smart as everyone else. Frankly, this makes little sense. How many organizations can you name that have achieved a big impact by following the crowd? And how can you convince people you’re different if you sound just like your competition?
We say let your freak flag fly. At least sound like your organization is run by humans—humans who want to talk to other humans. One of our clients, the Silicon Valley finance consulting firm RoseRyan, has gone all in with this strategy. Sample headlines on emails promoting their thought leadership: “Excuse me, your cash leak is showing” and “Silicon Valley is no place for bean counters.” If they don’t sound like your typical accountant, that’s the point. In a marketplace crowded with national firms, RoseRyan—a smaller, local shop—stands out. Clients and new employees often say they love how the firm’s personality shines on its website.
Producing roboprose is an energy-draining endeavor; natural language taps your true passions. One of the benefits of sounding (and looking) like yourself is that communications become a joy, not a burden.
And maybe you’ll feel like you’re on vacation all the time.
Learn more about the benefits of sounding like yourself and other proven communications strategies in our Strategy>Shift report, 9 Ways to Make a Powerful Impression. This report and others are available on our resources page.
