Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Let Your Personality Shine Through in Written Communication
Communication has evolved over recent years; what used to be a friendly face and handshake, or a letter in the mail, has quickly turned into text messages, social media DMs, and to-the-point video calls. It’s no different for businesses; companies now lean on social media and email for marketing, email receipts and sales confirmations.
While it’s important to be courteous and professional, that doesn’t mean you can’t allow your personality to shine through in your communication. Whether it’s an internal note to your team, an email to a client, or a message to the masses, it’s important to be clear with your message… but what some leaders and entrepreneurs forget is to be themselves.
There seems to be a stigma that when you’re communicating in a corporate environment that you have to be very formal, and essentially uptight, in order for the recipient to take you seriously, just because it’s a professional relationship.
I’m calling BS. 🐂💩
I believe the only time you need to be strict and to the point is if you’re writing something formal or something that needs to be upheld in court, like a contract. When you’re talking to a client, you’re talking to a human, and you’re a human, so communicating like a human is important!
I’ve found in my 15 years of working in the corporate environment that in most scenarios, the only way to get a client to come back is to get them to trust you (especially if you’re in any sort of relationship building industry, such as real estate, financial services, the creative industry, or any other service-based business).
The only way you’re going to get them to trust you is to act like a human: be empathetic, use your own words, get to know them, and speak to them like you care and have known them for years.
Writing Tips and Tricks to Let Your Personality Shine
In our digital world, you have to be really intentional to achieve that via the written word. If you have a bubbly personality, lean into it! Don’t be afraid to use an emoji, end a sentence with an exclamation point, or even use an acronym like LOL.
You can set the right tone for your message from the jump via your greeting. There is an absolute difference between:
Hey Charlotte
Hey Charlotte,
and Hey Charlotte!
No punctuation or a period may send out a negative tone. The comma is like middle ground, a standard greeting where no tone is really in place. The exclamation point tells the reader you are excited to greet them and have something good for them to read. It’s very much a ‘hey girl, how ya doin?” vibe. It’s up to you to decide the tone you want to start your message off with, just remember to know your client and what’s going to help build that relationship.
Your choice of words in the body of your communication is another opportunity to strengthen relationships by sprinkling your personality in your message. If you use the same tone and words in your written communication as you do your verbal communication, your audience will feel like it’s an extension of you – the person they trusted to give their business to in the first place.
Put it in Practice
For example, let’s say a client is past due on a payment; you can speak the way you normally do or send a stern, formal message. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
“Hi Frank! I noticed there’s an outstanding invoice on your account. I know sometimes emails can go to spam or be overlooked, so I just wanted to check in and confirm that you received my invoice. Should I resend?”
This is to the point, yet informal and friendly. If the client forgot to make a payment, this gives them an “easy out” to make an excuse or make payment arrangements, but it doesn’t make them feel you are upset with them and doesn’t turn them off. Versus…
“Hello, Frank. I have not received your payment yet. When do you expect it to come through?”
This may put Frank on the defensive, causing them to react negatively by simply not replying, delaying payment further, or ultimately going to someone else next time they need services you provide.
*Sidenote, this example does not mean you should be a pushover when it comes to payments! But think about how you would respond best in this scenario.
Take it One Step Further with Branding: Do’s and Don’ts
Further personalizing your messages, especially to match your branding, is great. But can quickly become problematic. Here are some do’s and don’ts:
- DO use your logo and brand colors in your signature to tie it in with your branding.
- DON’T write the full message body in a special font and color, as it can be straining on the eye. There are instances where color can and should be used (for example, an inline response to an email), but I’ve received emails where the entire thing is a special font that is italicized, large, bold and colorful! It’s difficult to get through the whole email because it is so overwhelming to the senses!
Also, keep in mind some of your readers may be colorblind and the colors may come through differently than intended. At this point, you’re standing out, but for all the wrong reasons! - DO get comfortable with using exclamation points and bold fonts to show excitement or highlight an important part of your message.
- DON’T go crazy with it! Using too many exclamation points at once or writing a whole message in caps may be taken as screaming. Use your tools (italic, bold, & colors) to help you emphasize as needed.
Next time you’re trying to bridge the gap between corporate and personality, refer back to this blog as a guide. Ultimately, finding a balance is always the best way to go. Clear, knowledgeable emails show you know what you’re doing, that you have your clients or prospect’s best interest at heart, and that you’re the best person for the job. But you also want your clients to know you and who you are, so sprinkle in an exclamation point here or there.
You’re a human, so write like it!
