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In
this issue, we put consistency
under the microscope, analyzing its significance in the world of verbal
persuasion, and reveal how to harness its power. In the marketer’s or
salesperson’s toolbox, consistency is a fundamental power tool of
communication. To master this tool is to deliver a perception of
reliability and professionalism. To overlook it is damage your
credibility.
Let
me ask you to picture yourself in a crowded room at a business gathering.
A man you’ve never met walks in, wearing a well-pressed, custom-fit, dark
blue suit, white shirt, and a conservative, burgundy tie. Immediately —
before you know anything else about him — you subconsciously, or perhaps
even consciously, form opinions about him. Many studies have shown that
the effect, among nearly all classes of people and regions of the
country, is a positive one.
Now
imagine that same man in the same suit unbuttoning his jacket and
revealing a tattered yellow belt with an oversized buckle that sports a
marijuana leaf emblem. As he moves toward you through the crowd, you see
for the first time that the suit is about three inches too short and that
he is wearing high-heeled pumps: ruby red, let’s say.
What
has happened to your opinion of the man? It cannot help but change! He is
the same man, of course, with or without the suit, isn’t he? Not to you,
he isn’t. Because, as anyone in marketing or sales learns early on,
perception is reality; as far as the customer is concerned, you are
precisely what you appear to be. Why is it then that companies permit
equally glaring inconsistencies in their public presentation?
In
this Words that Sell article, we reveal how to establish consistency in
presentation and delivery of your communications, including how to create
the ground rules for others to follow, how to locate and use reliable
standards as the basis for your rules, and how to create procedures for
assuring ongoing quality control.
Consistent Presentation
Nothing
damages an image of professionalism quite like inconsistencies in the
presentation of its words: how its documents are presented, whether for
promotional purposes, instruction, announcements, or customer support.
Presentation of your message includes aspects such as the typestyle, the
size of the words, the layout of the page and document, the tone of the language,
and more.
The
most conspicuous mistake to make when presenting your words is to have
inconsistencies within the same document or format, such as on your Web
site, in your brochures or newsletters, and so forth. At the least, it
signals poor planning and sloppiness (not unlike the businessman’s
bizarre attire in our example above). At worst, it delivers a perception
of strife or disharmony within your organization.
Not
as obvious, but of equal importance, is to present your company
consistently across your various formats. If the tone of your dialogue is
bold and daring in your brochures, yet calculating and conservative on
your Web site, yet again ambling and flowery in your newsletters, you are
damaging their view of your company as organized, efficient,
professional, and trustworthy.
Seek
consistency in all manner and all arenas of presentation, from design and
layout to tone and style of your wording. Here are some tips to make
consistent communications a natural process within your company.
Set up Ground Rules
Obviously,
such things as grammar, punctuation, style, voice, and spelling should be
correct. But what defines “accurate” or “correct” usage? The English
language has evolved over the years, over miles, and over venues such that
there are many published derivations followed to define correct usage.
For example, let's look at the ellipsis — the three periods in a row,
used to imply a trail-off of thoughts, or to imply missing sections
within a quote. Which of the following would you say is the correct use
of the ellipsis?
1.
"I
don't know... do you?" she asked.
2.
"I
don't know ... do you?" she asked.
3.
"I
don't know . . . do you?" she asked.
The
answer is: all three are correct, depending on which style guidebook you
refer to for your answer. Should there be spaces between the periods, or
not? Should the periods that make up the ellipsis be attached to the
leading word, or not? What about to the trailing punctuation? Different
rulebooks give you different answers. Likewise, consider the use of
commas in a series. Which of these do you feel is correct?
1.
"We
provide value, convenience, and quality.”
2.
“We provide
value, convenience and quality.”
Some
guidebooks tell you to place a comma after each item in the list. Other
was tell you to place a comma after each item except the last one, as
shown in the second sentence above. Even the use or spelling of certain
words or terms in the English language can vary depending on your source!
For example, is it web or Web? Web site or website? Email (capitalized)
or email (not capitalized) or e-mail (hyphenated) or E-Mail (capitalized
and hyphenated)?
The
correct answer is always the same, however: consistency. You must be
consistent in your application of words and language, and you must use an
acceptable set of standards. How do you go about this?
Establish a Company Style Guide
A corporate style guide is a book or document
set up by a company to set the rules for consistent use across all forms of
communication, whether inside or outside the organization. For some
companies, there are separate guides created for design and branding vs.
wording. Others compile them into one guidebook. For some companies, the
style guide may need to be a 200-page manual or even more. For others, a
startup company for example, the style guide can be as short as a single
paragraph that simply refers to a specific, published style manual and
dictionary in order to define the company's rules. But the important
thing is to have one. For more information on why and how to have one,
refer to the article further in this issue: Why
You Need a Company Style Guide.
Base Your Ground Rules on Reliable Standards
If
you need a standard on which to define your company's rules for copy,
consider basing it on one of the recognized standards (click on any title
to purchase the book from Amazon.com):
§
The
Chicago Manual of Style
§
Associated
Press Stylebook and Libel Manual
§
The
Elements of Style
§
MLA
Style Manual
While
consistency is important, a recognized standard must be at the base of
it. Your company’s style guide will go beyond the published standard to
create rules for the use of words and phrases that are unique to your
company, but base it on something recognized. Doing so also makes it
easier to outsource copywriting, proofreading, or copyediting services,
or to bring on new writers as your company grows. Professional writers
are familiar with these well-known guides and can quickly adapt to your
unique communication requirements if the foundation is a recognized
standard.
Choose a Dictionary to Follow As Well
Incredibly,
even the correct spelling of a word can differ between one dictionary and
another. For example, the word is "verbiage" in most
dictionaries, yet is spelled "verbage" in another. Is it
“demeanor” or “demeanour?” “Ax” or “axe?”
The
definition or usage of the word can change as well. Some dictionaries
give two definitions for the word verbiage; one with negative
connotations (as in: the overabundance or excess use of words) and another
definition with neutral connotations (as in: documentation, or the manner
in which something is expressed). Other dictionaries however give it no
negative definition at all. Confusing? It gets worse; let’s say you need
to know its pronunciation for a speech. Some dictionaries say that
verbiage is a two-syllable word, others say three! You may be astounded
to know how many variations like this exist in the English language.
Why
the confusion? The differences are caused by language migration,
devolution, and revolution. To understand the impact of migration — how
spelling has changed as the language was carried to new regions of the
world — look at www.bartleby.com/185/31.html.
Over the ages, spelling has also changed due to devolution (the opposite
or evolution), becoming simpler. Redundant letters and those viewed as
unnecessary have been dropped. Revolution of the language refers to words
and language that have changed by popular demand and use. For example,
published nonfiction books today, particularly those that target a
younger audience, have used the term “gotta” instead of “got to.” It is
even officially a word now, if you have determined that (a.) it fits the
tone of your company’s language and (b.) you have declared that the
fourth edition of the American Heritage® Dictionary is your standard for
arbitration of word usage.
So,
when creating a company style guide, clear up any confusion; mandate a
specific dictionary to be your word referee. Then add a “voice and tone”
section to your guide, to control the acceptability of words and terms.
Just because a dictionary may permit the choice of “gotta” in a sentence
doesn’t mean that it fits your style of communications.
Establish Quality Control Procedures
Structure your business for consistency in
communicating by filtering all critical documents through a single,
reliable wordsmith before they go out. Whether you outsource this service
to an individual or to a company such as WriteWorks, or have an internal
“word cop” assuring the quality before your name goes out in print or in
a script, make sure it is being done by someone. Providing this rule, and
specifying under what circumstances it is optional, assures a consistency
in your communications. Sometimes this service is handled by a Corporate
Communications department. Other times, your word proofreading cop may be
in Marketing, Content Services, or handled by your advertising or Web
agency. Smaller companies in particular may need to outsource such
copyediting and proofreading services.
Words that Sell are Consistent
While
it is true that Mark Twain once said, "Never trust a man that spells
a word the same way twice," let us remember that he was a humorist.
Mark Twain would not argue with this; be consistent to be correct. If you
punctuate in one manner here yet in another manner there, you will be
unequivocally — and blatantly — incorrect. To be consistent,
make and use a style guide. Choose a particular dictionary as part of that
guide, and refer to it alone for correct word use. Make the style guide
available to employees and anyone else supporting your business
(partners, affiliates, vendor companies, contractors) that presents or
represents your business in words.
Contact us for guidance
or support in developing communications standards for your company.
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