Tone of Voice

Customers are at the heart of everything that we do at LeadDesk.

We are Leaders in high-volume sales and customer service software. We serve our customers in their language, locally.

Our infrastructure and software is built with EU and country-specific regulations in mind. We help customer service and sales teams serve their customers with excellence.

The way we communicate should reflect that expertise, whether it's a simple email, or a long-form blog article.

How Leaders Talk

Everyone at LeadDesk is a Leader. All our communication should reflect this. When you talk to customers, remember these four pillars on which we should base our interactions and conversations:

 

  • Keep Confident
  • Stay Succinct
  • Be Upbeat
  • Live Local

Keep Confident

We stand behind our expertise but never overpromise or sound cocky.

Solutions First

Write about solutions first. Start with the benefit before mentioning the exact service feature.

Don't do this

LeadDesk’s multilingual chatbot uses AI to engage customers fluently in their native language.

Do this instead

Engage customers fluently in their native language with LeadDesk’s AI-powered multilingual chatbot.

Give Proof

When discussing performance, we always back claims with concrete examples.

Don't do this

LeadDesk is the best solution for automating online support.

Do this instead

LeadDesk automated 60% of Göteborg Energi’s online support in just a few months.

Don't do this

Artificial intelligence is a game-changer.

Do this instead

Artificial intelligence makes your customer service 30% more efficient.

Promote The Brand

Use LeadDesk as the active party instead of “we/us” to increase brand awareness. It also helps reduce the possibility of an us/them tone, minimising cockiness.

Don't do this

We use Artificial Intelligence for speech recognition, which improves call quality and keeps misunderstandings at a minimum.

Do this instead

Get better call quality and keep misunderstandings at a minimum with LeadDesk’s AI-powered speech recognition.

Be Succinct

Our messaging is clear, concise, and human.

Use Clear Language

Get straight to the point. Keep sentences short. Avoid stiff and complex sales jargon; choose simple, more common words and phrases instead.

Don't do this

LeadDesk’s intelligent and speedy dialer solution enables you to call your customers in less time.

Do this instead

Make calls faster with LeadDesk’s intelligent dialer.

Use Active Voice

Talk directly to your audience. Passive voice cultivates unclear and jargon-heavy sentences.

Don't do this

This is done in collaboration with…

Do this instead

LeadDesk works with…

Don't do this

Streamlined operations can be achieved by automating tasks.

Do this instead

Automate tasks to streamline operations.

Stay Upbeat

We are enthusiastic about what we do. Show it in all your conversations.

Be Positive

Focus on how you can help customers. Be solution-oriented.

Don't do this

Struggling with tickets? LeadDesk helps you automate customer service work.

Do this instead

Automate customer service work with LeadDesk. No more ticket struggles!

Use Exclamation Marks – Sparingly

Exclamation marks can give neutral sentences an upbeat twist.

 

Avoid using exclamation marks everywhere so they don’t lose their meaning. The most fitting use cases for them are calls-to-action and the last sentences of social media captions.

If this seems dull

Have a look.

Try this

Have a look!

Keep It Short

Being succinct can help you achieve a positive tone.

Don't do this

Customers have experienced an increase in their employee satisfaction and as a result, achieved improved business results.

Do this instead

Happy agents are the key to better business.

Retain Professionalism

Wordplay can spice up our headlines, but don’t go over the top.

Don't be juvenile

This moment is so cuuuuute!

Be interesting

A peek behind the scenes.

Don't be slick

Supercool software for giving customers a ring and making your business go bang!

Be smart

LeadDesk’s software turns agents into high-performing sales and customer service superstars.

Live Local

Our communication reflects our familiarity with local markets, and staying consistent ensures we talk like Leaders.

Talk Naturally

Instead of word-for-word translations, adapt the message to sound natural in your local language. This includes using conventions and idioms that are familiar to native speakers.

 

Don’t mix languages arbitrarily. Avoid Finglish, Denglish, and Swenglish, which might make messages unclear or even off-putting. The same goes for colloquial slang – use it with caution.

 

Example for Finnish

 

 

Original Copy

LeadDesk is fast. Lightning fast.

Direct Translation

LeadDesk on nopea. Salamannopea.

Better Translation

LeadDesk on salamannopea. [LeadDesk is lightning fast]

Original Copy

Build straightforward workflows for increasing your sales performance.

Direct Translation

Rakenna suoraviivaisia työnkulkuja myyntimenestyksen kasvattamiseksi.

Better Translation

Kasvata myyntiä rakentamalla suoraviivaiset liidiprosessit. [Increase sales with straightforward workflows.]

Style and Writing Tips

Use UK English

Colour instead of color, prioritise instead of prioritize.

 

However, we make exceptions for industry terms as they are proper nouns, for example, Dialer (not the UK dialler), and Contact Center/Call Center (as opposed to Centre).

 

Use Title Case for Headings

Use title case according to the APA style for headings. That is:

  1. Capitalise the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading
  2. Capitalise all major words (nouns, verbs including phrasal verbs such as “play with”, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns) in the heading, including the second part of hyphenated major words (e.g., Skills-Based not Skills-based)
  3. Capitalise all words of four letters or more.

 

If you’d like some help with title capitalisation, use the website CapitalizeMyTitle.com for more guidance.

 

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Readers might not understand every acronym. Spell the phrase out the first time, then use the short version.

 

  • First use: Artificial Intelligence
  • Second use: AI

 

You should also use the acronym in brackets after the first use:

 

Customer service is about to transform thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

 

However, this is unnecessary in cases where the entire phrase and the acronym appear within the same paragraph:

 

Customer service is about to transform thanks to Artificial Intelligence. In fact, AI experts predict that, by 2030...

 

Numbers and Dates

Dates

Spell out the day of the week and the month, unless an alternate format makes more sense to your local language.

 

  • Wednesday, 20 June 2023

 

Numbers

0–9 is generally spelled out, and 10– is enumerated.

 

Seven times a week, 24 hours a day.

 

The same applies to positions.

 

From first place to 40th.

 

We recommend against using large numbers to start sentences in paragraphs. However, starting headlines with large numbers is acceptable.

Paragraph Text

When starting a sentence or paragraph.

Avoid This

26% of unanswered sales calls tend to be called back.

Do this instead

Customers call back for 26% of unanswered sales calls.

Headings

This can also apply to bullet points.

This works

30 Tips to Improve Your Customer Service Operations (that you can use today)

This works too

Improve Customer Service Operations: 30 Tips You Can Use Today

Names

Never allow a company’s name or a person’s name span a line break hyphenated.

Prevent This

Lead-
Desk

Ensure this instead

LeadDesk

Prevent This

James Har-
greaves

Ensure this instead

James Hargreaves

Format for Skimming

Use formatting to make your message easier for your readers to digest the most important points.

  • Short informative headings that capture the essence of the body beneath
  • Short sentences and paragraphs make the text easier to read

 

Bolding key benefits is acceptable in moderation.

This is too much

LeadDesk’s solutions are built on the same solid platform, which is used to make over 100 million calls each year all over Europe.

Work towards this

LeadDesk’s solutions are built on the same solid platform, which is used to make over 100 million calls each year all over Europe.

AI and Proofreading

Be AI-Assisted Not AI-Led

AI does not replace you. Tools like ChatGPT are useful for written content but ensure it complies with these guidelines.

Always fact-check every statement made by AI.

Proofread Everything

Nobody is above proofreading. Check everything you write, preferably with a delay after you've written it.

Better yet, ask fresh-eyed colleagues for feedback.

Need Help?

Are you unsure about something here? Are there scenarios missing from this document? Reach out to the LeadDesk Marketing Team for advice and guidance.