I came across this great article on "voice" over at our good pal Anna Rydne's site this morning; it implies an important question: How do I sound? - Although the article is specifically focussed on voice talent, it begs another question; how do I sound over social?

Social is, or more importantly, should be viewed as a conversational medium; more 'story-telling' than dictating. I believe the most successful engagements are those where one can feel themselves drifting into a room with the person they are interacting with… rather than being preached to from the pamphlet. This being said, the written english language (perhaps more so than many other languages) is pretty loosey-goosey, it is fraught with pit-holes and boobie traps...

...how does one sound authoritative without out coming off as arrogant; positive withouts sounding childlike; encouraging without sounding fake or hackneyed...

I've found myself blithely adding the line "...will maintain your corporate voice." into all my proposals of late; with the full knowledge that most folks haven't once considered what they sound like when they post to their "conversations" over social.

While I cannot claim to have all the answers… let's hijack Anna's article and see how the advice on hiring voice talent for ones answering machine, corporate videos et al may apply to the place and point where one should expect to have the most significant perhaps even the most intimate interaction with one's customers:

1. Match the voice with your brand

"A voice that sounds overly energetic might not be the correct choice for a quiet professional office building. The sound of the voice should match the tone and demographics of the business."

Indeed, do you want to be humorous, carefree or sardonic when your product is say… high end stereos? Likely no more so than coming off as a know-it-all. If you've done your brand-homework, you likely know your demographic, but do you speak to them like you would in the "showroom"; OR like you would over a glass of wine, in your living room, marvelling over the fidelity of your long lost favourite jazz standards?

2. Choose a dynamic vocal range

"The vocal abilities for each person are different and many people do not have a dynamic range that could carry a very varied video production for an hour or more."

There's a "dynamic of character" at play here… perhaps this goes beyond simply voice. Are you hiring an actor? If so, is your social voice wooden and one dimensional. Is it the voice of the sales-toad who reads the pitch script line by line day after day? Does your voice have mood swings, bad days and a bias towards that "certain type" of customer that just really gets his goat up? …the trap here of course is that all conversations are being eavesdropped upon; finding a social voice with "range" yet whose banter remains attractive across a wide spectrum of buyers. I'll defer… who is your best salesman (you?), he might just be the model for this "actor" who becomes your voice. Quick, someone call Stanislavsky!

3. Look at the voice talent’s experience

"Not all voice talent is the result of professional training. Some actors have a natural ability and ear for the work." 

Maybe this person is already in your office? Perhaps it's that guy or gal whose been toiling away on your ting for ten years now; has put up with your crap but who has so thoroughly "bought in(to)" (your crap). The person most definitely must love your product/service, not be taught & sold on doing so. We're making this up as we go along here folks (at least most of us appear to be)… There is not yet a CAA agent with a tape deck and a book of head shots (that I'm aware of) (of course, I'm not aware of many things… suggestions?).

Clone yourself, or at least, that part of yourself that is the passion behind what you're doing… (Oh and, unlike some folks who shall remain un-mentioned (um, me), perhaps stick with one fewer soap box, or two… :-)

4. Check the voice talent’s availability 

"Customers will respond to that one familiar voice favorably whenever the actor is heard."

Of course, I'm available! - And, I'll work for air-fare and a plate of "the veal" most days, But I doubt you'd really want to saddle yourself with, what is does this voice of mine sound like, "sardonic jack-assed-ness" is that my tone? (Honestly, I have little clue how this voice of mine sounds most days, and that may be a 5th tip, get a 2nd opinion on your voice)…

AND, see #3 with respect to long term familiarity. This is an important (likely becoming fulltime) job... OK, hire me, and I'll hire you a voice, deal?

It's a wrap... This voice must be constantly consistent, albeit with range. This voice must love your product without being fawning and trite. It's so easy to sound fake when talking through the tippy-tapping of ones keyboard. The voice should wander into "these room" with your customer, chat, but not simply txt msg them… It's funny how something as simple as how you sound can be so incredibly un-easy, how the wrong voice can so un-easily make one cringe. You can spend millions buying copy-writing services to draft the script. The "guy", person, actor you hire to interpret and improvise this script, day in day out, on the fly, adhoc and without a net may be worth… billions. At least should be worthy of strongly considered, consideration.

At the risk of sounding melo-dramatically over the top… May the forth be with you. (Oh, and hire someone who can spell (he say's while immediately ruling himself, out.))

You know, applying for the full-time gigs on the LinkedIns really is a bit of a game. I guess it's really not that different than how it used to be, whenever that used to be, was. Truthfully though, even after well over a year, I'm not convinced there is an appropriate way to conduct a search here; playing a game while the rules are being written, a worthwhile challenge none-the-less.

I've tried four approaches which can be divided into two categories… The thoughtful, contextually relevant approach which can be subdivided into the "laboriously personal" and "insertionally relational" hardcore cover letter tactics; AND then, scatter-shot approach which takes on two easy-breezy forms… blasting out the not so cleverly crafted formulaic cover-note and the, eh, what the heck, you get NO note at all click, click send methods.

Now… Always know your market.

I do know that 90% of the applications I submit are headed directly to the assistant to the the intern whose job it is to sort through all this before passing them along to the person responsible for making sure the hiring manager has the time they need to do their job today… The HR person or… (hey there HR person, thought I'd take this moment to say, I love you; oh and you there, hiring manager, been there, I know your pain) ...I am well aware of the insta-vetting tactics required to sort through the pulp, rind and CV bombs tossed so freely by the CV tossers (such as myself). But, this is after all... social (content) and really, I make no excuses. AND… here's why.

Belabouring over a cover letter, speaking to each and every salient point in order as they appear on your three page job posting has indeed netted me some coveted traction; I've spent whole days crafting a response to describe how I understand the needs as expressed, have the experience and skill-set to contribute AND… allude to that extra special something that may be of value and up for further discussion.

Results: 3% success, 97%... in the can they go!
(obviously these results are skewed by my inability to spell and my lack of understanding of basic english grammar; two requirements they always forget to post on these damned job postings.)

Now, firing out 10, 20, 30 (I think my record is 50) one, two, three liners + my oh so cleverly canned intro to myself, in a day. You know... this gets results as well, honestly way more than 3% when the intended result is simply… a response.

And… it is this response we're after after all… response is engagement, engagement is traction and you're a lot easier to catch up to when you're sliding away from me on a sand-papered floor.

Now, I'm not talking about those responses that include "given the number of applicants we will likely…" (be pitching your application into an armageddon sized bucket of flaming red hot burning coals). I'm talking about, they "hey there now, you sound kinda interesting tell us a bit more about yourself" style responses... The response that get the preverbal foot in the door. The opportunity to reply further and seek that next response ...the opportunity to meet.

Really, all joking aside (for at least a split second). It's a tough game out here. There are thousands upon thousands of great things to be done for good people on behalf of great clients in search of good customers. There is a non-equal, over-in-abundance pile of bright and brilliantly talented folks to fill these thousand upon thousands of… jobs. So, that just makes this tough for everyone along the food chain… eh, I guess it's called work for a reason.

So I'll continue to fling my facts out in every and each of the ways I've described above; Trust me, I only apply for jobs I could envision myself doing, jobs for companies in which I could see myself contributing to in a positive fashion, but really… that I've sat and thought it through enough to spend an afternoon writing volumes proves no more or less my interest in the position I've submitted with a mere flick of the "send' button.

…and you'll never know how much I'd like to be there for you if you don't give me "traction" Furthermore, trust me, I know this traction is a precious possession, in short supply and, will you look what time it's become. TY

First we tell 'em, "You gotta have a website"… Then we say, "you gotta keep it fresh"… Then we tell 'em your website sucks… Then we tell them, gotta be ON social, you gotta have a Facebook (page?), Twitter, Pinterest, whats NEXT?… OMG where is your blog? You don't have a blog?. Then we scream, where is your stream? If you're not there... No one will care!

Isn't this just the YELLOW PAGE inbound marketing consultant wet dream sales pitch 5 or 6 generations onward… ?

You gotta have a listing, everyone has a listing…
No one sees your listing, you have to take a quarter…
Your quarter isn't getting noticed, talk to our designer.

Everyone has a quarter, do you want to be an everyone; lets talk about a half.
A half is for the timid, is that how you want to be seen?
Take a page, show 'em you mean business!
Your page isn't being noticed… let's add more color!

The cost of doing business? If you spend it they will come?

I'm not being contrarian here, and I am in total agreement that using these marketing tools, in a fashion that softens up that hardened lead, is essential; honestly… But truly, honestly the buzz and emphasis on content marketing is getting downright worrisome. Of course our clients need to establish a presence in these forums, the arenas, streams, feeds and pin boards… but to what end. Do we really want to see a sea of disappointed, disillusioned business people floating facedown awash in the flotsam and jetsam of long forgotten social media stra… schemes? ( ...sch...rategies that could have worked)

How will they find you?
What do you say?
You got to be on it!
Right now, EVERY day!

They manufacture egg cartons…

Maybe their website really is JUST a static brochure, a leave behind, send to. The place to go if you want to know a little bit more. Maybe they don't need a damned blog; or only just need one to let the CEO wax poetically about the qualities of his business from time to time, add a little persona. Or maybe it's just a forum to let the sales guys hone their pitch from time to time (?) Maybe their Face-twit-pin feeds are paced a few clicks slower than the guy next door, but each post-tweet-pin is that much more, meaningful? Perhaps they should listen to social; a little more' listening to what their customers are saying rather than droning on and drowning oiut the voices of the folks they're listening for?

When seeking to rise above the clutter, does adding to this clutter define a strategy of any real logic?
Who owns the relationship with your customer?
That's for you to answer, but, last I looked… it wasn't the marketing department.

Who's the most social person in your organization? Build your social strategy around… that guy. No?

So, here's the little "in progress" mid-streamer update on this "wish it were more of a" side, be less of a shitty twitter'er - project.

"You got to get to 10,000 followers :)" 
-signed (txt'ed) from a trusted, supremely talented and accomplished business man; a mentor and life long friend of mine.

Anxiety? How could a number-junkie excel-addict not be anxious over… his number?

So, you see… regardless of how well intended we are in expressing this, "it's all about engagement", the importance, our K-redability et al appears to be established almost solely by, that damned NUMBER. It would seem even the brightest among us eventually easy-out and focus on that one damned NUMBER, how many? How many friends does he have; how many connections. How many likes has he collected, how many followers… It's the easy damned NUMBER, the number that's not all that easy to achieve now that billions are seeking it.

For sure… I could simply go out and buy 5, 10, 15… 30,000 Russians and simply to put a big fat (K=1,000 times X) in my followers count. It wouldn't even be cheating, might have an upside, but it would be completely counter to the spirit of my mantra, "it's simple, not easy". You see, I hold the word "simple" far too dearly to waste it trying to make something, easier. Slog-on and enjoy, the slog I say.

By way of a quick and dastardly, backhanded aside; funny how nature dictates the loudest of those touting "its all about the engagement" are those with the biggest NUMBERs...

The NUMBER vs. the ENGAGEMENTs

The stated objective of this little project being... push this channel until I reach 2,000 was set, more to establish a time line rather than to seek the NUMBER itself. SO yes, I'm driven to reach this number. Driven, primarily as I'd rather finish this off and focus on other things. How's it going? Well, it's going brilliantly actually; and here's why...

1) I've met the collolry objective of "dusting" off the tools in the old toolbox, and have given myself the good reason to explore new ones...

2) focussing on engagement in pursuit of the NUMBER has actually lead to near a dozen or so fair engagements and one true assignment; I'll nurture the former and pursue the latter with vigour 

3) eh… the number is going up, weee! (I am a number-junkie after all, and as such, I enjoy counting by ones as much as 5s, 10s and 100Ks)

...here are some additional spin-offs.… ON K-redibility. 

Funny how we're responding to Klout & Kred scores. These number are likely more important than, the count, the number itself - Yet we all publicly cringe at the mere mention of these scores, hide and/or hold them close. Is it modesty or is it simply we don't understand, trust or are just plain old ashamed of what we may have had to do to grow them? (More thinking on this K-redibility, is, in the works).

As a another spin-off benefit to this "it's not about the numbers" be less a shitty twitter'er project; my Klout and Kreds are going uppity-up. I guess that's only a good thing right. Maybe even more of a good thing when I'm actually allowed to wave 'em around, tattoo 'em on my resume and/or paste them to the footer of my "not a blog", site… whatever.

I am certainly suspicious of the weighting both these scoring tools, in so much as my K-redibility scores have gone UP while I've been focussing almost exclusively on Twitter,at the expense of being formerly far more active on Facebook and Linkedin (I need interns! and not just for typos, spelling and grammer). 

…and then, there are a few unexpected spin-offs by way of: Pinterest & Instagram (which, I'll get to later)

-------------------------
This is just a mid-streamer… In the original post, I mentioned my hope in my having my ah-ha moment, haven't yet. I'm simply suspending my mis-beliefs again; diving back into where I shouldn't have slinked out of; holding my nose and taking on this Twittering with a little more vigour and a, let's call it a renewed, bight and shiny attitude. I've reminded myself of how it's to be used. Re-learning can be as rewarding as learning after all. That said, sure I'm dusting off the old tools, but… indeed I've found some new ones too.

…and there'll be a lot more about this and that when I finally hit that 1/5th fraction of the damned NUMBER (my good friend) wants to see at the wrap of this adventure. (10,000/5 = yup, 2,000)

AND so... (my friends): If the sheer volume of my posts are annoying you… simply, work your lists better (I know, its not easy).

Update: March 8th (International Women's Day)... I now find myself at that awkward moment where I cannot follow all those I would like as I need keep room for following those who choose to follow... No worries, I've put you on a list; I'll get to following you again once I break free of these Twitter limitations.