Have marketing questions? Want to find out what works best for successful writers? Join Jake Poinier (a.k.a. Dr. Freelance) and me for a FREE one-hour Marketing Q&A. Reserve your spot today
What a week so far. I spent five days away, two of them on the weekend, yet I’m working like I’ve been away a month. Monday was two projects started, yesterday was three more projects started and two finished, today I have to finish at least one project and get yet another project going. Right now, there are seven projects, and most of them have short deadlines.
No time to spare.
It’s when I’m most busy that mistakes can, and will, happen. Yesterday, I created an ad for a client only to find out I had him predicting the future — 2015 became 2105. Luckily, it was the first draft and he caught it. Plus, he’s a good client and we work well together, so mistakes aren’t treated like third-degree burns. Despite efforts to avoid them, I’m going to make them. So are you.
One mistake we can all avoid is not capturing our client’s voice. You can be the best writer on the planet, but if you can’t deliver content that sounds like you crawled inside your client’s head and plucked out ideas, you’re going to be rewriting. Maybe a lot.
Still, it’s easier to mimic that voice than you might think.
Here are some ways I use to write with my client’s voice:
Recorded conversations. What better way to get the cadence, tone, and wording right? I’ve been successful at nailing first drafts because I used a recorder. They’re not foolproof, but close. In only one case did the recorded conversation not translate, and that was because the client was trying to please someone higher up the food chain.
Targeted questions. I think recordings, coupled with great questions, are usually all you need to get it right. Sometimes you get those clients who have no idea what they want or how they want it. I’ve found that asking the right questions helps. Here are some I use frequently:
- Who’s your audience? Who will see this?
- What’s the primary message you hope to send? What impression do you want it to leave?
- What makes your company/product/service different?
- How will this benefit your customer?
- What have you tried in the past?
- What do you like? What don’t you like?
10 responses to “Freelance Technique: Capturing Your Writing Client’s Voice”
Capturing the client's voice is something I really enjoy, and I've gone from perky event planner to cool tattoo dude to formal CFO. As well as going through past content, I usually ask if there are any materials they already have that they're *not* particularly happy with, and why exactly that is. Saves me repeating someone else's mistakes. I also usually ask similar questions to you, during a phone call, and type as they talk. I could probably do with recording the call instead, so it gives me more time to listen back, what do you use for recording, Lori?
One thing I find is that it rubs off on me a little while I'm working on a project. I gave someone some advice the other day and they commented how particularly inspiring the advice was – I was working on a project for a motivational speaker that day, so I was a little bit "Woo, yeah, you can do it!" Most unlike me in real life ;o)
Touch wood, I haven't had any issues getting a client's voice. Yet. I'm sure it will happen at some point.
It does rub off, doesn't it? I've noticed the same thing, Emily.
I use an Olympus digital voice recorder (#VN-4100PC). It's about seven years old (maybe older), but it works so well. Plus I bought a switch that allows me to record phone conversations. This one, in fact: Amazon.
Because most of my work is ghostwriting, I am always attempting to capture my client's voice. Sometimes I never speak to the person whose name is going on the byline (i.e., when I'm blogging for a company who puts various subject matter expert's names on the byline).
That's not the ideal. I always prefer speaking with (and recording like you do, Lori). I'll ask if there are any recorded presentations where that person spoke or at a minimum, something he or she wrote.
Otherwise, when I can speak with them, I pretty much follow your formula of questions and recordings so I can capture those soundbites gems. 🙂
Lots of great tips, here, Lori! I use most of the above. Sometimes I'll also ask for a few examples of other writing they like – other blogs, other websites, etc – and a few examples of ones they DON'T like, and why. This is especially helpful if they don't have any previous marketing materials 🙂
I record phone conversations sometimes, using an app on my smartphone (Auto Call Recorder), and then hire a transcriptionist to type it up. BUT it's very important to note that in many jurisdictions, you MUST get permission from all parties to record a phone conversation, or else it's illegal!
In person recordings are different – all my clients are long-distance, so I've never recorded an in-person conversation & don't know the laws for that.
Good list and the key for me is what I've come to call deep listening. It's an attitude within – I get in a place where I really want to hear what they say and the way to say it. Hard to describe, fun to do… another way I think of it is getting my own ideas about what the client is say out of the way so I can really hear them.
I use a similar switch and my recorder is an Olympus VN-7200. (The only thing I don't like about the recorder is it doesn't do Mp3 files so I can't save them to my computer or send them off to be transcribed, if I got so busy I couldn't finish all of my own transcribing.)
Writing quote-heavy articles is a great way to get a feel for someone's voice and tone, or even help in dialogue writing.
Cathy, isn't that tough? I had something similar once. I was fortunate — she wrote in sound bites and I somehow managed to translate that into copy she liked. I wouldn't want to do that again, though. Way too nerve-wracking!
Very good point, KeriLynn. I always ask (and record the question/answer) if they mind if I use a tape recorder. To date, no one has said no. I think if you just ask and they say yes, you should be fine with the law.
That does sound like fun, Anne! Sounds like a terrific technique.
Paula, I hear you on the shortcomings of the recorders. Their software is abominable. I can save folders B, C, and D to my computer, but I can't use the Olympus software to access them. I've reinstalled several times, too. So lately I just transcribe using the recorder and some headphones.
Another Olympus digital recorder fan here, from way back. (I think I'm on my 3rd.) Here's another neat gadget to consider:
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-TP-7-Telephone-pick-up/dp/B000GU88CQ
It's a little bud that fits in your ear and plugs into the MIC jack, so you can use it with your cellphone/when you're away from the office. I've done interviews anywhere from parking lots to on a boat. You can find it cheaper than the Amazon link I've pasted–just hunt around a bit.
Thanks for the gadget advice – I'll make a decision and send the link to my mom, She insists on buying something I really want for my birthday, and I can never think of anything!
Jake, thanks! I bought that one a while ago on your recommendation. It's really neat.
Good thinking, Emily!