Key takeaways
- Tone is how you sound; personalisation is what you say to one person.
- A voice guide built on example sentences works better than a list of adjectives.
- Personalise the trigger, the problem, the example and the ask; keep the rest fixed.
- Read drafts side by side to spot drift, and turn every drifting line into a new example.
What is the difference between tone and personalisation
Tone is how you sound, and personalisation is what you say to this one person. Tone covers word choice, formality, sentence length, humour and how directly you ask for things. Personalisation covers the trigger, the problem, the example and the call to action.
Trouble starts when a writer personalises by changing tone: matching a prospect's casual posts with slang, or turning stiff for a bank. A small adjustment is fine. A different voice for every prospect means there is no brand voice at all.
How do you write a brand voice guide people actually use
Write a short guide built on examples, not adjectives. Words like friendly and confident mean something different to everyone, so show a sentence in your voice beside the same sentence out of it.
- Say "Here is what changed", not "We are excited to announce".
- Say "You can try it on one campaign first", not "Unlock limitless possibilities".
- Ask "Worth a short call next week?", not "I would love to hop on a quick call".
- Name the problem the way the customer does, not with your internal product terms.
Which parts of a message should you personalise
Personalise the parts that prove you wrote to this person: the reason, the relevance and the ask. Keep the description of your company, the way you state claims and the sign-off fixed.
- The trigger: a hire, a launch or a post they wrote.
- The problem as it shows up in their role.
- One example or proof point close to their situation.
- The size of the ask, matched to how warm the conversation is.
How do you check tone before messages go out
Check tone by reading a sample of drafts side by side, not one at a time. Read five drafts to different prospects in a row; if they sound like five different people, the voice guide is not doing its job.
When AI drafts the messages, give it the same guide and examples you give people, and review a sample from every batch. Mark the lines that drift and add them to the guide as out-of-voice examples.
How to keep brand tone consistent while personalising
Set the voice once, then personalise inside it.
- Write a one-page voice guide with pairs of in-voice and out-of-voice sentences.
- List the parts of a message that never change, such as the company description and the sign-off.
- List the parts that change per prospect: the trigger, the problem, the example and the ask.
- Draft a batch, then read a sample side by side and mark any line that drifts.
- Add the drifting lines to the guide as examples, so the next batch improves.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- FoundationCompany IntelBrand voice in Company Intel makes your Conviction, Audience, Message and Expression explicit, so every assistant drafts from the same voice.
- CapabilityOutreach contentIn the campaign builder you pick a personality for each piece, which sets the voice of the draft while the content changes from prospect to prospect.
- CapabilitySmartboxSmartbox writes or refines email replies from the thread, the recipients and your brand voice, so replies sound like your first message.
Common questions
Can you change tone for different industries?
Adjust formality a little, for example fewer jokes for regulated buyers, but keep the same vocabulary and structure. If the change needs a different voice guide, it has become a different brand.
Should every seller have their own voice?
Sellers can keep their own phrasing in openings and sign-offs, since buyers reply to people. The claims, the company description and the overall tone should stay the brand's.
How often should you update a brand voice guide?
Review it whenever messages drift or your positioning changes, and add new examples each time. A guide that has not changed in a year is probably being ignored.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
