Basically, we all know it: everyone speaks their own language. First his national language, of course. The dialect of the respective region is even more natural. And - if you listen very carefully - even in the sound color of the city or the district in which the person concerned lives. In addition, there is the education-dependent style level - high level or rather down to earth. And finally, origin and family give you idiosyncratic peculiarities that your neighbors no longer share. If you look so closely into vocabulary, choice of words, style and ability to express yourself, you sometimes wonder how communication is possible at all.

Don't you want to read that now? Then just listen to it:

Above all, this doesn't just apply to each and every one of us. Depending on the industry or professional field, your own language becomes a minefield, on which one can easily land with one sentence - a wrong one. Namely, when you express your collective incompetence. You only have to speak once with lawyers about the intricacies of case law, with philosophers about transcendental philosophy or with craftsmen or plumbers about their respective processing practices. There is now an educational video for everything on YouTube, but you have to watch it before such a conversation.

It can be said that everyone has their language. And everyone uses language to develop their specific identity. People, professional groups - and of course also companies. Not everyone is aware of this. The vast majority of course have a more or less detailed corporate design. Many a formulated mission statement, with a vision, mission and positioning. And something like a corporate language is always implicitly outlined - and yet this corporate language, in contrast to typography, house colors and imagery, is not defined. It is often the blind spot in corporate communications.

Corporate Language? Corporate text? How does the company speak and write? The mark? Many companies leave these questions unanswered - because, presumably, the attitude behind them: Everyone can get one straight sentence out. It presents - freely according to Goethe - understanding and right meaning with little art. The only thing is that the sentence is in the thoroughly worked through “Faust”, which the old master has been working on for a few years.

In short: this is not the case. Every company is shaped by its industry and its products. Whether these are simple me-too mass-produced products or sophisticated, high-quality premium products. One calls for a rather simple language, the other calls for a more finely modulated tonality. Technical products want to be conveyed linguistically precisely, unlike fashion, for example, which cultivates its own style in a casual, casual or elegant manner.

The questions that every company should ask itself are: Which words always fit? For whom? And where? Which style is appropriate? A high, a middle, a colloquial? Which text strategies are possible? And in which media do they come into play?

Anyone who has answered these questions very consistently is a Scandinavian furniture store. The consistent Duzen of a target group that would rather have a problem with the Siezen, the game with the typically Swedish influence in radio and film spots are not only catchy, but also unique in this stringency. The result is not only understandable, it is clearly tailored to the target group and, above all, unmistakable.

Now, if you want to develop a distinctive tone for your company, you certainly don't have to learn Scandinavian. First and foremost, an awareness process is helpful. This can be controlled by professionally moderated corporate text workshops that develop the language, style and tone of the company from brand promises, positioning, mission statement and values.

Such workshops can be accompanied by continuous coaching, which enables company employees to write company texts independently. As a rule, everyone who is entrusted with corporate communications in marketing, sales and human resources can be considered.

Is that really necessary? Is it worth it? Well: only if it is important to you to gain a clear outline through the language you speak and to express the same quality that your own product world claims for itself. Then it can be a very sensible investment.

Are you looking for words? Book a workshop. Best of all right now. Right here.

More information is available from:

Christoph Siwek

Creative advice / Group Head Text
christoph.siwek@schindlerparent.de

Contact us.