AmEx-Jack and Spidey Senses

I hadn't planned on writing tonight; it's my daughter's 6th birthday, and it's been quite a day. Also, I hadn't planned on writing about this particular topic so early, but thanks (I guess) to American Express, we're going to do a quick hit on the importance of voice and persona.

Without parsing out all of the details (confession: I already did, then deleted the lengthy post out of respect to brevity), let's just say that I would bet my first edition of Crow that AmEx-Jack was reading from a script during the lion's share of our call today.

Which is to say, it felt forced.

Which is to say, it felt inauthentic.

Which is also to say, I became guarded, distant, and a bit annoyed.

I have no proof that a copywriter somewhere should get the credit for the almost-friendly banter, the hey-we're-in-this-together chitchat, the Seinfeld-esque "can't wait for the weekend, right? Am I right?" repartee. #awkward

But regardless of whether AmEx-Jack's working-for-the-weekend persona was true or not, brands need to be keenly aware that their customer's BS meters are at an all-time high. Regardless of how authentic or legit you think your post/update/voice sounds, if it is not pure and genuine, it is highly likely that your audience will know.

How will they know? It will feel...off. Like someone forcing a joke (or forcing a laugh)...it just seems counterfeit. And one counterfeit moment can wreck trust for a very long time.

If AmEx-Jack had said: "It's 2 am here in Gurgaon and rainy, but things are going pretty good" (or whatever valid remarks came to mind), there would have been built-trust, not receded-trust. And trust, these days, is top-shelf.

In the end, AmEx-Jack took very good care of me. But, you see, it's not only about the deliverable. Your brand's voice, the persona that you put forth (whether on the phone, in person, or via Social), must be genuine and true. Sure, Jack got me to the finish line, but the journey wasn't enjoyable. Why? Because I wasn't really traveling with Jack; I was traveling with AmEx-Jack, and AmEx-Jack...he just didn't feel right.

Faking a smile is annoying and offensive; faking a laugh is transparent and awkward; but faking empathy and rapport with your customers...that's damage that's very hard to undo.

Be authentic, be real, be open, be honest. But at the end of the day, just be you...your customers will appreciate it, and it takes a lot less work.

shanti,
mjh