Precisely Tone of Voice Resources
Welcome! Here you’ll find tips and tricks to make your writing even stronger and more aligned with our bright, dedicated, and open tone of voice here at Precisely.
Explore our favorite style tips, use our writing checklist as your guide, and review some frequently used (and confused) terms to ensure consistency across our content.
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10 style quick-tips
10 of our favorites are listed here, but even more can be found in our full Tone of Voice deck.
01. Apply the 1:1 rule
Example:
1:1 writing is key to clear communications.
Why? Staring down a big block of text can be daunting to a reader’s eye – even if it contains the greatest messaging ever. Keeping it scannable instead, boosts your chance of conversions.
So, keep things clean and clear – and remember, don’t fear a one-sentence paragraph!
02. Use subheads, bullet points, and lists to keep content skimmable
Example:
Your one-stop shop for trusted data
The Precisely Data Integrity Suite is a set of seven interoperable modules that enable your business to trust that your data has maximum accuracy, consistency, and context.
An innovative suite foundation
The Data Integrity Suite’s SaaS architecture makes it:
- Cost-effective
- Easy to deploy
- Highly scalable
It’s this data integrity foundation that connects the modules and makes the Suite truly unique and innovative.
03. Keep the jargon to a minimum
… to sound more human and conversational. There are exceptions, it just depends on your audience.
You may use less detail on the technical specs when writing for a CEO, than you would for a product engineer.
Example:
CEO
Automate Studio is an Excel-compatible product that automates data collection, validation, and movement for use with SAP data management solutions – saving you significant time and money, improving data quality, and increasing process efficiency.
Product engineer
Automate Studio is one integrated tool for quickly deploying data integration templates for Excel, Access or web services to interact with SAP ERP. You can create Transaction scripts using SAP BAPIs and queries from SAP tables, infosets, and logical databases – without programming.
04. Avoid using possessive Precisely (“Precisely’s …”)
Example:
Update this …
“Precisely’s unmatched data expertise empowers businesses to make more confident decisions.”
To this …
“Our unmatched data expertise empowers businesses to make more confident decisions.”
Or, this …
“With unmatched data expertise, Precisely empowers businesses to make more confident decisions.”
05. Leverage stats
Example:
75% of users agree Coke is better than Pepsi
Precisely Brand Team, 2022
06. Spell out your acronyms first
Example:
“The Internet of Things (IoT) will change everything.”
“Business intelligence (BI) encompasses technologies and strategies used by businesses to conduct data analysis of business information.”
“Two factor authentication, also known as 2FA, is a process which requires two steps in order to verify a user.”
“Master data management (MDM) refers to the practice of aggregating all an organization’s critical business entity data into one master reference source.”
07. Keep it conversational with conjunctions and contractions
Making swaps for contractions, like using “we’re” instead of “we are,” is an easy way for our writing to sound more natural and human.
Similarly, starting a sentence with a conjunction – words like “and,” “but,” and “because” – make your writing feel more casual and conversational.
Example:
Contractions:
In this webinar, we’re going to cover the top 3 reasons you need a data catalog.
Conjunctions:
And there’s even more to discover on our data catalog solution page.
08. Avoid ambiguity: use the oxford comma and proper hyphens
Use an oxford comma (a comma inserted after the second-to-last item in a list) to keep your meaning clear.
When it comes to using a hyphen to connect two or more words, you need to do so if it’s a compound modifier – that is, when those words are working together like an adjective, before a noun. You don’t need to hyphenate if the noun comes first.
Example:
Use a hyphen here…
“The newly-updated software features countless improvements.”
But NOT here
“The software is newly updated with countless improvements.”
09. Use caution with colloquialisms/idioms
Example:
“The ball is in your court”
“Once in a blue moon”
“Take it with a pinch of salt”
“Costs an arm and a leg”
“Rule of thumb”
“Up in the air”
10. Avoid interchanging company name with product name
Let’s look at this sample passage:
“Philips implemented Automate Studio to create and update data en masse in SAP, simplifying and streamlining their processes. After using Precisely for 10 months, they saved 1,600 hours.”**
Here, we want to remove the reference to “Precisely” in that second sentence, and have the results tied specifically to the product. So instead, opt for either the full product name, “Automate Studio,” or more generally, “the platform.”
**Also note the use of stats in this passage to show tangible, impressive results!
BEFORE
- Who am I writing for?
- What’s the topic
- Why am I writing to them – and why should they care?
DURING
Bright
(optimistic and intelligent, bold and enthusiastic)
Dedicated
(confident and assured, purposeful and precise)
Open
(warm and relatable, friendly and human)
Don’t be afraid of a one-sentence paragraph! This can be extra helpful when you want a particular point to be emphasized and “pop” from the page.
Content that’s easier to scan is more likely to convert.
AFTER
If something sounds unnatural or clunky, rewrite to find a better flow.
Don’t lean too much on adjectives and adverbs. Ex: is it a “very tall man” or “a giant”
Don’t be afraid to keep trimming down your text. When in doubt, ask if a passage truly adds to the audience’s understanding, or if it’s just there because you like it. If the latter, remove it.
Ask someone else to read it with fresh eyes. They’ll often catch typos and
Platform terms
| USE THIS… | NOT THAT… |
 on-premises or on-prem
|
 on-premise
|
|
cloud
|
Cloud
|
|
cloud native
|
cloud-native
|
|
IBM i
|
IBMi, IBM I, IBMI, i Series
|
|
mainframe
|
Mainframe
|
|
ServiceNow
|
Service Now, SN, SNow, SNOW
|
Product names
| USE THIS… | NOT THAT… |
|
Data Integrity Suite
|
DI Suite or DIS
|
|
Geo Addressing
(when referring to the suite module) |
GeoAddressing
(when referring to the suite module) |
|
Spectrum OnDemand
|
SPOD or OnDemand
|
|
EnterWorks
|
Enterworks, EW
|
|
PreciselyID
|
Precisely ID, PBKey, pbkey
|
|
MapInfo Pro
|
MapInfo, MI Pro, MIPro, Pro, MIP, MapInfo Professional
|
|
Spectrum Spatial
|
Spectrum Spatial Analyst, SSA, Analyst
|
|
Spectrum Spatial TrueView
|
Trueview, True View
|
|
Enrich product portfolio
|
The Precisely data catalog
|
Misc. terms
| USE THIS… | NOT THAT… |
|
metamodel
|
meta-model, meta model
|
|
dataset(s)
|
data set(s)
|
|
geo addressing
(capability not the suite module) |
geoaddressing (capability not product)
|
|
geo-enrich(ment)
|
geoEnrich(ment), geoenrich(ment)
|
|
web mapping
|
web-mapping
|
|
drivetime
|
drive-time
|
|
third-party data, third-party sources
|
third party data, third party sources
|
|
IT operations management
|
ITOM
|
|
IT operations analytics / IT operations
|
ITOA
|
Hyphenated terms
When it comes to using a hyphen to connect two or more words, you need to do so if it’s a compound modifier – that is, when those words are working together like an adjective, before a noun. You don’t need to hyphenate if the noun comes first.
| USE THIS… | NOT THAT… |
|
enterprise-wide
|
enterprisewide, enterprise wide
|
|
data in motion
|
data-in-motion
|
|
data at rest
|
data-at-rest
|
|
multi-tenancy, multi-tenant
|
multitenant, multitenancy
|
|
single sign-on
|
single-sign-on, or single sign on
|
|
decision-making
|
decision making
|
Emojis can be valuable in helping a message pop, but don’t force it by adding one just for the sake of having it.
Example:
Yes:
Data integration: your buyer’s guide and checklist ✅
No:
S/4HANA migration best practices 😎
Don’t use excessive emojis. One emoji per subject line or social post is often enough to add something and stay on brand, without it becoming unprofessional.
Example:
- In the case of an email subject line, excessive emoji use can trigger the spam filter – causing the email to land in the recipient’s junk folder
- Too many emojis, especially when unrelated to the point you’re making, distract from your messaging
- Within the body copy of an email, there may be a few spots that are appropriate to add an emoji, but again, use sparingly (not more than 2-3 per email, and avoid using multiple together/back-to-back, like: ⏰ ✅ 💻 ). Often, the CTA at the end of an email can provide an easy fit for an emoji: “Download our eBook to get started today 📖”
When they are used, it should be as an enhancement but not as a replacement for language itself.
Example:
Yes:
“Time’s running out! Register for our webinar today ⏰”
No:
“⏰ is running out! Register for our webinar today”
Keep generational and global interpretations in mind. Seemingly innocent emojis can have different meanings to different cultures, or even age groups, so just make sure you’ve researched first.
Example:
- Culturally, for example, a slightly smiling face (🙂) in the US may be friendly, but in China it can imply distrust or even contempt
- A “tears streaming” emoji (😭) is often used by younger generations to convey humor/excessive laughter, but older generations may interpret it as having more of a sad tone
Emojis in Precisely comms: examples
Good emoji source for desktop: www.emojipedia.org
Sample emojis and use in subject lines/CTAs:
🔑💻🎥 📖 📃📒📆⏰⏳📈 ✔️ ✅📢💡
- “Unlock new possibilities …” “Your key to …” 🔑
- “Watch the webinar” 💻 or 🎥
- “Read the eBook 📖”
- “Why you need a data catalog 📒”
- “📢 Big news! …”
- “Reduce costs, boost ROI 📈”
- “5 steps to success …” “Your data integration checklist” ✔️ or ✅
- Less than a week to go until Trust ’22! 📆”
- Time’s running out: register for [webinar/event/etc.] today” ⏰ or ⏳