Comments on: “Finding your voice”

I just got off the phone with the CEO of a $10 million software company. He said, “We’re trying really hard to put our personalities ‘out there’ more, write more, blog more. It’s kind of a struggle, we’re not really used to being big-ego front men. But we’re pressing harder to do more of that.”

He seemed to be pushing this in an unnatural direction. Like: Yes, you should stretch yourself into new areas. But I didn’t think that was the key to doing what he wants to do.

I said, “What you are really trying to do is FIND YOUR VOICE. This is not about pushing out into some totally new area, it’s more about finding a groove that’s already there.

“Einstein didn’t INVENT relativity, he DISCOVERED it.

“You already have opinions, points of view, ways you think business should be done, ways problems should be solved. You really just need to get out of your own way and express that more naturally.”

My friend, I propose to you that a unique, distinctive voice is THE thing that people desire when they buy things. When people make a purchase, they really want to buy an EXPERIENCE. The essence of any unique experience is personality.

For example:

-I play drums and I love great drummers. The best players are eminently recognizable. I can recognize Mike Portnoy or Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison *anywhere.* Doesn’t matter what album they’re playing on or who the other musicians are, their style is so distinctive, it only takes 30 seconds to tell – “Hey, that’s Mike.”

Any one of them can play the part, the literal notes, perfectly. But it’s not about the note and that’s not where the art lies. It’s about the FLAVOR the musician gives to that note. You can say the same thing about guitar players – Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or Larry Carlton. Or sax players like John Coltrane and Michael Brecker.

-Starbucks isn’t about the coffee, it’s about the unique experience. All the sights, sounds and smells of that store when you stroll in. Every time you glimpse one of their white cups with the green logo, all those sensory experiences flood your memory for a nanosecond.

-Apple doesn’t just sell MP3 players. They sell a very distinctive set of values and simplicity. In total, it’s a kind of “coolness” that’s irresistible.

About 5-6 years ago, John Carlton was kicking my teeth in, coaching me on my writing. I’ll never forget one day when he said, “You’re finding your voice.”

Yes. Exactly. Those words sank in. I was homing in on a writing style that would be distinctive, immediately recognizable and consistent.

Your “voice” may not be your writing or in the words that you speak. It may be in the way that you write software. It may be the way you design web pages. Or the way you interview clients and reach the heart of some problem. It may be a very specific set of values that permeates your entire team and customer experience.

Whatever it is, it’s unique. It’s the part of your USP that may be unspoken but may in fact be THE thing that your customers love about you.

ALL artists, writers, engineers and people who create things go through a phase where they’re trying to find their voice. At first they do it by imitating other voices that they love. Of course imitation is the highest form of flattery, but flattery isn’t the point. Playing guitar exactly like B.B. King isn’t the point. It’s just a touchstone on the way to figuring out who you are and what you do and what’s unique about you.

You hone your chops and that groove becomes clearer with time.

Be patient with yourself, relentlessly perfect your craft… and enjoy the thrill of discovering the sound of your own voice.

Perry Marshall

Last train to Chicago: 1 seat left for August 26. www.4ManIntensive.com

By: Workout Goals Guy

Workout Goals Guy — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:20:34 +0000

Thanks for the wonderful insights.

However when we start an internet business, not many of us realize what the ultimate purpose of our web business should be.

Now since I have tasted some success, I think of renovating my website with a bigger goal such as providing the online exercise enthusiasts the best experience in terms of planning their exercise and workout programs and track their progress.

thanks again.

By: Eran Malloch

Eran Malloch — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:06:41 +0000

Hi Perry,

I’m no muso (unfortunately), but I very much related to what you said about being able to recognise the tone, style & “voice” of different bands & musicians.

For example, I always recognise a U2 song, even if Bono isn’t singing – Edge has a very distinctive style of playing guitar that I have not encountered anyone using.

Same for Santana, AC/DC, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), and any number of other successful musicians &/or their band as a combination.

The analogy of finding your “voice” is sooo powerful, and I intuitively realised in the past that I have my own voice & style.

Regretably, it hasn’t appealed to my boss who often complained about it. At the time, it made me disappointed that he was criticising me, but I guess in reality, it’s simply that his voice & mine are very different & THAT’S why he criticised mine…

Great news is I am out on my own fulltime in 4 weeks, so I get to use the voice I want and if he doesn’t like it, that’s not my concern or problem.

Thanks for another brilliantly insightful post. As always, your voice resonates with me. I guess, at the end of the day, the people who love Perry Marshall do so because his voice resonates with them.

The ones it fails to resonate with miss out, but might be better served listening to someone else’s voice that better suits them.

Eran

PS: Ailis, record yourself (video or audio) presenting your message in a more powerful way, then have that transcribed and you’ve got your voice in written form for blog posts, email posts, etc.

By: Ellen Violette

Ellen Violette — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:11:18 +0000

Hi Perry,
So many times people come to me and say their niche is saturated and they don’t realize that their voice is unique and they probably do have something to offer and if they were just authentically themselves it would be a huge step in the right direction. Thanks for sharing this. Also I love the drums example too! As a Grammy-nominated songwriter I know exactly what you mean!

By: Bill Homer

Bill Homer — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:42:31 +0000

Perry

Thanks for the tips – your definitive ad word course has helped me get my cost per click down to abut .21, and I get consistent sales everyday. I will look to buy the Ultimate guide. FYI – some of these SEO companies are claiming that I’m missing almost 80% of my customers because I’m not coming up on an organic search for key words and key word phrases.

By: Nick Neilson

Nick Neilson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:17:35 +0000

I’m kind of late to this party, but if to no one else than the cosmos – here’s my two cents…

I find the Three C’s most helpful in gut checking whether or not I’m conveying my voice to my audience:

Clarity – “Don’t waste my time.” Does your audience know exactly what you’re saying, and just as importantly, exactly what you want them to do and WHY? If not, you’re likely going broke.

Congruence – “Don’t confuse me.” Does what you said today fit glove to hand around what you told me yesterday? Does it build, does it reinforce, does it expand? If it contradicts, I’m leaving.

Consistency – “Don’t take it for granted that I care about you.” Do I come to know and care about you by resonating with your voice over a long period of time? Or do I become complacent?

I have to come to appreciate Perry’s voice more than any other guru specifically for these reasons. He simply resonates more clearly, congruently, and consistently than anyone else out there.

The old sales maxim holds true – “If the customer is confused, the answer is No.” In many markets it takes awhile for the client to complete the process of becoming unconfused. They may need to hear your voice for 12-18 months before dropping coin.

Build the Maze right Perry? And while you’re doing it… Be Clear, Be Congruent, Be Consistent.

Excellent post as usual Perry.