Tone of Voice
Basics / Basics of UA
Our tone of voice is the style we use to communicate our content. It helps us find the right words to talk about SAP and our products and services.
CIAO (Brand Voice)
Follow the CIAO principle:
- Clear: Speak in a concise and comprehensible language that is understandable to all audiences.
- Insightful: Be an insightful problem solver, sharing knowledge enthusiastically and focus on the benefits SAP can provide to customers.
- Approachable: Speak authentically as humans to humans so that customers can get to know SAP and have an amazing experience with the SAP brand.
- Optimistic: Speak with confidence about the real-world impact, inspiring customers with a positive attitude.
People-Centric Approach (PCA)
The people-centric approach focuses on creating content for your audience's unique perspective. The people-centric approach is all about understanding the target group's perspective and tailoring your content to that perspective at all levels.
Here are some PCA techniques that help you focus on your audience:
- Address the User: Keep the focus on your audience by addressing the user with “you”, and other techniques. This helps you create a more conversational tone and ensures that you are putting the user at the center of the narrative. See SAP Style Guide for Technical Communication – Addressing the User Directly.
- We vs. SAP: "We” is personal and is often used in apps or cloud software, whereas “SAP” is neutral and conveys a somewhat “official” connotation. When using “we”, make sure that “we” refers to SAP or SAP software. Alternatively, consider rephrasing and omitting “we” and “SAP” altogether. See SAP Style Guide for Technical Communication – We Versus SAP.
- Contractions: Use common contractions, in moderation. Adding contractions is one of the easiest ways to make your content sound more conversational. See SAP Style Guide for Technical Communication – English: Contractions.
- Politeness: Say “please” when the user is asked to do something inconvenient or beyond their expectations, or when the situation is troubling for the user. Don't say "please" just because you're asking the user to do something. See SAP Style Guide for Technical Communication – Politeness.
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