Most company writing sounds as if it was written by a committee, because it usually was. It doesn’t have to be.
Corporate language is safe in the worst way. Nobody objects to “innovative solutions that empower customers”, and nobody remembers it either. It’s the verbal equivalent of beige.
Say the specific thing
Specific beats general every time. “We built this because mornings are hard enough” says more than “our solution optimises your routine”. The first sounds like a person who has had a hard morning. The second sounds like a brochure.
Write it down, then read it out loud
Our simplest test is to read the line aloud to someone. If you would feel slightly embarrassed saying it to a friend, it needs rewriting. Real people don’t say “leverage”. They don’t “reach out”. They ask.
Keep a list of words you won’t use
A tone of voice is defined as much by what it refuses as by what it says. A short list of banned words does more for consistency than a long document of adjectives, and it is far easier for a whole team to follow.