Founder Voice, SDR Hands

Why this matters

When your first SDR (or two) starts sending, results dip if the voice becomes generic. Buyers reply to a human point of view: clear, specific, respectful. Lock the tone once, then make it easy for others to execute.

What founders actually mean by “voice”
Not poetry. It’s three choices you make consistently:

1. Angle: the problem you single out first.

2. Tempo: short, declarative sentences vs. winding explanations.

3. Offer: the smallest credible next step (checklist, 2‑week pilot, 10‑min fit check).

Common failure modes

• SDR uses buzzwords to sound “professional” → loses trust.

• First line misses the trigger → sounds like a blast.

• Too many claims → feels like a pitch, not help.

• Copy over 120 words → burying the ask.

Quick fix
Have the SDR read one of your sent emails out loud. Anywhere they stumble or add filler is where the guide needs a rule.

Voice Style Guide (1‑pager)

Positioning sentence (15 words):
We help {persona} fix {pain} in {timeframe} without a big project.

Pillars (rules that never change)

1. Plain > Clever. Short words; no buzzwords.

2. Specific > Vague. Name the trigger, role, and metric.

3. Helpful > Pushy. Offer a small, safe next step.

4. Evidence > Claims. One micro‑case; no chest‑thumping.

5. Respectful > Cute. No fake RE/FWD, no urgency games.

Persona tokens
{persona} • {company} • {trigger} • {metric} • {timeframe} • {proof_company} • {delta}

Phrases we use

• “quick path” • “small, safe step” • “two options” • “one‑pager” • “pilot, credited if we continue”

Phrases we avoid

• “circle back” • “touch base” • “exclusive offer” • “guarantee” • fake threads (RE:/FWD:)

Sign‑off
— {Founder first name} @ {company}

Mini glossary (so SDRs don’t guess)

• Trigger: a recent change we can point to (hiring, deadline, migration).

• Micro‑case: a 40–60 word story with conflict → action → outcome.

• Safe next step: no‑risk action (share checklist, 10‑min fit check, 2‑week pilot).

Prompt Pack (drop into your tool)

System / global prompt snippet

Campaign‑level additives

• If trigger is hiring surge → emphasize onboarding time and access cleanup.

• If trigger is new audit/date → emphasize low‑effort checklist and a 2‑week window.

• If trigger is tool migration → emphasize field/flow map and zero‑leak handoff.

Coaching markup (how to comment on drafts)

• Highlight green where the trigger is named. If missing, ask: “What changed for them?”

• Underline the ask; if there are two, delete one.

• Circle any buzzword; replace with plainer words.

• Margin note: “Micro‑case here” where a proof would help.

Before / After Examples (generic B2B SaaS)

1) Bad → Better (hiring surge)

• Before (generic):
  “Hey there, saw you’re scaling—our platform accelerates onboarding with AI. Can we schedule 30–45 minutes?”

• After (founder voice):
  “Saw 12 AE roles opened this week—onboarding time usually balloons right then. I can share a 4‑day access plan other teams used. Tue 10:30 or Wed 3:00?”

• Why it works: names the trigger, offers a tiny next step, gives a concrete benefit.

2) Bad → Better (audit date)

• Before:
  “Compliance is critical and we offer world‑class security with best‑in‑class encryption.”

• After:
  “Your audit lands in August—the scramble is evidence collection in week four. We auto‑pull the log/ticket pieces so the package is done early. Want the 1‑pager?”

• Why it works: swaps claims for a specific pain + relief.

3) Bad → Better (tool migration)

• Before:
  “We seamlessly integrate with HubSpot and Salesforce to ensure data continuity.”

• After:
  “Moving from HubSpot → Salesforce? The leaks are fields and workflows. I can walk you through a 60‑minute field/flow map that halves time‑to‑first‑report.”

• Why it works: shows you understand the messy middle; sets a time‑boxed help.

4) Bad → Better (finance owner)

• Before:
  “We deliver ROI by leveraging advanced analytics to optimize costs.”

• After:
  “Quarter‑end pressure is forecast swings. Copying a cost‑driver tab that got variance under 5% in two cycles—want it?”

• Why it works: concrete metric, short action.

5) Bad → Better (service business)

• Before:
  “We’re a full‑service consultancy driving digital transformation.”

• After:
  “Warehouse pick rates dipped after the new layout. We can run a 2‑week sprint on one aisle and show the lift—credit the fee if we continue.”

• Why it works: one aisle (small), one result (lift), one next step (sprint).

SDR Review Checklist (use before sending)

• Line 1 names a specific trigger about the buyer.

• One ask only; PS offers a lighter path if needed.

• Body ≤120 words; short sentences; no jargon.

• Includes one proof (micro‑case) or none—never a list.

• Links 0–1; branded; no shorteners.

• Subject 25–45 chars; matches the body; no fake threads.

• Sign‑off uses founder name; no signatures longer than 3 lines.

Day‑two coaching script (10 minutes)

1. Read the SDR’s email aloud together.

2. Ask: “Where did we name the trigger?” If nowhere, fix line one.

3. Ask: “What’s the smallest next step?” Remove anything else.

4. Add one micro‑case or delete all proof.

5. Re‑send to a safe list and compare reply quality.

“Voice Lock” Warmup (first week with a new SDR)

Day 1: SDR rewrites 5 founder‑sent emails; founder marks A/B/C with comments.
Day 2: SDR personalizes 20 openers; founder approves the first 10.
Day 3: Go live to safe list (≤30/day). SDR owns replies using objection snippets.
Day 5: 15‑minute retro: compare replies from founder vs SDR—tune prompts.

Mini case (4 days to voice lock)
A team of two SDRs started flat. After swapping in the guide + coaching markup, line‑one triggers appeared in 90% of sends and reply rate rose from 1.8% → 4.1% in a week. The only change: smaller asks and a micro‑case in message two.

Lock your voice once, then let the team send at quality. Launch a supervised campaign in under 10 minutes—prompts hold tone, SDRs personalize, and every message is one‑of‑one per lead.

 Try Skyp free for 7 days → skyp.ai