Tone of voice is not what we say. It’s how we say it. It’s the language we use and the personality we show through it.

As an organisation, we write all the time – in our correspondence with clients and colleagues, in messages to one another, insights pieces and across the website. A strong and consistent tone of voice helps us stand out from the competition and reinforce our company culture internally. It reflects our character as an organisation and shows what we stand for and how we’re different from other firms.

Everyone should sound like they’re part of one RSM when writing for us, both for internal and external communications. This document lays out a set of guidelines to help us communicate in a consistent way with our clients and other stakeholders. They are not rigid rules – we don’t want boring, grey-suit sameness. Not every piece of writing from the firm should sound identical, but there should be a family resemblance.