World Kindness Day

Communicating with kindness

Holding the door open for someone, giving up your seat on your daily commute or simply giving your time to a worthy cause, are all practical ways to show we care.

Until recently, I hadn’t fully appreciated how important it is to be kind and considerate in my role as a copywriter. Working in pensions, my role involves drafting engaging copy for pension scheme members about their benefits. So when the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty rules came into force back in July, it helped me to realise that kindness is at the root of communicating effectively with the diverse people we serve. And my main aim should always be to make sure everything I write is accessible and inclusive, with a clear focus on actually helping people make key decisions at sometimes crucial times in their lives.

So, as today is #WorldKindnessDay, I’m sharing a few of the ways I bring a bit more compassion and consideration to my writing:

Treating my reader like someone I know

By adopting an informal, conversational tone, I’m aiming to put my reader at ease and build trust right from the start.

Alternative formats

A print or online communication might not be the easiest way for my reader to access the information. So I think about a wide variety of needs and vulnerabilities when I’m drafting communications and offer alternative formats including braille and large font. Considering accessibility is my way of showing compassion and awareness of people with needs that are different to my own.

Providing more than one way to get in touch                                                                                  

Similar to above, I don’t make any assumptions about the easiest route readers will use to contact us. Providing more than one contact method such as phone, email and post, helps cater for diverse needs, simply and with understanding.

Spelling out terms

Empathy starts with not making assumptions about people – including their reading age or numeracy levels. Simply explaining what certain terms mean and leaving out the jargon is a good way to help people understand sometimes complex topics.

Keeping communications succinct

This means telling people what they need to know when they need to know it. It involves not bombarding people with too many calls to action or lengthy documents which can be confusing.

Collaboration is key

By putting myself in the shoes of the people I’m writing for, I’m better able to relate to them and avoid including any barriers that might hinder their understanding. I always ask myself if there’s a better way to present the information and collaborate with my colleagues in design, so the words and design elements work perfectly together.

We’re all vulnerable at some point

I’m very conscious that my own eyesight or hearing might start to deteriorate as I get older, or I won’t be able to keep up with the latest technology. I might lose confidence in managing my finances like I once did or need a little bit of support making a big decision that’ll impact my loved ones. I hope the kindness I’m trying to infuse in my words now will be second nature for copywriters in the future so we’re all able to access the information we need exactly how we need it.