07 · Voice & Tone
Voice: state the facts, boundaries, and next step
This chapter defines how Omninal writes across product, support, marketing, and internal materials. The voice should stay precise, confident, and calm: state the facts, name the boundary, and make the next step clear. Avoid emotional emphasis, stacked slogans, and claims that cannot be verified.
Precise.
Provide numbers, timing, objects, and boundaries where possible. Remove adjectives that cannot be verified, or replace them with facts.
Confident.
State conclusions and rules directly. Do not use exclamation marks, exaggerated claims, or overpromising to strengthen tone.
Calm.
Avoid emotional emphasis. State the result first, then the reason, impact, and next step.
Vocabulary linesCalibrate against this table — near-misses that cross the line are still misses
| ✓ We say | ✕ We do not say |
|---|---|
| stablecoin settlement / stablecoin rails | crypto, on-chain, token, Web3 |
| multi-rail smart routing | "the blockchain payments revolution" |
| programmable money / smart money rules | DeFi jargon, "empower", "disrupt" |
| agent-native payments · authorized spenders with boundaries | "let AI spend your money" |
| Every payment settles. | "Instant" with three exclamation marks — "0 fees" with two more |
Punctuation principle: headings and prompts should use periods or no punctuation. Do not use exclamation marks. Punctuation should support comprehension, not create emotion.
RewritesSix frequent scenarios: the same information, said the brand's way
Scenario 1 · External headline
✕ Before
"The disruptive blockchain payments revolution is here" — plus three exclamation marks and "miss it and wait a decade."✓ After
"New USDC settlement rail: cross-border payments expected to be 2 days faster at 38% lower total cost."Scenario 2 · Product error message
✕ Before
"Something went wrong. Please try again later."✓ After
"This payment did not pass the limit check (single-payment cap $10,000). You can adjust the amount, or submit it for approval in one click. No funds have moved."Scenario 3 · Compliance notice
✕ Before
"Pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, your account may be subject to certain impacts. Please contact support for details."✓ After
"The EU's MiCA rules take effect July 1. What changes for you: EUR withdrawals need one added verification (about 2 minutes). Everything else stays the same."Scenario 4 · Launch announcement
✕ Before
"A bombshell new feature has landed — come and experience it now" — all enthusiasm, zero information.✓ After
"Purpose Accounts ships today: set a purpose and boundary for each budget, and anything outside the rule is blocked. Open to all business accounts now; setup takes about 3 minutes."Scenario 5 · Support reply (delayed settlement)
✕ Before
"Dear customer, your funds are on their way, please be patient~"✓ After
"Your payment #82931 is in flight on the SWIFT rail, expected to settle by June 9, 18:00 (UTC+8). If it has not arrived by then, we will contact you with the reason. The funds are trackable end to end."Scenario 6 · Agent payment notice
✕ Before
"Your AI assistant just spent your money automatically — isn't that smart"✓ After
"Agent PROCUREMENT-01 completed a $1,250.00 payment at 14:32 (42% of this month's limit used). Every transaction executes inside its authorized boundary, with a full audit trail."Three rewrite rules: ① Replace adjectives with facts or numbers. ② Bad news states the facts and boundary first, then the way out, and closes by confirming fund status. ③ If a sentence does not stand after modifiers are removed, rewrite it.
The per-channel checklistOne voice, three volumes
External materials
- Headlines should communicate specific information, not only repeat brand lines
- Every claim needs a verifiable number, range, or boundary
- CTAs are verb + object: View notes / Download assets / Contact approval
- Never: exclamation marks, "revolutionary / disruptive / empowering", stacked superlatives, or unverifiable promises
Product
- Buttons open with a verb and name the object: Send payment / Export statement
- Errors run three beats: facts and boundary → the way out → funds-are-safe confirmation
- Empty states say what this is and what happens next, then offer the first step
- Never: cutesy personas, or vague "later / maybe / at some point"
Support
- Lead with the conclusion and the time, then the reason
- Commitments carry a specific time; if it passes, we reach out first
- Every conversation closes with a next step, never an open end
- Never: "dear~ / hun" endearments; never blaming "applicable regulations"
Before publishing: Does this sentence state a fact, boundary, or next step? Does it still stand after modifiers are removed? If not, rewrite it.