Quick note before you read further: If you’re going after corporate professionals who are actually looking for all that corporate jargon and formal language, this isn’t for you. Stick with what your audience wants. But if you’re looking to connect with down-to-earth, salt-of-the-earth clients who want real conversations? Keep reading. This is for you.
Ever read your own content and think, “Who even talks like this?”
You’re not alone. You sat down to write something authentic and helpful. But somehow, what came out sounds way too formal and polished. All buzzwords and no personality.
Your content sounds fake because you’re writing like you think you’re supposed to write, not how you actually talk.
And your ideal clients? They can smell it a mile away. They scroll right past because it sounds like everyone else trying too hard to sound important.
Finding your authentic content voice for small business doesn’t have to be complicated. I’m going to share the exact framework I use with every single client who comes to me saying, “My content doesn’t sound like me.”
It’s called The Coffee Shop Test, and it’s incredibly simple.
Before you post anything, ask yourself: Would I actually say this to a friend over coffee?
If you’d feel awkward saying it in real life, don’t post it online.
Why The Coffee Shop Test Works
Think about the last real conversation you had at a coffee shop. Maybe it was with a friend, a colleague, or even a potential client. How did you talk?
You probably used contractions. Short sentences. Maybe a joke or two. You definitely didn’t say things like “facilitate seamless operational optimization” or “leverage strategic synergies.”
Real conversations happen in coffee shops. People let their guard down. They talk about actual problems using words they’d use with a friend, not theoretical business concepts using corporate jargon.
That’s what your content needs to sound like.
Your audience isn’t sitting in a boardroom reading your post. They’re scrolling on their phone while their kid screams in the background, or they’re procrastinating at work, or they’re lying in bed at 11 PM wondering why their content isn’t working.
They need you to talk to them like a real human being who gets it.
The Problem With “Professional” Content
Somewhere along the way, we all got the message that professional content means stuffy content. That to be taken seriously in business, you need to sound like you swallowed a thesaurus and a business school textbook.
So you strip out your personality. You remove the conversational language. You add big words you’d never actually say. You write in long, complex sentences because “that’s how professional content sounds.”
And you end up with content that makes people’s eyes glaze over.
A client comes to me and says, “I help overwhelmed business owners create systems that free up their time.” But in their content, they write about “facilitating operational excellence through strategic framework implementation.”
Girl. No one talks like that.
The irony? Your audience chose you specifically because they connected with your personality. They liked how you explained things. They appreciated your perspective. And then you go and hide all of that behind corporate speak.
Your personality isn’t unprofessional. It’s your competitive advantage.
Building Your Authentic Content Voice for Small Business
The Coffee Shop Test isn’t just about asking yourself one question. There are a few key elements that make content sound authentic instead of robotic.
Element 1: Conversational Language
Use words you’d actually say. Short sentences that sound natural. Contractions like you’re, don’t, it’s, can’t.
No corporate jargon. No buzzwords. No words you’d need to look up in a dictionary.
Bad example: “I facilitate seamless operational optimization for entrepreneurial endeavors.”
Good example: “I help you deal with all the stuff you hate doing in your business.”
See the difference? The second one sounds like something an actual human would say.
Element 2: Real Stories and Examples
Use your actual experiences. Share client stories (with permission). Talk about behind-the-scenes moments. Discuss real problems you’ve solved.
People connect with stories, not theories. When you share a real example of how you helped someone, that lands way better than some generic “imagine a business owner who…” scenario.
Element 3: Your Unique Personality
What makes you, you? For me, it’s coffee. I’m the coffee-drinking small business owner who believes in sustainable systems over hustle culture. That shows up in everything I write because it’s actually who I am.
Whatever your personality is, lean into that! It makes your content memorable and different from everyone else’s.
There’s more to the framework, but these three elements alone will completely change how your content sounds.
How to Start Using This Today
Here’s the simple version:
Before you post anything, read it out loud like you’re talking to a friend over coffee.
If you stumble over words or cringe at how it sounds, rewrite it using words you’d actually say.
That’s the basic test.
Now, there’s a more detailed process for really dialing this in, specific things to look for, common traps to avoid, and a checklist you can run every post through. But starting with this simple read-out-loud test will immediately improve your content.
What Makes This Hard (And How to Avoid It)
Even when you know about this framework, it’s easy to slip back into corporate speak mode without realizing it.
Maybe you test just the opening but not the whole post. Or you think conversational means unprofessional (it doesn’t). Or you overthink it so much that it becomes another source of stress instead of making content creation easier.
The checklist I created walks you through exactly what to look for and how to catch these traps before you hit publish.
Real Examples: Before and After
Let me show you what this looks like in practice.
Example 1: Service Description
Before: “We leverage cutting-edge methodologies to facilitate transformative organizational development through strategic stakeholder engagement.”
After: “We help your team actually work together instead of fighting over everything.”
Example 2: Social Media Post
Before: “Optimal time management protocols necessitate strategic prioritization matrices for entrepreneurial success trajectories.”
After: “You can’t do everything. Figure out what actually matters and do that first.”
Example 3: Email Newsletter
Before: “In today’s dynamic marketplace landscape, it is imperative that forward-thinking organizations cultivate adaptive operational frameworks.”
After: “Business changes fast. Your systems should be flexible enough to change with it.”
See the pattern? The “after” versions are shorter, clearer, and sound like an actual human wrote them.
Your Authentic Content Voice Starts Here
Your ideal clients aren’t looking for a robot who uses all the right buzzwords. They’re looking for someone who gets them, who understands their problems, and who can help them solve those problems in a way that actually makes sense.
That someone is you. The real you. The one who talks like a human being, who has personality and perspective and a unique way of seeing things.
Developing an authentic content voice for small business isn’t about learning fancy copywriting formulas. It’s about unlearning all the corporate speak you think you’re supposed to use.
The Coffee Shop Test is just a framework to help you remember that.
Before you post, ask yourself: Would I say this to a friend over coffee?
If the answer is no, rewrite it until the answer is yes.
Your content should sound like you’re sitting across from your ideal client, coffee in hand, having a real conversation about their real problems.
Because that’s what actually converts. Not corporate speak. Or buzzwords. And certainly not sounding like everyone else.
Just you, being you, helping people in your own authentic way.
The Coffee Shop Test is the starting point. Read your content out loud. If it sounds like you’d say it to a friend, you’re on the right track.
Brew it and do it!
Ready to make sure your content actually passes the test? I created Fix My Content Checklist that walks you through exactly what to look for, the common traps that trip people up, and how to catch them before you hit publish. It’s the complete Coffee Shop Test framework in a step-by-step checklist you can use on every post.
