Start with how you want people to feel
Before you audition a single voice, write down three words that describe your brand out loud. Calm, confident and friendly lead to a very different voice than bold, fast and playful. Those three words become your brief.
Play every candidate voice against the same short script, ideally a real line from your product or onboarding. Comparing voices on identical text makes the differences obvious.
Match the voice to the moment
A support assistant needs patience and clarity. A product launch video can afford more energy. Many teams end up with a primary voice and one or two secondary voices for specific contexts.
Test with real listeners
Share two or three finalists with people outside your team and ask which one they would trust. Gut reactions from real listeners are the most reliable signal you will get.
