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Persona
What is persona?
A persona is the "personality" one person assigns to another person (real or virtual) based on how he
or she looks or sounds, or seems to behave. In the case of an automated telephone service, persona
is created by details such as
the voice type – sex, age, accent
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the language used – formal, informal
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the speed at which it "talks"
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more subtle qualities – such as perceived friendliness, authority or patience.
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When a person interacts with another person, both parties assume well-defined roles that allow them
to interpret the other's intentions, anticipate what he or she will do next, and react accordingly. One
way to create an automated telephone service that is easy to use is to give it a consistent persona
that is appropriate to the task it is performing.
There are several advantages to doing this:
if you do not, callers will by default. Research has shown that, when using an automated
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service, people automatically respond to the system as a person, interpreting the voice, its
inflections, and the vocabulary it uses in social terms. It is, therefore, very important to present
callers with a persona that is carefully constructed to represent the brand, not a haphazard set
of inconsistent characteristics
the persona can reinforce and develop the brand in a unique way. Using an automated service
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is always a direct experience for the caller and the persona is the only aspect of a brand that
customers interact with, and may even develop a relationship with. This makes it the ideal
medium for transmitting positive marketing messages
research has shown that callers will respond more positively if they sense that the "person"
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that they are talking to has the right personality for the job. If the persona is developed in the
same way as the rest of the brand, using a profile if the typical customer, callers will have a
higher opinion of the automated system and will be more inclined to co-operate with it. They
will interpret any problems they have in using the system in the light of its personality and be
more lenient. They will generally have a much more positive experience of the call.
Devising a persona
Devising a persona for an automated system typically involves finding a human equivalent of the
company brand. The designers work to create a character with a name, a clearly defined function, and
a mini-biography. This information is used
by the voice talent agency to select a voice artist who matches the specifications
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by the voice artist to help him or her maintain a consistent character
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the dialog designer to ensure that the application uses appropriate language and performs
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tasks in an appropriate way.
Speech Applications Builder Configurator User Guide • May 15, 2004 • page 90 of 116
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