# ASLM tone of voice profile

**ASLM should sound like a trusted colleague: clinically credible, approachable and committed to helping practitioners put evidence into practice.**

The questionnaire gives this a clear name: “Warm authority. Knowledgeable enough to be trusted, human enough to feel approachable.”

That is the right foundation. The profile below translates the client’s answers into practical writing guidance for the website, education marketing and member communications.

## 1. The character of the voice

ASLM speaks as an experienced colleague within a multidisciplinary community. It respects the reader’s professional judgement, explains the evidence clearly and makes the next step easy to understand.

Its authority comes from the quality of its evidence, education and professional community. Its warmth comes from recognising the realities of clinical work and making people feel welcome.

The intended reader response is:

> “These people understand my work. I can trust what they’re saying, and I can see where I fit.”

The questionnaire places particular weight on belonging and respect. Those should be felt throughout the copy, including on practical pages about eligibility, fees and accreditation.

## 2. Voice principles

| Principle | How it should sound | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| **Credible** | Make specific claims, explain their basis and acknowledge uncertainty where it matters. | Unsupported superlatives, sweeping health claims or borrowed authority. |
| **Collegial** | Speak directly to capable professionals. Recognise their existing knowledge and experience. | Lecturing, patronising explanations or suggesting practitioners have been doing everything wrong. |
| **Inclusive** | Reflect the range of professions involved in lifestyle medicine. Give different readers a clear place to begin. | Treating doctors as the default audience or other professions as peripheral. |
| **Practical** | Connect evidence and education to clinical decisions, professional development and day-to-day practice. | Abstract mission statements that leave the reader asking what they can actually do. |
| **Constructively optimistic** | Show what better care can look like and how practitioners can contribute. Keep expectations proportionate to the evidence. | Miracle language, exaggerated promises or crisis-driven persuasion. |
| **Human** | Use natural language and acknowledge professional motivations, constraints and questions. | Institutional distance, corporate jargon or forced familiarity. |

“Quietly pioneering” is also useful guidance from the questionnaire. ASLM can speak confidently about developing the field without presenting itself as a disruptive movement fighting the rest of medicine.

## 3. Where the tone sits

- **Formality:** Professional and conversational. Natural contractions are appropriate in website and member copy.
- **Authority:** An informed peer. More formal when explaining standards, policy or clinical evidence.
- **Warmth:** Welcoming and attentive, with clear professional boundaries.
- **Energy:** Steady and purposeful. More animated around conferences, shared learning and member achievements.
- **Humour:** Occasional and understated in community communications. Generally absent from clinical claims, eligibility requirements and complaints.
- **Persuasion:** Explain relevance, demonstrate value and offer a clear next step.

The voice remains consistent. The emphasis changes with the reader’s situation.

## 4. Tone by context

| Context | Tone and emphasis |
|---|---|
| **Introduction to lifestyle medicine** | Accessible and curious. Explain unfamiliar terms without assuming the reader lacks clinical expertise. |
| **Courses and education** | Specific and useful. State who the course suits, what it covers and how the learning relates to practice. |
| **Accreditation** | Assured and transparent. Make eligibility, requirements, time commitments and costs easy to find. |
| **Fellowship** | Respectful of experience. Explain the pathway and recognition without prestige-heavy language. |
| **Membership** | Welcoming and concrete. Show who participates and how members learn from one another. |
| **Conference** | Engaged and collegial. Emphasise relevant learning and professional connection. Avoid event hype. |
| **Research and advocacy** | Measured and precise. Distinguish evidence, interpretation and ASLM’s position. |
| **Problems or service updates** | Direct and accountable. Explain what happened, what it means and what happens next. |

The questionnaire identifies healthcare professionals as the current priority audience, with patients and the public a future focus. Current copy should therefore speak primarily to practitioners, while keeping introductory explanations accessible.

## 5. Language and writing rules

### Lead with the reader’s question

Most visitors arrive through a referral, email or event. They need quick confirmation that they are in the right place.

Headings should help them answer questions such as:

- What is lifestyle medicine?
- Which education pathway suits my experience?
- Am I eligible for accreditation?
- What would membership give me?
- What does fellowship involve?

Avoid opening every page with ASLM’s organisational history or mission.

### Connect the offer to its practical value

Explain what a course, credential or membership helps someone do. Features still matter, but their relevance should be clear.

For example, describe the value of learning alongside other professions before listing access to a multidisciplinary network.

### Keep the language locally grounded

Where relevant, explain how education relates to practice in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Use specific local context when it is supported by the course content.

### Make evidence visible

Use precise wording about outcomes. Distinguish an educational aim from a demonstrated result, and a possible benefit from a guaranteed one.

Claims such as “the only multidisciplinary professional body”, employer recognition, improved income or better patient outcomes need appropriate substantiation before publication. The questionnaire supplies positioning intentions; it does not independently verify those claims.

### Express ASLM’s position positively

The competitor answers contain useful internal strategic thinking. Public copy should communicate ASLM’s breadth, scientific standards and professional relevance without repeating judgements about named organisations or dietary approaches.

### Use plain professional English

Prefer:

> evidence-based care, clinical practice, whole-person care, professional community, prevention, shared learning, accreditation, locally developed education.

Use sparingly or avoid:

> revolutionary, game-changing, world-leading, exclusive, ultimate, guaranteed results, unlock your potential, transform your career.

Use Australian English. Explain acronyms on first use and preserve the distinction between membership, accreditation and fellowship.

## 6. Suggested copy in this voice

These are illustrative drafts, not existing ASLM statements.

### Homepage introduction

> **Put lifestyle medicine into practice**
>
> Explore evidence-based education and connect with a multidisciplinary professional community across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

### Education

> Build your understanding of lifestyle medicine and its application in clinical care. Explore courses developed for practitioners working in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

### Membership

> Learn alongside colleagues who share your interest in lifestyle medicine. Connect with practitioners across disciplines and exchange perspectives on whole-person care.

### Accreditation

> Considering accreditation? Start with the eligibility requirements, understand what the pathway involves and find the information you need to plan your next step.

### Research

> Understand the findings, their limitations and what they may mean for clinical practice.

Calls to action should be literal and useful: **Become accredited**, **Explore courses**, **Attend the conference**, **Become a member** and **View fellowship requirements**. Their placement should follow the questionnaire’s stated priorities, with accreditation leading.

## 7. Editorial check

Before publishing, ask:

- Does this respect the reader as a professional?
- Can readers from different disciplines recognise themselves?
- Is the claim proportionate to the evidence?
- Is the practical value clear?
- Does the reader know what to do next?
- Would a knowledgeable colleague say this naturally?

If the copy sounds like a regulatory notice, bring it closer to the reader’s situation. If it sounds like consumer wellness marketing, replace the promise with a specific, supportable statement.

Source: [ASLM branding questionnaire, supplied worksheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YvkF9loLc_tqqwmYVqv7bGg9QpH0PkVDw6OPf0GgZ70/edit?gid=1674905622#gid=1674905622).