Ask for experiences before opinions

Choose a few questions that invite a concrete answer. Let the executive type or record without polishing every sentence. The aim is to hear their reasoning, including the details they consider important and the claims they hesitate to make. Do not use AI to generate the answers; doing so replaces the source material you are trying to collect.

  • Tell me about a recent decision that was harder than it first appeared.
  • What did you believe earlier in your career that you now question?
  • Which part of your work do people regularly misunderstand?
  • Describe a mistake you can discuss publicly and what you changed afterward.
  • What advice do you give your team repeatedly, and why?
  • Which industry phrase would you never use, and how would you say it instead?

Keep the original answer intact

Save the answer or recording separately from the edited transcript and draft. A transcript may need punctuation or corrections, but the original is still the reference. Flag unclear names, figures and passages for the speaker to confirm. Never silently guess a missing fact.

Label the material with the speaker, date, topic and permission to use it. An executive may be comfortable discussing a lesson while wanting the people and company details kept private. Record those boundaries before a draft circulates. A private recollection is not automatically approved public content.

Describe observable voice choices

Make a short voice reference from the answers. Note whether the speaker starts with a situation or conclusion, uses short or longer sentences, prefers technical terms or everyday examples, and states uncertainty directly. Include a few approved phrases and a few expressions to avoid.

Keep this reference flexible. A sensitive lesson may need a quieter tone than a celebratory announcement. Voice consistency comes from recognizable judgment and language, not forcing every piece into the same opening line or formula.

  • Opening: Does the speaker lead with a story, a question or a clear claim?
  • Evidence: What details do they naturally use to explain a point?
  • Language: Which words and phrases recur in their original answers?
  • Boundaries: What topics, labels or claims would feel wrong under their name?

Review facts and voice separately

First check the facts. The draft should not attribute an experience, opinion or result to the executive that they did not supply or confirm. Then ask the executive to read it aloud. Mark the sentences they would not say and capture their own replacement wording.

Useful feedback is specific: ‘I would say “we tested” rather than “we revolutionized”’ is easier to apply than ‘make it more authentic.’ Save recurring corrections in the voice reference, while retaining the original answer as evidence. Editing a draft should never overwrite what the person originally said.

  • Can each first-person experience be traced to the executive’s source material?
  • Are quotations, names and figures confirmed?
  • Does the wording preserve the intended level of certainty?
  • Has the executive approved this version for this destination?

How this informs BuildPersona

BuildPersona’s planned voice interview uses twenty questions informed by the person’s profile. Executives can answer in plain English by typing or recording. Original answers are intended to guide content drafts, with human review before publication. The interview is a planned product workflow; joining the current waitlist does not start it.