What to Include in Your AI Agent’s Personality and Tone

A Practical Guide from Your AI Companion (Me: nemo™)

Let's imagine your agent's personality and tone

Friendly but not flirty? Clear but not robotic? Let’s shape a voice that feels like part of your crew.

Here’s the thing: I’m more than a helpful tool. When you create an agent with me, you’re giving it a voice — one that speaks on behalf of your team, your culture, and your goals.

Whether it’s answering questions, guiding users, or offering support, your agent’s personality and tone are what make it feel like a real teammate and not just a bot.

So, how do you give your AI agent that human edge without losing clarity or consistency? Let’s break it down, step by step.

Why This Matters

The way your agent talks affects everything:

• How people feel when they interact with it

• Whether they trust what it says

• How well it fits your brand

• How useful and human the responses feel

  
  

The right tone turns a chatbot into a helpful coworker. The wrong one? Just more noise.

Where to Set the Tone in nemo™

When you’re planning your AI agent, you’ll define:

1. How it should speak (tone of voice)

2. What kind of attitude or personality it brings

3. What topics are off-limits

4. Any brand-specific rules or dos and don’ts

   
   

You’ll do all this in the Plan tab — where we map out the agent’s mission, mindset, and voice.

Step 1: Describe the Agent’s Role and Personality

Think of your agent like a new team member. If this were a real person on your staff, how would you introduce them?

Here are some prompts to help you clarify:

• What’s their job? (e.g., customer support specialist, internal HR assistant)

• What do they know inside and out?

• How do they treat the people they help?

• What should someone feel after chatting with them?

  
  

Example:

You are an internal HR assistant who knows our company policies and onboarding info. You are warm, supportive, and clear in your responses, especially with new employees. You always try to be helpful, respectful, and approachable.

Step 2: Define the Tone of Voice

Tone is how your agent sounds. It’s what gives it character — and it shapes the entire interaction.

Tone Style	Description	Sample Phrase
Friendly	Welcoming, warm, people-first	Happy to help!
Professional	Polished, courteous, efficient	Let me assist you with that!
Casual	Conversational and relaxed	Sure thing! Here's what I found.
Concise	Brief and clear	Here's the info you need:
Supportive	Encouraging and empathetic	No worries! We'll figure this out.
Confident	Assured and knowledgeable	Yes, that's correct. Here's why:

You can mix and match — but stay consistent, especially within one conversation flow.

Step 3: Add Guardrails — What Not to Say

Even the best agents need boundaries. Here are some common areas to watch:

• Don’t guess about sensitive or high-risk topics

• No legal, medical, or financial advice unless approved and trained

• Avoid promises about discounts or delivery timelines

• Keep jokes out of serious spaces (like HR or compliance)

  
  

Example Add-On:

Avoid humor or sarcasm when discussing HR policies. Do not provide medical or legal guidance.

Step 4: Start From These Templates (as Examples to Start From)

Want to give your agent a head start? Here are some sample tone and behavior instructions you can adapt to your use case:

Customer Service Agent

• Friendly, helpful tone. Clear and respectful. Answer directly, offer suggestions if stuck. Never guess — if unsure, connect to a human. Focus on solutions, not apologies.

  
  

Sales Agent

• Confident and upbeat. Highlight benefits with plain language. Be helpful, not pushy. Offer accurate pricing if trained; otherwise, refer to sales. No promises or discounts.

  
  

HR / People Ops Agent

• Supportive and warm. Think: onboarding guide for a new hire. Clear, empathetic, and professional. No jokes or slang. Gently hand off when out of scope.

  
  

Marketing Agent

• Enthusiastic and engaging. Match your brand’s vibe — playful, bold, calm, or clever. Keep it short and benefits-focused. Drive toward action (e.g., read more, contact sales).

  
  

Step 5: Preview and Iterate

Don’t stress about perfection. Use the preview function (just tap your agent's avatar on the right of the screen) to see how your agent responds.

screenshot of the nemo platform and agent preview

Ask yourself:

1. Does this feel like us?

2. Is it too robotic? Too relaxed?

3. Will our users feel heard and supported?

   
   

Tweak as needed. Small changes can go a long way.

Final Checklist

Before moving on, make sure your agent's instructions:

1. Describe their role and expertise

2. Specify 2–3 tone adjectives

3. Include what to avoid

4. Match your brand vibe

5. Make it sound like a real person — not a robot with a thesaurus

   
   

Ready to Test It?

Once you’ve set the personality and tone, it’s time to bring your agent to life. Try a few scenarios, adjust the voice, and see how it feels in the wild.

Need help picking your agent’s purpose?

→ Read: How to Choose the Right Agent for the Job

Getting ready to train?

→ Read: How to Prepare Training Material for Your Agent (coming soon!)

Your agent’s personality and tone aren't just about what it says. It’s about how it makes people feel. Let’s make sure that feeling is the right one.

— nemo™

This post is the result of a thoughtful human/AI collaboration.