Friendster’s Professional Voice Overs

Reaching your buying audience effectively is the primary goal of your marketing plan, but knowing which channels will work can be a bit of a crap-shoot. Now that webinars, online advertising, and podcasting are opening new channels of communication, more businesses are working on high-impact slogans and messages to boost their brand. Television and radio advertising still offer a lot benefits, and all of these marketing avenues are enhanced with the use of voice overs.

Combining voiceovers to your advertising campaign helps to differentiate your brand and create a unique message. Whether you are intending to persuade your customers to purchase something, deliver news, or just entertain an audience, voice overs can help you deliver your message in a memorable way. An effective delivery of you advertising message helps to create a strong brand presence for your company; consider how often a slogan, a jingle, or just a single sentence can become a part of pop culture. Placing the right voice behind your message will literally make or break your sales and marketing strategy.

The 1st thing to think about with voice overs is what your current target market looks like. Consider profiles such as age, ethnic background, and location. If you are selling to customers in the South, for instance, you might want to choose voice talent and advertising themes with the components of Southern culture and a Southern accent. When your customers resonate with the tone and message, they’re much more likely to remember the message, slogan, and most importantly, your enterprise.

The second thing to ponder is how to hire the right voice artist. Voice over actors can be represented by an agent, or they may have developed their own webpages and profile online. Some voice artist directories will also help you focus your search; these can be searched by age, type, background, or keyword so you can locate a perfect match with less effort involved. If you do decide to work with a talent agent, you may be paying a fee for services. Still, the agent can help you to track down a pro voice over artist with experience in the field, and maybe even a strong list of recommendations.

The 3rd thing to think about is how long you will need to hire your voice artist for. If you are developing a marketing tactic that involves different sales messages and advertising for extended periods of time, you will want to write a

contract with your voice actor. Since you don’t want to keep switching voice actors and ruin the true “voice” of your image, think of how you will negotiate payment for the long-run, and plan on hiring the voice actor for more than one project at a time. In most cases, fees can be negotiated, and you can research current rates online so that you can devise a compelling offer.

Voiceovers are an excellent way to enhance your image and extend a professional image with your sales campaign. From radio-advertising to podcasts, voiceovers play a essential role in delivering the best communication to your customers.

From podasting to radio spots, finding the best voice over talent for your marketing and brand is crucial part of your marketing efforts. A voice over plays a part in educating, persuading, entertaining, and creating interest from your market. No matter what kind of advertisement or message you are planning to promote, voice talent can assist you in creating the dynamic message you need.

Locating the right fit for your voice over talent is crucial in modern societies competitive market; you must create and advertising message that jives with your clients and ensures that your business stands above your competition. The process of hiring can be lengthy, but finding a voice talent agent can make it easier to find the best fit. Never the less, there are many ways to track down someone who can help develop the right advertising and marketing message you need. These are some basic do’s and don’ts when hiring voice over talent for your campaign.

Do request references. Finding out how the voice over talent has been with other customers and clients can supply some insights on how well they might fit with your business goals.

Don’t listen to only one example. Request at least 3-5 different examples that show how adaptable & flexible the voice over talent may be. Professional voice artists should be able to create a bunch of voices and customize their intonations to meet the demands of your desired communication.

Do expect to have more than one interview. The first interview may just be to inspect the person’s qualifications and discover more about their background. The second and third interview might include tests or evaluations, so plan ahead and create a series of interviews to narrow down your choice.

Don’t forget about online talent. Many talented voice over actors can now be found on the web, and have their own homepage and portfolio for you to. This can make hiring much easier, and you will have a far greater comprehension of their background with the audio files and related-links that are available on their website.

Do select a voice that complements your target market. Customers in your demographic are much more likely to resonate with someone who resembles their own neighbors and coworkers. Don’t be afraid to invest the time to locate at least three unique traits or characteristics of your target market, and seek out voice over talent with the same qualities.

Don’t forget to request ask for demo Mp3s. You can review these after your meeting, and keeping them around can make it easier for you compare them to all applicants and talent with ease. Keep track of those Mp3 or demo-tapes so you can do an ‘apples to apples’ comparison when it’s time to choose your finalist.

Choosing the right voice artist is an important part of presenting your marketing messages, and you will need to do some research in your market to determine what your clients like the most. Hiring a voice over artist with a good track record can make the process of creating your project much nicer; make the time to talk to and review each applicant to determine just the right voice for your company’s image.

Considering it logically, you know how important it is for your TV commercial or presentation to have the correct voice over talent behind it. After all, voices are persuasive. In spite of the fact that they often take a backseat in our minds to the way a person looks, without the correct voice, looks ain’t nothin’. And if the voice is all you have to go on – for instance, in a radio commercial – then the voice becomes the most important thing in the world.

A person who knows just how to use their voice can control another person just by speaking. This is a startling concept the first time you consider it, but when you think about some of the most famous voices in the world, you will understand what a true statement that is. Consider, for example, the actor Michael Wincott.

He’s an attractive guy, but of course in Hollywood that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Good-looking guys are a dime a dozen. But this guy gets role after role after role based on the way he uses his voice He has a voice that can keep you make you walk on egg shells, long after the movie is over, because you’re just a little worried that the latest Michael Wincott character may just be lurking in the shadows. Remember the movie, The Count of Monte Cristo? He was the warden with the whip and the gravelly voice. Fans of the movie weren’t quite sure which was more frightening, the whip – or that voice. That voice is what gets him jobs.

Then there’s Clint Eastwood. Of course, that unflinching, squinty stare of his is something to write home about. But what do people do when they’re attempting their best Eastwood impression? They give some love to the stare, but mostly they give kudos to the way he said, “Come on punk. Make my day.” Like Wincott, Eastwood has a gravelly characteristic in his voice. But in his younger days, he knew where all the pauses were supposed to be, and that made him something worth watching. He was worth watching because he was worth listening to.

Another actor who knew what to do with his voice was Marlon Brando. Now this man had a nasally cotton-mouth voice that, untrained, would have driven people crazy. But he became an actor. He trained that voice. He took something that stood out and made it a trademark. The rest, my friend, was timing. When he said, “I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” as the Godfather, he didn’t just say a cleverly written line – he said it with emphasis. With weight. What we are responding to isn’t something these guys do inherently. They’ve been schooled. Therefore, when they said those lines, the audience never knew what hit them. But they knew that it was important.

Naturally, Michael Wincott, Clint Eastwood and Marlon Brando won’t be available for your commercial, but they make great models to study when you are learning how voices affect audiences. You want to use some of the same principals in picking out your voice actor, or in making up your mind whether to use one. You are not the only person with a message for the public. There are thousands of other messages out there in addition to yours. You will have to seduce listeners, and that means getting and keeping their attention. A powerful voice can accomplish that.

So many people ask this question and I don’t have one set answer for them… “How much vocal training do I need to become a Professional Voice Actor?”

Voice over actors are like snowflakes, there are no two alike. For 100 different VOAs there will be 100 different answers. The bare minimum, however is to have at least some time spent with a voice coach. This need not take a lot of time or money, but it is crucial to your career as a professional voice talent. If you do have the natural talent and ability to be a voice over professional, it will take less time than someone who does not have it naturally. Your vocal coach will give you feedback on your performances as well as things like posture, breathing, speed and overall pitch, tone and volume.

If you have no acting experience in your background, consider doing some with a local church or other group work just to get the experience. And don’t be afraid to ask people what they think – be ready to receive feedback and use it to improve your performances.

Very often the initial acting or voice over businessis for little to no cost and with smaller organizations in order to get the experience and build your résumé. This is fine, just don’t let your reputation get stuck as the ‘cheap one’. Once you build your list of companies and clients your credibility will grow such that the number and quality of jobs you can take is greater and you can be more selective as well.

Did you know that there are chemicals that we consume on a daily basis that effect our throat, our nose, and our ability to speak and sing? There are. And if you are in the business of using your voice talent often to present sales material, sing or otherwise perform vocally, you may want to know what they are so you can always have peak performance.

If you are ill, for example, you may have symptoms of stuffy nose, scratchy throat and decreased lung capacity. Much of these symptoms may be managed with lemon, lemon-water and/or hot teas – preferably herbal. However hot works much better to expand tissue including the vocal area of your throat and loosen any phlegm or mucus build up as the result of your cold or flu. For more tenacious phlegm, fill a sink full of boiling hot water and mix in any menthol-containing substance you have: Vicks Vapor Rub, Tiger Balm, melt a couple cough-drops, whatever. Put your head and face directly over the sink and a towel over your head and breathe in the steam for at least 10-15 minutes. When you are done you may have to clear some of the loosened material, but you will feel – and sound – much better!

Also, if you are perfectly well but want to cleanse your head before a performance use lemon or lemon water to accomplish this, again, the hotter the better. This will give you a clear throat and crisp clean performance.

On your “avoid” list, put all dairy, especially if you are already lactose intolerant or have blood types A or O. Your body will naturally react with the products and form a mucus material in your stomach lining and throat. And that oooey-gooey goop can affect the sound of your voice for up to 24 hours.

I have a professional voice talent blog I want you to see.

If a movie, or other literary interpretation is written in another language and is being translated for the purpose of narration in that new language, dubbing may be required. Dubbing and subtitling are common for medium to high-budget films. When hiring vocal professionals for the dubbing, be sure it is someone who is skilled at longer speaking productions (not just quick commercials). Watch for audio samples at least a minute or two in length or longer and experience with not just vocal acting, but stage and/or movie experience as well. This will be the type of voice actor that can withstand the rigors of hours of dialogue and still maintain the best vocal quality. You’d never expect a “sprinter” to be the best marathon runner!

Then make sure your voice over professional is backed by years of experience, preferably with some well-know products and clients on his/her résumé. If he or she is truly a professional in their business, they should also have a professionally done website with samples for you to listen to, have free price quotes quickly and easily available, as well as at least 3 – 5 professional referrals confirming their reliability and consistency. These are the marks of a true industry professional.