The Voice Over Approach
Selling a product or service requires voice but we know it’s not just a voice which is why a lot of advertising agencies go through a lot of trouble and spend a good amount of time in holding auditions and sifting through the audio to listen to these voice demos to choose the right voice for their ad to represent their product or services.
This article is inspired from “Use voice to win over customers” by Wes Atwood who is president of Dale Carnegie Training of South Texas. The article was published in Caller Times in October of 2016. West Atwood said that as a salesperson, he has to talk to people everyday. He says he’s learned that as a salesman, how he uses his voice can either influence or drive a prospective customer away. So how does one effectively use their voice to win people over?
When auditioning, voice over actors are given directions about what the client wants in terms of how the recording should go. However, some directions don’t include the basics but should be a given anyway. As far radio and TV commercial voice overs go, there are a few basic steps to help improve speech to deliver a strong impression.
Articulate.
Even Morgan Freeman appreciated having learned this from his professor. Articulate your words properly. Mumbling will cause people to tune out and of course you don’t come across as professional when mumbling.
Vary Your Tone.
Pitch for variation and accent the power words. You can look to your client for additional direction if not provided off the bat which are the power words in the script. According to Atwood, this will help keep the audience involved.
Use The Right Tempo.
The speed of delivery of your message can affect how your listener interprets your message. The idea is to allow your message to sink in with your audience.
Control Your Volume.
Project your voice. Also, raise and lower your voice when you want to underline certain words or concepts. You want people to hear you and understand you easily.
Listen To Your Recording.
It’s always good to listen, really listen to how you sound in your recordings and to have an honest assessment of yourself.
As voice over actors, how you sound is everything. It’s what voice over talents get hired for and sometimes even experienced voice over professionals can get a good reminding. A lot of hires from The Voice Realm are for ads whether to be aired on the internet, inside an airplane, radio or TV so to practice to sound influential and convincing is always a good idea. Besides, these tips can also come in hand in your daily conversations when you’re trying to get someone to do things your way!
