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Archives for March 2022

Communication-A Voice For Everyone

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Communication is a funny thing. For example, I recently went to Costco for gas, and before I could turn into the pump area, one of the attendants yelled something about a “back pump.”  While I heard the words, I didn’t get their meaning. Finally, after unsuccessfully trying to get gas from a pump that was trickling fuel into my car, I got clarification from another attendant. He told me the pumps as you pull up to the area are considered the back pumps, and they were not working. Therefore, I had to fill up at a pump near the far end (or the front).

Something so small almost caused me not to get gas, and these days a 40 cents saving is a big deal. While the pump information was first communicated, I didn’t understand and relate the information to make the best use of it or my time. Had the first attendant been a little more informative (or placed tape around the broken pumps), I may have better understood and had no problem getting my gas.

This is just an example of the importance of communication. Today we are faced with information overload and Fake News. As a voice talent, I know that the first rule of an audition is to follow the instructions. Unfortunately, many audio producers often receive auditions that show the talent did not read the specs or follow the instructions.  Your voice is your tool for communication. Always make an effort to be clear and understood.

Communication, which includes instructions, cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. It’s how we as people live and interact with others, whether at work or play. However, the responsibility for good messaging is placed on the person doing the communicating or the sender. Here are some tips to help  increase the chances of getting what you want from your communication.

Know What You Want To Communicate

We live in a busy, fast world. So, whether you are ordering pizza or developing a business proposal, start with clarifying what you want to communicate and what you expect from the receiver. In voiceovers, this means having a good idea of the basic message of a script and its purpose.

Consider Your Audience

I don’t like the phrase, “It’s common sense.” I think it is very condescending. We all have had different life experiences and make judgments and decisions based upon our practices and knowledge. We should never assume that others share all our judgments, philosophies, or views on the world.

Good voice actors and communicators, in general, think about their audience and shape their messages accordingly. Never assume that the other person or receiver will understand your terms. Be clear in the words you use and the shared meaning of them. It’s okay to supply detailed instructions if it helps the communication. Sometimes, more is better.

“You don’t realize how language actually interferes with communication until you don’t have it, how it gets in the way like an over-dominant sense.” Lily King

Choose the Best Method

Sometimes a simple conversation will do the trick, or you may have to write or find another way to get your message across. Depending upon what you want to say, make sure you use the best method to be effective and suitable in getting your message  delivered.

To apply methods to voiceacting, this may include voice and emotions. Using the right emotions at the right point in a delivery can have a powerful impact on listeners. Carefully crafted emotions are powerful tools used by the best voice artists.

Keep It Simple

Your crafted, audience-based message can be simple and still contain the right words needed to convey the meaning. Of course, we do this every day to the people in our regular circles. Still, if you are speaking to a stranger, new work associate, or the like, you may need to make quick judgments about how to communicate well in a non-condescending way, but still be successful. This can take time but putting a little thought into how we speak to and share with others is a necessary skill set we should practice daily.

Follow up and Get Feedback

The sender in communication should look for evidence from the receiver that they have understood the message. Your receiver may or may not respond verbally, but their actions should give you feedback.

Some receivers may repeat back what has been said. This is an excellent technique because it allows the receiver to ask questions. Moreover, the sender becomes the receiver and can critique if their message was successfully conveyed.

The bottom line is to consider your listener or receiver when interacting and how they can best understand your message. If you keep others in mind as you communicate, many things will fall inline.

There will be communication failures, but that’s when we take a breath and start all over again. So, yes, sometimes we get a do-over—simple stuff.

If you’d like more on improving your communication in business, see Entrepreneur’s 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills.  Good stuff.

Be a great communicator, it’s your voice. Break that lip!

Filed Under: Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Find a New Love for the Way You Do Voiceovers

Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, voiceover

Image of lady voice talent by Andre Santana from Pixabay
This lady has the right idea (BTW, this is not me).

Have you ever been at an impasse?  It can be hard to choose how to continue doing what you love the way you want.  Crowd thinking can change like the wind, and you may not always agree with the thought.  These types of challenges can lead to several hard choices.  We all want to be accepted and admired by our peers.  But what about when the road our peers take is not the road we want to travel?  I know these are challenging questions.  I’m not immune to social changes and influences as a voiceover talent.

On the contrary, voice talent must know the flow and timber of public audio and stay in step with the best groups to further one’s business.  This added pressure may cause one to take a step back to see what’s going on.  As I resurrect my blogging, I want to share what’s been going on with me.  I’m sharing how I believe you can get back to doing what you love in a way it may love you back.

Redefining the Love of Voiceover (or whatever gets you going)

We all have our joy triggers.  Voiceacting gives me a creative outlet and a sense of accomplishment.  But I’m not limited to voiceovers.  Biking, traveling, writing, hiking, and drawing also give me pride.  It’s essential to figure out what gets one moving and what’s fallen off the list.  For me, I’ve begun to notice more of what moves me now as opposed to what moved me ten years ago, five years ago, or even one year ago.

Change with Age

Things tend to fall off our must-have and must-do lists as we age.  Hopefully, most people learn to put their drive for money in check while managing the need for necessities, which will never go away.  But the rushing to the next new things, faster friends, or being in the “in crowd” should eventually drop off to the things we used to do.

Redefining what is working can help whittle down the list of musts.  It has taken me some time to revise my must-have list, and I’m happy to report that voice acting remains a must!

Remembering the Great Ones

It’s pretty clear that I’m a minority, but I don’t limit myself as a woman of color.  For me, I’m most proud of being a part of my family.  My relatives have made outstanding strides in their lives, and several with little education.  For example, my great-grandma worked hard as a wash woman and saved up enough money to purchase several tiny wooden row houses (in her then small North Carolina town) to rent out the rooms.  My great-grandma then when on to buy even more real estate and helped her children with college and even financed the opening of a daughter’s hair salon in Washington, DC.

Revise the Journey Ahead

Remembering my great-grandma’s life and others and reflecting on how they met extreme challenges still fuels me.  Taking the whole of who I am and where I came from fuels me to look to the future with optimism.  I don’t need social movements to tell me who I am or wake me to American history (especially since I’ve been an American and World History buff since my teens).  Appreciating my foundations and knowing that I can still carry out my goals, even the new ones, helps me remember who I am and imagine what I’m yet to be.

Keeping in mind who I am, who I’ve helped, and what I’ve done helps me grow personally and professionally.  My voiceover business is essential to me.  As such, I strive to treat each client with respect and as if they were paying me many thousands of dollars for every job.  This means being authentic to what I can and cannot do, how I present myself to the public, and how I take care of my voice-over clients and myself.  The lady in my graphic (BTW, not me) has the right attitude.

Over time, I’m learning it’s okay to pull back on being a part of the hot groups and hot VO events.  Not everyone in the business is a friend, but that doesn’t mean I cannot friend others.  Supporting others, learning the things I need to know, and focusing on finding the right people needing my help are what continue to be my keys to performing as a compassionate, caring voice talent.

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”  Ashley Smith

That’s my Spiel

How about you?  With the COVID pandemic, along with other social matters, I know you, too, have had to do some soul searching.  I hope you’ve had a chance to give some thought to my journey and make sure you’re still doing what you love your way.  Then what you love may love you back.

Break that lip!

Filed Under: Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, voiceover

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