How Special Are You?
By Susan Berkley

Today my mission is to save you from an innocent beginner’s mistake that could cost you years in your path to voice over success.

It’s a common, but near fatal error many people make before they even start their training and do their voice over demo. But actually, this mistake has nothing to do with your voice.

It has to do with the customers you’ll choose as you market your business.

You see, most new and emerging voice talent never give a second thought as to who they’ll ultimately be selling to, and that’s a big mistake.

They spend their time perfecting their home studio, their demo, their logo or their website without stopping to consider WHO they are for, and then complain when they don’t get the results they need.

People try to present themselves as a versatile talent with something for everyone, the man or woman of a thousand voices. But this type of positioning can actually backfire and keep you from booking work!

First off, no one is equally skilled at all types of voiceover; you only want to put your best stuff on your demo. And second, showing too much variety can confuse your customer.

Haven’t you ever gone into a store and become so confused you just walked out the door without buying anything? I know I have.

Big brands in crowded marketplaces solve this problem by niching their products for a specific market segment.

Consider 1-A Day Vitamins, for example. This legacy brand has specialty products for different customers including: Women’s Essentials, Men’s Pro-Edge, Women’s 50+ Advantage, Women’s Petites, Teen Advantage and Vitamin Gummies, to name just a few.

To get started in voice overs the right way, you must become a specialist, not a generalist.

As a voice over specialist you can charge more because you bring expertise and a targeted solution to a specific group of customers who can listen to your demo and look at your marketing materials and say “that’s for me!”

Here at The Great Voice Company, whenever we start with a new beginner, the first thing we do is take a look at their voice type and their life experience, and help them determine their specialty market right off the bat. That’s why our students get such great results without the nail-biting frustration many voice over beginners face.

For example, private mentor client Fred Meseck does this brilliantly with his demo and marketing materials for E-Learning producers. We’ve helped Eric Saunders position himself for animation work and I’ve helped others niche themselves for audio books and medial narrations. Some people even get so targeted that they release specialty demos for retailers with Santa Clause and Halloween voices!

I’d love to help you too.

Tonight I’m doing a FREE tele seminar to help you become a voice over specialist and target your unique niche, even if you’re a new beginner. Join me? Go here now to reserve your seat: greatvoice.com/voniche

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com

Copyright 2012, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved.

3 Things I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then
By Susan Berkley

This year I celebrate a milestone-25 years in business!
At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, its seems like just yesterday when I quit my job in radio as a traffic reporter on The Howard Stern Show to go out on my own as a voice over artist and coach.

Well, things turned out ok and I’m honored to have the career I have today and most of all, to have mentored so many great voices. And in the interest of passing it forward and inspiring new voice over entrepreneurs here are three big lessons I’ve learned (the hard way) that I wish I knew back then.

1. As they are in the beginning, so shall they be in the end, only more so
In 25 years in business, I’ve come across more than a few scoundrels. Some I’ve hired, some I’ve partnered with and one I married. In every single case, there were early clues to the stress, pain and heartache that lay ahead. Instead of trusting my intuition and common sense, I told myself the situation would get better and ignored the warning signs. But the situation never improves. It only gets worse. The lesson? Trust your gut.

2. Never buy a nuclear power plant when a match will do
Ever hear of Ockham’s Razor? It’s a principle stating that all things being equal, the simpler solution is usually the best. But many people get into trouble when they make things more complicated than they need to be. Examples in voice over include beginners buying expensive and complex editing software such as Pro Tools when a simple, free solution such as Audacity recording software will do the trick. I also see beginners with complex, expensive websites and branding campaigns who would be much better off if they simply picked up the phone and called somebody.

In my own business life I’ve had a succession of complex digital productivity and time management tools and scrapped them all in favor of a couple of yellow legal pads. One pad is for the list of the 6 most important things I have to do that day and the other pad is for a side list of everything else. On my daily to-do sheet I include calls I need to make, conversations I need to have with staff members, and important projects that are pending. My calendar is kept in Outlook where my staff can see it and where it automatically synchs to my iPhone, desktop and laptop computer. I tried to use the Task feature in outlook but found it too complex, compared to the legal pad.

3. Specialize to win
You will never, ever be all things to all people so stop trying. There are things you are brilliant at, things you are pretty good at, and things you are just average at or worse. Know your strengths but also know your weaknesses and don’t set yourself up to fail. For example, in my own voice over career, as soon as I noticed that the market seemed to prefer my voice for telephone recordings, we invested in special digitizing software for phone systems and targeted that marketplace, rapidly becoming an industry leader. There are 14 voice over niches and only one or two, maybe three where you’ll excell.

I’ll be doing a special FREE call on this subject called “How To Find Your Money Niche: Your #1 Secret To Voice Over Success” Thursday February 2; 8 pm ET. You’ll discover my super simple, almost magical formula for finding your best voice over niche so that you’re working in your “sweet spot”. Being able to identify your unique voice over advantage is critical to your success and makes your ideal clients quickly recognize you as the one they’ve been looking for.

Go here to join me on this FREE call: VO Niche Signup

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com

Copyright 2012, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved. 3 Things I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then.

How Do I know If I Really Need A Voice Over Coach?

By Susan Berkely

America is a nation of do-it-yourself’ers. Most homes have a peg board in the basement or garage hung with tools. Some people like to sketch around their tools like crime scene chalk marks to make sure that hammer is always where they think it will be. A place for everything and everything in its place.

My Dad used to have a workbench where he built stuff, projects like model ships and radios. The ships were beautiful. I don’t know if the radios ever worked, but I remember a big red C-clamp for gluing stuff together, smelly solder and tubs and tubs of bolts and screws.

So the temptation is to do-it-yourself when it comes to your voice over career.

I mean it’s only talking. How hard can this be?

So you buy a mic and plug it into your home computer, download some free software. Say a few words and play them back. Testing, testing, 1-2-3. Hmmm. Not too good. Try again… and again. Can’t seem to get your voice to do what you want it to, your mouth and brain just won’t synch up. Frustrated, you turn off the computer, walk out of the room and shut the light.

This is not too promising a start for what you’d hoped would be a great money hobby or exciting new career. But before you put that microphone back in the box here’s how to get started in voice over the right way.

Why you’ve got to have a coach.

All great athletes do, so do actors and even many business leaders. Smart people know that everyone has blind spots, and that’s especially true in voice over. Without experience, you just can’t be objective about the sound of your own voice.

It’s actually an anatomical fact. You listen to your voice from inside your head where your sound is distorted by the bones of your skull. Your recorded voice is the way you really sound and this can be a bit of a shock until you get used to it. In fact, when I was first starting out in radio I used to hate the sound of my voice so much I kept waiting for someone to call me up, pull me off the air and tell me it’s all been a horrible, terrible mistake.

So what should you look for in a voice over coach?

Here’s a handy check list:

1. A proven track recordYour voice over coach should have experience both behind the mic as a voice talent (so they understand your challenges) and in front of the mic as a director. Ask for references and success stories. Avoid being the guinea pig for a voice over coach who is just starting out.
2. A loving but firm demeanorYour voice over coach should be loving enough to nurture and encourage you but firm enough to push you beyond your self-imposed limits.
3. Coaching by SKYPE or phoneWith SKYPE free software you and your coach can connect over the internet. Whether your sessions are by video or audio only, you and your coach can build rapport and you can speak right into the same microphone you’ll be using to record from home.
4. A proven step-by-step coaching program.Our students thrive with a set curriculum where we track their progress in every session. At Great Voice, our Fast Track coach Moneen Daley Harte will work with you in 5 private coaching sessions by telephone or SKYPE to help you develop copy for your demo. When your sessions are complete, Moneen will remotely coach your demo at a convenient studio near you and then produce and deliver the finished product.
5. Flexible hours that meet your scheduleLook for available early morning and Saturday hours. We know you probably have a day job and other time commitments. We understand that and will work around your busy schedule.

For more information about our private Fast Track coaching program contact Bill@greatvoice.com or 800-333-8108 x229

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Copyright 2012, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved. How Do I know If I Really Need A Voice Over Coach?

The 10 Commandments of Voice Over

By Susan Berkley

Is there a list of rules to follow to improve your chances of voice over success?

I think so! After many years of experience, here are mine.

1. I respect and care for my instrument (and my body). I get enough sleep, and enough exercise, eat healthily and don’t smoke.
2. I work clean. I am mindful of mouth noise and the stress, medication and things I eat and drink that cause it.
3. I have a well-balanced idea about my talent. I try to control any overblown, hyped-up ideas about myself. I don’t wallow in self criticism or self pity. I appreciate my voice, but I am not in love with my sound (vocal narcissism)
4. I invest in tools to help me do the best job possible. I stay up to date with the latest recording equipment so I can get the best sound possible for my budget.
5. I invest in the best training. I respect my teachers and the experience and wisdom they are willing to share. I am always learning and striving to perfect my craft.
6. I respect the writer’s and the client’s vision and use my talents in service of the text. I begin every session in a neutral and open-minded state of mind.

7. I conduct my voice over business honestly and ethically.

   I treat my customers with respect and try to make their job easier however I can.

8. I arrive at least 10 minutes early to every session. When working from home, deliver my work in a timely manner
9. I strive to deliver pristine, error-free audio. I invest the time needed to really get to know my equipment and recording software to deliver the highest quality product.
10. My marketing is client-centric, not egocentric. I stress benefits to the client, not how wonderful I am.

There are many moving parts to starting your own voice over business, but when you boil it down to these 10 essentials, I’m sure you’ll find it easier to stay focused and achieve the success you crave. As always….

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com. The 10 Commandments of Voice Over.

How to Develop Voice Over Chops
by Susan Berkley

Ever heard of the term “chops”? The dictionary defines chops as the technical skill with which a jazz or rock musician performs. But I think it applies to voice over too.

So what are voice over chops and how can we develop them? I’ve identified 6 core qualities of a virtuoso voice talent with chops..

First of all I define chops as the ability to listen and take direction. Often, this boils down to knowing what questions to ask the director in the voice over session. For example, if you’re playing a cop, you might ask the director how long this cop you are playing has been on the force, how he feels about his job. An actor with chops never takes anything at face value.

Second, I think chops means having excellent voice control. It means knowing how to produce subtle nuances of inflection. It also means being familiar with voice placement and the range of sound you can produce on your instrument.

Third, a voice talent with good chops is a master of phrasing. He or she knows exactly where to place pauses and beats for best effect. Improve your phrasing by recording and imitating the voice actors in spots that are running on the air.

Fourth, a talent with chops is in control of time. He or she can shave or add a second with ease. This can often be done with judicious editing, but it’s still important to master timing so you can adjust it on the fly.

Fifth, a talent with chops can act. They can lose themselves completely in the copy, become the character and let nothing break their concentration.

And finally, a talent with chops has emotional control. They are easy-going and good humored. No matter how difficult the session, they never lose their cool and maintain poise and equilibrium at all times.

Starting Monday January 2, I’ll mentor and provide personal one on one coaching to a select group of voice over beginners and emerging talent who want to develop their chops and make 2012 their best year ever. It’s called the VO Launchpad program and you’ll find the details at www.volaunchpad.com or contact The Great Voice Company at 800-333-8108 x229 or bill@greatvoice.com

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Emergency Help for an Inarticulate Spouse
By Susan Berkley

VoiceCoach subscriber Mary writes:

“My husband has an extremely poor vocabulary and a 70′s dialect. I find his constant pronunciation errors embarrassing, for him as well as myself. I often worry about what people really think. He’s a professional who meets with other professionals and homeowners regularly. Do you have any suggestions for helping him?”

Susan Berkley:

“In every relationship there are things about our partner that tend to bug us. It can be the way they leave the lid off the toothpaste, the way they dress, their table manners, or the way they speak.

Sometimes there really is a problem. But often times it’s the “I’m perfect, you’re a slob” syndrome. How do I know? I used to be married to one of those guys. My ex- husband was the mispronouncing Mr. Malaprop, the slayer of syntax, the Gollum of grammar, while I (of course!) was the paragon of polished speaking perfection.

What did I do about it? Well, it used to drive me absolutely crazy. But then I corrected his word usage once too often and had to dodge a flying dictionary. So I decided to just get over it.

Eventually, we parted ways, and for the past three years I’ve been dating a writer– an eloquent, well-spoken writer with a masterful command of the English language.

Ahhhhhh. Blessed relief.

Look, your husband may truly be an inarticulate Archie Bunker sound-alike. But you risk sounding like a nag if he hears it coming from you. My advice? Buy him a copy of my Voice Mastery Formula here: http://www.greatvoice.com/voice-over-store. Hide it. DO NOT give it to him for a birthday or Christmas present.

One day (hopefully soon) someone else will mention his speaking problem and he’ll come crying to you for advice. Then you can whip out the course, give him a kiss and know you’ve done your best to give him the resources and tools he needs to improve. The rest is up to him”

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Got a question for Susan? Enter it here and then check back for the answer

Should Voice Over Beginners “Burn The Boats”?
By Susan Berkley

There’s some really bad advice going around about changing careers from a day job you hate to a voice over career you’ll love and I want to put a stop to it right now.

The advice is: if you want to really make it in voice over quit your day job and burn the boats so you’ll be forced to “make it work.” Do what you love and the money will follow. Well if you take that drastic approach, there’s a good chance the only thing that will follow you will be bill collectors!

Here’s why…

Until you build your client base, voice over work will be sporadic. You won’t be able to count on the income like you do from your day job.

Within a short period of time, you’ll become so stressed out you won’t be able to focus on what you need to do and the entire initiative will collapse. Unless you are independently wealthy, it’s just not the responsible thing to do.

Here’s how to juggle the “early years” without putting a strain on your bank account:

Allocate a budget for training and development and put aside the funds. Then go out and find the best training you can. Our intensive weekend Bootcamps and teleclasses make it easy and cost effective for busy people with full time jobs to get the professional training they need. To truly succeed in voice-over, training should be an on-going process. After all, all professional athletes have coaches and top actors do too.

If you can act fast, we still have a couple of seats available in our December Voice Over Bootcamp Recording Studio Immersion Experience this Friday-Sunday December 2-4 at Avatar Studios in NYC. This is a very special Bootcamp because you’ll get to meet top talent agent Matt Ambrosio from Paradigm Agency and improve your voice acting skills with a special guest instructor from the improv troop Gotham City Limits. Call my office at 800-333-8108 x229 or info@greatvoice.com for information

Practice every day

Get creative to find ways to squeeze at least 30 minutes of practice time into your day. You must do this if you want to succeed. The best way to practice is to transcribe and record TV and Radio commercials and compare your performance to the actor who booked the job. I call this “tape and ape.”

Invest in a great demo

You wont be able to break into voice over without a demo that is professionally produced and directed. Look for an experienced producer and ask to speak to past customers. Your demo should reflect your unique strengths and help you target your ideal voice over niche. Call my office at 800-333-8108 x229 or info@greatvoice.com for information on our training and demo programs.

Answer every audition

Soon, the auditions will start coming. On-line casting services like voice123 and others, can send as many as 3, 4 or more auditions per day. In my Voice Over Bootcamp Recording Studio Immersion Experience, you’ll learn how to set up a surprisingly cost effective home studio that you can use to record these auditions in a quiet corner of your home. Since the auditions are on line, you can do them when you get home.

Wow! I booked a job! Now what?

For your first few bookings you can use lunch hours, vacation time or personal days. And of course, every voice actor should know how to make their voice hoarse enough and scratchy to say: “I’m really sick. I can’t come in today.”

Eventually, it will be time to quit that boring day job or get a part time job that allows flexible hours so you can devote your full attention to bookings and auditions. But until then, I favor a consistent, practical approach that allows you to have the best of both worlds: a day job that pays the bills and an enjoyable money hobby that can become an exciting and well-paying new career.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Copyright 2011, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved.

How to Maintain the “Morning Voice”
By Susan Berkley

A VoiceCoach subscriber asks:

This man likes the deeper sound quality of his morning voice because he is a voice-over artist. But for many people who wake up sounding “froggy” or hoarse, morning voice can be a problem. In fact, some speakers or singers won’t even work before noon because they think their voice doesn’t “wake up” until later in the day. Actually, your voice can sound good at any time of the day if it’s properly warmed up and cared for.

Our voices tend to sound lower when we first wake up for three reasons. First, fluids collect in the tissues of the throat while we sleep. It’s the same temporary phenomenon that makes our eyes look puffy when we first wake up. Second, mucous builds up overnight from lack of use. And third, our vocal chords dry out from breathing through the mouth while we sleep. Due to lack of lubrication they cant move together as well as they should to form the higher pitch.

Always drink a big glass of room temperature water first thing when you wake up, before coffee, orange juice or any other liquid. Squeezing a little fresh lemon juice in the water is also healthful. Coffee is dehydrating so make sure you follow your morning cup with a glass of water. Milk and orange juice can cause phlegm and throat clearing, adding to any extra mucus that built up over night. I avoid them in the morning.

Next, do a little humming. You should feel your nose and lips buzzing when you hum. This helps you find your facial mask and wakes up your voice.

Finally, turn on the TV or radio news and spend a couple of minutes warming up by imitating the announcers. Just copy everything they say, trying to match their inflection, pacing and timing. It doesn’t matter if you get the words right or if you try to imitate a member of the opposite sex or someone speaking another language. You’ll have fun and wake up your voice in the process.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Copyright 2011, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved.

Great Voice Over Business Gifts: My Favorite Ways To Show Appreciation
By Susan Berkley

The season of giving is now officially in full swing. If you’re a voice over beginner, keep this email. It’ll come in handy as your business grows. I’ve got some great ideas for showing appreciation to your clients and success partners like the agents and others who have been instrumental in your career.

Here are some of my favorite gift ideas.

We send gifts to our top voice over clients and coaching members in early November so they stand out and don’t get lost in the year-end barrage of cards and other Holiday goodies. If you’re sending cookies or other treats its especially important to mail early. As we near Christmas, your customers will be groaning and clutching their expanding waistlines when the mailman delivers yet another box of sweets

2. A personalized book

One of the best business gifts I ever received was a paperback biography of George Washington with a handwritten note from the sender referencing a particular chapter she thought I’d enjoy. I’m sure she bought a stack of these books in a remainder sale, but the handwritten note and chapter reference added a memorable, personal touch.

3. A personalized calendar

Our printer makes calendars with the recipients name cleverly featured in the photograph on every page. For example, the month of August features a plane sky- writing the participants name across a lazy summer sky. This was a big hit. See www.yourdmc.com

4. A contribution to the person’s favorite charity in their name

You’ll have to do a little sleuthing to find this out, but maybe the gatekeeper can help. Or, you can choose the charity and let them now about the donation.

5. Refillable Candy jars:The gift that keeps on giving

Brand a candy jar with your name, logo, phone number and voice over website. Arrange for seasonal refills…candy canes in December, candy hearts for Valentines Day, green jelly beans for St. Patrick’s day.

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving and I’ll see you next week, ok?

Give yourself the gift of the best voice over training and the confidence that comes from getting expert coaching in a state-of-the-art studio. Join me for the Voice Over Bootcamp Recording Studio Immersion Experience and make 2012 your best year ever! Go here now: http://www.voiceoverbootcampevent.com/ Questions? Contact Bill at 800-333-8108 x229 or bill@greatvoice.com

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?

You may absolutely share this article with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety and include the following:

Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com.

Copyright 2011, The Great Voice Company. All Rights Reserved.