Great Voice

How To Keep In Touch with Voice Over Postcards

Great Voice — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:33:12 +0000

Want to know a great, inexpensive way to stay top-of-mind with your voice over prospects and clients? Postcards!

Here’s why they work so well:

When voice buyers have a voice-over to cast, they sometimes don’t have time to hassle with an audition and listen to tens, if not hundreds of submissions. They might have a few reliable voice talents they typically work with but their client is looking for something different.

When the job comes in, they often don’t have time to go through lots of demos. But they’ve been getting regular postcards from this one talent (you?) who sounded pretty good when they spoke to them last week. Now what was their name? AHHH! Here’s a postcard with their name and number! Perfect timing! They call you and you get the gig.

Now, about size…

Bigger is definitely better. First, an oversized postcard stands out from the pack and second, it gives you more room for copy. Your postcard should have…

A benefit laden headline about how you will make their life easier.

Testimonials. Ask clients and friends in the business and offer to write the testimonial for them. Tell them they can change it if they like but they’ll often give you permission to use your words verbatim.

Bragging about recent jobs. (If you haven’t booked anything, don’t sweat it) Send a postcard anyway.

A clear call to action: name, mobile phone number, email, website where they can hear your demo. Sounds obvious but I have gotten postcards from people who have omitted vital contact information.

Your postcard should also transmit a “feeling” that matches your voice print. If you’re a character voice, don’t send something somber. If you do medical narrations, use a medical theme. You get the idea. You can also “theme” your postcards around holidays and other fun stuff.

All this being said, a down and dirty, name and number postcard is better than nothing at all. Don’t waste time getting ready to get ready and just get something in the mail. You’ll be amazed and pleased with the results.

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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 http://www.greatvoice.com/

How to Add LOVE to Your Auditions and Book More Work

Great Voice — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:16:33 +0000

How to Add LOVE to Your Auditions and Book More Work
By Susan Berkley

It’s Valentine’s Day as I write this and I’m thinking about the most important question you can ask yourself as you prepare to audition: “Where is the love?”

I’ll explain.

Drama is all about relationships, what happens between the different characters in the play or movie. Voice acting is about relationships too and this can be confusing to the beginner because there is rarely another actor in the room. But if you want to do a good job and get booked for the spot, you have to conjure them up in your mind and know your relationship to that person, the more specific the better, even if they are a stranger or a man on the street.

In my programs I teach you how to visualize speaking to a single person as you read your copy. You should know their name, what they look like and your relationship to them.

But that’s not enough.

You also need to know how you feel about them and how you feel about the product. This is easy because there’s only one correct answer.

The only approved voice acting feeling is love.

So let’s say you’re auditioning a script for a breakfast cereal. You’re talking to your spouse and you want them to try it. They have high cholesterol and this cereal has fiber and will be good for their health.

Of course you love your spouse and love the product too, that’s what they’re paying you for. But don’t stop there. Mere reality, mere truth, is never enough in acting. It must be heightened reality and selective truth made more dramatic and vivid by the choices you make as an actor.

Think about all the time your spouse drove you crazy, stubbornly hitting the grease burgers, eating tubs of ice cream in bed. Feel the frustration and let it color the love you feel for your spouse. It will give you a more nuanced, interesting read as your feelings are reflected in the tone of your voice.

And the love you feel for the cereal? Oh, you love it all right. But don’t stop there.

Those flakes have supernatural powers, like Popeye’s spinach or the lucky underwear worn by the star pitcher at the World Series. This cereal can grow hair, save lives.

But you’re not done yet. Add a layer of mystery to the mix. Imagine that the supply of this cereal is so limited and precious that only a few people can get it. But you’ve been given the key to the storehouse and you intend to share it with a few key people who you’ve selected to join your team of superheroes and save the world.

Need help? We still have a few seats left for my next Voice Over Bootcamp Recording Studio Immersion experience Avatar Studios, March 23-25 in New York City.

Contact Bill at 800-333-8108 x229 or bill@greatvoice.com

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How To Calm Your Nerves Behind the Mic: It’s Not What You Think

Great Voice — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:41:59 +0000

How To Calm Your Nerves Behind the Mic: It’s Not What You Think
By Susan Berkley

Does the microphone make you nervous? Many people tell me it does. They say they’ve been dreaming about a voice over career and want it more than anything else. Yet when they actually start to perform they are gripped with anxiety.

An Inside Voice Over subscriber wanted to know what alcoholic beverage he could drink to calm his nerves without affecting his voice!

Under no circumstances do I recommend drinking or using any drugs to lessen anxiety. Not only because of the obvious bad health effects, but because it makes the problem worse.

I can speak with some authority because I used to suffer from debilitating and terrifying panic attacks myself. They came frequently years ago when I was working in radio, hosting a very popular show with hundreds of thousands of listeners at a south Florida radio station.

I remember being on the air, unable to catch my breath and feeling like I was going to die. I crawled to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face because I was afraid I would pass out if I stood up.

It’s still difficult for me to talk about it today.

I’m fine now thanks to my mentor Dr Norberto Keppe who gave me the insight that helped me heal. He taught me that rather than trying to mask our symptoms, we must discover what our anxiety is trying to show us or risk a never ending downward spiral,

Anxiety is like a fever in your soul. It’s a symptom of a deeper problem that must be addressed. In the case of panic, the person has caught a glimpse of certain attitudes within himself that he finds indecent and is trying to hide.

Dr Keppe writes surprisingly that these attitudes are often an unconscious resistance to goodness. This may seem shocking—why would anyone resist goodness and success? But if you look around you, you’ll have to admit that it’s true.

The world of music, art and major league sports provides many tragic examples of successful people at the top of their game self destructing through substance abuse, bad company and bad business decisions.

In my own case, I achieved massive and sudden success early on in my radio career. It’s not that I was afraid of success, but rather I was afraid of seeing how I unconsciously resisted my own professional growth and sharing my talents.

And it goes even deeper. People unconsciously believe that if they share their talents for the benefit of others, those talents will somehow become depleted.

Of course the opposite is true.

Dr Keppe calls this phenomenon psychological inversion. He has found in his research that human beings are upside down, gaining a kind of sick pleasure out of not using their gifts or destroying them altogether.

For more information on Dr Keppe’s work visit www.healingthroughconsciousness.com where you’ll find many terrific, free resources.

I am, of course, no different than anyone else. We are all inverted to a greater or lesser extent. The good news is, as soon as I was able to accept seeing this attitude within myself, I became calm and the panic disappeared, never to return again. Seems counter intuitive, but it worked.

So I write this today for anyone who has one foot on the gas and the other on the brake about their voice over career. I encourage you to take the next step and reach out to us at 800-333-8108 x229 or bill@greatvoice.com. We have a number of programs for people at all levels of voice over and I look forward to giving you my coaching and my mentorship.

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How Special Are You?

Great Voice — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:13:11 +0000

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.

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3 Things I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then

Great Voice — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:39:09 +0000

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

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

Great Voice — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:23:39 +0000

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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The 10 Commandments of Voice Over

Great Voice — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:57:01 +0000

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.

I respect and care for my instrument (and my body). I get enough sleep, and enough exercise, eat healthily and don’t smoke.

I work clean. I am mindful of mouth noise and the stress, medication and things I eat and drink that cause it.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

I arrive at least 10 minutes early to every session. When working from home, deliver my work in a timely manner

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.

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….

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How to Develop Voice Over Chops

Great Voice — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:36:55 +0000

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

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Emergency Help for an Inarticulate Spouse

Great Voice — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:35:05 +0000

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”

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Did you catch the FREE webinar “How To Start From Zero And Launch Your Voice Over Business In 90 Days Or Less” tonight?

Great Voice — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:40:15 +0000

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

Just click the Leave a comment! link below.

Great Voice

How To Keep In Touch with Voice Over Postcards

How to Add LOVE to Your Auditions and Book More Work

How To Calm Your Nerves Behind the Mic: It’s Not What You Think

How Special Are You?

3 Things I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then

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

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

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

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

Here’s a handy check list:

The 10 Commandments of Voice Over

The 10 Commandments of Voice Over

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

I conduct my voice over business honestly and ethically.

How to Develop Voice Over Chops

Emergency Help for an Inarticulate Spouse

Did you catch the FREE webinar “How To Start From Zero And Launch Your Voice Over Business In 90 Days Or Less” tonight?