tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5588648134539693772024-03-13T20:27:19.993-07:00The EarfulYou're a voice talent, small business owner or just someone who can't get enough self-help!
You've arrived at The Earful, our shout-out to voice professionals and businesspeople hell-bent on picking up a few tips to get more gigs, more business and hopefully a few "aha moments" along the way.Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-2149138299165318422013-02-20T13:23:00.000-08:002013-02-20T19:59:29.394-08:00What's It Going To Be?<b>The Earful - February 2013</b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><img alt="" border="0" height="175" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552143393312585650" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TQ0s_-xtt7I/AAAAAAAAACI/iQZZSg0FHnI/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" width="200" /></a></b>By Tim Underwood<br />
<a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/">www.thewebvoice.com</a><br />
<br />
I'm grateful our forefathers didn't share our society's entitlement
attitude. If they had, our country would've waited tirelessly for someone <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">else</i> to build it.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of venting, try inventing. Edison did. Zuckerberg
did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They <i>did</i> while you're<i> thinking</i> about doing, or more to the
point: thinking that someone else should be doing it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> for </i>you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Harsh?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You bet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though far less so than the sting that complacency and bellyaching are going to cost you in the long run.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be fair, the world is not always the rosy land of Utopia
we'd like it be. There's sickness, poverty, racism and stuff that should make
any decent persons stomach turn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amidst that bigger backdrop is government corruption,
irresponsible citizens and kids that smirk at the thought of harming an animal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Innocent people die...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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LIVE.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take a walk, talk to God and leave someone better than you
found them, even if all you have for them is a smile. Resist the temptation to
wallow in pity. Start small. Take the time you normally spend complaining and
try...just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">try</i> turning it into
something that's at least one iota better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our ancestors did. And that's why we celebrate engineering
feats like Hoover Dam, dreamers like Dr. King and Sally Ride and the
determination of a certain 1980 hockey team.<br />
<br />
Write that thank you card, optimize your search engine rankings, make a splash, move a mountain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Constitution was once a blank piece of paper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pen is yours for the taking.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">What's it going to
be?</span>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-18562463298051791502011-07-30T14:01:00.000-07:002011-07-30T14:05:29.076-07:00Can, Will, Do vs. Can't, Won't, Don't<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><img alt="" border="0" height="175" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552143393312585650" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TQ0s_-xtt7I/AAAAAAAAACI/iQZZSg0FHnI/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – July 2011</span></b><br />
By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
</a><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/">www.thewebvoice.com</a><br />
<br />
A customer asks:<br />
"Hey...you guys have any openings next week?"<br />
<br />
A business answers:<br />
"Nope and unfortunately we won't until the following week."<br />
<br />
A customer asks:<br />
"Hey...you guys have any openings next week?"<br />
<br />
A business answers:<br />
"We can get you in the following Monday bright and early at 8 o'clock...will that work for you?"<br />
<br />
In essence, the question was answered the same way in both scenarios.</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> <br />
Though one of the two responses certainly sounds less off-putting than the other. If you chose the second example as the more welcoming of the two, good for you!<br />
<br />
It's a little rule I have and insist that my employees follow - telling clients<span id="goog_778086666"></span><span id="goog_778086667"></span> what we CAN do for them versus what we CAN'T do for them.<br />
<br />
Your business won't always have the right light bulb or be able to accommodate that last-minute repair; restaurants inevitably run out of their Catch of the Day and the dentist isn't always readily available after the sticky taffy was.<br />
<br />
It happens.<br />
<br />
So, when you're responding to a customer, take note of how many times the words can't, won't and don't appear in the transaction. Then, the next time the situation presents, try substituting can, will and do.<br />
<br />
It's a very subtle change that WILL help turn short-term disappointment into long-term satisfaction.</span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-5385304365583206672011-05-08T22:03:00.000-07:002011-05-08T22:50:58.484-07:00A Guy Named Joe<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><img alt="" border="0" height="175" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552143393312585650" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TQ0s_-xtt7I/AAAAAAAAACI/iQZZSg0FHnI/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – May 2011</span></b><br />
By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
</a><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/">www.thewebvoice.com</a><br />
<br />
A small din of laughter rippled through the last of the standing campers; weary, fighting sleep and in varying states of all partied out. More whispers than reverie, more embers than flames - sure signs the day was coming to an end.<br />
<br />
Joe was a friend of a friend. Three hours ago, he was just a tall guy with a beer in his hand and the first person I spied after pulling into the campsite after a late start out of town.<br />
<br />
Little did I know that what started out as a conversation about one-hit wonders of the 1970s would turn into a valuable lesson in business and accountability.<br />
<br />
Joe was a very unassuming, gregarious fellow - the kind of guy you gravitate toward especially in those awkward first moments of joining a conversation already in progress when not knowing most of the participants.<br />
<br />
Throughout the night (and into the next morning), Joe and I traded music trivia, laughs, drinks and more trivia.<br />
<br />
Near the end of our musical ping-pong match, Joe brought up a couple of songs that he loved, though had been unable to find at his neighborhood record store. Years before iTunes and even at a time when not everything had been released on CD, it wasn't uncommon to come up empty-handed in one's quest for slightly obscure, forgotten songs.<br />
<br />
At the time, I'd been in the radio broadcasting business for about 15 years and as such had amassed a fairly impressive collection of albums, 45s, cassettes and CDs. To Joe's delight, I had both of the elusive songs he'd been trying to locate.<br />
<br />
Before retiring for the evening, I told Joe that I'd be happy to make him a cassette copy of the songs and drop the tape in the mail upon returning home after the weekend getaway.<br />
<br />
When I awoke Monday morning, I dutifully copied the songs, got Joe's address from our mutual friend and popped the package in the mailbox.<br />
<br />
Two days later my phone rang. It was Joe.<br />
<br />
He was overwhelmed by my gesture and couldn't thank me enough. Aside from his pure enjoyment at hearing those songs again, he said something along the lines of, "you know Tim, most people rarely follow through on the little things they say they'll do, let alone for a total stranger and even more so with beer involved. I really, really appreciate you doing this...it means a lot to me."<br />
<br />
Joe's abundant gratitude changed me. It made me realize that as a society we've let our fellow man down one too many times, even with the very simplest of commitments. The delight in his voice instilled within me a wisdom that I'm convinced is not learned even after four years of pursuing a business degree.<br />
<br />
I replay this story in my mind time and again whenever I witness failures of commitment. <br />
<br />
Now, I'm not talking about breaking marriage vows or flaking out on showing up for your job (although some people do take it to this extreme), I'm merely focusing on those little, offhanded promises we make to one another:<i><br />
<br />
Call you tonight!</i><br />
<i>I'll definitely get the lawn mowed tomorrow.</i><br />
<i>Let's grab lunch next week.</i><br />
<br />
It seems as though gestures like these, while no doubt well-intended, are rather unwittingly tossed about as pleasantries in our everyday conversations. We say them because they "sound" nice and we feel good that we're being polite. Trouble is, we're ignoring the deeper value that we should be placing on these words and thus the obligations imbued within them.<br />
<br />
To prove my point, I tracked 10 such comments over a one month period a few weeks ago. There was the business that promised a quote within 24 hours, the friend who said we needed to get together and told me they'd e-mail and even the loan officer who'd twice promised a call the next day at 1 o'clock sharp.<br />
<br />
Would it surprise you to know that of the 10 assurances made only ONE person followed through?<br />
<br />
This lack of accountability in our culture has gotten to the point that some feel the need to include a clause to cover any lapses in their pledges.<br />
<br />
Just the other day, I sent my credit union an "after hours" e-mail message requesting they get in touch with me to talk about an error I'd made on my account. After pressing the send button, I was miffed at what appeared on the screen:<i><br />
<br />
Your message was sent to our Phone Branch and we should respond shortly. If you have not received a response from us within two business days, please contact us by phone or visit any of our branches to talk with a representative.</i><br />
<br />
We <i>should</i> respond shortly?<br />
<br />
Even more troubling is their deflection of responsibility back to their customers - suggesting we contact them should they not follow through. Personally, I find this appalling. They might as well of worded it as:<i><br />
<br />
We're really busy around here and may forget to check our e-mail correspondence. If we don't do our job, would you be so kind as to get a hold of us to remind us to do it?</i><br />
<br />
This is further proof that humankind have developed an almost unconscious propensity for promising things we don't deliver upon and then diverting the blame or accountability elsewhere. It would be akin to me saying to Joe:<br />
<br />
"Hey...sorry about the music I promised. I had a little to drink that night and it was late."<br />
<br />
As I once again reflect upon that night with Joe, one thing is abundantly clear: society has lowered the bar of commitment to a degree that those who can merely hop over it will be the ones who succeed in business and who earn the respect of others. <br />
<br />
Can we be 100% perfect?<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
Though when you do fall short despite your best intentions, place the blame squarely where it belongs (likely on yourself), don't make excuses and remedy the oversight as quickly as possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">And for all those times you do remember to do what you say, be prepared to bask in the infectious exuberance you'll no doubt experience from the recipient of your good word.<br />
<br />
Lesson learned from a guy named Joe.</span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-55948887452249940642011-01-22T12:24:00.000-08:002011-01-22T12:25:16.761-08:00How to Be a Go-To Voice Talent | Part 3<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><img alt="" border="0" height="175" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552143393312585650" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TQ0s_-xtt7I/AAAAAAAAACI/iQZZSg0FHnI/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – January 2011</span></b><br />
By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Over the next three months, I'll be sharing material that was supplemental to my June keynote at Voice 2010 in Los Angeles. The presentation was divided into three important skill sets that envelop all <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">professional voice talents</a>: business skills, technical skills and session skills.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">The session was very well-received and I've had several requests from non-attendees to publish the material.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">Here's installment three of three<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></i><b>Session Skills</b> - I love Tom Cassidy as a voice actor. For those of you who don’t know about Tom, he’s the owner of <i>SunSpots Productions</i> in Asheville, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida and is one hell of a voice actor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Aside from his voicing abilities…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Tom is one of the best at session etiquette I have ever encountered.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve had talents who broke into some shrieking voice that pegged the meters on my ISDN box and console and riddled my sound booth (and my client’s ears) with a god-awful cacophony of unfunny babble.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Tom listens. Really <i>listens</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">When he does “free-from”, it’s brief, volume appropriate and more often than not, puts a smile on my client’s faces. If there’s anyone guilty of getting carried away when Tom’s in the house, it’s probably me; Tom’s always kind enough to indulge me with his spot-on Christopher Walken, when appropriate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Bill Barrett is an equally brilliant <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step2.php?fmSearch=1&abcCurrRec=1&fmSearchCategory=36">talent</a> from nearby Eugene, Oregon. His Bing Crosby floors me every time. On a whim, he did a throwaway take of a rather average piece of copy as Bing, knowing we had a few moments to spare and that…well…I was a sucker for it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">More importantly, he correctly sensed that my clients were impressed at the brevity of the session, his ability to nail the direction and that a moment of levity would be welcomed.*</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">When he finished the copy, everyone was laughing...<i>truly </i>laughing. In a bizarre shift of direction, the agency actually used the Bing take start to finish!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Recommendations:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">If you need to be loud, please be loud two feet away from the microphone. Remember, the engineers have set your recording level based on you reading the script (for example) as a kindly grandfather selling health care, not as Marilyn Manson selling a monster truck show.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I understand that these little nuances are often critical to a performer feeling uninhibited during a session and that often the best takes during said session immediately follow a spontaneous moment of improvisation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Of the three skill sets, I can be the most forgiving of shortcomings in this particular one. This is acting. This is you doing what you love and giving it your all. This is the one category where a little something unexpected, loud or goofy, can blossom into something truly magical!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">My intent with both this article and my VOICE 2010 presentation is to help you avoid pitfalls like these and to make you aware of habits/traits you may not even realize you have.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're not getting hired as much as you think your talents merit, the answer could lie within your degree of professionalism rather than within the age of your demo reel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I will not sugarcoat my opinions; though by the same token, will do my best to be constructive rather than nagging. It's my sincerest hope to give you something of value to learn from – ergo helping you with your business, your income potential and your career.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">As I’ll mention in the opening of my VOICE 2010 presentation, ANY one of you could do a keynote on <b>How to be a Go-To Engineer/Producer</b>. We all have our stories, insights and professional opinions and by involving ourselves in information symposiums like VOICE 2010, can feed off the synergy created by the expertise of our combined disciplines - hopefully learning a thing or three along the way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">In the end, the most important achievement is creating for our clients, a product that lures more customers, sells more widgets and reinforces the demand for exceptional work from exceptional professionals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you for time <i>and</i> your talents!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I wasn't trying to be cute in rhyming brevity and levity...just noticed this during the <u>11th</u> reread. Don't feel like another re-write and besides, <i>Forensic Files</i> is starting on truTV!</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-85567303329115275232010-12-18T13:47:00.001-08:002011-01-22T12:10:38.531-08:00How to Be a Go-To Voice Talent | Part 2<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="175" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552143393312585650" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TQ0s_-xtt7I/AAAAAAAAACI/iQZZSg0FHnI/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – December 2010</span></b><br />
By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Over the next three months, I'll be sharing material that was supplemental to my June keynote at Voice 2010 in Los Angeles. The presentation was divided into three important skill sets that envelop all <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">professional voice talents</a>: business skills, technical skills and session skills.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">The session was very well-received and I've had several requests from non-attendees to publish the material.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">Here's installment two of three<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></i><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Technical Skills </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">- What follows, are two brief exchanges between me and a couple of different folks during different sessions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tim: "Great take! Listen, it sounds like you're drifting a bit off-axis...can you get a little closer to the mike?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Talent: "Off-axis? What's that?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tim: "You're going off to the side of the mike and missing the sweet spot making the audio a bit muddy...okay...here we go...rolling on take seven."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (This second scenario absolutely stunned me. Not the talent's fault on this one, though worthy of a few computer keystrokes to tell you the story. Similar situations have happened with talents engineering their own sessions, though this is the most egregious example with a dedicated engineer and absolutely inexcusable. This took place during an ISDN session from my studio to one of the Northwest's premier production houses.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tim: "I'm getting a nasty rumble at about 100-125 hertz...you guys hearing that?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other Engineer: "This is the one studio in the building without AC...we've got a fan in the booth so (the talent) doesn't burn up. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tim: "Can we turn it off and then on again for a few minutes after every three or so takes?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other Engineer: "It’s a sweatbox in here. You can filter it in post."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The other engineer was partly correct. While I could certainly filter <i>most</i> of it in post, cutting down the fan’s rumble frequency was also going to take that same frequency out of the talent's voice, resulting in a thin-sounding read. Had there not been music throughout the spot to mask the remaining rumble and add some low-end, the tracks would've been unusable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I incurred an extra 15 minutes of work because of this engineer. Since I refuse to pass charges like this onto my clients (not their fault), I ate the time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not only have I never used this studio again, I later learned they removed their ISDN box because it wasn't generating enough revenue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gee...wonder why?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Throughout the years, I've connected to home studios and during sessions heard babies crying, dogs barking, The 405, weed whackers and a host of other unwelcome audio intrusions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've also had talents who've unplugged live mikes (never, <i>ever</i> do this), not understood rudimentary technical terms and who've struggled with ISDN settings to the point where we had to abandon the connection and switch to a phone patch. More non-billable time for me and (of course) my client had to witness the entire cluster.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recommendations:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Engineers/producers shouldn't expect talents to be experts with standing wave ratios and comb filtering, no more than <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">voice talents</a> should expect engineers/producers to possess the pitch-intonation and improvisation skills they have.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What we do expect is a clean audio chain, noise-free booth and that you have a handle on how to use the basic functions of your equipment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I realize that living situations will dictate how much noise isolation is possible and that moving to a quiet farm in Vermont or telling your neighbors to quit mowing their lawn are options most of you don't have.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The options you <i>do have</i> are purchasing a vocal booth from a company such as <a href="http://www.vocalbooth.com/">VocalBooth™</a> (located in Bend, Oregon and here at VOICE 2010!), moving your operation to your basement or quieting the room you do have with sound reinforcement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Optimize your studio and your knowledge thereof. Passing along pristine audio to the folks down the line will go a long way towards optimizing your value as a <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">Go-To Voice Talent</a>!</span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-51260255967952803642010-11-21T18:02:00.001-08:002011-06-21T15:25:19.368-07:00How to Be a Go-To Voice Talent | Part 1<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542189286263671602" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TOnPysW4yzI/AAAAAAAAACA/vT5uvfX_DXw/s200/webvoice_color_jpeg.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 124px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 141px;" /></a><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – November 2010</span></b><br />
By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Over the next three months, I'll be sharing material that was supplemental to my June keynote at Voice 2010 in Los Angeles. The presentation was divided into three important skill sets that envelop all <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">professional voice talents</a>: business skills, technical skills and session skills.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">The session was very well-received and I've had several requests from non-attendees to publish the material.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: italic;">Here you go!</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Business Skills </b>- There’s a talent on my roster I <i>occasionally</i> use. This person is talented enough and is very attentive with sending invoices, keeping me updated with vacation outages, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still, I've not warmed up to them in the way I have to other talents and as such, don't frequent their "voice boutique" too often.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then it hit me: it's their personality; their dourness, in particular.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know what you're thinking. Get over it, Tim. Not everyone's like you and you're just being difficult. Learn to deal with people and rise above it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Point taken.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, follow along with me as I indulge you in another restaurant corollary. This story is 100% true and not embellished for the sake of bolstering my position. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and guilty).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With a population of 80,000, Bend, Oregon is large enough to have the big box stores while still small enough to have a very healthy amount of "mom and pops".</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My studio is located downtown. If I had to guess, downtown Bend is probably a 90-10 mix of businesses, with the little guys dominating most of the landscape.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While not as quaint as Mayberry, it's most certainly not as sprawling as downtown Los Angeles. If he were alive today, Norman Rockwell would have no trouble in finding subject matter for at least a dozen paintings after a 30 minute stroll up and down our two main thoroughfares.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nearly every day, I'll "make the rounds" to the post office, the bank and less frequently, though still within walking distance, to my barber, lawyer and CPA. I've done this for more than 11 years and as you might imagine, either wave to or receive waves from shop owners tending their stores.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Often during my treks, I'll see someone I know. We exchange hugs and/or pleasantries and every once in a while a third person whom we both know will round a corner and our posse will spend a few precious moments together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There's a great energy about downtown Bend. While vibrant with commerce, it's also rich with historic parks, jaw-dropping mountain views and a true sense of community. I feed off that energy. It invigorates, inspires and satisfies me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the "buzz-harsher" and the point of my analogy:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Near my studio is a Chinese restaurant. Though not a favorite of mine, I'd lunched there maybe a half-dozen times over the years due to its proximity and killer sesame beef. This restaurant was also financially sound with a well-established customer base and uniqueness as the only Chinese joint downtown.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few years ago, it was purchased by an acquaintance. This individual had come into some money and was looking for a business opportunity. Daily, in true Rockwell-like fashion, "Steve" swept away debris from the eatery’s entrance area 15 or so minutes before flipping the <i>Open</i> sign.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since our schedules didn't coincide, I saw Steve maybe once a month. On one particular and otherwise postcard perfect day, I headed out early to jump-start my energy absorption.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey Steve," I proclaimed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey," he offered in an uninspired tone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"How's biz?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Shitty. Fired my night cook and my f***ing produce guy hasn't shown up yet."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unwittingly, Steve had just thrown a bucket of paint on my Rockwell and vandalized my picture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a pause to formulate my response, all I could seem to orate was an equally uninspired, "gosh...sorry to hear that."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With a few strokes of the broom he said, "wanna come by for lunch?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Uh...no thanks...packed a sandwich today."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I lied.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a bit more conversing, I was on my way; hopeful that the anticipated energy of this day hadn't evaporated in those first few minutes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I reflect on this moment often. While we as business owners aren't immune to the occasional funky mood or delinquent vendor, it's my belief that there's a certain amount of "game face" obligation required when you're serving the public.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also reflect on this moment each time I become engaged in conversation with the aforementioned voice talent. Something is always wrong, broken or bad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey...I noticed you don't have your toll-free number anymore," I said during a recent call.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yeah...costs too much money. Besides, no one's calling anyway, what's the point?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took the bait. I didn't want to prolong the woe, but still bit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"If no one's calling, then you don't get charged, sans what...eight or nine bucks in excise fees or some federal tax, right?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Eight or nine bucks is a big deal, Tim."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come to think of it, the talent's right. Eight or nine bucks is a lunch out. And I know just the place. In fact, if Steve still owned the restaurant, the two of them could spend hours commiserating on the cruelties of life and how the government's just out to get 'em!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rewind</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey Steve," I proclaimed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Hey," he offered in a somewhat inspired tone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"How's biz?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Always challenging, never boring! Breaking in a new cook at dinner tonight, maybe looking for a new produce vendor...know anyone?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a pause to gather ourselves after a shared chuckle, Steve offered, "sesame beef's awesome as always...see you for lunch?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Sure!"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In this imaginary scenario, Steve is still acknowledging that all is not perfect, though if anyone's up for the challenge, it's him. This may sound too Utopian for some of you, though considering the two scenarios, whose restaurant would you rather eat at? Which sounds like a more appetizing dining experience for your eight or nine bucks?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During Steve's remaining tenure at the restaurant, I never returned for a meal. After nearly running it into the ground, he eventually sold it. Haotian, the new owner, didn't make major changes to the menu, though he did have the place painted a brighter color.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His infectious smile and cheerful demeanor somehow make the sesame beef taste that much better and I'm now somewhat of a regular.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The graffiti is off the Rockwell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recommendations:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Am I going to want to book the <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">talent</a> who's friendly and time-efficient or the one who bends my ear for 10 minutes with the drama du jour?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes. A relative dying or a child with brain cancer (two real scenarios I've dealt with) are exceptions that I will absolutely make time for.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What I do find difficult (and very ironic), is feeling compassion for talents (and also customers and vendors) who have seemingly <i>endless</i> time to spend complaining about not being busy enough.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Get your nose to the grindstone, stop wasting time talking about not being busy and get busier. Cold call, optimize your Web site for the search engines, do <i>something</i>. Save the consoling 'til after five with a loved one or close friend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You'd be surprised what a more positive attitude can produce during working hours, both in yourself and in those you serve.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-19047770904620802152010-10-12T14:12:00.000-07:002011-01-22T11:56:37.850-08:00Shortcomings of the DIY'er<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="176" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527271472456916242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TLTQHpTx3RI/AAAAAAAAABE/HTRQq21CdfQ/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 139px;" width="200" /></a><b><span lang="EN">The Earful – October 2010</span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Tim Underwood</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN">The following is in response to another blog at <a href="http://www.articulate.com/">articulate.com</a>.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN"> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN">The original post and subsequent comments were discussing how amateurs could improve the quality of home recordings for the purpose of incorporating self-narration into e-Learning software that they or their company were planning to take to market.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Hello Tom-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well-written and some good pointers for those getting their feet wet in the world of "do-it-yourself" recording! Your four basic tips are indeed crucial to improving the quality of an audio recording.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In reading your article, I'm reminded of a "do-it-yourself" project I embarked on several years ago.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a way to save money (or so I thought), I was determined to try my hand at remodeling the back section of a small home I was living in. Nothing major mind you; no load-bearing walls to deal with or concrete to pour, just a little framing and Sheetrock work I thought...easy, right?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I pulled out my trusty, mid-70s era "do-it-yourself" manual from Reader's Digest and headed down to the neighborhood hardware store for mud, tape, nails and some friendly, hometown advice.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Later that month, still immersed in measuring, sawing, cursing, mudding, taping and cursing more, I was nearing the finishing point and mostly fed-up with the experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd made somewhat of a mess of things. The new door/frame assembly was cockeyed in the framed area I'd installed it into, the seam lines at the join points in the Sheetrock were far from unnoticeable and my sense of pride was shattered when my then fiancée was less than overwhelmed with my handy-work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Without much debate, we relinquished ourselves to hire a professional carpenter to come in and finish the job.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The man was a true diplomat in his critique of my work, though his underlying message was abundantly clear: kid, you're in over your head.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was indeed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Had I finished the job, would I have been proud enough to bring my friends back to the room and boast about my “weekend warrior” carpentry skills?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heck no.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I recall, the bill to make things right was about $1200 for three days' work. The end result was not only professional, it was “boast-worthy”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hopefully, this little story should underscore something of larger importance: even if you have the best of intentions and think you have the right tools, a <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/audioProductions3.php">professional</a> performing their craft will produce markedly better results.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know when to check my ego at the door. I know the difference between well-done and wannabe and I wish more people did.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd NEVER present this work to neighbors or friends (let alone potential consumers) as a representation of my "skills" and no way would I ever think to take a product to market that reflected such.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Voice talent "warriors" go into recording with the best of intentions. They think, "hey, I've got a good voice, a computer and a USB microphone - how hard can it be, right?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hmm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had a book, tool belt, saw and a hammer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What I lacked was skill, experience and an undying passion for the work I was attempting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As my left foot returns to the ground from the soapbox:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you want to have fun with consumer-grade equipment and an untrained voice, go wild on YouTube or make your significant other an audio greeting card.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you’re a company taking an<a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/audioProductions4.php"> e-Learning course</a> to market, hire a <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">professional voice talent</a> with professional equipment. The reasonable investment you make will pay you back many times over and save you a mountain of frustration, money (yes, time is money) and embarrassment in the process.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The professionals are waiting at <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/">www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-558864813453969377.post-91795745322091001892010-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:002011-01-22T11:50:19.483-08:00First Impressions<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><img alt="" border="0" height="176" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527271472456916242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_56o0Qyrp4PM/TLTQHpTx3RI/AAAAAAAAABE/HTRQq21CdfQ/s200/webvoice_color_smaller_jpg.jpg" style="float: right; height: 123px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 139px;" width="200" /></a><b>The Earful – September 2010</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Tim Underwood<a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/"><br />
www.thewebvoice.com</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Hi…uh…I’m T-t-t-im…um…nice to meet you (no eye contact)…I thought (quiver in voice) maybe later we could go get a milkshake (uncomfortable pause) or something?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the time, I thought it was a brilliant opening.<br />
<br />
Of course, I was only 12.<br />
<br />
The subject of my affection was Liz, the striking 14-year-old I first spied several days prior, two houses down. I learned she was the granddaughter of one of our neighbors and that she and her family were visiting from out-of-state. After much rumination and palm sweating, I’d finally worked up the nerve to ask her on a “date”.<br />
<br />
I was crushed when she said flatly, “no thanks.”<br />
<br />
Recently, I had reason to call the corporate offices of Facebook. I was reminded of the Liz debacle after hearing their voice message:<br />
<br />
“Hello. You have reached Facebook. If you know your parties extension, you can dial it (maybe he said <span style="font-style: italic;">us</span>, hard to discern) at anytime. (pause…breath)<br />
<br />
If you are a user (maybe he thought about contracting you and are into you’re; a slight bobble here) looking for customer care (background conversation audible), please press “1”. (breath)<br />
<br />
Otherwise, press “0” for an operator or (awkward hesitation) wait for the tone to (more background jabber) leave a message. Thank you.” (pause…loud phone hang-up)<br />
<br />
I hope the corollary here is obvious.<br />
<br />
What’s not so obvious is why so many companies neglect to make a good first impression. With no offense meant to the above message-maker, it sounds to me like he drew the short straw at the office and begrudgingly recorded the company message.<br />
<br />
Facebook’s company message.<br />
<br />
The same Facebook that boasts on the Career page of their Web site: “We're a cutting-edge technology company..."<br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<br />
Based solely on their phone greeting, I’d liken them to a startup operating out of an apartment being run by a guy named Mike who had the TV on while recording said greeting.<br />
<br />
If yours is truly a “cutting-edge company”, then why is the <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/audioProductions6.php">voice of your company</a> that of a somewhat been-there-done-that-kind-of-boring guy?<br />
<br />
What you’ve inadvertently impressed upon your customer is that yours is a been-there-done-that-kind-of-boring company.<br />
<br />
And we all know that’s not Facebook.<br />
<br />
Here’s another earful:<br />
<br />
Suppose your company is a high-end jewelry store. The display cases are immaculate and filled with stunning elegance; your logo reflects impeccable quality and sophistication; your salespeople are perfectly groomed and meticulous in their service.<br />
<br />
And then there’s your <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/audioProductions6.php">phone message</a>, cheerfully and unprofessionally voiced by Madison.<br />
<br />
Madison is the owner’s daughter. Her voice is somewhat high-pitched and she’s somewhat young. Not that I’m against young women with high-pitched voices, though hers is a voice I would associate more with a cheerful barista rather than an alluring salesperson.<br />
<br />
Jewelry is somewhat sexy. Coffee is somewhat not.<br />
<br />
Madison’s only qualification for the job of company “spokesperson”?<br />
<br />
She's the boss’s daughter. She’s not a <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/step1.php?fmSearch=1&fmSearchCategory=36&abcCurrRec=1">professional voice talent</a>.<br />
<br />
How’s your company greeting its customers? Is the first impression you bestow that of a bashful youth standing on a front porch? Or is it a voice that’s an extension of your company’s image - reinforcing the brand you’ve worked so hard to embellish.<br />
<br />
We currently embellish the images of everyone from BendBroadband to BMW and would like the opportunity to buff up your company’s first impression.<br />
<br />
Call <a href="http://www.thewebvoice.com/">TheWebVoice.com</a> toll-free at 1-877-284-7876.<br />
<br />
PS - True story. I recently found Liz on Facebook and wrote her a short note. I knew it was a brilliant opening - much better than the one 30 years ago.<br />
<br />
She “friended” me almost immediately.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Tim Underwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12326195758976829490noreply@blogger.com0