When I first became a voice over artist, I found myself so preoccupied with how I spoke and enunciated my words that, at times, I almost forgot to listen!

As a more seasoned artist with ten years’ experience under my belt, I’ve learnt so much about how crucial being a good listener is. In fact, nowadays I probably spend a greater amount of time listening than I do actually speaking.

My old boss once told me that sales was as much about listening as it was about talking because, in order to successfully fulfill a customer’s expectations and requirements, one must first fully understand what those expectations and requirements are. This can only be achieved by attentive listening.

Of course, being a voice over is not exactly the same as working in sales (although sales forms a part of it) but the message about listening is  bang on the nail.

So, why is listening so important?

Apart from the fundamental message that listening to a client’s needs is paramount, great voice over delivery is about producing natural and believable speech which, when working from a script, is surprisingly difficult to do. Interpreting another person’s words as though they are one’s own spontaneous thoughts takes time and requires practice. And listening (coupled with imagination) is quite simply the best tool in the box.

These days, I find myself tuning in to the everyday conversations that are taking place around me. Not because I am a shameless nosey-parker (ooh..perhaps I am!) but because I want to really hear and observe how people naturally and unselfconsciously communicate with one-another.

I listen carefully to their intonation, their pace and pitch, their ‘ums’, ‘aahs’ and pauses as well as the emotions that underlie their speech, and then I try as hard as I can to bring the qualities I’ve observed into my voice performances whenever I am behind the mic.

Having understood the importance of listening in communication, I am now always listening and always learning.

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