Tag Archives: voice over artist Leicestershire

The importance of listening in communication – especially in voice over

General, Radio, Voice Over, , , ,

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!

importance of listening in communication process

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.

Call on 0116 234 1139,  contact us or click to request a quote.

LW Voice Imaging. Let’s talk about it.

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Selecting the right voice over artist for your media production

General, Radio, Voice Over, , ,

Louise Wilson - Selecting the right voice over artist for your media productionLouise Wilson – Voiceover Artist Leicestershire

Whether it’s a corporate video, a training production, a radio ad or an on-hold marketing campaign you’re planning or working on, it’s not always easy to select the most suitable voice for your unique media production which will help maximise its impact.

And, because voice over is quite often added in the final phase of the production process, choosing a voice over artist can be left to the last minute reducing your options and putting you in danger of overshooting the deadline.

Your production’s audio track is important, it’s the proverbial ‘icing on the cake’ and will be there to deliver vital information about your company, products, services and overall brand.

Here are some valuable tips on selecting the right voice artist for your media production:

  • Think about voice over early on in the planning process. Identify your target audience. Should the voice be male or female, youthful or mature, chatty or formal?
  • Place yourself in the viewer and listener’s shoes and imagine the finished article; how do you feel in your mind’s eye (and ear!) when you’re watching and/or listening? The chances are that your audience will feel similar things when viewing and hearing your production.
  • Research. It may seem obvious but having other productions to refer to can prove invaluable when choosing and employing the services of a professional voice over artist. Examples of tone, pace and style really help a voice over artist to nail the sound you’re looking to achieve quickly – saving time, money and stress.

Although every voice is unique, every voice over artist is looking to achieve the same outcome: to supply you with superb voice over audio that shows off your product, service and brand in its best possible light thereby helping you to attain to best result imaginable in the most cost-effective way. And that’s good for us too!

To find out more about selecting the right voice over artist for your media production call 0116 234 1139 or click here.

LW Voice Imaging. Let’s talk about it.

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