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Friday 24 October 2008

Voiceover Work in the Downturn

How is the looming recession affecting your voiceover business?
Some voice talents have reported a downturn of 30%, others not so high but some voice talents have been hit even harder. Experienced voiceover artists hope to weather the storm, but where does this leave the novice voice artist, and those just dipping their toe in the voiceover market.

Over the past 6 weeks, I've noticed a slow down in direct voiceover enquiries and online & offline audition opportunities. It may just be a blip or could indicate a more general trend for the coming months and years.

So what does this all mean?

1. Will new wanabee voice talents move quickly out of the VO business as VO jobs become harder and harder to come by? Will this leave more work for the established artists?

2. Will new VO talents who offer their services at lower prices than established talent pick up more and more work as clients cut their voiceover budget?

3. Will clients start using "John from accounts with the nice voice" to record their voicemail messages, telephone greetings rather than a pro voice artist?

4. Will established talent have to drop their rates to secure work?

5. Will potential clients be more alive to the benefits of using a professional Voice to create a professional brand and image for their company?

6. Will voice talents have to re-double their marketing efforts? Will we have to find new markets for our services as traditional voiceover markets retract?

7. Is amateur hour almost over?. Voiceover artists are now going to have to take their business seriously - invest in their marketing, their websites, SEO, analyze whether all or any of the online casting sites are worth the investment, work on promotion and discover their versatility and adaptability.

8. When will it all end - and how many of us will be left standing?

Tuesday 21 October 2008

6 Reasons to Use Audio on Your Website

1. A real voice encourages visitors to stay longer, which in turn improves your chance of your visitor taking action, whether it's buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a survey. As they view your web page they can listen to the audio - receiving the information visually and audibly.

2. A real voice increases visitor confidence because they actually hear someone talking to them. It makes your site more credible as it shows real people are behind the website and the products.

3. A real voice can increase your conversion rate and therefore increase your sales. Audio adds a whole new dimension to your website that will captivate and motivate your customers. Hearing a real voice can have a big impact on your site visitors, making their website experience more pleasurable.

4. Using a real voice can help guide your visitors through the ordering process, helping answer their questions so they don't need to contact your customer support team, saving both parties time and money.

5. A voice shows emotion and personality. People like to do business with people they like, so a warm friendly voice should build trust and a rapport with your prospective clients.

6. Use an enthusiastic voice to create buzz about your products and services. Motivate your website visitors to take action with a motivational audio clip.

Friday 25 July 2008

Can Podcasting Help Recession Proof Your Business?

http://www.thephonevoice.com/Podcasting_A1.mp3

Please click on the link to hear my latest podcast: Can Podcasting Help Recession Proof Your Business?

Wednesday 11 June 2008

Second Business Basics Podcast


Hi All,

Here is the 2nd of my series of business basics podcasts for Voiceover artists and businesses. Hope you find it interesting and useful. I found I had so much material that I wanted to cover, that I split this podcast into two. So the third podcast will be the next 5 tips of setting up in business.
As always thanks for listening and I look forward to hearing any feedback you may have!

Here is the link if the title link doesn't work :
www.thephonevoice.com/Podcast_03.mp3

Alison

Tuesday 27 May 2008

First Business Podcast for Voiceover Talents


Here is the first of my basic business podcasts directed specifically at those working or planning to work as Voiceover artists.
Click on the title to hear.....

Monday 26 May 2008

New Logo



Here is my new logo.

Gradually adding it to all my webpages at: www.thephonevoice.com, www.britishfemalevoiceover.com and www.relocomo.com and all the other networking sites etc... Taking forever!

Tuesday 18 March 2008

Phone Voice Podcast Number 1

Here is the PhoneVoice.com first podcast - a general introduction of myself and the voiceover services on offer!
click on the title to hear !

Wednesday 30 January 2008

How A Professional Voice Over Artist can help your Business!

Alison Pitman Voiceover Services specialize in recording telephone applications such as voicemail, IVR, and on-hold messages. She can help improve your company image and boost sales through the use of her voice on your phone system!


PR9.NET January 29, 2008 - Bristol, UK - If you're thinking about updating your phone system why not consider using a professional voiceover artist to record your company voicemail, phone prompts, telephone greetings and on-hold messages. Based in the UK, Alison Pitman a professional female British accent voice over artist, provides customised phone messages for companies all over the world – including the luxury fashion label Burberry.

From her home studio, she records the phone scripts her clients email her and then sends them the finished audio in wav or mp3 files ready to be uploaded onto their telephone system."The whole process is usually done online and is really quick and simple. From start to finish it can take as little as 24 hours to record, edit and add background music if needed, and cost as little as $75.00" said Alison. But its not just a quick turnaround and competitive pricing that persuade companies to use Alison's voice for their phone applications.

"Businesses want to use a voice that conveys a good first impression of their company – they want a voice that sounds trustworthy, clear and projects a professional image- and hopefully my voice fits that description!"Alison's native British accent is a voice ideally suited to phone messages! It has no particular regional accent and has a warm, informative tone and style. "

Not everyone is comfortable recording and hearing their own voice on their voicemail or telephone greetings so it can help to employ the services of a voice artist to take away this anxiety and achieve a consistent voice throughout the company."

Companies who employ the services of voiceover artists for their telephone greetings are also aware of all the positive benefits of their use for IVR, voicemail & on-hold marketing messages. The interactive voice response (IVR) informs the caller of the options available to them, interacting with the caller through a series of frequently asked questions. This can save the customer time by directing them to the most helpful person or service applicable to them. This method also saves your live telephone attendants unnecessary calls therefore increasing their efficiency. A creative on-hold message is a good way to target your marketing to a captive audience. Telephone marketing campaigns are capable of promoting both sales and support for customers as they wait on the line. They can be devised to answer frequently asked questions about products or services, saving both time and money. An on-hold message provides an opportunity to introduce new products or partnerships as well as cross-selling offerings that a sales force may not have time to mention on the telephone with a customer. Not only does a good on-hold message increase customer knowledge about a given business, surveys have shown them to enhance a company's image, retain callers who would otherwise hang up, and increase overall sales. And last but not least -Voicemail messages. "This is your final opportunity to make a positive impression with your caller. Your callers are assured that their call will be returned promptly during regular business hours, and that the company values their interest and business." Said Alison.

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