Congratulations! You have been commissioned by your place of employment to acquire a voice talent for your team’s latest project. This shouldn’t be too difficult of a task. If you are in this position, you may think, “What steps will I take to complete this assignment, and most importantly, whose voice will I use?” As a diverse, contemporary, millennial voice actor, I’m familiar with the options to hire a professional voice actor for their next work project.
The In-House Staff Option
The easiest way to find a voice for your work project would be to use someone in your office. That shouldn’t cost much, and management should be happy to save some money. How about Bob from H.R. Bob has a good voice, doesn’t he? He speaks with a low clear tenor voice that I think would sound great over a corporate explainer video.
This is the popular choice for many companies – usually small companies. They often don’t see the value in hiring a professional voice or don’t have the budget to do so. They may use whoever can quickly read a script and record it on low-budget software.
Sure, Bob may have a nice speaking voice, but does he know how to use it correctly for voice-over purposes? Customers and clients are smarter than you think and can catch on very quickly if the voice they are listening to is unprofessional, which may leave a negative impression on your company.
Can Artificial Intelligence Pass for a Professional Voice Actor?
We live in the 2020s, and over the last 25-30 years, we have seen more technological advances than ever before. Most of these innovations have made a great impression on our lives, so much so we cannot imagine living without them. Computers, tablets, smartphones, and electric vehicles have changed our lives. These devices can save time and money and lessen your carbon footprint by monitoring and saving energy. Yet, with the influx of robots and computers today overtaking our society, it can also have a negative impact. When was the last time you made a phone call to a company and got a real live human on the line to hear your concerns regarding an issue? Do you like to scan and bag all your own groceries?
Since the early 2000s, the voice over industry has been talking about the threat of artificial intelligence taking over. Each year at conferences, there is usually a live panel discussion on AI. And each year, we feel nervous and afraid that robots will destroy our business. As you read, there is a new host of AI voices popping up as advertisements on YouTube. In my opinion, and I think you’d agree, they still sound robotic and quite cold.
Top Reasons to Choose a Professional Voice Actor
Credibility is key, and by using a professional, your company will come across as authentic and trustworthy to your customers. Bob from HR may have a nice speaking voice, but that is only a fraction of what it takes to be a good voice actor. Still, it’s painfully obvious when an AI voice has been used. The robotic voices can’t inflect correctly, use proper grammar, and produce odd pauses in places that don’t seem natural. You only have a fraction of the time to hook a customer, and if you don’t come across as credible, that customer or client may go to the competition.
A Professional Voice Actor Leads to Engagement
Have you ever taken an eLearning course where the instructor’s voice made you want to fall asleep? I have, and that has happened more than once. Listening to a disengaging voice can make or break your ability to finish an eLearning course as well as pass the course. If your staff is not engaged, they may miss important material required to complete it. That could waste time and money for your company.
Get your Message Across With Clarity
Anybody can read, but a professional voice actor can relay your information quickly and bring life to your message. A professional voice can help your clients believe what they are saying. They know how to use techniques like modulation, timing, rhythm, and pitch to make the most out of the words and phrases. They can invigorate the script, so the words jump off the page and into the minds of the listener. The human voice is very powerful, and when used properly, it can instill change in behavior or attitude. It can also spotlight your call to action and draw the listeners toward the goal of the script. It is in your company’s best interest to use a voice that will make a difference.
Save Time and Money with a Professional Voice Actor
Some companies rely on purchasing their own recording hardware and software for creating voiceovers. This can give them a leg up on the quality of the produced voice. However, unless the person knows how to read correctly, edit correctly, and upload the file correctly, it could become more of a headache. When I started in the industry, it took me months to feel comfortable performing and editing my files. I had to learn the software to deliver a quality product.
Most voice actors have their own equipment, such as a home studio, and they can efficiently produce a project for you. With everything you need in one talented professional, it’s a better overall investment. If you’d like to learn more about how a voice actor can help make your projects sound professional, email me anytime!