Picture this. You're sitting down in front of your television and are watching a foreign film. The actors are obviously speaking a different language, but the audio (or the words that you hear) is in your own language. The film that you're watching has been dubbed by voice actors that speak your native language, in an effort to help you enjoy the film without having to read subtitles. The original audio is removed and replaced with dubbing.

Dubbing for film is just one facet of the market which includes television shows, cartoons, documentaries, and so on.

India is one such country that has taken dubbing to the next level, and it is becoming somewhat of a national pastime.

Business is starting to boom in India, and so is the market for dubbing films and other media from North America. As it turns out, it is also becoming a lucrative way for people to moonlight while still maintaining their day jobs, often making exponentially more money as a voice talent dubbing than they do at their primary place of work while also getting creative satisfaction from their dubbing work.

Nearly everyone in India is dubbing, from house-wives to teachers to doctors, who dub voice-overs at recording studios after work.

Rahul Bhatia, GM, UTV, who heads the company’s dubbing division, says, "The voice-over business in India, estimated at Rs 15 crore, is growing steadily at 10-15%. There is therefore a constant demand for fresh voices."

One such voice talent is Suchitra Gupta, a college lecturer. She makes almost Rs 25,000 per month from dubbing, an activity which she says is more of a passion than work. Bhatia says while beginners get paid around Rs 500 to Rs 600 per paragraph per episode, established dubbing artists can earn anything between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per episode for an hour’s dubbing for the main character.

The pay is good, tempting even, but there are still standards to be met. Not everyone is a dubbing phenom. Pronunciation is key as well as the tone of voice and voice acting abilities.

According to Leela Roy Ghosh of Sound & Vision, which dubs a number of Hollywood movies into Hindi and other regional languages, "Dubbing, like music, is an art, which has to be nurtured. Since there are no training institutes, most people tend to learn on the job and they have to learn fast, as there’s little or no room for mistakes.

A dubbing talent relates, "Like in any creative area, mediocrity has no place here. Unless you are consistently good, you won’t survive for long."

Clients also insist on need for dubbing quality. Joy Bhattacharya, senior VP (Programming) of National Geographic Channel, says, "We insist on 100% factual and language accuracy in all our programmes. Our in-house teams supervise and guide dubbing vendor constantly."

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. The India Times did us all a great service by reporting on the state of dubbing in India. It was a pleasure to comment on and share with you.

---

Have you ever strolled down an aisle at a trade show and perked up your ears to hear the melodious voice of a real person, pitching a new product or service?

That most likely was the voice of a live announcer or professional actor, hired to speak on behalf of a company and lead a product demo, engaging audiences in an intimate and friendly manner with the goal of bringing in sales for their vendor.

If you want to try something different, that is, contrary to using a pre-recorded voice-over at your booth, consider hiring a voice actor to announce and perform live presentations on the hour or even more frequently than that, depending on the length of the script and product demonstration.

What are the benefits of hiring a live announcer to promote your product at trade shows?

• Your booth will attract visitors immediately, increasing the brainshare that you have access to because of the live announcer.
• Your exhibit will touch people on several levels: a live, interactive performance does more to move your product than any powerpoint could.
• Word of mouth will spread rapidly amongst the attendees, sending people your way to see the demonstrations first hand and your popular currency as a vendor will increase.
• The human voice is one of the most persuasive marketing tools, period.
• Of the five senses, hearing is most prized in marketing circles because of our distinct ability to retain audio messages long after they are originally heard. Jingles, slogans, songs, prose... marketing pitches!

There are many on-camera talent who have excellent voices and make their careers in broadcast television or live speaking engagements as corporate spokespersons. There is an announcer for every script, and a talent for every company.

Need more information about how to find live announcers in your area? Just ask us!

Best regards,

David

---

Are you a real estate agent or builder trying to sell properties online?

If so, you're on top of the newest trends in real estate when it comes to reaching audiences via the Internet. The methods by which people are buying and selling real estate is in transition, and is moving full steam ahead into the digital world.

Individual homes and properties are now available to buyers and sellers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with virtual agent, builder, and marketplace storefronts.

Interested customers can now search for homes in the locations that they are considering, select the kind of house, the number of rooms, bathrooms, whether there's a fireplace or central air, and even for homes within customizable budget ranges. Searches can be saved and revisited from time to time, acting as a virtual real estate agent, ready at the click of a mouse.

If you want to keep ahead of your contemporaries, voice-over on real estate websites is the way to go. A warm voice in an often cold, unfeeling Internet environment can attract, entice, and comfort a visitor at your website, not to mention give a splendid virtual tour and candid impression of a property.

Some companies even have real estate broadcasts that are aired on radio stations featuring houses on the market, broadcasting about each house as it is passed by, similar to how the tourism industry uses broadcast technology for tourists driving by historical places or points of interest.

This approach is very persuasive; nearly anything that incorporates the human voice as a marketing tool is significantly more effective, providing more leads for you to pursue by email or phone.

Post a real estate voice-over job at InteractiveVoices and see results!

Cheers,

David

---

Have you heard about the latest trend to use celebrity voice-overs in broadcast commercial advertisements?

Back in January, Apple and Intel unleashed a new advertising campaign and employed the voice talents of Hollywood film star, Kiefer Sutherland, a native of Toronto, Canada.

I don't know how much Kiefer's voice-over cost Apple, but it surely was more expensive than if they had hired a relatively unknown professional voice talent with a similar voice type.

Kiefer's celebrity status combined with an embraceable, toasty warm, (and very trustworthy) voice, has landed him voice work with Ford, Verizon, and a voice-over in the Japanese market for the Calorie Mate nutrition bar.

Has your company ever hired a celebrity voice to promote a product or service?

Even if it was a local celebrity, was it obvious to your customers who the voice talent was and did it have any influence on their doing business with your company?

Cheers,

David

---

Voicemail... the last link in the telephone voice recording chain. Organizations have been known to have general mailboxes, and separate voice mailboxes for employees and management.

A voicemail prompt invites your customers to leave a message so that you can get back to them during regular business hours.

Voicemail is helpful to have because it act as a personal secretary, recording your customers name, phone number and the reason why they called. With this information, you can follow up with an interested person and meet their needs appropriately.

Here's an example of a General Voicemail Script:

Thank you for calling XYZ Company. We are unable to take your call at this time. Please leave a detailed message including your name, phone number, and the reason you called and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Looking forward to serving you!

Here's an example of a Personal Voicemail Script:

Thank you for calling the office of Jane Doe, Principal of Groversfield Elementary. I am on the other line or am presently out of the office. Please leave your contact details, and I'll return your call as soon as I get back. Thank you, and have a nice day.

To recap, a professional telephone system consists of:

• Auto Attendant
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
• On Hold Messaging
• Voicemail

If you are looking to find the ideal voice to represent your business and make a good first impression for your organization, post your job requirements at Voices.com.

Best wishes,

David

---

Since this week draws to a close a little earlier than usual, we'll enjoy two posts today!

First up, we'll discuss the importance of on-hold messaging / on-hold marketing for your company telephone system.

What do your customers hear when they come through your Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or when they are transferred to a different department?

If the answer is silence, nothing at all, or passive "elevator" music, we need to assess how effectively you are marketing to and supporting your customers while they wait in queue to speak with a real person.

The opportunity to reach out to your customers is now!

They are a captive audience, and are eager to hear what you can do for them. While they are waiting, which for some business could be upwards of 10 minutes or longer, you need to keep their interest, keep them happy, and most importantly, retain their call to avoid losing them and their confidence before you can even meet their needs.

By making good use of your on-hold messaging, you will be able to:

• keep your callers interested
• increase satisfaction levels regarding their experience with your company
• introduce new products or services for potential cross sells
• provide additional information about your company in a friendly manner
• instill trust and assurance that you'll be with them shortly
• retain your callers while on-hold
• save money by retaining the caller, eliminating the need for them to call again

To really capitalize on your on-hold messaging, alternate courtesy messages with marketing messages.

Here's a sample of a brief On-hold Script.

On-hold Messaging Script:

Courtesy Message:

Thank you for calling Extreme Sports Gear and Mountain Bikes. We're glad that you called and appreciate your business. In respect of your time, a customer service representative will take your call shortly so that you can get back to the great outdoors.

** Music in between messages for 30 seconds or so appropriate to your listening audience **

Marketing Message:

Are you at our website right now? If so, click on the "Special Offer" advertisement on our home page to take advantage of our Online Summer Sale! Anything listed on our website is 25% off if purchased online. Get in the groove of Summer early and save!

Depending on the average time that your customers are on-hold, your on-hold script length will vary.

For an average system where customers are on-hold for 1-3 minutes, it's wise to have at least 2 courtesy messages and 2 marketing messages, each message timing out to precisely 30 seconds (:30).

Music should play in between the messages for 30 seconds (:30) This will result in 2 minutes of voice-over and 2 minutes of uninterrupted music play, giving you total of 4 minutes of on-hold messaging.

For systems supporting callers on-hold longer than 4-5 minutes at a time, make sure that your material is kept fresh for your audience, with at least 4 different courtesy messages and 4 different marketing messages.

To accompany the voice-over, music is often used as a secondary track in a voice-over recording. Music can vary throughout or remain true to a theme.

Music should reflect your business and your customer base. If you're servicing an extreme sports crowd, the music might reflect that culture and encompass a touch of rock, soft punk, or alternative music genres.

Still looking for the perfect voice?

Best regards,

David

---

Today, we'll take a sneak peek at what Interactive Voice Response or an IVR consists of.

The IVR is a voice recording that gives your callers direction, listing options and the appropriate numbers to press in order to get through to the department, individual, updates, or information that they want to access.

The Interactive Voice Response acts as a means for your customers to get what they want or to speak with the right person immediately. It also operates as a filtering system for your company when receiving calls.

If customers are properly educated of their options and which keys they should press to attain their goal, customer satisfaction, on-hold retension rates, and sales levels will increase.

Your IVR script could look like this:

IVR Script:

If you know the extension of the party you would like to speak to, you can press it at any time.

To place your order, press one
To learn about our specials, press two
To speak with a customer care representative, press three
To listen to our company directory, press four
To hear your service options again, press nine

Posting your telephone voice-over job is easy. You can even search through a category dedicated to voice talent who record for telephone systems.

Cheers,

David

---

As mentioned last week, we're going to discuss voice-overs for your telephone system - specifically, how to go about writing your auto attendant script and picking a voice to represent your company.

When a potential customer calls your business, usually the first impression they get of your company is the voice of your auto attendant.

What's an auto attendant? An auto attendant is a voice recording that thanks your callers for making the decision to call your business and sets them at ease, making them comfortable with your company and what you can do for them as your customers.

The auto attendant often leads in to the IVR (Interactive Voice Response), a menu that gives the caller options, like press 1 for customer service, press 2 for sales, etc.

It's important to select a voice that best reflects your company's image, market, and customers.

When picking a voice for any purpose, you'll need to clearly identify your market and define the characteristics of your customer base in order to find the ideal talent to serve them.

Here are some simple questions you can ask yourself:

Does this voice compliment the demographics of my target market?
Can my customers relate to this voice?
Are they persuasive and genuinely convincing?

For example, if you were in the business of selling pizzas to college students, your auto attendant voice-over would need to reflect your target market.

A pizzeria that serves the college / university student market may sound like this:

Voice Requirements:

Age range: 17 - 23
Voice Type: Young adult
Characteristics: Friendly, approachable, trendy, go-getter

Script:

"Hi there, and thank you for calling Varsity Pizza and Calzones, the pizza joint that never sleeps, satisfying your cravings 24/7!"

Usually, the same voice that is hired to perform the auto attendant records your entire phone system. The auto attendant voice is likely the first impression a customer is given of your company, and consistency may be key when trying to retain them on-hold, particularly if the first voice representative (your auto attendant voice talent) really struck a chord with them.

The selected voice-over talent will assume the role of an audio companion that keeps your customers interested, and most importantly, on the line.

Finding the voice of your organization is as easy as posting a job or searching through the Telephone Voices at InteractiveVoices, the voice-over marketplace.

Shortly, we'll look at the IVR voice-over and on-hold messaging - don't forget voice mail!

Cheers,

David

---

Did you know that at InteractiveVoices, you can now post single voice-over jobs for free?

It's never been easier to gather responses from qualified talent, complete with price quotes and voice-over demos of your script.

If only all recruiting was this simple!

Whether you have an immediate need or 30 days to make your decision, there's no easier or better way to find a voice talent to record your project.

Why is this job posting service free for you to use?

Professional voice talents registered for memberships at our web service subscribe annually for a fee to promote themselves and advertise their services at InteractiveVoices.com, the voice-over marketplace.

As a part of their membership fees, they receive a web page, room to showcase their voice-over demos, the ability to accept payment online with PayPal, featured talent opportunities, a listing in our voice talent search engine, and the ability to respond to voice-over jobs posted by businesses and organizations.

In return, as a client posting a job...

You'll experience breathtaking speed, welcome cost savings, superior talent selection, and customer service beyond compare just for becoming a part of the InteractiveVoices family and posting a voice-over job.

With extra time, more room in your overall budget, and a talent who understands your vision, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals, giving you more flexibility to get back to the things that really matter.

Imagine the freedom and possibilities!

Will you be the next trailblazer or marketing genius at your place of work?

Cheers,

David

---

As you know, you are able to post voiceover jobs at Voices.com, but did you know that we don't delete your job postings?

That's right!

Whether you've signed on for a yearly subscription to VoiceSuite Professional Edition or are managing voiceover talents with our Basic Edition, we'll never delete your job postings, your auditions or your project data.

Why?

We recognize that besides the people you work with, information is one of your most important assets. Project management is integral to your teams success, and we're here to help you leverage your project data.

Furthermore, our servers are bank-level secure. We're secured with Verisign's SSL certificates - the industry standard.

Our goal is to make your experience recruiting voice talent as enjoyable, efficient, and effortless as possible.

Working with the industry leader also has its perks - have you tried our free voice talent job posting service yet?

Looking forward to serving you,

The Voices.com Team

---

While it may seem obvious, using customized voice-overs performed by voice talents for your presentations, telephone systems, and broadcast commercials is the best route to take when producing a polished, unique, and meaningful communications tool internally or externally for your customers.

A threat to good presentations everywhere, known as "text-to-speech" technology lurks on the horizon, a software program comprising of different voice types, languages and spoken words that are meant to sound realistic when jumbled together to create a phrase, statement, or brief order.

Text-to-speech has its roots in aiding those who cannot speak audibly for themselves such people in the hearing and vocally impaired communities. Individuals are able to witness their words being brought to life and can even speak through a machine in some cases given the right technologies.

For these purposes, it is a noble technology with great possibilities.

In recent years, however, text-to-speech has been used in PowerPoint presentations, for reasons greatly because it is an inexpensive tool and readily available on a PC.

What these software companies don't want you to know is that using text-to-speech technology can hurt your business on several fronts. Because these 'voice-overs' are compiled and not recorded on a per project basis by a voice talent, they limit your company's creativity and professionalism.

Here are 5 immediate disadvantages when using text-to-speech:

Poor flow in speech rhythms

Words are strung together with the least bit of consideration given to phrasing! To put it bluntly, the words will sound unnatural and have awkward timing.

Limited fluctuation of the voice

Have you ever heard someone whose voice was monotone or seemed a tad on the unpredictable side? Because these words were all recorded without knowing the context of their future combinations, they had to be recorded to accommodate any possible use, leaving them without meaning and inconsistent with any given theme.

Potential that certain words required are not in the database

There are new words being created all the time. Take "podcast" for instance. While text-to-speech companies will have to keep up with the times, there is no guarantee that every new word or even words in other languages will necessarily be available to you.

Companies these days come up with names that are unheard of in dictionaries let alone text-to-speech programs, for example, Odeo, Blogger, Flickr, Frappr, and the list goes on. Would a computer program be able to pronounce your company name or the names of your products?

Pronunciations of names foreign to the database are non-existent

There is nothing worse than having your own name, or that of someone else you are partnering with, botched in front of an audience.

Inflections, emphasis, and phonetics... these are all fundamental to proper speech production. The successful use of these elements cannot be relied upon when using text-to-speech technology as opposed to a real, human voice recording just for you from your script adhering to your notes for a presentation.

No interpretation, sensitivity or artistry = No persuading anyone!

Half of the battle is finding the right voice to represent your company and the second half is creating a voice-over that people will be comfortable listening to in a corporate setting that conveys your message and company image.

Without a customized (and natural) interpretation of your script, any hopes to land a contract, inspire your staff, or launch a product are dashed in an instant. You should be thinking of your voice talent as a part of your sales force. In many ways, they can sell your product for you that no PowerPoint ever could.

The sphere of influence that a voice has in teaching and retaining information is unparalleled, entrenched in one of our strongest senses (hearing) and tapping into our emotions, logic, and comfort zones.

Have you had great experiences with a professional voice talent?

Looking forward to your reply,

David

P.S. Commenting on the blog is easy! You don't need an account to do so :)

---