The Biz

These past few months have been extremely busy and we're proud to announce the launch of Voices.com's Winter '08 Release, a comprehensive list of service updates and feature additions that have just gone live.

As is the quarterly tradition (Spring '07, Summer '07, Fall '07), I've outlined a complete list of improvements, mostly due to outstanding customer feedback from people like you.

Home Page

• Internet audio category in the Featured Talent Directory
• Political Demos category in the Featured Talent Directory
• Dynamically updating "Recently Hired" list of those voice talent who have been hired and paid using SurePay escrow
• Direct links to blogs, podcasts and news in the "What's New" section

Search Engine
• Highlighting of keywords in search results
• Search results display category icons to the demos
• Expanded keyword search capabilities
• Internet audio category added to the search engine

Profiles
• Add This social bookmarking widgets using AJAX technology
• "Send Money" option for fast payment of voice over jobs

Podcasts
• Voices.com's newest podcast “Voice Casting” is now at your service. Learn how to find a voice actor, what to look for in a voice, how to work with voice actors, and most importantly, how to brand your company using the power of the human voice.

Blogs
• "Voice Agents" is the future home of what promises to be the central hub for voice talent agents to publish articles about their industry, projects, best practices and promote their services through words using the power and reach of the Internet.

eBooks
• The Internet Marketing Plan for Voice Actors
• The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors

Help Resources
• Dozens of new solutions and more information added to the Knowledge Base which powers the Frequently Asked Questions
• Updates to the SurePay description page

Infrastructure
• New servers added to support continued growth
• Automated synchronization with customer relationship management systems

Development of Third Party Applications
• The "My Voices.com Profile" FaceBook application
• Established a Voices.com FaceBook page

Development of Third Party Websites
• Voice Over Times website launched
• Voicey Awards website updated and re-launched

How did we do?

Let us know your thoughts and requests for more improvements by adding a comment below.

This week, I had the good fortune of accepting a 1to1 Impact Award on behalf of our entire team in Phoenix Arizona at the Frost & Sullivan Sales and Marketing Conference.

Read on and gain some insight into how we operate Voices.com by putting you, our valued customer, at the center of all our business activities.

When Stephanie and I started Voices.com, we knew we needed a unique approach to doing business online.

Doing business online differs from traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses in the sense that we rarely get to meet our customers, so it would take longer to develop relationships.

Knowing this, we set out with a handful of principles that would guide the company in the years to come by creating a truly customer-centric business.

Focus on customer needs, wants, desires and emotions.

People use Voices.com because they have a need. You likely want to either complete a project or you have a desire to grow in your career -- both of which are attached to emotions.

Deliver a unique online experience.

The experience starts with the website, which we've been told is intuitive and appealing to look at. We've added blogs, podcasts, videos and a help section that includes a knowledge base of over 500 frequently asked questions.

Be accessible and responsive.

We understand that everyone has questions from time to time, so we've added a toll-free number which is located at the top of every page. If you are having trouble, it's easy to give us a call and we'll help you navigate the website. We're also available via Live Chat, an instant messaging tool that lets you communicate with us in real-time by simply typing in a message and waiting just seconds before you receive a reply.

I say this to provide some context.

You see, winning a silver medal at the 1to1 Impact Awards validates our approach of always focusing on you, our most valued customer.

The results have been phenomenal as we've developed relationships with highly skilled voice talents from around the world as well as knowledgeable people in global organizations who are making an impact.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you.

A special thanks to Laura McBride (Salesforce.com), Anne Haack (Salesforce.com), Mentha Benek (Outcast PR), Jessica Moran (1to1Media), Ginger Conlon (1to1Media) and Dr. Martha Rogers, founding partner of the prestigious Peppers & Rogers Group.

This tutorial covers how to export your Del.icio.us bookmarks by saving an XML file to your desktop, then importing that file into your personal Google account or your corporate Google Apps account.

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to do. Let's get started.

LOGIN TO YOUR NEW GOOGLE ACCOUNT

1. Login to your personal Google Account or if you'd like to import your Del.icio.us bookmarks into your corporate Google Apps account, login to that account now by visiting http://partnerpage.google.com/

Once you're signed into the Google Account, you're ready to move on to the next step.

SYNC DEL.ICIO.US WITH GOOGLE

2. Use this handy widget and enter in your del.icio.us username and password http://persistent.info/delicious2google/

I've synchronized at least a dozen accounts and had no issues or concerns about security. You can always change your del.icio.us password temporarily for the synchronization, then once this step is done, switch it back to your usual password.

CONFIRM THE SYNCHRONIZATION WAS SUCCESSFUL

3. Visit your Web History, then click "Bookmarks" on the sidebar to view all your Del.icio.us bookmarks, tags and notes successfully imported.

You're done!

BACKUP DEL.ICIO.US BOOKMARKS

While we're at it, take a moment to back-up your Del.icio.us bookmarks by saving the file to your personal computer.

4. Login to your del.icio.us account. Click on "Settings", then click "Ex-port/Backup".
5. Export / Backup, include my tags and include my notes
6. Click Export to XML and save the file to your "My Documents"

IMPORT DEL.ICIO.US BOOKMARKS INTO OTHER SOCIAL BOOKMARKING SERVICES

7. Once you're logged in to your social bookmarking website of choice, look for a link that say "Add Bookmarks" which is usually found in your profile or under the settings.
8. Browse your hard drive for the del.icio.us file and start the import.
9. Rinse and repeat with other social bookmarking websites.

Wasn't that easy?

A webinar is a type of web conference, that tends to be mostly one-way, from the speaker to the audience with limited audience interaction, such as in a Webcast, which is transmission of information in one direction only, like watching a concert on the internet.

A webinar however, can be very collaborative, and include polling and question & answer sessions to allow full participation between the audience and the presenter. A webinar is 'live' in the sense that information is conveyed according to an agenda, with a starting and ending time. In most cases, the presenter may speak over a standard telephone line, pointing out information being presented on screen, and the audience can respond over their own telephones, preferably a speakerphone.

As you might have guessed, webinars have a lot of moving pieces, however with a little forethought, your next webinar will be successful by following these helpful tips.

Tips for Success

• Turn off any streaming media applications that may take up bandwidth and resource-intensive applications that may be taxing processor ability.

• Arrive a 15 minutes early to greet the attendees as they arrive and start the Webinar on time. It also helps to have a welcome presentation running during this time. Your presence in these opening minutes can help establish the tone and direction of the Webinar.

• Call in to the Webinar from a location where there is little background noise.

• Turn off system prompts and sounds for when attendees join or leave a Webinar.

• Avoid using cellular and cordless phones because of static and use the phone handset or a headset instead of speakerphones because of background noise, tunnel effect and sentence clipping.

• Turn off your call waiting. The beep of a new call on another line is heard by everyone on the teleconference.

• Avoid putting your phone on hold during a teleconference. Your hold music will play into the conference call and make it impossible for the other attendees to continue the Webinar.

• Introduce yourself when you begin speaking and ask your panelists to also identify themselves before speaking. Not everyone in the Webinar may know everyone else’s
voice.

• If you find you are having a sound quality issue, hang up and dial back in. Sometimes these problems clear themselves up when the bad connection is terminated.

Webinar Service Providers

There are a few web conferencing technologies on the market that have incorporated the use of VoIP audio technology, to allow for a truly web-driven presentation, removing the need for any external devices, such as a telephone.

WebEx

GoToMeeting

FreeConference

Have Some of Your Own Tips To Share?

Have you conducted a webinar? If so, can you add to the list of tips? Let us know by adding your comments below.

Each year, the challenge generates thousands of entries and tens of thousands of comments from around the world, and results in high-profile recognition of 50 leaders, innovators, and technology pioneers. This year's challenge promises to be bigger and better.

This year, Fast Company is looking for unsung heroes and rising stars among our readers: senior executives, in-the-trenches team leaders, engineers, marketers, and other high-impact players from all kinds of backgrounds.

Fast Company: What's your big idea? Please tell us how this Fast 50 Nominee is helping to address the planet's problems.

Voices.com: Voices.com gives organizations the ability to spread their messages using the human voice to persuade others to take notice and inspire action.

Fast Company: Please describe how this nominee is using business as a force of positive change. What technology, idea, or strategy is the nominee using -- and what problem, such as global warming, poverty, or pollution, does it address?

Voices.com: Issues of great international and personal interest are addressed on a daily basis through jobs that are posted to voice-over professionals at Voices.com. Urgency translates directly through vocal performance, and the final product, an audio recording of an important message, is promptly and cost-effectively acquired by people who work to change the world, using the voice-over as a primary agent of change. Studies have proven that voice-overs are extremely effective, that they affect and move people, and also that the unique voice print of an individual cannot be replicated or compared to any other form of communication.

Fast Company: What are the results, both financial and social? How has the nominee's business performed, and what impact has it had on the problem it addresses?

Voices.com: Voices.com achieved a 62 percent increase in gross sales year-over-year as a result of sound business practices and a strong management team.

Going directly to freelance professional voice actors saves companies and organizations money and streamlines the hiring process. Not just any message gets through, however. A part of the job approval process is to seek out projects that are noble, upright and life altering for the betterment of humankind.

The editors at Fast Company will announce the winners of the Fast 50 in January 2008.

Until then, feel free to add your comments to our entry or read and review other entries as they come in at www.fastcompany.com/fast50.

The Web's emergence is forcing ad executives to succumb to marketers' demands that agencies reinvent how ads are created, and forgo their TV-centric approach.

Suzanne Vranica from the Wall Street Journal reports that "clients are even calling for changes in the way ad firms are structured. But until now, few advertisers have spent more than 5% to 10% of their marketing budgets online. With the growth of online video and social networking, ad experts expect that percentage to jump significantly this year."

Low-cost, high return marketing activities such as blogging or podcasting, opportunities abound for the small to medium sized business to make 2008 the year where they cover significant ground in establishing an online presence and extending their brand recognition.

Have you added blogging, podcasting, video and social networking to your online marketing initiatives for 2008?

Let us know by adding your comments below.

Image Source: reverendsam on Flickr