Technology has kicked my ass this week and it’s been pretty painful.

To briefly summarize, my website’s “contact us” page has been malfunctioning and I didn’t know it. When an inquiry comes in, I am supposed to get an email notifying me. Unbeknownst to me, the technical tool has been broken for months.

I just thought business was a little slow.

Even though the technical malfeasance was caused by my web provider, it is my brand, my company, my name that has in the minds of some of these prospects, been tarnished. They don’t care about my web provider…in their eyes it’s ME that did not respond or ignored their inquires.

While on a much smaller scale than, say, the Tylenol problem of the 80’s, I have been executing my own little version Crisis Communication Response.

It’s necessary and it’s humiliating.

I don’t think I’ve ever written the words “apology” and “I’m sorry” in greater frequency. But it must be done with expediency and sincerity.

One of the biggest slaps was a lead for a voice over job that wasn’t yet 24 hours old that I responded to only to find that job had already been completed. In normal circumstances, I would have at least been in the hunt.

There were (so far as of this writing) a few voice talents who wanted to study in the Voice Over Workshop and tried to contact me through the “contact us” page. I can’t even imagine the bad feelings they were left with when one of their peers didn’t respond with an email or call. My head aches at the thought of it.

It’s NOT how I run my business but these prospects don’t know that…my actions (or lack thereof regardless of the reasons) speak louder than words.

But maybe there’s a lesson in this for Voice Over Workshop students and you too. Something about always double checking and testing your computer settings; not putting too much faith in your web provider to guard your website as if it were their own; knowing that into each life a little rain must fall.

I can’t sort it all out right now but I guess as you drive by this wreck of a technology case study, you’ll be able to pull a lesson out for yourself…and if that saves you from some fate similar to mine, then that is of consolation.

As my Mom was fond of saying “this too shall pass.”

Tags: commentary, i-post, marketing, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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<em> Voice Talents Peter K. O'Connell, Karen Commins & Craig Crumpton in Atlanta</em>

My friend, voice talent Karen Commins is a bit like Dave Courvoisier in that she and Dave put a fair amount research into their blogs – coming up with helpful content. Stuff you can use.

This blog isn’t useless but it ain’t nearly as impressive and thoughtout as theirs are.

Case in point, Karen’s recent great post about the rules of public domain which apply to any industry but are of particular interest to those who produce media.

Read it here.

Tags: blogs, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Voice Talents Peter K O'Connell and Natalie Stanfield Thomas

There are many great reasons to go to Faffcon.

The reason I will expound on today is that if you go to Faffcon, you may meet neighbors you never knew you had.

I had known of Natalie Stanfield Thomas via the internet and social media but had not met her and learned about her career until we met at Faffcon and became fast friends.

She lives near Bath, NY which is only about two hours away from my studio and part of a route I’ve been driving for years to see my in-laws near the NY/PA border.

In addition to her long career as a radio talent and voice over talent, she and her husband Ed (who also joined us for our lunch – a very nice fellow as you might expect) work with the Family Life Network. FLN has an impressive network of stations.

I was really appreciative that Natalie and Ed could take time out of their day to visit with me and talk shop.

Tags: commentary, peter o'connell, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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This week I sent out my fairly irregular Voice Over Workshop Kick In The Pants eblast.

It’s a simple little newsletter to my voice over friends about things I think will be interesting and some information about available dates I have for the Voice Over Workshop

At the most, I hope the people who read it find something of value.

Well I got the nicest, simplest note from voice talent Brian Haymond who told me he wrote a blog post about the newsletter.

I completely did NOT expect that but I was really pleased that he found something so of interest that he wanted to blog about it.

Not to crow too much but only to say it was a nice feeling.

Tags: voice over workshop, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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When a teacher succeeds, it’s because their student’s life has been changed by what that teacher offered. The teacher offered a gift: their knowledge, their ability to communicate that knowledge in a thoughtful way and it blossomed within the student.

I got a note today from voice talent Lisa Biggs who shared a recent experience she had with an experienced voice over pro who is now sharing his gifts as a voice teacher. I’ll let you decide if the lesson had an impact.

After ten years riding the voice over crazy train I still take classes regularly, and work closely and consistently with a handful of professional coaches. Recently I decided to reach out to Rob Paulsen in hopes that I might have the opportunity to learn from him as well. Rob has been a professional voice over actor since the 1980’s having voiced over 2,000 1/2 hour animated episodes to his credit. In 1999 Rob won the daytime Emmy award for “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program” for his role as the voice of the boisterous and energetic laboratory mouse Pinky in the hit series Pinky and the Brain.

I feel like I’ve grown up with Rob! I remember watching him as Yako on Animaniacs every afternoon, after soccer practice in junior high. So, I was beyond thrilled when he emailed me back to informed me that he’s beginning a new venture as a voice-over coach, he said my timing was “serendipitous”!

One of the things that makes Rob Paulsen’s time and expertise so infinitely valuable is it’s relevancy. He continues to work almost every day! He’s voiced thousands of commercials. He is the voice of “Mr. Opportunity” for Honda, also he works on animated projects on a weekly basis. Rob is the quintessential busy bee and a competitive force in this highly competitive industry. Whether your goal is to learn how to bring absolute believability to a fictional character, or learning to make out of the box choices when auditioning, “Mr. Opportunity” is knocking and you should answer the door. Rob says, ” those gifted with exceptional talent who focus of maximizing their potential by finding their own niche quickly break away from the pack.”

Tags: voice actors, voice over training, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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