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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Voiceover Xtra! has a fun article about folks who “network” featuring my voice over friends Liz “you don’t have to say my last name right as long as the spelling is close enough for me to cash the check” de Nesnera and Trish “you thought my last name was hard to pronounce – let me introduce you to my friend Liz” Basanyi.

It’s a fun read. written by voice talent Kelley Buttrick.

Tags: commentary, marketing, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Maxine Dunn- voice-over artist and on-camera spokesperson

Today I came across an article by Maxine Dunn regarding cold calling that I think is worth your time to read (thanks to Perry Norton for the link).

The only addendum I would add is that more valuable than a cold call is a warm call – having sent some correspondence to your prospect 2-3 days prior and then calling them up.

But in either case, the most important outcome is to get on the phone. Thanks Maxine.

Tags: commentary, marketing, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I’ve been a bit lax in my logo reviews of late (and I know you find this upsetting) so here’s a very cool update for those of you of the golf persuasion (like me).

The Ryder Cup is a long standing bi annual golf tournament featuring the top golfers from the United States versus the top players from Europe. Its a long weekend full of some great golf.

And there may be no sport more dependent on logos given all the golf shirts and baseball caps sporting thousands of golf related logos. The Ryder Cup really is the sport’s Oscars and this updated tournament logo fits that bill perfectly.

I really enjoy the tournament and I think this new logo is a home run. But I’d love to get your impression as well. Are you more fond or not so fond of it?

Tags: branding, commentary, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I learned one thing about the internet early on – unless you are a savant at making viral videos, you had better be good at promoting yourself cause as much as they might like you, others will never promote you as well as you can promote yourself.

Well, I must change my opinion of that, having now been distilled through the Voices.com PR machine. Others, it turns out, can promote you as well as you can promote yourself…in this case, better.

Hubris or ego or savvy marketer (I’ve been accused of all three), I was never really comfortable with having to directly promote myself as much as the internet dictated I would have to, if I was to help my business. I did it (and do it) strictly because it does help my presence on the web – period. But it is awkward to do it – that’s truly how it feels to me. I offer that as background.

So fast forward to recent times, having been hounded (maybe just “asked” a number of times) for a few years by Stephanie Ciccarelli at Voices.com to do a podcast for them, I sent her “The First 15 Seconds” (about voice talents should approach their voice over auditions) before Christmas, 2010. Stephanie published my podcast the first week of January, 2011.

Then their public relations flood gates opened. It was torrential and impressive.

First Voices.com was kind enough to say in their release “Peter K. O’Connell is one of North America’s top voice over coaches and voice talents.”

As God as my witness, I never, ever recall claiming that in any of the stuff I’ve written about my work ever (send me a document I wrote if you can prove otherwise and I’ll admit my mistake…cause I don’t think I did so). I think Voices.com wrote that on their own (thank you for your kind words, folks). I’m also thinking all the really good voice over teachers are pretty pissed at me right now for soiling their talent pool…but I didn’t say that, Voices.com did.

Then I was sorting through some of my normal Google Alerts to see what if anyone is saying about me, my business or my industry. There I realized that Voices.com flushed their press release about my podcast through every public relations pipe the web has!

Truly, I thought I had this web promo thing worked out but now I see I am a pathetic rookie compared to these crazy (in a good way) Canadians (I can say that because I am part Canadian, which explains my affinity for Tim Horton’s donuts).

So thanks to Stephanie and her team for the plugs and good on them for their web marketing machine. If you’re going to go – go all out or go home!

Tags: advertising, commentary, marketing, peter o'connell, public relations, voice talent, voiceover, voices.com by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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OK then smarty pants, identify what THING these logos were placed on?

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, commercials, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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