Entries Tagged as 'voiceover advice'

Sometimes, clients and prospects just need to be reminded

Voiceover talents are (or should be) always either marketing their services or planning their next marketing effort.

It’s simply part of being a professional voice actor and running a business.

It’s the same for me (or any business really) – trying to come up with inventive and pleasant ways of letting my audience know I’m out here and I am open to work on their voiceover project.

The trick is not to be a pest about it.

My most recent voice marketing project was a textbook case of “marketing as a reminder”.

This is my second year of producing a generic, self designed, free, printed football schedule (8 1/2” x 11”) for my favorite team. I then share it with a targeted portion of my database – who all likely share that fandom with me.

2024 Buffalo Football Schedule

Aside from my logo and contact info – the majority of the calendar is just that — public information about the team schedule that my contacts can save or print out or toss. It’s just what I consider a nice way to say “hi” and promote our beloved team with a tool I’ve seen real estate agents use for years.

I say the following with 100% honesty – I had no expectation that this schedule was anything more than a “friendly wave” to my database.

About a day or two later, I get an email from a long time media buddy who received the schedule, noting that he was working on a project that would need a narrator for and my little schedule reminded him to call me.

He just needed a reminder.

Our reminders don’t have to be fancy or expensive or even a thing – I guess a phone call is a thing but the conversation is not something they can put on their shelf or tack to a bulletin board (but phone calls ARE great, subtle auditions for voice talents).

Maybe the point is to see your marketing efforts – regardless of your budget – as friendly, non-pesky reminders about your voice acting services.

A way to say “hi, when you’re ready, I’m here.”

You may find that they are, indeed, ready.

Hope this helps.

Micro-Business Owners Beware of Moo Printing

Moo Business Cards - Small Business Owners Beware

When you have worked with a vendor in the past who did bad work, but fixed it and tried to make it right, it’s fair that you give them a second chance (especially if you got a free credit on the 2nd job because of the screw ups on the 1st job).

In that second chance, when you speak directly to customer service BEFORE the project begins, tell them about past problems and ask customer service to spot check the project to avoid problem (they say they will) AND YET the vendor screws up the project anyway…because there WAS NO QUALITY CONTROL as promised…that vendor loses credibility as well as the business.

That’s what Moo.com did (erased all credibility with me) on my latest, professionally designed and submitted business card printing job.

Moo was warned about the past printing problems I had with them BEFORE printing started, ignored those detailed yellow flags I gently laid at their feet and went ahead and thoughtlessly botched the 2nd project of 2024 — just like they did the 1st project in 2023.

If you look at the graphic above, the bad business cards on the left side look like the printer jets went in one direction and the card stock in another and card cutter was have none of either.

The cards are the right show the work after the correction (and quality control check….finally) were delivered many days later.

So let this be a warning to ANY small or micro-business owner that Moo.com doesn’t really have a quality control check on small print orders. The embarrassed customer service rep from Moo even said I would likely be better served going to a small local printer on a project like this…except if you look at Moo’s marketing, they think my size business is a good prospect.

In short….

  • Moo’s customer service people are great, helpful and attentive
  • The actual cards I have had printed (after multiple corrections on both orders) turned out fine
  • Moo’s production and quality control team is (in my experience) crap

First I warned Moo to please check my project through to the end.

Now I am warning you of the unnecessary headaches I went through working with Moo on two projects about 1 year apart.

I hope you hear better than Moo.

“SPEECHLESS” Voiceover Podcast to Celebrate 100 Episodes on April 18, 2024

Speechless Voiceover Podcast 100th Episode - Peter K. O'Connell VoiceoverIn almost all of broadcasting, be it radio, TV or cable, making it to the 100th show is a milestone.

The same is true for podcasting and it’s especially true for voiceover podcasting (says the blogger/podcaster who couldn’t get past 3-4 episodes back in the waaaay early days of the medium).

Seriously, I’ve heard and long forgotten a large number of VO podcasts from producers who seemingly lost interest in the medium.

So when I saw a post from my voiceover pal (and fellow Faffer) Natasha Marchewka about the upcoming 100th episode of her SPEECHLESS voiceover podcast with Kim Wilson (on April 18th), I know it promises to be a big deal.

Over 2 (maybe now 3) seasons/years, Kim and Natasha’s SPEECHLESS podcast has been a behind-the-scenes take on real life in the voice over biz! The good, the bad and the ugly.

SPEECHLESS Voiceover Podcast with Natasha Marchewka & Kim WilsonIt takes true production commitment and focus to keep a podcast (or any media program) on-air for ANY length of time. Guest aren’t always great, ideas aren’t always flowing….but if you have the determination, producers like Kim and Natasha fly over the problems and focus on the good stuff.

If you get to 100 episodes, that means the audience likes all the good stuff and wants you to keep going.

And that there (as we say in the south) is the greatest cause for celebration there is!

How Voice Talents Should Treat Their Voiceover Clients

Code of Conduct - Peter K. O’Connell VoiceoverI have been enjoying the promotional posts by my friend and fellow voice talent Tracy Lindley, who is celebrating her 10th year as a professional voice talent.

She is also rightly celebrated on the voiceover podcast and convention circuit for her LinkedIn presentation.

In her 10 day series “10 Lessons from 10 Years in Voiceover”, Tracy offers reflections and advice on how her voiceover business practices may help others as well.

One of her posts that caught my eye was “Treat Others the Way They Want to be Treated”. Briefly, Tracy’s sales and marketing concept here is for business owners to be aware of and adapt to the likes, wants, needs and in some cases personalities of their clients.

The reason it caught my eye was that it reminded me about something I wrote all the way back in 2008 and that is still posted to the audio’connell Voiceover Talent.

It’s the audio’connell Voice Over Talent (and O’Connell Communications, LLC) Code of Conduct.

Why a such a formal sounding document for what is essentially a one-man band business?

My thinking is simple – tell clients the kind of business relationship they are entering into while also reminding myself how to behave and how I should also expect to be treated.

Do most clients even notice it? I don’t know as it really has never been discussed. Ultimately, if a client or vendor didn’t like how they were treated, someone would be fired or not renewed.

My feeling is, for those prospects or clients who DO care about such things, my company’s long established policy is posted for the world to see.

“Treat Others the Way They Want to be Treated” and “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” are both worthwhile business strategies, whether you been a professional voice actor for 10 years (like Tracy) or 42 years (like me).

 

THE VOICEOVER EXPRESS INTERVIEW:
“Voiceover Branding with a Smile: A Conversation with Peter K. O’Connell, America’s Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent”

Interviewer: THE VOICEOVER EXPRESS
Guest: Peter K. O’Connell – Award-Winning Voice Actor, Voiceover Coach, and Business Owner


American male voice actor Peter K. O'Connell

Male Voiceover Talent Peter K. O’Connell

From global brands like General Electric, Kraft, and Deloitte to countless eLearning, commercial, and narration projects, American male voice actor Peter K. O’Connell has become one of the most trusted American male voiceover talents in the industry. With a voice that exudes warmth, confidence, and clarity, O’Connell has spent over 40 years building not only a successful, award-winning voiceover business but also a brand that resonates with audio producers, creative directors, casting agents, and media pros around the world.

But a great voiceover career isn’t just about the sound — it’s about getting the business, and branding is critical. We sat down with Peter to have an open, honest conversation about how he’s approached voiceover logo design over the years and how it plays into his marketing success as a professional male voice actor.


The Voiceover Express: Peter, you’ve been known for your tagline “Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent.” Where did that come from?

Stone Tablet Your Friendly Neighborhood Voiceover Talent Peter K. O'ConnellPeter K. O’Connell: It started as a fun nod to the comic book world, but it really stuck because it represents how I work — friendly, reliable, and professional. Clients often look for a conversational, natural, and trustworthy voice. That tagline says it all without being stiff. Then, over time, I realized my brand had to look as friendly as it sounded.


VOE: You’ve redesigned your logo a few times. Why change it — especially when you’re already well known?

Original voiceover logo for audio'connell Voiceover Talent - Peter K. O'ConnellO’Connell: Fair question! I think logos evolve over time for a number of reasons. In my case, who you are as a performer and what the marketplace is looking for as well as the tools they use to find your services will dictate to some extent your look and messaging.

I had the kind of elegant audio’connell branding for a loooong time. It was perfectly fine…maybe not flashy but serviceable.

40th Voiceover Anniversary logo, Peter K. O'Connell Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent

A version of the Peter K. O’Connell Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent logo modified for the male voice actor’s 40th year in voiceover

The first major voiceover logo update was in 2016, right after I moved to Raleigh. I wanted my branding to reflect the new environment — so I dropped the red and black for blue tones more common across North Carolina.

But also, producers weren’t always connecting the audio’connell company name to Peter K. O’Connell, the voice talent. They’d ask, “Who does the actual voice work?” Um… me! So I made the “Peter K. O’Connell” part of the logo branding more prominent in the 2016 version.

That logo version evolved over time from a more rectangular shape to a more square shape, guided alot by logo placement and usage on social media. I also had a little fun with that logo during my 40th anniversary as a professional voice actor.


VOE: The voiceover logo tweeks following your family’s move from Buffalo, NY to Raleigh, NC make sense, a kind of logo refresh for a fresh location. But why the logo refresh in 2023?

O’Connell: I’m not sure whether to call the branding change of 2023 branding “humility” or “humiliation” but it was certainly all self-inflicted (much laughing). The more I looked at the 2016 logo, which I liked and it worked well, the more I thought how uncomfortable I am with my name so big, so bold, so prominent. It was the logo I created to serve the purpose of putting my name out there, getting recognized, looking professional and creative – it did all that, especially according to people more graphically talented than me…but it was starting to make me feel very… self conscious.

Look, I’ve always had a problem with self-promotion…. in essence, me “branding me” and “promoting me” or “publicizing me”. ICK!!! But I do it because I have to — all voice actors have to.  What we are selling, as voice actors, is ourselves. But I have never done the public relations, direct mail or social media because I want to…truthfully, such required promotion is awkward and embarrassing to me personally.


VOE: So the 2023 logo refresh was a reaction to that awkwardness?

Yes and, look, maybe it’s a good lesson for any small business owners to check your feelings versus reality when it comes to your branding. In 2023, my gut was wrong.

The rest of the world did not look at my 2016 logo and say “what a pompous, egotistical jerk Peter is”…I gave the world many OTHER reasons to say that, having nothing to do with my logo (much laughing). But I went ahead with focusing the logo on my tag line “Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent” with the peterkoconnell.com tagline and brought back the RCA-77 microphone.

The new 2023 logo was subtle. So subtle it might show up on an EKG as a flatline. DOA. (much laughing)


VOE: The latest version launched in 2024 — what changed?

O’Connell: I knew that for a company of my size and scope, certainly logos are important…but they are rarely sacred.

I realized my error with the 2023 logo and knew I needed to start fresh in the new year.

Important to note – it’s OK to make mistakes as a micro-business owner but it would have been unwise not to learn from it and move on.

Having digested my logo humble pie in 2023, I thought about the previous two logos, about what I liked and what I didn’t like about them. I needed to come up with a plan.  Clearly, the 2023 version wasn’t nearly friendly (or interesting) enough and the 2016 font style was…I dunno, I guess I’ll call it too stylized, too “big city” and again, not friendly enough.

Peter K. O'Connell Your Friendly, Neighborhood Voiceover Talent 2024 voiceover logo

So I was fumbling around with fonts one night, sincerely not thinking about the logo at the time (isn’t that always when inspiration strikes, right?), I came across a font that made me think of the font style in the credits of the movie “Mary Poppins”. Young or old, Mary Poppins usually represents happy and friendly. I think so, anyway.

To me, the font was fun but not childish or comic-book based but it had….personality! It was a creative, friendly and I feel professional way to present “Peter K. O’Connell” (while also dropping the “look at me” all caps look of the 2016 logo…maybe the caps were the problem all along, I dunno, ask my therapist if I ever get one).

Then I found a font for the tagline that I felt really properly represented the friendly, conversational message within the tagline “friendly, neighborhood voiceover talent”. I decided to keep the iconic RCA-77 microphone on to which I subtly tied in my well-liked audio’connell icon. The red and light blue came from a mix of personal ties — my college (University of Dayton), the Buffalo Bills, and some local schools here in North Carolina.

No one is going to confuse this voiceover logo for a branding masterpiece but I believe the logo DOES say fun, creative, friendly and unique. I feel very happy and at piece with the look and how it represents me to the voiceover marketplace. I’ll let you know in a few years if I still like it. (laughs)


VOE: You’re a voice talent, not a designer. Why get so involved in your voiceover logo design?

Peter K. O'Connell Voiceover Talent Email Signature

This is the Canva designed email signature used by voice actor Peter K. O’Connell

O’Connell: I may not be a designer – strike that, I am not even close to a professional designer – but I care deeply about how clients perceive me. So while I am smart enough to have a professional designer execute the final work, I present my designer with developed concepts and direction that gets her to where I want to go (unless she tells me no and I will listen to her advice). But with the competitiveness of voiceover today, I need all my marketing efforts to stand out, including the logo. When a potential client sees my brand on my web site or social media when they search online for male narration voice, corporate voiceover, eLearning voice, conversational American voice talent or whatever, not only should my website and voiceover demo information come up but the visual identity I have created also needs to engage them with a super positive, professional, trustworthy first impression. Those are the outcomes I NEED to come out of a design project and that’s why I am involved.


VOE: For those just starting out — any marketing or branding advice?

O’Connell: Do as I say, not as I do. (laughs) My advice is know that marketing, at the highest corporate levels, with all their focus groups and statistics and big budgets, will never be perfect…so don’t wait for perfect in your small or micro-business. But also, don’t wait to take action. Take thoughtful action after doing your due diligence and execute. You will make mistakes but stay calm. Most people won’t notice the errors unless you announce your mistakes in an interview like I just did. (much laughing). Then specifically for voice actors, know who you are and what that uniqueness is that you bring to the mic. Whether you’re a deep male voice, a friendly commercial voice, or a credible narrator, reflect that in every part of your brand — including the visuals. Your logo is the silent part of your voiceover demo — make sure it speaks just as clearly.


Find Peter K. O’Connell at peterkoconnell.com — or just search “friendly American voiceover talent.” Chances are, Peter will be the voice you’re looking for.

VoiceOver Bulletin Board Celebrates 19 Years of Education, Insight & Camaraderie

VO-BB Voiceover Bulletin Board

Voice Talents Peter K. O’Connell and Connie Terwilliger

On February 2, 2005 my voiceover career veered in an entirely new direction, solely by signing into a fairly new web community.

I made a professional, online connection with a fellow voice-talent named Connie Terwilliger on a short-lived, voiceover-centric website that was closing down.

Voice Talents Mary McKitrick, DB Cooper and Peter K. O’Connell

Connie (who is an amazing female voice as well as stage actress) clued me into something call the *Voiceover Bulletin Board*, or VO-BB.com , started by another great voice actress, D.B. Cooper.

Voice Talents Bruce Miles and Peter K. O'Connell

Voice Talents Bruce Miles and Peter K. O’Connell at FaffCon 8

Bruce Miles now manages the website daily.

Sidebar: I just realized that those three people – who are all part of my VO-BB experience, and now my voiceover life – are sincerely 3 of my most favorite voices in the industry

The ways the members of that community have helped my career and befriended me over 18 years cannot be counted. But I am grateful for all of it.

Should you not see a topic you have a question about, it’s easy to post a question. Members are there to help members…most all of whom are seasoned voiceover professionals.

As just one example, it was on and because of VO-BB that FaffCon – the Unconference – was conceived, born and flourished.

If you are in voiceover or if you think you might want to be in voiceover, join VO-BB.com….it’s FREE board and search any possible voiceover topic you have a question about (performance, business, technology….you’ll find many interesting discussions and helpful ideas.

Enjoy the ride.