Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Get a “Great Sounding” Brand: Pro Voice Recording Tips

When you hear a recognizable voice on the radio, chances are you associate their sound (voice) with the brand of the radio station. What is the VOICE of your company voicemail system saying about your corporate brand?


Voicemail and automated phone systems have become an accepted way of doing business in the digital age. Companies often hire a professional voice to record the greetings, which are usually recorded in a single session.


If you decide to use a person on-staff to record the greetings for your company’s voicemail system, these simple tips can help to achieve more professional-sounding recordings:


Breathe Deeply: Before recording, take a deep breath: Inhale…. Exhale…. Lower those shoulders and relax. Continue to breathe from your belly, which will give your voice a more confident sound.


Smile: Smiling while recording the greetings will translate into a warmer, friendlier sound. It may feel funny to smile while recording, but it will make a big difference in the finished product.


Be Clear: Speak clearly at moderate, even pace. Ideally, the script will be written to efficiently route callers to their destination. It is often helpful to offer callers a prompt to repeat the message if necessary for longer greetings that offer several options to choose from (“press 2 for sales, 3 for customer service, etc..”).


Be Direct: When asking for a caller to leave their phone number, remind them to include the area code. You might want to ask them to speak slowly and repeat the phone number, or other critical information, twice.


Your voicemail greeting is often a first impression. A professional-sounding voice on your phone system can only add value to your corporate identity.


Lisa Osborne is a radio broadcaster and provider of voice-over services such as marketing-on hold and voicemail greetings for corporate phone systems, transit agencies and more. For more information, visit BroadcastEdge.net. Find Lisa on Twitter @Lisa_FM