My friend Bob Souer has written an excellent blog post on weaknesses and strengths in voice over.  I’m constantly evaluating myself and searching out my own strengths and weaknesses to try and help improve my work and I found it a very poignant read.  I think you might as well.

Bob starts off:

“There are lots of folks who think that voiceover work is all about the voice. Sure, there’s an element of truth in that idea. When we audition, many times the final choice the client makes is based on whose voice most closely matches what they’re looking for; but be careful how far you carry this idea.”  Read More.

I understand the thought of hiring a voice actor can be overwhelming to many so I have written an article called “How To Hire a Voice Over” as a service to my clients and prospective clients.

I have done my best to explain the process as concisely as possible but the article does have a good amount of meat in it.

If you find the online version hard to read you may download the PDF version instead:

How to Hire a Voice Over by Brian Hart

Please  leave a comment if you find “How to Hire a Voice Over” helpful,  if you find that I need to clarify or correct any information, or  if you have your own thoughts on the process you would like to add.

The article begins after the jump:

How to Hire a Voice Over

By Brian Hart 02/18/2010

Finding the right voiceover can be a daunting task.  You may feel that it would better to enlist professional help and hire a marketing firm or talent agency when searching for voice talent.  There are also times when you may want to manage a talent search on your own.  In either case, by following these simple steps as you begin your search for that perfect VO will make the process much more efficient, increase the effectiveness of your project and contribute to its overall success.

Assess Your Needs

It is important to assess your needs at the beginning of your project.  The first step is to define exactly why you need a voice over.  Perhaps you are integrating an automated interactive voice response system, also known as IVR, into your company’s automated phone system. As part of your marketing strategy you might be crafting a radio or television commercial. You might be searching for a voice over for a business presentation, a video introduction to your website, or a narration for an audio book.   Depending on your project it is possible you can do the voice over in house and may not need to hire a professional VO talent.   If that is your decision the process ends here.

But you may decide that a professional voice actor would better serve your project.  “The key to obtaining a successful voice over, regardless of application, is hiring the right voice over professional to record your message… in other words, finding the person whose voice and interpretation of your script best aligns with your brand,” says Stephanie Ciccarelli, Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of Voices.com.   “Remember, the talent chosen for this project will represent you and your company and may serve as the first impression prospective customers receive of who you are and what you stand for.” A professional voice talent can bring credibility to your project and engage your audience.  Ciccarelli continues, “Their voice and artistic interpretation will also need to resonate with how current customers presently perceive your brand.  The human voice is one of the most persuasive tools known to mankind for expressing messages because the voice, when used properly and effectively, can evoke emotional responses in a deeper, more personal and primal way than any other form of communication. “

Choosing the proper voice for your message is critical but how do you determine what type of voice best represents you?

This is so cool! Some of my fellow voice overs brought life to Axe Cop. Check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtOX_O_NKHY

If you don’t know the story: read the origins on the Axe Cop site.  Dave D’Andrea plays Axe Cop.  Lee Gordon and Bob Souer are also in it.  Leave a comment if I need to add someone’s name to the list.