IVR

What Custom Voice Over Coaching Content Means

January 9, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

It’s In the Details

After finishing back to back jobs, one for a repeat client I do work for monthly and one for a new corporate client, I happily snuggle up with my studio dogs to do what I love: continue lesson plans for two students. While I always follow a specific pattern or structure in the way that I teach, every, single lesson is unique. Why? Well every talent starts at a different place and has different goals. An actor with years of training who comes from a stage background or an on-camera background has very different needs than a talent who is a total newbie. Or perhaps you’ve worked in one genre and now you are coming to me to branch into a new genre like Radio Imaging or IVR. The details of each scenario matter so much, so having unique, custom voice over coaching content matters.

So What exactly Is Custom Voice Over Coaching Content?

“Custom Content” means that each lesson is created for you and is based on current voice over trends. You don’t have to worry about working on scripts from four years ago or studying trends that are no longer relevant. Instead, your focus is on what is booking today and what you need to do to make your reads bookable. The other reason this is extremely important is that sometimes we all need to work on certain skills longer than others. While some of us breeze through understanding things like subtext, others take longer to decipher what scripts are really saying and need to spend more time on the basics of script analysis. Put simply, you cannot move at someone else’s pace for something as important as the foundations of your voice over career. You need to be at your own pace, tailored for your needs.

What Should I ask About When Talking to A New Voice Over Coach?

Having a coach that you have a good rapport is essential. It is ok to ask:

Where do your source your scripts?
Do you keep a script library?
Do I have to supply my own scripts or do you supply them? This question might surprise you, but not all coaches supply scripts for you.
Do you teach a technique for working on scripts?
Do you have a strategy for organizing my scripts?
Do we work in different industries/genres?
Do you help me determine where my personal vocal attributes fit into the VoiceOver industry?

Why Does it Matter That the Scripts Be Fresh?

It matters a lot both that scripts be current and represent what is currently on the air and that they are real. The truth is, while some scripts that are sent our way as voice actors are beautifully written, many are not. And across genres, often they are filled with typos and are not even translated properly into English. If you are new to VoiceOver, and you are expecting the VO copy that you get to look or sound like what you hear on tv and the radio, you might have a good dose of disappointment coming your way. Or, you can learn as I have, to see this as yet another opportunity to provide a higher level of needed service to your clients. This is your moment to step in and offer them what they need. This is your moment to be helpful and point out, as a native English speaker, how a line might be re-worked. Should an entire script need editing, then for a fee you can provide that. But as a coach, it is my job to show you realistic scripts, not just perfect scripts. In order for you to be fully prepared to work in VoiceOver, you need to know how to tackle the scripts that are not beautifully written and do not follow the rules.

The other reason to understand the current sought-after reads is to best prepare for your demo. Whether you are doing a commercial or narration demo, you want your demo to have a long shelf life. You don’t want to pick spots that will age your demo. So, you have to be mindful of current trends and try to pick spots that won’t enable a client to say- “wow, that was done in 2022.” Understanding characteristics of what makes a strong voice over read is essential to success in this industry.

Tying it All Together with Custom Voice Over Coaching

As a coach, it’s my job to make it easy for you. It’s my job to guide you through the process and set you up for success. While there are never guarantees in any industry, partnering with a good coach that you feel comfortable with makes launching and boosting your VO business much easier.

Welcome to My VO Store: Voice Over Buying Made Easy

January 3, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

It’s 2021 Now…

You don’t need a middle man if you need a voiceover for your next project. Instead, with a revolutionary online store front, you can shop for you voice over needs just like online food marketing or buying shoes. This client-centered approach is about making it easy and clear for you, the buyer. Let me explain how it works. Here’s the online store:

Voice Over Buying Made Easy

So let’s say it’s 2 am and you have just finished editing your explainer video. You have a super fast turn-around and you need a professional female voice talent who does not need a lot of direction, you tell her what you want, and voila, pristine audio will arrive fully-edited and according to your specs.

Or you have a commercial. You are looking for that quintessential millennial voice. You know, the authentic girl-next-door that sounds like a real person. You want it for a regional broadcast, and you need a live session via source connect. It’s 10 am, and you need the audio in the next day. Easy, you just click, and set up your session.

https://youtu.be/p31p69CD_sM

First Security Bank TV Commercial (https://youtu.be/p31p69CD_sM)

Here’s another potential scenario in which client’s love this online store. You’re looking to change your office voice mail recording. A holiday is coming up, so you want it to be seasonally appropriate, your hours are changing, and you need Laura to work with a professional engineer to add music to match your branding. Here are two recent samples where Laura was hired directly by the client to redo their IVR, and she customized the sound for them with a talented engineer.

https://youtu.be/9VHT-SawW5E

Laura Schreiber IVR Phone Greeting Sample – Law Firm (https://youtu.be/9VHT-SawW5E)

https://youtu.be/5Y1Ojjw4BVU

Voice Over Phone Greeting by Laura Schreiber for Hatboro Pediatrics (https://youtu.be/5Y1Ojjw4BVU)

All of this is possible without even a single phone call, all with online purchasing through Laura’s voice over store.

The Process is Simple

First, the client would go to the “Services” page in the menu.
Then, select your category from the “menu” of service items.

Note that many of the categories differentiate the length of usage. It is important not to simply choose the cheapest option. Instead, you must actually select the real usage for your project.
When you are in the correct category, select the “Buy Now” button.
Choose the option that is appropriate and select “add to cart.”
To check out, click “view cart”

Then click “Proceed to Check Out”

When you are in the check out screen, there is a notes section for any special notes about the booking. This is where you can make any directional requests about tone or pace.

All that’s left to do is to pay! That’s it, it’s that easy.

Rates…

As a full-time working professional with years of experience and top brands as my clients, maintaining industry standard rates is essential to my business ethics. What are you paying for when you hire an established voice talent? You might think you are paying for the actual voice over for a given project and the usage of that voice over, but the rates stand for even more. The rates are based on the years of coaching and the on-going training that a professional has to understand what is current and booking in the industry. The rates are in a certain zone because professional talents maintain broad-cast ready studios with expensive equipment so that the audio quality is pristine every single time. The studios typically offer costly methods for live sessions, including Source Connect. Lastly, when you book a job in a certain range, you have are getting the guarantee of revisions and availability of that talent. The rate being in a certain range, then, should come as a quality assurance. Conversely, rates that are surprisingly low should serve as a red flag and alert you that either a talent is inexperienced or lacking in one of the areas and you should run for the hills.

Other Perks of Easy Shopping

Again, the purpose of the online store is to make the shopping experience as easy as possible for the client. When shopping in this online store, transparency is a given. You know what you are getting upfront. If you need pickups or revisions with your booking, they always come with jobs $250 and higher. Live sessions are always final delivery. Laura always delivers her bookings in 24 hours and typically much faster. If you need RUSH work delivered in less time, whether it is for a commercial, an explainer, IVR, eLearning narration, or another project, simply let Laura know and with an additional $50 fee (as is industry standard) Laura is happy to accommodate.

It’s 2021. We’re still in a pandemic. We need what we need quickly. Laura gets it and she wants you to have perfect audio without a fuss at the click of your mouse. Let Laura know how she can help you!

Supporting VO Clients During Covid 19

March 23, 2020 by Laura Schreiber

It’s Not all Movie Nights and Puppy Snuggles

For those of us solopreneurs who have worked from home for years, some aspects of social distancing surrounding Covid-19 are not new. We are working from home. Well, as a full-time voice over actor I was already doing that. The new challenge is that my entire family is now here. While I am thrilled that we now have the option of spending all of this quality time together, I still am eager to provide the best possible customer service to both my present, existing clients and to folks now in need of voiceover services. To that end, so that you can fully understand the range of what is out there, I have put together this brand new Covid-19 demo for you. It is a multi-genre demo, thematically linked by our present situation. I hope that it supports your present needs. Here is how else I can help you:

https://youtu.be/wmwu4IOowYo

Laura Schreiber Covid 19 Demo (https://youtu.be/wmwu4IOowYo)

New, Informative Phone Messages

Your phone messages are a great way to update all callers of the new changes. Hours, new policies, current procedures all can be added to both greetings, after hours messages, and on hold messages. I have always done a lot of telephony and IVR work and can help with script writing if need-be. It is very important to reassure all clients that business goes on, even if there are changes at the moment. Great phone messages are a huge help, and rush options are certainly available if you need them!

Engaging, Sincere PSAs

After years of doing commercials and PSAs, never did I anticipate voicing them for such a time of need. But maternal emotion aside, our moment has come. I will work with you and your team to bring the nuanced script to life and make your PSA stand out from the rest. Are you looking to emphasize hope right now? Perhaps you want to reassure your base? Maybe you have a solution to the problems your clients are having. I get it and I have the sincere, relatable voice to calm your customers right now.

Helpful Explainers

Explainer videos have always been fundamental to letting customers know what services you provide and how things work. In these uncertain times, now more than ever, updating explainers to make them relevant to today’s current corona virus situation makes sound business sense. Bulk pricing is available if you have a lot of content that needs updated.

In Store Announcements

Does your store have in-store announcements? Some play over the entire store. Some play at checkout. If so, they are likely to change now with the new and constantly evolving virus news. Further, you likely need a full time talent who is in the studio a lot and is available to keep up with the rate of change. I am there to support you in these endeavors.

Updated eLearning

Often companies have spent years creating content libraries that represent their strategy and business practices. In light of current virus concerns, this content is not irrelevant, it just needs tweaking, updates, and revisions to reflect new corporate procedures. With so many working from home, everything from time sheets to pay role to team check-ins is now different. I am here for all of your content needs and can get them to you as soon as you need them. For large eLearning projects, if there is a bulk of work, I offer retainer agreements.

Full Service Production with Industry Partners

This can be an overwhelming time when so much needs to be recorded all at once! Don’t worry, I have you back! Over the years I have built fantastic relationships with industry partners. If you know what you need, your budget, and when you need it, I have a fantastic team who can offer full production. From script writing to video and audio, I can coordinate the entire project for you on time and within budget.

Live Sessions in Broadcast Ready Home Studio

As always, I record everything in my broadcast ready home study on my Neumann TLM 103, Avalon M5 preamp, Steinberg UR12 Interface, and Macbook Air with Twisted Wav. I offer live sessions with flexible hours as I am always in the studio full time via Source Connect, Zoom, and Skype. I am always happy to self direct too, but for jobs over $250, I always offer the option of a live session, so that you have what you want when you want it. Audio recorded in live sessions is final delivery, as is industry standard. I never end a live session into my clients are thrilled with the audio.

Making Lemonade

This time of social isolation is hard for everyone, even those of us that work in padded foam booths. It is not easy to stay apart from those that we love, to avoid our favorite people and our favorite places. Most of us have never been told to do something like this before and that our lives depend on it. It is in this most unusual setting that as a working creative I still see meaning in my work, usefulness, and purpose. As a working mom, I am often juggling my home life and my professional life. My son asked my for help with an essay he has to write about Kate Chopin The Awakening. Jack had to read some articles of commentary and react. The articles talked about how Chopin creates a reality that is both a utopia and a dystopia at once. This resonated with me and had so much meaning in light of our present pandemic. I can still do what I love. I am surrounded by the people I love. I have these to precious dogs who I love. Everything looks the same, but everything is different. In the face of this, I prefer to make lemonade.

https://youtu.be/pvBnRQA1rGQ