You’ve chosen a professional voice for your telephone greetings or message-on-hold recordings. Now comes the next step: making sure the delivery sounds the way you imagined.
Even with a great script and the right voice talent, the way a message is delivered can make a big difference. Should it sound warm and welcoming, upbeat and energetic, or calm and reassuring?
Providing clear voice direction helps your voice artist understand what you’re looking for and brings your message closer to the sound you have in mind.
Here are five voice direction tips to help you get the best results for your next telephone recording project.
1. Think About Your Target Audience
Before describing how you want your recording to sound, consider who will be listening.
Are your callers existing customers, potential clients, patients, or members of the public? What kind of experience do you want them to have when they hear your message?
For example, a medical clinic might want a calm, reassuring delivery, while a retail business announcing a seasonal promotion might prefer something upbeat and enthusiastic.
Think about your audience and what would make them feel comfortable, informed, and connected to your business. This gives your voice artist a useful starting point.
2. Use Descriptive Words to Explain the Tone
Sometimes, a few well-chosen words are all it takes to communicate the sound you’re after.
Consider descriptions such as:
- Warm and welcoming: Friendly, approachable, and inviting.
- Professional and authoritative: Confident, clear, and knowledgeable.
- Upbeat and energetic: Lively, enthusiastic, and engaging.
- Calm and reassuring: Gentle, steady, and comforting.
- Conversational and natural: Relaxed, personable, and easy to listen to.
Try to be as specific as possible. Saying you want a professional delivery is helpful, but explaining that you’d like it to sound professional without feeling stiff gives the artist a clearer direction.
You can also describe the pace. Should the message feel relaxed and conversational, or should it move along briskly to keep callers informed without unnecessary delays?
3. Describe the Feeling You’re Looking For
If finding the right descriptive words is difficult, think about the kind of person who might deliver the message.
Would you like it to sound like a friendly receptionist welcoming someone into the office? Perhaps a knowledgeable advisor explaining something clearly, or a cheerful host introducing an exciting event?
These comparisons can help communicate the personality and feeling you’re looking for.
You don’t need to overthink it. Even a simple description of how you want callers to feel can help guide the performance.
4. Share Examples of Voices You Like
Sometimes, hearing an example is easier than describing a voice.
If you’ve listened to a demo from your chosen voice artist and like a particular delivery, let us know which part stood out. Providing a timestamp can help identify the exact tone, pace, or style you have in mind.
You can also share a link to another voice recording that captures the general feel you’re looking for, such as a commercial, telephone greeting, or narration.
The goal isn’t necessarily to copy another recording. It’s to give your voice artist a clearer understanding of the qualities you like so they can interpret that direction for your project.
5. Clarify Pronunciations and Important Details
A great performance also depends on getting the details right.
Names, addresses, company names, technical terms, and abbreviations can all be pronounced in different ways. If something in your script could be interpreted more than one way, let us know exactly how it should sound.
For example, should an address such as 1803 67th Street be read as “eighteen oh three, sixty-seventh street” or “one eight zero three, sixty-seventh street”?
If a name has an uncommon pronunciation, include a phonetic spelling or a simple pronunciation guide. You can also clarify how you want acronyms, phone numbers, and other important information spoken.
These small details help ensure callers hear the information as intended.
Ready to Get Started?
Clear voice direction helps bring your script, chosen voice, and brand personality together. You don’t need to be an expert at directing voice talent. A little thought about your audience, tone, and pronunciation preferences can go a long way.
At On Air Audio Services, we work with professional voice talent to help businesses create telephone greetings, automated phone prompts, and message-on-hold recordings that sound right for their audience.
Have a telephone recording project in mind? Contact On Air Audio Services to discuss your project and how we can help.
