When I first started voice work, on hold / IVR was so far off my radar, I had to get a bigger radar just to acknowledge its existence.
For those of you who don't know what IVR is, it stands for 'interactive voice response'. Press 1 for sales, 2 for claims, etc etc. 'On hold' is pretty self explanatory.
It wasn't until I'd done my first job in this genre that I realised how much I enjoyed it. I've mentioned in a previous blog about the cool buzz I get knowing my voice is there for all to hear (if they dial very specific phone numbers), yet they won't know who it is. An odd feeling to describe, but one I enjoy.
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash.
(This next bit is a secret so close your eyes now if you're just going to blab to everyone... after the first few phone messages I recorded for clients, I used to phone them up after hours to listen to myself. Arrogant? Yes. Weird? Also yes.)
This week started off very well then when a client got in touch and said "we need a voice over for some on hold messages". Even better when it turned out they own 3 companies and needed messages for them all! If you dial some random numbers into your phone now, I guarantee you won't hear me, but keep going and one day you might.
Next up was a first for me - an audiobook. How many words you ask... SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND. Minus the word 'thousand'. To clarify, it was 650 words long/short. Probably a good thing for my debut appearance in this genre, don't want to immediately suffer burn out. It was for a children's book about an animal that looks like a butler and is also the name of a popular chocolate biscuit. I read to my son most days, so picturing him laughing at my HILARIOUS voices was the perfect scene setter for this one.
I also started work on my explainer reel. I really enjoy explainer animations - I think they're a beautiful art form and I've seen some absolutely stunning pieces these past few months. So rather than relying on my corporate or narration reels all the time, I thought it would serve me well to have one dedicated to this work.
Aaaand here it is!
I don't envy copy writers. Making coherent scripts, that make complete sense out of context with no visual aid that must be under 10 seconds long, is tough!
To prove how hard it is, I'm going to try and write something amazing to close the blog, off the top of my head.
Told you.
If you're thinking about having a professional voice over for voicemail or on hold messages, then please get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.
Go back to "What does a voice over artist do all day? Part 3."
Skip forward to "What does a voice over artist do all day? Part 5."
