Updated 12/6/2021

People are often cautioned against judging a book by its cover, but who actually does that? Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask) human beings are and always have been extremely auditory and visual creators, relying on their sense of hearing and sight to help them make the best decisions geared towards survival. Although these and other senses were used much differently when cave men and large beasts still roamed the earth, they’re still very much relevant and necessary in today’s modern world.

As a business owner, it’s important to keep these and other senses in mind when creating advertising and marketing strategies for your business and its products and services. After all, it’s safe to say that consumers can and do judge books — or businesses — based on their “covers” and use this information to decide whether or not they want to have anything to do with you. For example, if you have a weak online presence or your website isn’t mobile friendly and just plain looks terrible, customers will quickly move onto another business.

This is why it’s so important to be smart in terms of your advertising and marketing. Everything has to be cohesive in order for customers to get a good idea of who you are as a brand and why they should — or shouldn’t — spend money on your business. That means that your copy writing, narration, on hold messages, recordings, radio advertising and general radio production all have to be on point and working in tandem with each other.

Although often overlooked, hiring the right voiceover actor is crucial to ensuring your brand’s voice is heard loud and clear. How many times have you been told or heard that it’s not the words you’re saying that are important, it’s how you’re saying it? This same principle can be applied to voiceovers. Everyone knows how bad and even cheesy local commercials can be due to their low budget voiceovers, so wouldn’t you want something better and more professional for your business? Why, of course!

Hiring a professional voiceover actor has several benefits and can give your television, radio, and internet advertising and marketing campaigns a polished, professional look and feel. Not convinced? Just think of how voices give new life to popular commercials and campaigns! Big brands know exactly how powerful voice narration is and use it to their full advantage by hiring professional voiceover actors. Likewise, you should do the same.

If you’re not sure what to look for in a voiceover actor or are confused about how to go about hiring one, check out this handy dandy list of qualities you should look for in a professional voice over actor or actress.

Top notch clarity and flexibility

Believe it or not, not all voiceover are entirely comfortable in front of the microphone and this fear or discomfort will be pretty noticeable in the recording or worse, commercial. Voice actors who are comfortable and confident are known for their clear and strong quality of voice and flexibility in their range.

Excellent enunciation

Proper enunciation is all about pronouncing words clearly and correctly, but this is easier said than done. The ability to perfectly enunciate words is a desirable trait that every professional voice actor or actress should have. A good voice actor shouldn’t have any problems with clearly and confidently enunciating words. Poor enunciation can negatively impact the message being conveyed and even your brand.

The right pace

Don’t underestimate the power of pacing! This is another important ability that your voice actor or actress should always possess. Even with impeccable pronunciation and enunciation, proper pace is especially important. A good voice actor or actress has the right rhythm and tempo as well as the ability to pronounce and enunciate words clearly.

Naturally articulate

Voice artistry is a talent that can be developed and really perfected over time but being naturally articulate is a great advantage, especially for a voice actor. Being a native speaker of a certain language and years of experience can add to a voice actors ability to be articulate.

Finding a Voiceover Job

If you have ever thought about being a voice actor, there are a lot of opportunities to do this work. People need to have a commercial scripts voice over actor for their commercials, and they need professional voice over services for projects like documentaries. There is also a big need for voice actors to read books to create audio books. All of these projects need a voice professional who has a good voice that they can count on for readings. Many employers have a professional audio recording studio that they will hire a voice actor to come to in order to record their piece.

When you apply for voice acting jobs, you need recordings of your voice. Create a voice reel in advance so that you have plenty to play for your potential employer. This is the mark of a professional, and you want to come off as professional as possible when you apply for projects and jobs. When you get your first voice work as a voice actor, you will have the beginning of a resume that can help you to get more jobs in the future. This sets you on the path of doing voice work for a living.