Or is it?

As most businesses have commonly agreed, August is typically the quiet month of the year, with everyone on holiday and not spending money. The thing is, for the bulk of the people I’ve been talking to recently, it’s quite the opposite; including me.

So far this past 4 weeks, I’ve had lots of enquiries, certainly no fewer than a regular month, and several placed orders, some of the work which has already happened this month, and a few sessions already booked for September. Not bad going for ‘the quiet month’!

This month has also seen me upgrade some of my audio kit, so I’m very pleased about that. I’m now the proud owner of a Neumann TLM 103, a common standard amongst many of us VO’s. Having used it quite a bit over the last few days, I have to say, I’m extremely pleased with the quality…..which naturally continues on to create a better overall product for the client.

So, here’s to the beginning, in a few days, of September, and may it continue to be busy for us all!

Richard Heathcote

Voice Over Artist & Audio Marketing

There are many things, as singular business people, that we can do ourselves, to save time and money. We do our own marketing, sales, answering phones, doing the actual job we do, as well as all the other stuff. There are other things though, that paying a professional to do, really pays off far better in the long run.

Recently, I’d decided that my blog was simply too bland in design, so needed some imagery on the background. Naturally, my first port of call was my designer chappie, Gareth Coxon from Dot Design; he’s THE guy I go to for design, after he did a superb job on my logo (on my main site, click here), and my pop-up banner I use at networking events and exhibitions, plus other online digital signature items he’s created for me. He understands me, my brand, what I do, and knows exactly how to capture it. He’s created this fab background image that is on this blog, which certainly jazzes it up a bit from being plain white! So, kudos to Gareth, top bloke. Highly recommend him.

Secondly, I found it a tad confusing to install into WordPress, so I tweeted about it, and a friend and colleague of mine I know through 4Networking popped up on Skype, and mentioned that he could sort it out for me, as it needed a bit of code tweaking. It took mere moments for him to put it right, and get it all set correctly…….so, many thanks indeed go to Ant Hodges from ToInfinity!

See, if I had been left to my own devices, things would have gone very wrong indeed. There are times where we can do stuff ourselves. When it comes to the material you push out into the big wide world, I would only ever use professionals.

Gareth’s website – http://www.dot-design.co.uk/

Ant’s website – http://www.toinfinity.co.uk/

Richard Heathcote

Voice Over Artist

Episode 5 – May 2010 - “Audio Marketing, a Podcast Special Edition” (24m 14s)

This is a recording of a talk I recently made at a 4Networking event in Sutton Coldfield. I talk about the importance of businesses utilising audio in their marketing strategies, how it can open up massive new avenues of audience, for the people that are auditory learners, i.e. they absorb information better in audio form. I talk about podcasting, the power of the human voice, branding your company with audio, the immense reach of the iTunes podcast directory, and how businesses can easily implement audio in their current marketing plan.

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Episode 4 – March 2010 - “Clarity In Your Communication, Succeeding With Social Media & PR On A Shoestring” (11m 42s)

I talk to Nigel Morgan from Morgan PR this month, looking at how small businesses (and large alike) can execute effective PR on an absolute shoestring budget. I’ve persuaded him to give us his top 5 tips to succeed with self-generated PR. We’ll also be looking at a massive Twitter success story this month which has opened up new opportunities for me, and how you can achieve similar results for yourself. The overriding message in this month’s episode is the importance of clarity in your communication, no matter what it is, online or offline.

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

This is a recent talk I gave at a 4Networking meeting in Birmingham Longbridge about personal and business branding by incorporating audio into the mix.

In this modern age, it’s becoming more and more important for businesses to be accessible to lots of different types of people, and the ways they absorb information. Become a market leader by having an ethos of accessible-to-all, utilising good copywriting, graphics, imagery, video and audio.

For more information about audio marketing, please click here. Meanwhile, enjoy the video )

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Well folks, the time has arrived, 2010 is now upon us. I for one will welcome this new year in gladly, as for me I think it’s going to be a year that will absolutely rock, work-wise. Things over the past year have been picking up very well, word has spread, and the marketing efforts both online and off are really beginning to pay off.

It’s just the most satisfying feeling when you can see the results happen in front of your eyes. Long hours have been spent travelling the country to various networking meetings, and online, using social media like Twitter, Facebook and the like; but you know what – it’s all been absolutely worth it. Even at the times when you don’t think it will, you’ll get that random enquiry in either over the phone or through Email. Of recent, I’ve even had some come in through Direct Messages on Twitter, from people wanting quotes for upcoming work. This kind of phenomenon 10 years ago was just unheard of.

We’ve moved into a much more interactive world, where questions and replies can happen virtually instantly. I had an enquiry two days ago on Twitter, and within a minute they had in their inbox all the information they required, with a rate card of my prices ready for their upcoming projects. I absolutely love this phenomenon, it just speeds the whole process up no end, and makes things move in an extraordinary fashion.

Online marketing has been the big thing for me in 2009, and I think it will only grow in 2010. It also makes me think, when it comes to return on investment in your time – where are you reaping the most rewards when it comes to your marketing efforts? Are you overlooking the power of what can happen in the online world? Are you giving it at least a try, to get your feet wet and see what it could lead to? I for one was sceptical in the early days, but am a complete convert for how powerful these tools are. They certainly shouldn’t be underestimated by any stretch.

Ultimately, you have to concentrate your efforts on what you feel is right, and what brings you the most reward. My top tip for the near year is to experiment with everything that is out there, as you never know how surprised you might be when finding where your next pay cheque is coming from. Always be open to new avenues of income, especially in the online world. You never know where it might lead…..

But most importantly, have a positive view on the upcoming year ahead, and do all you can to achieve your dreams whatever they may be. Bring on 2010, we’re ready for you….

Ok, bold statement time. You may not be listening properly to your customers. So many of us are guilty for it though, so you’re not alone!

It’s true though,sometimes we get so caught up in ‘what we offer’, it’s not always in synch with ‘what people want’. I had a skype chat with a colleague of mine last week, and we got on to the subject of the packages that I currently offer, namely podcasts, on-hold messaging etc etc. Through the conversation he mentioned that it’s easier for other people to sell other people’s wares as they’re not at all self-conscious about it. For example, you will quite happily say that ‘person x’ is the best at doing ‘x’ and has helped your business no end, and near enough shout it from the rooftops. It would be much harder to say the exact same thing, with the same amount of passion if you were talking about yourself.

What this boils down to is the fact that you don’t want to come across as sounding pushy or arrogant, even though you may well be the absolute best person for the job; we have a problem with saying so without fear of looking bad. So out of this conversation, my colleague said ‘why don’t you offer radio style adverts people can use on their own websites, that actually sell their services for them?’. Now this is something which I almost do already, but it’s packaged up in a different way, and is a twist on what I already offer.

This just proves that sometimes you have to just take a step back, find out what people actually want rather than just plough on with what you think they want. I asked him the question, hypothetically, is this a service he would pay for, and would he see great value in having this a service. He said unequivocally yes; it’s a service that helps a company to sell their own services or products via their own site, to ultimately result in more sales.

It’s all about hooking people’s attention when potential customers land on your website, and making sure they come back. With what I was already offering, it wouldn’t have majorly done this, but now having listened to what my potential customers want, I have a much better understanding of what to offer.

So, my top tip – every so often, do a personal mental stock take of what you already offer product/service wise, check it’s in line with what people want, and if it’s not – change it!

Yes, you heard it right. Playing dress-up with other business owners is work. Naturally. We are members of 4Networking, and we like to do things differently. Well, very differently!

After a superb breakfast networking meeting at Milton House Hotel in Abingdon, UK, we did something slightly out of the ordinary; certainly when compared to ‘other’ breakfast networking organisations. Our members turned up in fancy dress. Now this isn’t just for fun you understand, but also for a charity calendar photo shoot, entitled ‘Carry On Cluedo!’.

Ellie Colyer-Alasquez had a dream, ladies and gentlemen. (That wasn’t said for effect either, she really did have this dream!) She dreamt up this idea for a calendar, and to involve as many 4Networkers as possible. In the end, there were 14 of us that could stay on for this photoshoot, which really was superb fun.

Over the following 2 or 3 hours, we had shots taken in all nooks and crannies of the historic hotel, all taking on a murder mystery/Cluedo/Carry On vibe – was great fun for all involved.

Now, the most important factor to note, is that the majority of us had never met each other before; certainly not in the flesh, yet we all got on like a house on fire. This is due to us all being a member of 4Networking, the UK’s biggest joined up business network. Because of 4Networking, we’ve known each other through the online forums for months, if not a couple of years, which meant as soon as we got in the same room as each other, it’s like meeting up with old friends! Couldn’t be better.

Because of us all engaging in this, frankly, mad set of events, we had a great head start in building on those existing relationships to get to know each other better. As 4Networking state, we have a meet-like-know-trust culture, which certainly displayed itself last Friday. Because of that event, I now know a lot more about these people, understand their businesses, and therefore it creates an environment where business can flourish, all from this one social event.

The best thing about all this, is that it proves that to be a successful business person, you don’t have to be dull! It really can be fun to network, promote yourself and ultimately build up your contact base and potentially win yourself new business, by playing the fool wearing bunny ears and 40′s costumes!

Tell me, where else would you be able to do this and class it as work?!

For more information on 4Networking, then check out 4Networking.biz

For more information on the calendar and the charity that will be benefiting from it’s sales, please contact Ellie Colyer-Alasquez from Candyfloss Dynamite.

As a Voice Artist, it’s obviously of utmost importance that I look after my voice as best I possibly can. Technically of course, my voice should be insured, but I kind of haven’t got round to that yet. Ho hum.

Like with any business, you have tools of the trade; computers, phones, stationery; we all need them. My main tool happens to be my voice, and it’s the thing that gets used most often. Just like your favourite laptop, it needs some TLC every so often. The thing you may not realise is that your own voice is just as much an important part of your business life as well.

I make money from using my voice. But you know what? So do you. Maybe you’re a business owner, self employed, one-man-band – you’re the only person that can sell your business. If your voice is out of action, it’s just the same as when your computer fails; it needs to be looked after and treated with care. Your voice is your best asset in selling yourself. Just using email alone for the most part just won’t have the same effect.

On a day to day basis, I try and avoid situations that are going to overly tax my voice, like trying to talk in loud places for other people to try and hear, I don’t go karaoke’ing (!), and I try not to be in any situation that requires me to shout. When I’m working on voice projects, I always try and record material (not always possible due to client deadlines) in the afternoons/evenings, as it’s when my voice is warmed up properly.

Quite often, now I think  about it, my voice is often at it’s optimal late at night – I’ve always been a night owl, and if I was ever to do a movie trailer, that’s when I’d much prefer to do it! Bring on the ‘Don LaFontaine‘ voice!

If you’re the type of person who has to regularly speak and present in front of other businesses, maybe in a networking environment, then you really should be looking after your voice on a daily basis, by following the advice above, and also to make sure you keep your throat well hydrated. Drink plenty of water, get a good night’s sleep, and when you don’t need to use your voice, don’t use it – relaxation periods for it are just as important as exercising it. Just like a sportsperson, you should always warm up and cool down when using your voice; you wouldn’t get up in the morning and suddenly run a marathon (I know I wouldn’t, but for very different reasons!).

Now I’ve been following my own advice for about a year or so, (since I’ve become a voice artist), I’ve certainly found my voice is better off for it, and I think you will too. Even if you’re not someone who presents or speaks in public regularly, it’s still worth taking care of your voice, no matter what you do for a living.