Play Episode 7

Episode 7 of my podcasts is now released. This month we’re talking to Paul Dean from Crimson leaf, about the importance and the many applications of good copywriting. Also discussing the latest Apple announcements, the controversy surrounding Autotuning-gate, and could the popular iPhone (and now Android) game Angry Birds be coming to a cinema near you?

Whilst surfing a few of the interwebs having a break yesterday, I stumbled across this. Very very cool optical illusion that looks fab!

It’s the kind of thing I’d love on one of my walls!

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Hopefully destined for a Sky TV channel, this is a TV promo that I recently voiced.

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Recently I watched the BBC series “The Virtual Revolution”. Being a bit of a techie geek on the quiet, it’s stuff that very much interests me, all things internet, social media and beyond.

I have to say, it was an absolutely fantastic series that explored the origins of the internet and how it’s changed our lives whether we want it to or not, and the revolution of how it’s affected business globally too. For many of us who are small businesses, (and big businesses for that matter), the uses within the internet today for marketing ourselves is just inspiring; something we could never have imagined 20, 15, 10 or even 5 years ago. The revolution in social media networking for personal and business, blogging, video and audio multimedia on our websites and social networks, viral videos through YouTube – there really is no limit to what we can achieve. If you set your mind to it, and target it in the right way, your message can reach hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands or even potentially millions, for very little effort or money.

This, to me, is just staggering, and gives me so many ideas of what I can do to further market myself online, as currently, I don’t pay for any advertising whatsoever. I just don’t think it works at all well in my industry; all of my clients come through the web and word of mouth recommendation – and I know this is the case for many people I’ve been speaking to of recent.

So, to get your brain thinking about the virtual revolution, I suggest you check out their page on the BBC site, and look out for a repeat!

And, if you hadn’t guessed what my opinion is – the revolution is definitely GOOD!

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Right Click To Download Episode 3 – Feb 2010 - “Top Sales Tips, The iPad, & New Mobile Tech” (26m 24s)

This episode we’re talking to Gary Gorman, a sales expert from Paradigm Training, and getting his top 5 sales tips to make you more effective in your business. We’re also talking about the new revolutionary device from Apple, the iPad, and how it could influence the tech market. We’re also taking a look at the new mobile devices from Windows and Google. Will they be game changers and be true competition for the iPhone? You decide.

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

Is It Worth Paying For A Voice Over Artist?

This may be a question that you’ve asked yourself before, or for a lot of you, it probably wouldn’t have even crossed your mind. But there is certainly a proportion of society that own businesses, or are in charge of high profile brands that must at times ask themselves this question. Is it worth paying for a professional voice over artist to promote their brand/company?

The simplest answer is of course, you get what you pay for. If you have a guy in the office who ‘has a pretty good speaking voice’, who you think should be the voice of your podcasts, or online/media/TV related promotional material, then fair play to you. Have you ever heard that person’s recorded material before? Do you trust them to be ‘the voice’ of the company/brand? Are you ok with the fact that when people hear that voice they’ll associate it with your company? These aren’t all negative points, far from. This counts as for better or indeed for worse. If they are for better, then excellent, give it a chance!

However, if they sound like a totally different person, which is actually more often the case, then you really should think about bringing in a professional; someone that is used to performing in front of a microphone. The thing is, when you put a regular person in a studio environment, in front of a professional studio microphone, it’s like sticking a big lens of a camera in someone’s face; it can be extremely off-putting. Some people tend to freeze, not know what to do or say, change the pattern of their speech, their tone, timbre, level, pitch, or worse, be completely monotone.

If this happens, you could have wasted time in the studio and need to rebook when the person has composed themself, or wait for a professional to take over!

The good thing with hiring a voice artist, is that we’re completely used to all this; We know how to handle a microphone, and chances are, we know exactly how to lift your script by performing the words that are on the page, rather than just simply ‘reading’ them. (A quality you don’t often get when audio tracks are home-made).

So, the next time you have a requirement for a voice track, be it a TV advert, a podcast, corporate video, web audio of any sort, the question you need to ask yourself is, in the long term, is it worth paying for a professional voice over artist? The answer is up to you.

Want more information? Check out my main website: www.richardheathcote.co.uk

Richard Heathcote, Voice Over Artist

I just thought I’d share with you one my latest projects – a national UK television advert for Autosport International. The advert is being broadcast currently, through Nov/Dec 09 up until middle of Jan 2010 on:

You can either catch it on those channels, or if you’d like to see it right away, you can view it below )

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….

Wherever you are in the world, whenever you watch the news nowadays, you’ll very rarely find an article that is uplifting, or just something that makes you think ‘whoah, that’s quite impressive’. Well, certainly I don’t anyway. That’s why generally speaking, I try not to watch the news that much anymore; it’s just far too depressing.

Not that I spend my entire life living on YouTube either, but more often than not, on there I regularly find some incredible videos of great human achievement, perseverance, and effort, that you just know a lot of work has gone into getting them where they were when they filmed it. So, on that note, here’s a small selection for now of videos I just like, for various reasons, of people with great talents and achievements.

I’ll be bringing more of these sorts of videos on a regular basis, as and when I find them, as I think even if they just simply bring a smile to your face, it’s done it’s job.

So, no matter where you are in the world, find something that uplifts you, and pass it on.

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.