Prospects' problems come first, then your solution. Problem; solution. Prospects want to see themselves and their concerns clearly identified in order to feel confident that you understand their needs. By addressing this, you create context so that when you do describe your products and services, they are obvious solution to your prospects' needs.

Take a look at your marketing materials, including everything from your business card to your web site. Who and what are your marketing materials about; you or your prospects' concerns?

Make a list of five to fifteen things that your prospects want. Turn these into questions or statements about your prospects' problems. Asking questions is particularly effective in getting prospects to think about solving their problems.

If you're a financial advisor you might ask, "Do you want to learn how to make more in both up and down markets?" If you help people with marketing their businesses you might ask, "Do you want to learn how to attract more clients and increase sales?" If you sell golf clubs you might ask, "Do you want to hit further and more accurately with less effort?"

To attract new clients you need to get their attention, demonstrate that you understand their concerns and clarify value your products and services provide. Focus your marketing copy on your prospects' problems, ask them questions and couch your solutions in terms of their objectives. You'll start more conversations, sell more products and sign up more clients. -

2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

OK. You have your website up and hummin’. Now, be sure to put your website’s address on anything and everything you mail to prospective clients: you demos, stationery, business cards, reminder cards, etc. If you still have reams of stationery left, then just include website address in letters you type and print. For all those demos, business cards, and reminder cards still sitting on your shelf, buy some labels, print your website address on them, and stick ‘em on.

Caveat Emptor!

There are plenty of places on World Wide Web to promote your voice over services, both free and for a fee—BUT BE CAREFUL! Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) is operative phrase. Here are some free places to place a link to your website:

http://www.voiceartist.com/, http://www.radio411.com/addlink.htm, http://www.starsnsites.com/voice/index.html, http://audioworld.com/ As for paying for to listed with an on-line voice talent site, be sure site is legitimate. Unfortunately, like so many other things that start off well, a few bad apples begin turning up. Before you pony up any dough, be sure to speak/write to other talent listed on site to see if site has actually gotten them any work. Here are a few legitimate fee-based websites:

www.mktmania.com, www.voice123.com, www.gotvoices.com, www.1212.com, www.voicefinder.biz, www.voiceoverselect.com, www.interactivevoices.com, www.commercialvoices.com

In addition to fee-for-inclusion websites, there are fee-for-inclusion CDs, which are distributed to ad agencies, production houses, talent agents, radio and TV stations, etc. Again, CAVEAT EMPTOR! There are scam artists who have discovered that voice-over people can be very eager to promote their services. These scammers offer CD demos that, well, either never get made or sent. They sure take your money, though. So, be careful. Make sure any company you deal with is reputable. Ask for references. If it’s a start-up operation, wait until first CD is sent out and is in circulation for a while. Then call some of participants and see if they got any work out of it. Here two reputable CD demo services:

http://www.tmcentury.com/?products/HitDisc/hdemo.htm, http://www.vo-usa.com/contact.htm

If you know of any other reputable CD demo services, then please email me, pdrew@portone.com, and I’ll add it to my list and this article.

Groups and forums

There are a lot of voice over related groups and forums on Web. Go to Yahoo Groups and type in voice over, voiceovers, voice over talent, voice over artist, etc., and you’ll find many groups where you can drop in and learn from others. Participate if you’d like, but remember, anything you post in these chat rooms stays there pretty much for life. If you might regret saying something, then keep your fingers away from keyboard.

Marketing vs. talent

You may be greatest voice talent on planet, but, if no one knows who you are, well, then that’s wasted talent. So, get out there and promote and make your business a success.

©Peter Drew