Frank Eriksen Voice-Overs

Delivering The Voice-Mail!

First Impressions Are Everything.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Winfrey isn’t in right now, can I put you through to her voice-mail?” 

We hear that every day. “Can I put you through to Voice Mail.” 

Voice Mail, and its first cousin the auto-attendant, is now as much a part of your business as e-mail. But do you treat it with as much love and respect?

Voice-Mail is part of your communication system. It is integrated with your phone system and auto-attendant. Nearly every customer or potential customer you have, hears your auto-attendant or voice-mail each time they call in.

Sadly, many businesses have their receptionist record the auto-attendant greetings. First impressions are everything. 

You wouldn’t hire an amateur to install your voice-mail system, would you? Why not hire a professional to be the Voice Brand of your business and deliver the best first impression you possibly can?

When you hire a professional voice talent to record your voice-mail greetings, that greeting helps create your “Voice Brand”. It’s shows your customers that you demand quality and excellence in all you do.

You wouldn’t send out an e-mail with spelling errors and 2nd rate graphics, would you? Why not have a 1st rate Voice Talent record your voice-mail greeting? I really does make a difference.

One of the best things you can do for your development as a Voice Over Artist, (VOA) is listen to other people's demos. One of the worst things you can do for your development as a VOA is listen to other people demos. The way around this conundrum is selective listening.

Helping vs Selling

“Nothing happens until a sale is made.” It's a slogan I've heard time and again throughout my career. Without selling, businesses fail, companies and families struggle. Community budgets strain under the burden of insufficient tax dollars. So, I guess selling solves all our problems. Or, does it?

Selling is as old as time itself. We are all always selling, aren't we. Our kids are the best salespeople in the world. Why? They have no fear of rejection. “Dad can I "fill in the blank”? “No. Please? No!, Pleeaassee? I said, NO! But, every body else is… No! Come on, please???? Okay.” Now tell me, isn't that the model of selling? You keep asking - eventually the prospect, err Dad, says yes.

Great salespeople have made fortunes selling Real Estate, Cars, Computers, etc, etc, etc. But many have failed outright or struggled along. Dreading the end of the month for various reasons. The least of which is there are bills to pay, and/or your company sales goal is looming like a tax deadline. Is it any wonder you hear so many people say, “I hate sales!”

Is it any wonder you can never get a real decision maker on the phone when you need to? Why is it so hard to get through? The Boss has hired a reception-ist, who's sole job is to give you a rather chilly reception when you show up unannounced, or make an obvious “sales call”.

The President of the United States would be very well protected by some of the “Gate Keepers” I've encountered in my life. “Hi, can I speak to Mr. Buyer, please?” “Is this a sales call?” “Uh…Well…Um…” Click! I'm knocked out of the game before I get a chance to throw my first pitch.

Eventually, you get depressed or fired or both and you swear off a career in sales. Then it's, Adios, financial security. I mean, we all know that in order to survive in this world we must take in more than we spend. Unless you are the Government. But I digress. So what's the answer? If it's not selling, then what? I'm glad you asked. The answer is “Helping!”

When you start the day by asking this question, “Who can I help today?”, you enter into an entirely different personal dynamic than if you ask, “Who can I sell my product or service to today?” But here's the real difference between helping and selling. If you're going to go the helping route - you have to mean it. You must totally embrace the concept of helping. And that means helping everyone. Not just someone who will spend money with you. You must create a ministry of helping.

If you make it about what you get back, you're cheating yourself. If you make it about sneaking in a soft sales pitch under the guise of helping, you'll be found out and lose all credibility. You must sell out to helping. You must focus your total being and effort on truly helping others. When you do - it's a game changer! A Big Time Game Changer. Because --- it changes You!

Start by making a list of who really needs your help. This list will include prospective customers. But it must also include non-customers. Family members, friends, business associates, strangers. We're shifting from a career in selling, to a ministry of helping.

Now this is no get rich quick scheme. It will take a while to have an effect on your so-called bottom line. But ift will have an immediate effect on your heart. And therefore, your life.

Here's another sales saying - “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” When a customer really gets that you truly care about their needs more than your own, you will have gained more than just a customer. You will have made a friend. And real friends like to see their friends succeed.

I openly admit that most of my life has been all about me. Needless to say, my life was filled with discomfort and pain. Not in my body, but in my true heart. It's worse than a clogged artery. I had a clogged spirit.

If you're suffering from the same malaise… If you feel like you're losing the daily battle, I invite you to change sides. I invite you to begin your own ministry of helping. You can start right now. You don't need an office, a seminar or a new iPad. You just need a cause. And that cause is every person on this planet except you. It's crazy, I know. But, I'm here to tell you it works.

Need help? I'm right here. frank@fevoice.com

Falling is a part of life. It’s one of the side effects of gravity. Falling starts in our infancy as we attempt to walk. It continues as we learn to run or ride a bike. As the skill of balance enters our lives, we learn how not to fall. Later on in life as we attempt to roller skate, ice skate, ski or snowboard we have to learn how not to fall all over again. 

Fortunately as grownups we have mastered balance and rarely fall. But there are other ways to fall that have nothing to do with gravity or balance. It’s fall’s ugly cousin. Do you know what it is? Just replace the first “L” in Fall with an “I” and you get “Fail.” 

Failing is much more painful than falling, So we try to avoid failing as much as possible. When you fall, you might scrape a knee or elbow. When you fail, the hurt is much deeper. Sometimes, the hurt created by failing is so great, we stop trying to do anything.

Reach for the brass ring and fall or fail and the “I Give Up” instinct is triggered. And that triggers our instinct to make excuses. “It’s not my thing.” “I’m too old.” “That’s not important to me.” “I can’t afford it.” “I’m too busy.” Endless is our list of excuses when we really need them. The problem with excuses is we’re the only ones who really believe the BS. We’re not fooling anyone except ourselves.

In my life I’ve enjoyed many successes and endured many failures. When business is slow I remind myself of the times when business was booming. I know it’s just matter of time before the flood gates of success open. I truly believe that failure is strictly temporary. I also believe that success is only lasting when we embrace it, expect it and work like crazy to attain it. As I get older and I look at my career, my head sometimes tells me it’s over. But my heart says, “Hey Kiddo, this is just the beginning.” 

There are no excuses for not reaching your full potential. That one is all on you. So decide right now - I can do it. I can’t be stopped. I will get up after a fall and keep walking. If I can do it - you can do it!

“There’s an old man inside me trying to hide. There’s a young kid inside me trying to hang on. The old man will eventually claim my body, But the young kid will forever rule my mind, heart and soul.”

I 

I had signed up for a webinar today on "Building My Personal Brand". Naturally, I was really excited about learning all the tips, tricks and secrets of how to use social media to build my empire and become an international social media sensation. I had dreams of being the next internet "Guru" with thousands flocking to my blogs and seeking my valuable advice.

I'm building my brand! Yeah, that's the answer. Everyone's doing it. Building my personal brand would surely lead to success, happiness and billions of dollars in net worth. (Millions is so pre-Zuckerbrg).

I listened intently. I was taking notes faster than a court reporter after 15 cups of coffee. Visions of my name in digital lights danced in my head. I was drawn in by fantasies of broad-band fame and fortune. I saw Apple releasing the "Frank-Pad." 

The faceless webinar speakers droned on, telling me how important it was to build "My" personal brand. "My" website. "My" blog. "My" Twitter account. "My" Facebook page. "My" Pinterest boards. My, My My.  Me. Me. Me. But about 10 minutes into the webinar - I was struck with a thought. 

This thought hit me with the force of an eraser thrown by Mr. Torrence, my 6th grade school teacher. I realized that I'd been day-dreaming again. I woke up to a new paradigm - I'm in the "service" business. My job is to build "YOUR" brand, not mine.

Of all the commercials I've voiced, my name was never mentioned once in the copy. I've done hundreds of corporate narrations. Again, the scripts never said anything about your's truly. Suddenly, I found myself lost in a world wide web of self-disception and shameless self-promotion. I slammed on the brakes just in time. That's not my style, I said. I quickly clicked out of the seminar and rushed to the sink to throw cold water on my face. It was a wondeerful wakening.

Business is and always has been about helping others. When we spend more time building our own house than our neighbors house, the result is a neighborhood of partially built, unfinished homes. Not a very friendly neighborhood either. So let's change that.

There's nothing wrong with tweets, blogs, friends and pins. Being socially aware in media is great. When I say, tweet or post that "you" do great things - they listen and consider it. When I tell them that "I" do great things - they tend to turn a deaf ear. I was lost and now I'm found. It's good to be home!

So, how you doin'? Feel free to leave a comment.