Giving Business a Voice

by David Ciccarelli 

As the world becomes increasingly interactive, businesses need to connect with their audience on different levels. Many companies have made use of a technique called 'audio branding'. I'm sure all of us instantly recognize the four-chime-tune from Intel. ( bum, bum, bum, bum).

Although not every organization has the opportunity to hire a studio to produce a catchy sound logo, there are other medium where many of us can make use of audio to personalize our corporate image and give our customers, partners and employees a friendly experience .

The telephone, for example, is the easiest way to 'sound' professional. Just think that each time a customer dials your number, you have an opportunity to connect with them. Those friendly greetings are designed to make you feel comfortable and when it comes time to wait on-hold for a minute or two, you probably won't mind.

Another way to give your business a voice is on your website. With the wide adoption of internet technologies such as Macromedia's Flash, website visitors can take virtual tours or view product demonstrations. People like sit back and view a presentation, and voice is an essential part of delivering your message with maximum impact.

Hiring a professional voice over talent is easily accomplished by searching on the web. There are some sites that allow you to 'audition' many voice talents at once. Notably, most talents have their own recording studio and can generally turn around a finished audio file within a few days. Freelance voice talents negotiate their rates depending on the size of a project, minute duration or word count of a script.

With all the competition out there competing for your attention, personalizing your business with voice will prove to establish a positive lasting impression for your company.