the aloof voice talent

I don’t think I’ve ever met an aloof voice talent but I know a bunch that could come across that way; they hurt their businesses but they don’t know they are doing it.

My reference is because these voice talents don’t have a phone number on their web sites. Hard to believe when you digest that sentence – a voice talent with a web site that contains no phone number. They are unable to be easily communicated to via the most effective form of electronic communication (email isn’t the “most” effective).

I was on the phone today with a very talented, well-respected and experienced voice talent whom I’ve known on-line and off for some time. I wanted to follow up on an email he sent me via phone (because I’m a talker – a voice talker).

His email signature did NOT contain his phone number (another long standing no-no in my book). So I clicked on the web link that was in his sig (awesome!) to find his phone number.

The phone number wasn’t on the site and then I remembered it was in my phone’s contacts so when I buzzed him, I called him on the omitted phone number on the web site. The reason he gave for not having a phone number on the web was that didn’t want his home phone number (where his studio was) listed all over the web. He hadn’t seemed to consider the situation with the cell phone.

My thoughts on this to him were simple:

- Use a cell phone as your business phone – nobody can see WHERE you are answering your phone. It will always be with you and you’ll have less chance of missing an incoming job. The rules on phones have changed – cell phones are a priority over traditional business lines in many cases (your mileage may vary)

- If you follow this strategy, make sure you ALWAYS answer your phone in a professional manner and make sure you outgoing message sounds professional. No “It’s me, you know what to do, dude.”

- When you secure a cell phone contract, get them to give a good phone number. What constitutes a good phone number? One that is easily memorable and sounds like a business number. When I bought my phone a number of years ago, just after cell phone numbers became portable, I told my phone provider that I would buy a new phone and contract with a good phone number – without it, the deal was off. Quickly they found me 716-572-1800.

- Live near a big city? Sometimes you can get a phone with the big city area code (212/New York City for example). Suddenly, you’re a big city voice talent.

I hope this helps.