VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Mike Harrison]

Especially when making an initial contact, how we represent ourselves to prospective (or existing) clients says a lot about our credibility. So, here’s some advice for newbies and the established among us: Never, ever, rely only on a spell-checker before sending out letters and email. A cute story of a previous experience will illustrate why...

An Account Executive I worked with back in the 90s came into the office one day, proudly displaying his first word processed letter, for which he was careful to use the spell-checker. The letter, to a prospective client, was well written and succinct. However, the AE shot himself in the foot in the very last sentence:

“If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ball me.”

Spell-checkers catch spelling errors. ‘Ball’ was spelled correctly. The Microsoft Word spell-checker is also capable of checking grammar (based on user-implemented variables). But NOTHING can take the place of PROOFREADING.

It’s great when you’ve just come across a lead and want to respond to it right away. Who wouldn’t? BUT... resist the temptation to quickly type your letter or email and send it before you check it closely. As a former typesetter and proofreader, I can tell you the #1 RULE in typography is that the person who types the piece must never proofread it themselves, because they are too apt to miss mistakes. That’s why there are proofreaders. So, while voice-over people don’t employ proofreaders, the best thing to do is save the letter or email, come back to it a few hours later, and read it as if you were the recipient. Very carefully.

Good impressions can go a long way toward developing - and maintaining - solid relationships.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Bish]

I couldn't agree more about the need for proofreading and not relying on automated systems. You can extend this principle to so many other aspects of life as well... but that's another story This little ditty has been around in various forms since the mid-nineties (and I'm sure that many here have seen it before). The original version, called "Candidate for a Pullet Surprise" by Jerrold H. Zar, was an exercise in homophonous humour and a comment about how we develop blind faith in computer technology.

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

[Bruce]

Thank ewe sew mulch fore the advise! Your to kind.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Deirdre]

One of my favorite web comics has a take on this kind of thing, although it has to do with texting.

http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/images/gws/GWS849.jpg

I'm just putting the link because it's rather sexy, but it IS Safe For Work.
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DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[Lee Gordon]

That poem looks just like the majority of ad copy I see that was written by account executives -- except for the creativity part.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Mike Harrison]

Bish: That is a great poem. Thanks!

Lee: That is an even funnier remark!

I did an audition last week with what was actually one of the best pieces of creative copy I'd run across in a very long time. And the client supplied a sample read for attitude and pacing. Only problem was, the copy was so overly long, the desired pacing was impossible.

Oy!
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[mcm]

I received a meeting announcement this morning that closed with: "hope to wee you there".

[todd ellis]

that'll be one crazy meeting!
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

[ccpetersen]

I just did a project about some software that had a sub-head of "sh*t and add" instead of the term "shift and add". After I stopped laughing, I emailed the client and suggested they re-read the longer print version before sending it to the printer.
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Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420