I’ve needed to get this off my chest for some time. It’s something that urged me into the voiceover world. Business owners doing their own voice work – or television ads for that matter. If you are a business owner who does their own voiceovers I’m going to tell you what your “Account Manager” will not: you sound awful!

Local radio is rife with small business owners proclaiming, “Ooo-wee, man! Our fries are the best,” or “Make sure you come to my dealership before you buy another car…” At first, I can’t take it and I turn the channel. The next time I hear the ad I think about what a disservice they are doing their business. People just like me are turning the station because we can’t handle listening to their shrill, smokey, fake, or monotonous voice.

Then I think about how awful it is that this business just spent hard earned money to promote their company for naught. I wonder if radio sales people are telling these business owners, “What we’ll do is have you do the commercial! People like the personal nature of hearing the owner talk to them. Plus, you get to be on the radio!” And these poor souls are duped in to thinking they have bought an effective tool. Sad. Side note: isn’t it ironic how radio stations spend millions researching how to get listeners to listen to their product, but not the spots providing the millions to pay for that research?
I have a client in Texas, a business owner who has this figured out. He knows he doesn’t belong on his own radio ads. Kudos to him. Not just because he’s one of my clients, but because he could have taken the easy and cheaper path of doing his own spots. Sure, it costs him a little extra to have someone else voice and produce his spots, but he knows it is worthwhile. His professionally produced spots keep a listeners attention and prompt action.

So a call out to all ad agencies and radio salespeople: take advantage of your creative departments/freelancers. Your clients will thank you when they discover how effective their investment really is, then spend more money with you!

Friends don’t let friends do their own radio spots!

Words I had to look up (either for meaning or spelling) in writing this post: rife, monotonous, naught, duped.