How Do You Upgrade a Voice?

Retailers and manufacturers are always looking for something new to offer. Now that the calendar has flipped to 2014, we’re likely to see new feature sets, improvements, and upgrades on many products in an effort to make them generate buzz, keep up with competitors, or even offer a better product. Even before the dust settles from the holiday season, retailers will get ready for the coming spring/summer, by clearing their shelves and bringing in new product with the season’s new colors, fabrics and textures.

Those of us in media production have only one product: our unique skill set. With that skill set we make the things our clients request. My voice is my primary product. My voice isn’t subject to seasonal whims or anything that can be upgraded with a new feature. My voice does not come with a new online summer catalog, or Back to School savings in the summertime. There is no Chris’ Voice 2.0 with a new setting for teenage girl or “In a World”-type movie intros.

While I can alter my voice to create characters such as an old man, my son’s stuffed bear, my daughter’s orca whale, or even sound like Big Bird (it’s a fun party trick), it is still fundamentally my voice. That said, I do have some control over my voice and can meet the demands of client scripts that are right for me. In 2013, I was a young salesperson, a compliance professional, a corporate trainer, a golf instructor, and a person angry with an energy utility, among others. While I did sell compliance software for some time, I’ve never played a game of golf that did not involve a windmill.

So for 2014, I’ll have the same voice as I did in 2013, but there’s no telling who this voice can be.