communication

Over the years, I've discovered there are three things that both clients and voice talents must do to set each other up for success. They are...

 1. Communicate
 
 Client: before a single word is recorded, make sure your voice talent has the finalized script (check with your legal department!), a pronunciation guide (if necessary), and clear direction in terms of tone, pace, and audience.
 
 2. Communicate
 
 Voice Talent: make sure you know the desired technical settings; sample rate, mono/stereo, and resolution especially. Also, find out your client's preferred output (mp3, wav, etc.) and method of delivery (FTP, DropBox, Hightail, etc.)
 
 3. Communicate
 
 Client and Voice Talent: agree on the rate and usage of the project BEFORE you start the project. The Retake Policy must be crystal-clear. This can make or break the relationship! Make sure the billing cycle, form of payment, currency, and contact info are known upfront.
 
 Sense a pattern here? Strong, clear lines of communication are critical to set everyone up for success and establish the potential for a long-term relationship.