Overview
This second case study is from a client I'd not worked with before, but who needed revision of some copy and LinkedIn profile alongside a cold pitch email template which could be sent to ideal clients and altered to fit each one, so as to make it unique, but with the essential information required, and in the voice of the client.
I was also commissioned to rewrite a LinkedIn page, headline profile summary as well as the About Page. This was the first time I've worked with a voice artist. Far from being phased by this I was fascinated, and saw this as a worthwhile challenge. Fortunately, the client was a good communicator and was able to give a fascinating overview of his role and what he'd accomplished so far. The work was both interesting and unique, and the client came with a vast experience of different industries he'd worked with over the years. His roles so far had encompassed royal events, awards shows and live corporate events. This meant that with such a variety of different clients he was concerned as to what tone of voice felt appropriate.
The Challenge/The Action
There was often confusion as to the difference between a voice artist and a voice over artist. The client certainly didn't fit into the first category as he did not use his voice to "voice over" per se, such as commercials, animation, video games or documentaries, some of the more traditional jobs associated with a voice over artist.
The voice artist or voice over artist is a unique individual, in that they use their vocal talents for a variety of different jobs such as conveying a story, or providing information on a series of events. The latter better describes what my client does in that he provides the voice for live events, giving a detailed narrative of what's going on and what's coming up next. The client had a unique ability to breathe life into even the driest of scripts, infusing them with humour and emotion.
It isn't easy to explain within a case study what a voice artist does, but luckily thanks to the client's ability to emote and communicate his job so clearly it provided me with a clear picture of what he did. Understanding was key to providing a LinkedIn profile summary and headline that did justice to this unique role.
We discussed what was required of the about page and how he wanted to speak to his audience. I cannot express enough the importance of voice of customer research and wanted to use this especially for the About Page. Tone of voice was also key, and as we'd recorded the call, it gave me ample opportunity to go over the transcript of the conversations we'd had to help understand and emulate the client's tone of voice, alongside pertinent clarifying questions. The brand name was already in use on the client's website and this was transferred to the LinkedIn headline alongside a clever tagline that drew attention to his skills and talent.
The email template felt intuitive after completing the About Page and LinkedIn profile summary. The important part here was not making this an over 'salesy' or tacky sales ploy type email which the client felt would put off potential clients. It seemed after a long conversation and prompting him with the right questions, that the client understood his audience perfectly, regardless of the diverse range of industries he worked with. I understood that he wanted a more gentle approach, that not only listed his skills and unique talents, but which also came with a clear message of how the voice artist could help the client, and why his skills would be a clear advantage to any live event.
The Results
The client was happy with the results with only a few rudimentary edits to the About Page, LinkedIn Profile and cold pitch email. In fact, the majority of the few edits we had were to the email, and making tweaks and changes to the final copy was a satisfactory exercise to ensure that it would deliver the message perfectly.
This was a successful project that almost didn't feel like work at all. This is the key to finding a way of working with clients where it feels less like work and more like doing something you love. That is, working with a client one-to-one, asking the right questions, knowing when to remain silent, understanding the sometimes necessary gaps in a conversation and letting them sit, and then conveying the client voice, understanding his audience and putting together seamless copy and content that does its job. As we've seen, it's the things left unsaid and things that are said, become every bit as important as the words on the page. Copy doesn't write itself, people do. And listening is a skill, a muscle that grows stronger with use.
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