“Explore the space” with GM Voices; our process and facility make all the difference.
Anyone with a tape deck and a microphone in a basement can profess to be in the voice recording business. Technically, it may be accurate, but really, is that the kind of operation you want to entrust your customer contacts with? There really is no comparison when you consider the size, scope and service level of GM Voices.
GM Voices is headquartered from a 10,000 square foot production facility in Alpharetta, GA, just north of Atlanta. In addition to all the space dedicated to standard business stuff (sales, accounting, marketing), we boast a dozen combined recording studios, isolation booths and editing suites, all stocked with the latest and greatest recording gear.
Whenever we host a guest and are able to give a tour of our studios, the visual component of value proposition is communicated–voice recording is a serious business that warrants dedicated account management resources, a trained group of engineers and the experience to make your speech application connect with callers in any market.
Check out this short video overview of CEO Marcus Graham discussing our digs.
Returning to Chicago August 9-11 for ClueCon Open Source Telelphony Developer Conference; Make Your Plans and Register Online Now
Last year, GM Voices made the trip to the Windy City for ClueCon, a friendly gathering of the world’s top open source telephony developers. While we’re not quite as technical as the deveolopers at GMV, we do fit into the space nicely and are big fans of open source, whether powered by FreeSWITCH, Asterisk, OpenSIPS or Kamailio, to name several. In fact, GM Voices’ very own Callie is the voice of the FreeSWITCH project; hers is the voice of all the standard voice prompts of the software.
In 2010, our president Darrell Hensley (flanked by Callie), spoke of the importance of professional voice on open source applications. Our creative team also attended, interviewing the FreeSWITCH founders and several prominent presenters. Check out our complete ClueCon 2010 video library.
This year, our very own Jessica Goulding is making the trip to meet, mingle and learn about the latest and greatest open source features and technologies.
ClueCon is refreshingly different than what you expect from technology conferences. It’s warmer, less stuffy, and more focused on community. Check out Brian West outlining the ClueCon philosophy in the video below, and then head over to the ClueCon homepage to learn more and make your registration arrangements. Get a Clue!
The ‘Why’ and ‘Who’ that Defines Your Company Should Shape Your Voice Brand, Not the ‘What.’
The ultimate goal of any brand is to transcend the base functional benefits of its products and establish an emotional resonance that brings customers back time and time again. Any company that has established this connection—and let’s be honest, it’s kind of rare—has an ingrained swagger. You can immediately throw out details of its identity; its target audience, its reason for existing. These companies market with a mission. If you’ve ever heard of the “golden circle”—you understand the principle. By clearly defining why your company exists, everything else seems to come naturally—a look, a feel, a loyal buying tribe, and an internal brand compass that maintains a sense of purpose and relevance.
Let’s get horticultural. If your overall brand is a tree, the brand essence would be the roots or the trunk. The Voice Brand, the image you project to customers through your phone automation, would at least be a prominent branch. And if those roots go deep, if your brand is strong and well formed, Voice Branding—selecting a voice your speech applications—should be a fun exercise. Likely, you have an idea of what your voice would sound like. Your other customer touchpoints—advertising, an in-store experience, anything—paints an audio picture, so to speak. GM Voices can help you hone in on the sound to perfectly align with these touchpoints, a sound that immediately reaffirms your identity in the caller’s mind (and ear). If your brand occupies this rarefied territory of actualization, there are no excuses for a Voice Branding disconnect.
And then the other side of the coin. If your brand is too focused on outside-in marketing—a heavily commoditized, product-centric, unemotional image—choosing a voice may be difficult. Likely, anything branding related will be difficult, because it hasn’t been defined. Talk to GM Voices about a persona development project. In defining the attributes that will shape your voice to the marketplace, it may uncover some guidelines that will help you target buyers with a more clearly-established identity and purpose. We enjoy these creative consulting engagements, and would be happy to speak to you about your brand.
Check out this short video about the persona design process:
Consumer Brands Allow Creative Voice Opportunities for Automation
Selecting a voice for an automated phone application is often a subjective process. In many cases, several decision makers review sound files—independently or with the GM Voices team—and choose the voice that sounds best to them (and hopefully their calling audience as well).
Other times, clients will defer to us to craft a sound that is uniquely suited for their brand. This is when we get to have fun and be creative. Because no two brands are exactly the same, it only stands to reason that no two Voice Brands should be the same either. A voice persona development project at GM Voices involves an analysis of current brand positioning, through our own research and observations, and in consultation with a company’s brand/marketing teams, to find a sound that matches the company image at all its other customer touchpoints.
It must be said: some brands are just better defined than others. This can be a company weakness that can be attributed to not focusing on projecting a compelling and clearly-defined story, sure… and then some companies occupy a space or industry that just doesn’t allow for us much creativity. For many such companies, “friendly and professional” seems to dominate the direction of the voice.
When companies have a very clear brand image, it’s enjoyable to find a sound that encapsulates that identity to resonate with customers. The more distinct the brand direction, the “bolder” the voice tends to be. Often, a consumer brand—defined by far more advertising and insight into the preferences of the buying audiences—affords greater flexibility for customization than a business-to-business brand. Many sounds that wouldn’t be appropriate for a generalized business crowd succeed on consumer-brand applications because they target a specific, niche audience.
Here are some examples:
Beauty, cosmetics, luxury – These companies provide a great opportunity to utilize a more sultry and aggressive female sound. If the brand is passively (or overtly) defined by an air of exclusivity or sophistication, a very confident and assertive sound can be desirable. This would not translate to a healthcare application, for example.
Blue collar, machinery, auto repair, production – On most applications, a neutral, unaccented voice is preferred to connect with the greatest number of callers. If your brand targets a “dude” audience, a folksier sound, maybe with a twang, can be used where it normally would never be considered.
Retail, electronics, mobile, consumer goods – If your company attracts a younger crowd, use a younger sound. Don’t give customers a branding disconnect (overly mature) if that’s not how you’re positioned at other contact points. If your company attracts a more generalized audience, use a good “middle” sound. If you cater to teens and young adults, use a youthful and vibrant sound to affirm your identity.
Check out this video of CEO Marcus Graham discussing our persona development process:
Dozens of voice actors record in our studios each week, providing clients a consistent voice for any application. More than 90 languages and dialects are offered, with hundreds of voice actors comprising our roster.
We invented the term and concept of Voice Branding, a single-voice customer experience consistent with a company’s brand image.
We pride ourselves on being great storytellers, and we hope this forum helps us spin a few yarns and make some noise. Visit our home base: www.gmvoices.com.
