Six tips to make listeners fall in love
Did you ever wonder why audiences love Guy Raz, or Glynn Washington, or name-your-current-podcast-fave-here — but maybe not you?
We have, too. That's a big reason why we launched Sound Judgment — to get under the covers of why we gravitate toward some voices and shudder when we hear others. And why, when Glynn Washington walks down the street, perfect strangers stop him and tell him their deepest secrets.
Why do we find one voice trustworthy — and a different host or producer, perhaps with equal knowledge, not?
Audio — whether used in podcast, radio, or marketing — is great at storytelling and conveying emotion. We know this intuitively. It’s how we react to a scene or an idea that often prompts us to share with others and generate word of mouth. We say, “This spoke to me, you have to hear it.” But why and how?
Elaine Appleton Grant, host of Sound Judgment, and Jodi Krangle, host of Audio Branding, recently interviewed each other. Together we discover some real similarities and big differences between voice acting & hosting. One of the biggest similarities: As hosts and voice actors, we need to communicate emotion authentically. That’s where the joy and the success lies – and where many of the problems do, too.
In the second part of their interview, we explore what it takes for audiences to trust us. We explore:
What we mean when we want “authenticity?” How do we get there?
How audiences are changing, and how hosts and voice actors need to change in response
What Gen Z audiences want now (hint: belonging and feeling seen, not talked down to)
The role of diversity and cultural competence in being a great host or voice actor
The art of the interview — and why learning this was so challenging for Jodi, even though she’s one of the most successful voice actors in North America!
Tips to make listeners fall in love & why “the voice of God” is gone:
Sound needs to change as culture changes.
Remember the old movie trailers with The Voice of God? We don’t hear those much any more, and for a good reason. Younger generations experience sound in a very different way – they want to be shown what’s will be on the movie screen, for instance, not told to. They do not want to be sold to at all. So if we’re not hearing the Voice of God from voice actors any more, we’re also not wanting that newscaster, anchor voice – the Walter Cronkite voice – in journalism and podcasting, either.
Emotional context is what sound does for us.
I was surprised to hear Jodi say, when she’s recording a commercial, for instance – “If I don’t have a movie or play going on in my head, it’s hard for the person listening to understand the emotion that’s coming across.” Storytellers, when you’re using a script, this is key to avoiding sounding like you’re reading. We need to embody what we’re saying.
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Hosting is strategic. We need to start treating it that way.
In the advertising industry, directors often make the mistake of tacking on voiceover at the end of a production, rather than thinking about it strategically from the beginning. Many folks in Jodi’s industry mistakenly believe voice acting is just standing at a mic and talking. That’s my pet peeve as well. We should be thinking about hosting – and creating an intentional sound for our shows – at the beginning of the process, not throwing in a voice at the end. Hosting well is how you engage listeners, and hosting poorly can lose them.
Imposter syndrome and the art of the interview
When she started hosting, Jodi Krangle, who makes her living using her voice, had to overcome one big negative belief. “I didn’t think I was a speaker of any kind!” she says. It was hard for her to speak her own words, believe she had something worth saying, and be passionate enough to get her thoughts across. That was all harder than she expected – but she persevered. All of this is learnable, and mindset is the first thing we often need to change.
Why does sound matter?
Let’s take a look at the advertising industry for some clues. They spend millions of dollars crafting the right sounds and voices. Why? Because they know that sound can create deeper connections with the audience. We don’t buy things because of logic, but because of emotion. Brands use sound to communicate something distinct, unique, and ownable – so how are you using audio to communicate just how special, and different, you are from the crowd?
Your sonic brand is worth millions.
If you work for an organization or a brand, you may already have a podcast or be thinking about starting one. When you do, make sure your show not only integrates with the rest of your communications, but also that it’s as high quality as everything else you put out into the world. Audio creates a brand, just as much as your visuals do.
To learn more about Jodi Krangle and connect with her, visit voiceoversandvocals.com.
To watch shorts from these interviews and other Audio Branding episodes, visit Jodi’s Youtube channel, JodiKrangleVO.
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