Many voice-over students have job experience in the business world, or they have worked in a non-profit setting like a school, a charity, or a government office. All of these career experiences teach us to say words with business etiquette – but what is “business etiquette?”
Business etiquette describes the changes we make to the words we speak in a professional setting. Sometimes we are not aware of these changes. They can become deeply ingrained. Some things we might do when we speak with “business etiquette” include:
- Enunciating very clearly to be seen as educated by coworkers and clients
- Speaking sentences with brevity and purpose to move tasks and agendas forward
- Avoiding negative personal feelings or doubts in the tone of our words
- Projecting confidence and finality to indicate competence and accomplishment
Business etiquette can provide a great and appropriate approach to many voice-over scripts. However, the way that we speak and express ourselves in the business world can be a challenge when we want to speak conversationally.
What is “conversational” speaking?
One way to describe “conversational” speaking is living words as though we’re speaking them to a close friend, neighbor, or family member. Some things we do when we speak conversationally might include:
- Showing that something that matters to us is on the line
- Speaking with less-than-perfect enunciation and diction
- Speaking from a shorter physical distance than we often speak at in a business setting
- Speaking in an environment that is quieter than a business setting, like a car with the windows rolled down on a country summer night – or even a living room sofa
Because many commercial voice-over scripts are written about a product or service, the choice to use business etiquette in performing commercials can feel natural. After all, the words may not be written in a manner that any person would commonly speak, let alone speaking conversationally.
In fact, most commercial scripts that a voice-over talent performs are already written in a more businesslike style. This can be contrasted with fiction (as well as animation and games), which tends to have shorter words and a stronger resemblance to actual speech.
Speaking with business etiquette can be different from the dreaded “announcer-y” read, though some voice-over clients might blur terminology together. An “announcer” read
Shhhh!
focuses on stylizing the sound of words in a manner that is disconnected from responding to real feelings in a truthful personal relationship and situation. Business etiquette, on the other hand, is a collection of ingrained affects that we might not be aware we are adding to conversation.
As a voice-over coach, the following are the three most effective exercises I’ve found to address out-of-control business etiquette in commercial reads:
Exercise 1: Speak in an environment where you’re not supposed to speak
Often called the “church pew,” “don’t wake the baby”, or “library” read, this exercise places your relationship and need to communicate in a social context where you’re expected not tospeak but driven to break the rules.
Exercise 2: Talk to a small child
Many of us have had the experience of speaking to a toddler and desperately wanting them to understand what we are saying as though they were an adult. We hope their understanding prevents the next meltdown. This exercise does this with a voice-over script written for adults.
Exercise 3: Imagine changing rejection
Most commercial scripts call for some sort of an emotional arc. This means that truthfully living the words on the page begins with one feeling and journeys to another. One way to achieve this is to imagine that the person you are speaking to is rejecting you at the beginning but slowly comes around by the end. You can also imagine that their rejection increases. Either way, the urgency of your words responds to their changing expressions and body language.
With practice, voice-over students who have internalized business etiquette can expand their range to compete in a wide variety of reads.
Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!
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