Interview With A Voice Pro – Derek Chappell
As you know, I’m often talking about the importance of marketing in voice over.
You need to be able to:
- position yourself well,
- target the right market, and
- do the right kind of marketing consistently
…when you’re building a voice over career.
For this months interview, I want to introduce you to Derek Chappell.
He’s another of the voice over people I’ve met through social media (Twitter and Google+) who is doing just that!
Derek has positioned himself directly as ‘The Voice Of Your Business’, and lives and works from his professional private studio in his home in Ottawa, Kansas, 35 minutes south of Kansas City.
His clarity about the kind of voice he is and the way he targets his talents through his website are simple but clever.
So, I wanted you to meet him and later link through to his website to see how simple it could be for you to make a mark with whatever it is you specialise in.
First, I asked him to tell me when and why he started ‘the voice of your business’?
Derek: I started my voiceover business in 2009. ‘The Voice Of Your Business’ is premised upon the need of the company or business hiring me, to have ONE consistent and professional voice for their business.
In an audio greeting I have on my home page, I remind them that they don’t use a number of different logo’s for their business, so why would they want a number of different voices representing them across different mediums.
When their client’s hear the same, consistent and professional voice on their phone greeting as they do on their explainer video, as they do on their website video, etc., that customer comes to know, trust, and recognise “that” business by “that” voice.
So how has that message been received?
Derek: Well, my main source of voice work does come from online video’s for business, including explainer videos, corporate narration, and online ads. I’ve also provided the voice for many companies’ telephone recordings and prompts.
How did you get your start in the Business?
Derek: My first experience behind a mic was in the 9th grade. It was our Junior High talent show, and I had NO talent, except I loved to talk and read aloud.
So, I volunteered to be the emcee for the show, and since then I have loved being behind a microphone.
In college I started working on campus, then local AM radio, and the fire to be behind the mic burned even brighter.
I graduated with a degree in broadcast communications and at age 21 I was hired as a DJ at a classic rock station in Kansas City.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed being behind the mic, in many capacities!
I know you believe social media is important to connect the community of voice actors.
Derek: Yes. I’m a huge supporter of social media for voice actors. I can be found on a number of different platforms, using them for both business with client’s, as well as connection and keeping up with trends via other voice talent.
In what ways do you feel it helps?
Derek: I believe having a consistent presence on a number of different platforms helps keep your name and voice in the ‘eye’ and ‘ear’ of potential voice seekers.
That said, I do believe that social media should only be used as one of many tools in your overall marketing plan.
I emphasise to others just how easy (unfortunately) it is to be sucked into so much time ‘online’, when some of that time should be and could be used for other forms of marketing and promotion of your business.
What do you notice has changed in voiceover in the past 5 years?
Derek: Having only begun to pursue voiceover more full-time/part-time since 2009, I can easily say that the use of social media to market oneself is the main change I have seen.
Along with advances in technology and the way someone like me, who lives in the heart of the mid-west United States, not near LA or NYC, I can pursue voice jobs and have clients all over the world.
Where do you see the voice over industry headed in the next 5 years?
Derek: I have no idea where it’s headed. I just do what I can to keep advised of the trends and techniques that will help me advance my business, as the overall business of voiceover advances.
Thanks for letting me grill you Derek!
If you want to take a peek at Derek’s simple, but incredibly effective website and listen to samples of his work, just