Waiting for the new operating system to download for my computer was a lesson in time.   It was a huge file, but soon the message said, “6 minutes left.” Finally. I had things to do; emails, blogs, tweets, FaceBook posts, etc.

Then “4 minutes left.”

Then, “3 minutes left.”

Then, “35 minutes left.”

Wait…what?

How did it go from being ready to rock and roll in three minutes to 35 minutes?

“This is bullshit,” I screamed, then… enlightenment.  This delay, while annoying, also reminded me of one very important thing.

Time is tricky.

And trying to time perfect timing…is almost impossible.

It’s true. Being blessed with good timing means that you are ahead of the curve, that you have vision and that you can believe in something before anyone else can.  It’s good to be ready when the time is right…

…but trying to time perfect timing is a crap shoot.  For most of us perfect timing can only truly be seen in retrospect.  The old 20/20 hindsight goggles. The forehead smack of “How come I didn’t think of that… or write that… or patent that?”

Here’s the thing: Don’t chase timing; allow perfect timing find you.

Keep on doing what you love doing. Opportunity for success will find you when it’s time.

Just because something is trendy doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Instead, how can you take a current craze and make it yours? Re-evaluate your idea when necessary. Update your vision. Review the marketplace to make sure that your idea can keep up with time and all its changes. Work with your product, idea or project until it’s something new that is simply waiting for its time.

And… don’t give up.  Perfect timing will find you when you’re ready.

Without delusions of grandeur I would not have …
… Started a book, let alone finish it
… Jumped head first to become a professional voice over talent
… Or created Chapter & Voice, a cutting edge new business for writers

Nope, delusions of grandeur can be our best friend. Our delusions of greatness help motivate us to chase after our best life with abandon, even if it appears too ambitious to other people. Who cares if they can’t imagine our dreams of “what if” coming true? We can.

Someone asked me recently, “What would you do if you knew that you couldn’t fail?”

My answer, “Exactly what I’m doing right now.” It’s true and my delusions of grandeur helped get me here.

For delusions of grandeur to morph into reality takes long hours and hard work every day. Dreaming isn’t enough to make our delusions materialize – it requires diligent practice, unwavering focus, and skin so thick it resembles elephant hide.

Having delusions of a five-book deal with Random House keeps me taking classes, going to conferences, and plugging away on writing projects.

My earnest wish of finally becoming a narrator for the Discovery Channel or NatGeo keeps me auditioning and practicing my “conversational, natural” reading style.

Knowing an AudioTeaser (much like this one) will help writers market their books, fuels my dreams that Chapter & Voice will become the essential promotion tool that I know it can be.

Delusions of grandeur give us the strength to keep going.

LISTEN to the Audio Teaser of Embrace Your Delusions

When we want to give up and call it a career, delusions show us what is possible, if we just try once more. Our delusions of success help us shrug off the ten rejections we received via email to submit another day. Delusions tell us to get out of bed, fix our hair and slap on some lip-gloss, and go take the next risk that will breathe life into our dreams.

Believe in your delusions of grandeur and use them as a road map to where to want to go. Celebrate your visions of what will be “when you finally _____________.” Throw a party in anticipation of your impending success. Then, work your ass off to get there.

Our delusions of grandeur are only delusions if we don’t try.

It started with blogs, then it was Facebook, now it’s Twitter. With everything that we do to market our books, it’s not a surprise that at times actual writing can take a back seat.  So what can we do?

Simplify.

Don’t want to read this post?

Are you trying to manage 3 or more email addresses? Simplify. Which one(s) can you cancel?

Are you working on, but not finishing, more than one manuscript right now? Simplify – pick and finish one.

Are you overwhelmed with the number of social media outlets you are trying to keep up with? Simplify. Choose one and become really consistent in its use, then you can add another one as your time grows.

PONDER POINTS

• Where can you simplify your writing life?
• What are some of the distractions that get in your way?
• What can you scratch off your list of “to dos?”
• Who is not helping you meet your goals?

Simplifying might create more chaos in the beginning, but after the initial brouhaha, the pay off is totally worth it.

When it doubt…simplify!

When I grow up, I want to be ________________.

It seems funny when grownups say this, especially to those under twenty, but it’s the sentiment that helps keep our childhood dreams alive. When you finally decide to turn those dreams into reality, the 3 Ps help as you move along the road to fulfillment.

The 3 Ps are Passion, Persistence, and Patience.

PASSION

On the days when following your dreams is just…plain…hard, passion can pull you through.  Think long-term commitment like a stick of incense slowing smoldering. It still burns, but it takes its time, releasing its aroma slowly, but surely.

If your passion burns too hot or fast like a fuse on a stick of dynamite, it will burn out too quickly or worse, blow up.  Don’t know about you, but I have enjoyed many heated passions (yes, that kind too) that flamed out all too quickly – playing the piano and becoming the next great lounge singer to name but a few.

However, I have maintained passion for writing.  Some of my passion filled projects are still enjoying a vacation in the drawer, but my passion for the craft and joy of writing continue to simmer, fueling my desire to keep on going.

PERSISTENCE

My favorite definition of persistence is “continuing despite problems.”  And boy-o-boy, do problems, or as I prefer to call them obstacles, come in a variety of flavors.

From rejections to time management, family obligations to (momentarily) just not giving a crap. If you haven’t hit all of these yet…it’s something to look forward to on your journey. Think of hurdles as badges of honor and experiences to put in your memoir, but don’t let them stop you.

Persistence is about soldiering on in the face of delay, other people’s opinions and the hardest of all, self doubt. There are some days that I believe that the “fraud police” are going to stop me and give me a ticket for posing as a writer and voice talent.

Persistence is about becoming a hearty soul who laughs at adversity and keeps on going.

PATIENCE

“I’m an overnight success and it only took me 20 years.”

Having patience is hard. I don’t know anyone who dons Gandhi garb and is cool with waiting.  We all want success to happen as soon as possible, but most of us have a lot to learn before we are ready for success. That’s patience.

Here’s the trick – don’t focus on the when, focus on the next step. Just the next step.  Not fifteen steps ahead or three steps behind, just the next step on your path to success.

Do you have a list of steps? Do you know where you want to go and more than a vague idea of how to get there?

Consider these points…

Do you have enough training? Can you use more? (Everyone can use more)

• Is there a class you can take?
• Is there a group you can join?
• Are there books to read to improve your skill?
• Are you doing the work? If you want to be a writer, you gotta write. If you want to be a voice talent, you have to have a demo. If you want to be a pro golfer, hitting the links is imperative to your success.

When you shift your focus off “when” success will happen and just keep working on what you want – your dreams will come true before you know it, and you’ll be better prepared to deal with it when it does.

Embracing and developing a deeper sense of the 3 Ps will always help you move toward your goals – no matter how lofty or as of yet, unrealized. There is always time to follow your dreams! So what are you waiting for? Go!

“Professional” is a word that is thrown around pretty frequently, but how do you define it? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary points out a few, but the most relevant definition for our purposes is, “(1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.”

Where do you start using your voice to sound professional?

1. Social Media

If you don’t have professional social networking accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In, sign up today. To make sure you are portraying a professional voice and image, don’t neglect spell check, and be sure to proofread everything you write, even a casual comment. You might even decide to start blogging—just make sure it’s done with great care. Social media serves as a valuable customer service tool, so it is imperative to monitor and manage these sites regularly to show you are active, and address customers’ questions, comments, and issues.

2. Your Voicemail

At home, on your cell, or at the office, be sure to have a professional voicemail greeting anywhere you might receive a business call. Speak clearly and slowly, and be sure ask the caller for their name, message, and call back number. A message that says “Hey it’s Dave, I’m screening your call” isn’t going to win over many clients or receive any job offers.

3. Your Phones

Your phone is another place where sounding professional matters. Be sure to take the time to recording any IVR announcements and Messages On Hold clearly and with a interest in your voice. Remember: what callers hear on your phone line can be one of the first impressions they have of your company. On the phone, callers will literally hear your voice (even if it’s a professional voice talent, not yourself, speaking)

Of course, these are just the first steps, where to begin when you start thinking about finding professionalism. Being professional starts with you—and your voice.

Juli Durante is a Marketing Associate at Holdcom, a leading provider of Message on Hold and voice production services. Visit them online at www.holdcom.com

The mules plod along, putting one sure foot in front on the other as they descend the steep trails. These mules don’t run or trot – they lumber along until they reach their destination.

As you hit the marketing trail, let the mule be your guide.

Learn how to plod. Embrace the slower place of the amble. Adopt the power of lumbering toward your goal. Remember: it’s not how fast you reach your destination, but how long you stay there.

Just like the mule making it safely to the bottom of the canyon, success in marketing and sales is about just taking the next step, and then, doing it again. Participating in the day-to-day, unsexy grind. Making the phone calls. Writing the query letters. Taking the risk of putting yourself out there with consistency and persistence.

One of my favorite sentiments is; “I’m an overnight success and it only took me 20 years.”

Here’s some Plodder questions to ask yourself :
• Do you set aside time for marketing every day? Weekly? Bi-monthly?
• What is your preferred mode of marketing? Phone calls? Drop ins? Emails? Social Media? All the above?
• Is it working? Are you getting the results you want?
• Do you have support? A person who can, and will, kick your butt and keep you on task?
• Do you have a specific goal or goals in mind? Sell your book? Book a job? Secure a specific client?

Marketing and sales success goes to the people who keep at it, taking one steady step at a time, ignoring the steep incline and just doing the work. Hail to the Plodders, for we shall take our persistence to the bank.

Quality Narration & Audio Engages Audience

Creating an eLearning program takes planning. A lot of planning. Development teams have hours of pre-productions ahead of them. They must determine the scope of their project, establish their target audience, and settle on a budget before one line of code is written or scripts are printed.

E-Learning Demo

Each of these project elements are clamoring for attention and it’s easy to delay one critical piece of a success presentation until the end. We’re talking audio narration and production.

Some project producers might wait to finalize a script, hire a voice talent, and secure a studio to record, edit, and sweeten the project until everything else is complete. But with all the time and money spent in producing an engaging and compelling eLearning program, the last thing you want is a sloppy audio and narration.

“You can save money and time if you involve audio professionals in the planning stages of the project,” said Don Ross, an award winning audio engineer at Don Ross Productions. “We can help make your eLearning program sound as good as it looks.”

Hiring a professional voice talent and audio engineer before you start winding down your eLearning project makes the difference between a cohesive presentation and uneven one. When you have an audio team in place, they can help with your scripts in process, even record scratch tracks so you can hear how it will sound. A professional narrator can work with you on pacing, tone, and style of read so your program keeps your target audience engaged. The audio engineer can help you determine the best levels and output and can give you the heads up on any issues with formatting before the project is put to bed.

As your production team sits down to start planning the next eLearning program, consider lining up a professional voice talent and audio engineer to from the start to bring your project to life.

For more information on Don Ross: www.donrossproductions.com

No one wants to be shouted at during a commercial. There is a time and place for the hard sell — but most clients would rather have a happy, personable voice explaining their products as opposed to an aggressive one telling them what to do.

** Fun and Happy**

When hiring a voice talent, it’s important to consider who your audience is and then, what you want those people to do once they’ve heard your ad.  Do you want them to go to your website? Hit the showroom? Put it on their grocery list?  Once you know that…then hire your voice talent to match your call to action.

Here’s my advice: Friendly works better than “shouty.”  Conversational works better than stiff.  A smile sells more than a pointy finger.

**Natural and Confident**

Hire a professional voice talent when you want to talk to your potential audience because, chances are, you’ll get even more than you expected.

Contact me for more info: vo [dot] jojojense [at] gmail [dot] com

ABANDON SHIP… (character)

I FEEL SMARTER ALREADY (eLearning)

Mmmmm…BAKED GOODS (commercial)

FM or AM? (radio Imaging)

Need a customized demo? Just ask! Have Voice…will send it anywhere.

Professional voice talents bring flat text to life. We create mental images for the viewer with the pitch, speed and timber of our voices, keeping your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

A professional voice talent can also make audio production faster, easier and more cost effective.  Many talents have their own studio and deliver mp3s or .wav files to email or an ftp site.

Here are the top 5 reasons to hire a professional voice talent!

Professional Voice Talents…

1.     Add polish and professionalism to the finished project or presentation

2.     Bring natural and conversational tone to script; narration won’t be stilted or stiff

3.     Allow viewers to focus on the presentation instead of being distracted by uneven narration

4.     Simplify audio production; have ability to send quality audio files right to your inbox

5.     Engage the audience through the end of the project allowing you to get your message across clearly

Professional Voice Talents enhance any project or presentation, bringing your text to life!

JoJo Jensen is a professional voice talent with more than 15 years experience. Listen to her demos or request an audition: Here