We're still amazed at home many people are gaining great insight from the 'Home Studio Equipment' series. If you record yourself, or your instrument(s) from home, it's a great way to get some insight on the proper setup.

For those who already have that setup - we'll now delve into how you can embark on making a profit from it. One great way is with an 'Elevator Speech'. Today's topic is written from the perspective of voiceovers. however, swap out voiceover with any business you do from your home, or even for a big business, and you might find a much more compelling way to perform - be it B2B sales, electronics repair or selling pet food.

So what is an "Elevator Speech"?

Initially it was called an 'Elevator Pitch' and was used as a way to talk to an investor - in the time it took to ride the elevator from the bottom floor to their top floor offices. If done well, you would win a new investor, an invite into their office to hear more, or at least schedule a time with their secretary.

Not a compelling pitch - you rode the elevator back down to the first floor.

The idea caught on - though it's focus has shifted. Now, it maybe the information you pass on to a local client who has no idea how your voiceover or your music is something they may need. Maybe you wrote a jingle that they have to hear, maybe your voice fits their product quite well. At the very least, it's what you can say to someone at a networking event, how you tell your neighbor that you now work from home. In essence, an "Elevator Speech" is a concise, carefully planned, and well-practiced description about your company. it should be simple enough that your mother should be able to understand what you're talking about and should still be said in about the time it takes to ride up an elevator.

However - that being said - you will want to write it longer than what can be said in a short elevator ride. More on that later...

What an "Elevator Speech" is not:

It is not really a "sales pitch." Don't get caught up in using the entire speech to tell a potential client how great your voice is. The Producer or Client is "buying" your professionalism and ability to get it done, not just your voice. At it's core, it's the basis for a coherent conversation. It's a way to speak about yourself without feeling like you're gloating. Aand always keep in mind this rule:, "If you don't connect with a client, they won't trust you can connect with their customers"

Section A - Creating the "Elevator Speech"

There are six questions your "Elevator Speech" must answer:

1. Why they need your service?
Describe what it is you do for clients. Do not go into excruciating detail.

2. Who is your market?
Briefly discuss what you specialize in, what your niche is.

3. How does a voice-over really drive or motivate people?
How is it that a voice-over would work, as opposed to just a PowerPoint slide show??

4. Who is behind the voice?
"Bet on the jockey, not the horse" is a familiar saying. Tell them a little about you, your background and achievements (as it relates to voice-overs) or what qualifies you so well for your work. Remember - people buy why you do it, not just what you do.

5. Who is your competition?
Don't have any? Think again. Briefly discuss who they are and what they have accomplished. Successful competition is an advantage-they are proof your business model and/or concept work - i.e. - why do so many movie stars do voice-overs?

6. What is your competitive advantage?
Simply being in an industry with successful competitors is not enough. You need to effectively communicate how you are different and why you have an advantage over the competition. A better voice, a lower cost, more timely turn around, understanding their company, product or service?

Section B - What your "Elevator Speech" must contain!
Once you've written the first part out, look to highlight these...

1. A "hook"
Open your speech by getting the potential client's attention with a "hook." A statement or question that piques their interest to want to hear more.

2. Not too much!
Your pitch should go no longer than 30-45 seconds (less is more)

3. Passion
Producers and potential clients expect energy and dedication from you.

4. A request
At the end of your pitch, you must ask for something. Do you want their business card, to listen to your demo, to speak more (in person or by phone), to ask for a referral/recommendation?


Section C - Evolve!

A good Elevator Speech doesn't just 'happen'. It will evolve over days, weeks or months. You'll learn where and how it needs to be modified. When it's best to use one, and that waiting for perfection means many lost opportunities. Use what you have today, and it will perfect itself in time.

Section D - Don't be a robot!
Your Elevator Speech is not something you should memorize and rehash to each person in exactly the same way. It's a framework you can use to speak to a specific client in a specific way. Memorize the parts and the pieces, and have a conversation with the client. It will be difficult to say everything in the limited time you have, so focus on having a memorable conversation and let parts of the overall speech enter into the conversation.

Example of creating an "Elevator Pitch"
Here is an example of what you might use in developing an Elevator Speech for a fake VO company - let's call it "YourVoiceOver". Remember - this isn't what you would memorize and repeat verbatim, you would try to memorize the 'bullet points' of the following, and flavor your conversation with a potential client by adding the following at the appropriate point in a conversation:

YourVoiceOver is changing the future of voiceovers - as part of a $12 Billion Dollar a year, and growing, industry - on a local level. While many are familiar with commercials - they represent only 20% of voiceovers being done.

YourVoiceOver offers producers or clients an efficient and interactive method for creating a standard voice across the spectrum for our clients that can represent them in commercials, in store announcements, presentations, voicemail and more - because YourVoiceOver has 24/7 access to a professional recording studio, which means no additional studio fees and quick turnaround time.

YourVoiceOver is a local company working with neighboring businesses and supporting the community by working with non-profits like Reading for the Blind and Disabled (or whatever non-profit you choose).

YourVoiceOver has specific experience the Producer or clients can tap into to represent their topic or industry - years of public speaking, specialized training (perhaps ProTools Classes with Your Audio Pro), industry specific knowledge (if applicable in the medical field, IT, Telecommunications, legal, automotive, etc.) recording training narrations or by working with similar clients at XYZ companies, etc.

Our industry continues to grow as more companies realize a professionally done voiceover humanizes a company at the consumer level - giving you a connection and therefore great potential advantages over a competitor who doesn't. As an example, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones and other actors, who have successful movie careers, continue to do voice-overs because they work so well that companies are willing to pay top dollar for star power.

YourVoiceOver is a professional business committed to representing it's Producers and Clients well, and working with you to assist in improving your bottom line. YourVoiceOver is not interested in rushing you through a process and will work with your timeline.

YourVoiceOver continuously improves our facilities, studio equipment, vocal training and accessibility by reinvesting a portion of our income.

Here's my business card, and I have a compelling demo I can send to you by email to let you hear examples of what I do for my clients. Do you prefer a link or attachment?

Now that you have this framework, start writing things down and make a call. Start with a friend and role play with them as if you were trying to get them to invest in you. Who knows, maybe you'll convince them!

To your future!
Mel - Your Audio Pro

We've come quite a long way through the Home Studio Equipment Reviews and Recommendations Series but we're not done yet. Now I hope you're reading through the link just above to get all the insight on what you need in your studio. Let's continue to work the rest of that way through the studio equipment you need.

So here's the list; In the order of importance as I see them they are as follows:

1. Microphone
   
2. Computer
   
3. Audio Interface
   
4. DAW Software
   
5. Power Conditioner
   
6. Headphones
   
7. Acoustic Treatment
   
8. Studio Monitors (speakers)
   
9. External Hard Drive
   
10. Cables & Accessories

Today's subject, part #8, is Studio Monitors. Notice I didn't call them speakers. Why? Well a speaker is typically no built in crossover, amplification, it's connected to a small radio or maybe a stereo receiver in your home, typically small, often underpowered or with loads of unrestrained power, and it's typically not as good a piece of gear as you may believe. Now I know many may disagree with some of those statements - and in fairness some of them may be partially right - but it's still not designed specifically for accurate representation, it's often built more for constant use and durability. Compared to the Studio Monitor - your home stereo may be likened to the stubborn mule. It can carry a heavy load and work often - but the quality of the work isn't on par with what you need for a studio. Why? You frequently have an inexpensive cone and poorly manufactured parts, no active management of the sounds the different speaker parts are firing in your direction, and the ability of the speaker to play sounds across the spectrum is, at best, very limited.

To be a studio monitor, you need all the things a typical speaker lacks - a bunch of electrical engineers, a couple audiophiles, a physicist or two and a manufacturer who put them all together in a room to push the envelope of sound. There are different types of Studio Monitors as well. Some come with a subwoofer, some it's an optional add on. Some are for large open studio spaces and some are 'nearfield' monitors. Most of the people building a home studio will want the nearfield monitors.  So, that's what I'll mainly be focusing on today.

One thing to be cautious of before you buy - studio monitors aren't always sold in pairs. This way, you can replace them if they ever break and you can also buy 5, six or seven (or more) of them to play audio throughout a room, office or even a building. Say you have a very long room that you use as a studio, but you move a room divider and it becomes a home theater. A flip of a switch can allow you to fill the entire room with balanced sound and the odd monitor of the bunch works as a center channel in your 5.1 or 7.1 Home Theater system. Or, perhaps you just want to have a mono feed to one room or one studio monitor to test your mixes.One of the best things about Studio Monitors is that they will allow you to listen comfortably, without the need for headphones for hours. You won't be as likely to get ear fatigue (often happens after a few hours of headphone use). because by moving your head slightly - the sound comes in your direction in a slightly different way almost each and every time. You can move farther away from the source, or even leave the room to test the mix. 

When you shop for your Studio Monitors - look for ‘Powered’ or ‘Bi-Amplified’ monitors. Do your best to avoid Passive or Non-powered monitors. They require additional amplifying equipment, which can be costly and eat up some of your space. Don’t try to use a home stereo amplifier – the quality just isn’t there, it can add noise and can even mask some sounds.

Which studio monitors are right for you is ultimately dependent on your end use. As the writer of this, I use Behringer Truth B2031A Studio Monitors. Are they the best? No. Are they the cheapest or most expensive? Again, no. I chose them because, simply put, I liked them. I used a pair for mixing and 'fell in love' with them years ago. When it came time to replace them I was very close to picking up a set of KRK Kokit RP8G2 studio monitors. Again, not the best, but some I liked. That's important for many people - liking the sound of your studio monitors. I use mine for mixing, and frequently for casual listening when I'm doing everything else. To me, enjoying the sound is part of it. If you can, get yourself to a music store and demo the studio monitors. I've listened to the same mix on several and been surprised by what I did, or what I didn't, hear. Make sure the setup is roughly the same for each monitor as well. You want them to be all about the same distance from each other and from you. Make sure they are plugged in through the same equipment. One set of monitors through one source, may sound quite different through another. By contrast, the setup at many 'Box stores' for their home stereo setup are all different. I often see speakers set apart by mere inches, and others apart by 6' or more. That doesn't give you an apples to apples comparison.

So - now to start looking at Studio Monitors available for your space. One thing I want to be sure you know is that most of these Studio monitors are not the 'top of the line'. We're talking your home studio you're building here, and I have to put some marker in for where a budget begins and ends. If your budget wasn't a concern, you probably wouldn't be looking to put the studio in your home, and would just build a custom studio as an addition of your house.  From the 'mid level' monitors on up these studio monitors would be on par with several studios I've worked in, better than most radio stations and perhaps a perfect fit for your budget and space.

Let's start with Low end. I hasten to recommend any of these, but if you desperately need something other than your computer's speakers, or some relief from headphones, these are some options in the 'low end': 

M-Audio AV20 Basically - a set of computer speakers - I'm not sure these would be very capable of mixing anything well. Probably better suited in a conference room attached to a projector. In that setting they are worth every penny - but likely not more. These are here mainly as an option to replace your laptop speakers.

M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Not much more here than the AV20, These are getting into the 'multimedia' speaker set. Good for PC speakers, good for watching movies at your studio - give you some basic listening ability and surprisingly popular with may VO talents I have worked with.

Behringer MS40 These are another multimedia PC speaker to my ear. Considered the entry into the Behringer line - about on par with the AV 40's, and good for about the same purposes.

Stepping into the mid level studio monitors are a BIG step up from the low end. With a 5" -6" woofer and a tweeter. These start to accurately represent some of the tones you will need. Not all are good for multi layer mixing, but fine for working with basic 1-2 tracks of audio and really increasing the sound coming from your computer. In rough order they are:

Samson MediaOne 5A Samson makes some smaller units I just didn't like -  but this one starts to give me some useful sound. It's not much of a step up from the AV40 or the MS40 - but it is a slight step up.

M-Audio Studiophile BX5a I actually found these to be fairly good for the mid tones, work well for many VO talents (these are the second most popular I've seen in ther studios). Surprisingly I've found that they travel fairly well - again great multimedia speakers for a PC.

Alesis M1 Active 520 a huge leap over the 'low end' these will allow you to hear sounds not present in the options named yet.

Now we're getting into the higher end for the home studio. Some of these are still on the smaller side, still can work as nearfield monitors and give you a more 'true' representation of the sounds you'll be looking for when mixing. Again - in rough order:

Alesis M1 Active Mk2 This is a big step from their small brother - they begin to clearly define many sounds.

KRK Rokit RP5G2 These are on the low end of KRK's line - but they do reproduce sound well. Not revealing quite enough for complicated mixing purposes, they will do very well for one to two tracks of audio. A great set for casual listening as well.

KRK ROKIT RP-6 G2 A decent upgrade to the RP5G2 - I did find these sounded similar, but there was a better presence to many things I listened to on this pair of studio monitors - compared to their small, yet capable, little brother.

Yamaha HS 50M These are one of the Sony MDR 7506's of the monitor world. Many won't go to anything else. the difference is that they can be tricky to mix on, though if you can mix on these, several audio engineers will attest that it will sound great almost everywhere! These are often used in professional studios.

Focal CMS 50 Focal CMS50 These are not inexpensive, but they are favored by several engineers I have worked with over some larger monitors - even at their small size. These are often used in professional studios.

Some don't like using these next ones as nearfield monitors, but I have seen them used - and used some of them as such myself - with some good results. They will also allow you to have a really great sound that will not leave you with shortcomings. If you do decide to turn that other bedroom or basement into a studio - these will be right at home.

Focal CMS 65 Focal CMS65 - While I found these a bit difficult to listen to up close, they are good for a large space. The low end seems under-represented to me as a nearfield monitor, but begins to show it's presence with a bit more space. One thing I can say about these monitors - they are very crisp. These are often used in professional studios.

KRK RP8G2 Just a great listening experience here. They reproduce much very well. Tied to a KRK K10S Powered Subwoofer you can extend their range into casual listening, or for insuring the bass is well represented for club mixes. These are often used in professional studios.

Mackie MR5 The Mackie is another like the Sony MDR 7506 - many who put these in their studio see no reason to swap them out. It's a decent, hard working monitor. Mixing on this monitor sounds good on several other sources. This is a jack of all trades' - so nothing sounds great on it, but by the same token, nothing sounds bad on it either. These are often used in professional recording studios.

Behringer Truth B2031A Behringer Truth B2031A - the price of these don't necessarily represent a shortcoming. Some consider these an 'older' style of monitor and they have in fact been replaced by Behringer making them a steal for some - myself included. While a bit complex, a series of switches allows you to compensate this for a variety of environments. Plain & simple - they deliver a great sound. These are often used in professional studios.

Yamaha HS80M Yamaha HS80M is very similar to it's little brother, but not exactly - and more 'punch' to the bottom end. These are often used in professional studios.

[EDIT] One final thought - thank you to Paul Strikwerda in the comments for reminding me of this - isolate your monitors. You can use something like the Next Acoustics MOFO Rizers. As of this posting, no reason not to - they're on special for about $35 less than the competition. You can also buy Auralex MOPADs or Auralex SpeakerDudes, but you can also 'get away' with other vibration absorbing materials like Tall Cymbal Felts, stacks of foam rubber, or other do-it-yourself options.[EDIT]

Disagree? Did I leave out a brand you love? Leave it in the comments!

Mel - Your Audio Pro