Part 1 of an Interview with Marketing Executive, Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc.
Female voiceover artist Debbie Grattan and marketing executive Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. sit down to talk about the criteria he uses when hiring voice talent.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: Scott, can you give us some background regarding your role at Villing & Company and how you got started?
Scott Tingwald: My roots in public relations go back 15 years, starting as a PR account executive. About five years ago, I became Vice President at Villing where I work with a number of different clients on different fronts. Included are radio and TV spots, which have always had a special interest for me.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: Do you have a typical client that you serve, whether that be specific industries, budgets, etc.?
Scott Tingwald: Our clients run the gamut in terms of business-to-business and business-to-consumer, but we do cater to a few niches. Generally, they include banking, financial, higher education, and healthcare. We also have fairly good expertise in the RV industry.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: How does a marketing agency market themselves to their clients, and how could those same strategies be used by a voiceover artist marketing to your agency?
Scott Tingwald: Momentum. Once you get a name for yourself in a niche, it gets a lot easier for you to become known and accepted within the industry.
For example, we do a decent amount of work for credit unions, Purdue Federal Credit Union and more recently, the University of Iowa Community Credit Union. When approaching Iowa, it was easier for them to accept us because they knew we worked with their peers. They could call Purdue and ask, ‘What’s it like to work with these guys?’
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: You mentioned earlier that you do TV and radio spots. Are there differences when producing voiceover for radio versus television?
Scott Tingwald: I don’t think so. We’re big believers in keeping the voice consistent for a brand over a set period of time, so we’re just looking to find the best voiceover artist for that product or that brand. Video is becoming a huge area for us. Years ago, it used to be TV. Now it’s viral videos and videos on web sites. Our video department is doing very well.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: When listening to voiceover demos, are there criteria that you hear that says, ‘This is a voiceover artist I’d really like to work with?’
Scott Tingwald: Flexibility. When we listen to voiceover demos, we want somebody who demonstrates a wide range of talent; somebody who sounds like a different person with their delivery in each example on their demo. If we know this voiceover artist has a fairly wide range, then we feel comfortable that we can tell them what we want them to sound like.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: So not only is range important, but also the ability to take direction. Do you encourage voiceover artists to use improv in their delivery?
Scott Tingwald: It’s a benefit if they do that, and a lot of times what is suggested by the voiceover artist is better. We would rather work with somebody that has ideas, but we prefer the ad lib section of the session take place after we’ve already gotten a safe read.
Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: How do you decide whether a male or female voiceover artist is right for a job? Are there gender-specific jobs?
Scott Tingwald: This is something we consider when we’re scripting. Generally, it has to feel like the brand and image the company wants to project. Sometimes it’s obvious we need an authoritative male or reassuring female voice. Other times it could be either.
To learn more about how a professional Voiceover Artist can land voiceover business with marketing firms, read Part 2 of this article, How to Secure Voiceover Jobs With Marketing Firms and find out what Scott Tingwald would do to distinguish himself as a voiceover artist in today’s crowded voice market.
Debbie Grattan is a professional female voiceover artist who has been doing voice over work for over 20 years. She’s the “go to” artist for many production companies and recording studios across the US. Check out her voiceover demos, voice artist bio and client testimonials for more information.