Once upon a time direct contact between humans in the work place was the only way to get a job done…whether by answering the phone, typing a letter, or sending a memo. Accountability was inescapable, reinforced by processes that relied upon people interacting with other people. If a message or item didn’t make it from the mail room to the executive suite, somebody’s job was in jeopardy…and the intended recipient didn’t have to search far to determine who dropped the ball.
A Closer Look At Voice Over Excellence Award Winner Jim
While studying theater in college, Jim was hired by a faculty member to do voice over work for a brand new children’s show named “Sesame Street”, and the rest was history. Over the years, Jim has narrated a film honoring James Earl Jones, played as many as 3 different characters in one scene for children’s audiotapes, and moderated medical meetings around the country. In addition to his voice over work, Jim is also an accomplished actor, appearing in Broadway production tours around the world. To hear a sample of Jim as well as all of our talent go to holdcom.com/voices.
A Closer Look At Voice Over Excellence Award Winner Susan
After college graduation, Susan headed to New York for the excitement of the big city. Armed with a degree in music, she secured a job teaching music in the Montclair, New Jersey school system while she honed her singing craft at nights and on weekends. Before long her musical talents had blossomed into singing gigs at clubs in the Jersey area, then in New York City. Eventually, her career intersected with an "up and coming" songwriting duo… Harvey Edelman and Neil Fishman. Working together in clubs, studio gigs, and music for industry, Susan later became one of their charter voice talents. Along the way, Susan has recorded radio commercials and performed in local bands including “Main Event.” Her other voice-over work includes educational narration for which she has won several "Telly Awards" for industry excellence. Susan recently retired from teaching music in the Montclair School system to pursue her voice-over and singing career. To hear a sample of Susan as well as all of our talent go to holdcom.com/voices.
Does your company have what it takes to be Holdcom’s “Client of the Month”? We think all our clients do, but Holdcom wants to hear why YOU think so. We’d also like to hear how our Audio Marketing Services have made an impact on your business. Simply send us a quick email, telling us why your organization should be named “Client of the Month”. Our nominating committee will review all the submissions, and your organization may be featured in an upcoming edition of the Holdcom Voice!
The Holdcom Voice is a great way to reach new prospects, highlight recent accomplishments, and promote all your organization has to offer. Email us at megana@holdcom.com today.
Worried about your carbon footprint?? Then welcome to the latest addition to the HOLDCOM Voice where we’re offering tips to help you help the earth. Each month we’ll provide an idea that you may or may not have heard of, but most of all we’ll hope you consider.
The best & easiest rule of thumb to “Go Green” is to think about EVERYTHING you’re about throw out and consider if it can be recycled or reused.
Clean out your closets by donating your used sneakers – no matter what brand - to Nike’s
“Let Me Play” campaign. Your used runners will be processed and recycled into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks, and playgrounds for young people around the world.
Visit www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe for complete details & donate today!
A Brief History of May Holidays
Cinco De Mayo… Widely mistaken for Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration, commemorating the Mexican Militia victory over the French Army in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Mother’s Day…The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.
Memorial Day…Originally called “Decoration Day”, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
And speaking of Memorial Day, please note that HOLDCOM will be closed on Monday May 26th in observance of the holiday.
May's music review is a classic... Media Classics 2! This collection offers familiar classical themes made famous by popular media such as commercials, television shows, and movies. Selection's like Debussey's Claire De Lune and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 are the perfect way to convey an emotion in your project that strikes a familiar chord with your target audience. To sample selections from Media Classics 2, visit www.holdcom.com/music, look under "Classical".
Talent That Stands the Test of Time By Andy Begnoche
This month as we reflect on our twentieth anniversary, we turn our attention to one of the key ingredients of our audio marketing services, our voice talent. Their work literally speaks for itself, first in quality, and ultimately in longevity, a key element in our industry.
At HOLDCOM, we recognized from the start that our voice talent was going to be crucial to the success of our brand. Noting how clients often “adopted” a particular voice as their company spokesperson and brand identity, we realized the need to retain our talent for many years. Many of our clients were going to request the same voices over and over and we needed to make sure they would be available. HOLDCOM President Neil Fishman recalled, “This was the beginning of a type of branding that went beyond the company’s logo and slogan. From the very first year, we decided that we would seek talent that intended to be with us for years to come.”
Most of HOLDCOM’s talent has been with us for 5, 10, even 15 years. A few of our voices have been with since our beginning, including Susan and Jim, the veterans of our voice stable. Their voices can be heard on countless phone systems and websites around the world. “Our relationship with Jim and Susan dates back to our theater days,” noted co-founder Harvey Edelman. “We were working with many actors and singers who were making a living using their voices. It was natural for us to turn to them when we needed voice actors for HOLDCOM.”
Holdcom is pleased to award our Voice Over Excellence Award to Susan and Jim for twenty years of dedicated exemplary service. Thank you to both of them for a job well done. To hear a sample of Susan and Jim as well as all of our talent go to holdcom.com/voices. Also, check out the sidebar mini features for photos and brief bio's.
The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals held their annual symposium April 27th – 30th in Boston MA at the Westin Harbor Side hotel and HOLDCOM was there to share in the learning and networking. With a focus on globalization and much discussion about social networking, the symposium was the place to be for those involved in the consumer affairs space.
“After being involved with SOCAP for over 5 years, I’m still so pleased by the level of information and the quality of networking that exists with this organization. It is such a valuable resource of information and people,” professed Andrew Begnoche, Director of Operations. “It was great to see old friends and make new ones while learning about the changes and shifts within the customer service industry. I found the SANG Labs (Special Affinity Networking Groups) to be particularly informative and insightful,” continued Begnoche a long time attendee of the conferences.
Although the weather was gloomy for most of the conference, everyone’s spirits were high with the above average attendance and positive changes that were felt throughout the conference. “It was apparent that a lot of planning and preparation went into the fulfillment of this conference,” noted Neil Fishman, President of HOLDCOM. “A number of positive changes were evident, based on feedback from the annual conference in Palm Springs. Rather than dwell on past accomplishments during its 35th anniversary, SOCAP wisely focused on current trends and future aspects of consumer affairs,” Fishman concluded.
Now is the time to get involved with SOCAP, from local chapters to national and international participation. You owe it to yourself and your organization to include SOCAP on your 2008 calendar and agenda. To join or learn more, visit www.socap.org, or contact HOLDCOM for additional information.
Since 1991, HOLDCOM has provided Audio Marketing service to Whayne Supply. We’re so proud of that fact, we’ve made them May’s Client of the Month!
In 1913, Roy C. Whayne of Louisville started a one-man company (he was the “one-man”), selling light engines, pumps and bicycles. Nintety-Five years later, Whayne supply is one of North America’s oldest and largest heavy equipment dealerships.
Customer service and support is a big part of Whayne Supply. Their team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer consumer questions. Breese Watson, Marketing Manager at Whayne, knows that when customers call in, on-hold messages are the perfect opportunity to promote new products or services.
“Their customer service, follow up, and attentiveness are superior”, says Breese. “We are very pleased with the support we get from HOLDCOM”.
Learn more about the history behind Whayne Supply at
www.whayne.com.
You could be our next Client of the Month! Email megana@holdcom.com to find out how!
Phone.com offers affordable VoIP phone services for small business, home business or personal use. Their next-generation Internet phone service is based on award-winning, innovative VoIP technology and all their services are supported by a 24*7 customer support team.
For small business and home businesses, Phone.com offers a Virtual Office solution that lets you get a local or toll-free 800 number (including vanity numbers) for your business and manage it however you want. In addition to 1 800 numbers, the virtual office service includes custom greetings, auto attendant, voicemail, internet fax receiving, call transfer and many more features you would expect from an expensive business phone system!
Phone.com’s home phone service is similar to the existing VoIP phone services offered to you by the cable companies however their service can save you money on your home phone with unlimited long distance calls to anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Their VOIP phone services come fully loaded with all the features you need for your home phone service, including caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, call forwarding, and many more features-all at no extra charge. Their international rates are also extremely competitive in the industry! All their VoIP phone services come with 24*7 customer support.
Phone.com turned to HOLDCOM as a value-added service to supply the professional voice recordings for their clients voicemail and attendant greetings. Phone.com's Virtual Office solution can enhance your communications capabilities easily and economically while making your business sound bigger and better. Whether you have a small business or a home office, Phone.com has a plan to fit your needs and budget. Contact Phone.com for more information. Visit their website at www.phone.com .
Kathy, our featured Voice Over Talent for May, states that she’s been working for “over 30 years – off and on,” but she’s accomplished so much during her “on” time.
She began her career on a college radio station. Kathy explains that since it was an AM carrier current station and not an educational FM Station, they could sell airtime, which gave her the opportunity to do live commercials and promos. She also became one of the talents who recorded them as well. This duty carried over after college when Kathy acquired a paying job as a radio DJ.
Throughout her career, Kathy has had varied achievements. From being the first US DJ to air a CD, to hosting a nationally-syndicated radio program, to voicing an animated feature for Hanna-Barbera, Inc. Kathy also has taught for many years as an adjunct instructor in the Communication Arts departments at several area colleges. She, herself, has two Master’s degrees: one in Communication Arts/TV Production, and one in Psychology/Counseling.
When Kathy is not hard at work, she loves singing, playing the guitar, in-line skating and Pilates. She also enjoys a quiet evening at home cooking meals for her family and friends or curling up with a good TV show. “I’m [also] a huge fan of all three Law & Order TV shows,” states Kathy.
HOLDCOM was introduced to Kathy through her cousin’s husband who works for one of HOLDCOM’s business partners. He knew she would be a great addition to HOLDCOM’s roster of talent
Check out Kathy’s voice at www.holdcom.com/voices and have her record your next project!
“Welcome, Cheers, Bienvenidos, Bienvenue, G’Day” by Neil Fishman
As we continue to expand our multi-lingual and international fulfillment resources, Holdcom is pleased to announce the inclusion of several new “specialty” voice talents (listed below) on our website and online store rosters. Globalization is impacting many Holdcom clients, particularly in terms of their communications requirements. Holdcom is addressing these escalating requests for foreign language recordings by providing additional voice talent and translation services. If you have an upcoming multi-lingual project and do not see a specific language or dialect represented, please contact our Client Relations department so we can accommodate your request.
You can listen to our newer “specialty” voices by visiting our website at holdcom.com/voices , one of our e-commerce stores, audioproductionstore.com, or by clicking on any of the links below:
This month, HOLDCOM joins the fight against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. This overnight event celebrates cancer survivors and commemorates those who have lost the battle to the dreaded disease. Team HOLDCOM is reaching out to friends, family, and the community to help us in our cause. Your tax-deductible donations go to research and support, as well as assistance for families and caregivers. Thanks to the efforts by the American Cancer Society and donations from Relay for Life, there are more then 10 million cancer survivors in America.
Team HOLDCOM will be at the Glen Rock Relay for Life on May 17th. Your donation means so much to so many people. By clicking the link at the end of this article, you or your organization can learn more about Relay for Life, read our personal stories about how cancer has touched our lives, and make your tax-deductible donation. If you have any questions regarding Relay for Life, simply email staceyc@holdcom.com.
Here at Holdcom, we’ve been recording your programs and prompts on digital equipment for years. But recently, we upgraded our studios and production suites with new hardware and software. Since our business is audio, we strive to “sound” our best. With new microphones and audio interfaces (the devices that translate the audio from the microphone to digital data), we’re moving forward with solid tools to fulfill each of our client’s needs to the best of our abilities.
But perhaps the most exciting addition to the Holdcom Production Team is our iMac upgrade. To begin with, iMacs just looks cool. From the sleek design to the funky icons, they're eye candy at its best. In relation to our workflow and productivity, iMac's features are incredible. Stability and speed are what our Production Team runs on, and to be able to have a computer that can maintain those qualities without running into crashes and meltdowns is phenomenal. We do a lot of business here, which means a lot of voices need to be recorded and edited. The new system, combined with the newest version of Pro Tools, our Digital Recording Program, has consistently enabled us to focus on our work without having to worry about programs quitting unexpectedly. This, no matter what business you’re in, is imperative.
Anytime a change takes place, things take some getting used to. But, if it’s for the better, then that change should and must be embraced. For us here at Holdcom, a little brainstorming, research, planning, and of course budgeting, propelled us into a more efficient team.
