So you booked your first agency gig. Congratulations! Here are seven suggestions on what you should and should not do!
1. If the session occurs at an offsite recording studio, show up early! Most of the time, the receptionist at the recording studio will have a copy of the script. Then, find a quiet room or an empty studio and practice the script a few times. Not TOO many times. Just enough to get the phrasing and pacing down.
2. Listen! Listen! Listen! Being able to take direction is SO important. You need to make the necessary adjustments according to the client's needs.
3. Dress comfortably. This isn't a formal wedding. You want to feel relaxed and comfortable in the studio. While I understand the need to impress the client by dressing up a little, it's the performance that matters.
4. Don't be late! I know things happen like getting stuck in rush hour but this is not how you want to start a potential long-term business relationship. So give yourself more than enough time to get there!
5. Don't question the copy in the middle of a session unless you see an obvious typo or grammatical error. This is the equivalent of telling a painter that they should use a different color.
6. If you stumble over the copy, just go back to the beginning of the sentence and reread it. Don't stop and apologize to everyone on the other side of the glass. Only the engineer or the client should stop you!
7. Don't eat anything greasy or dairy-like before the session. It will be a vocal disaster! Eat AFTER the session.
Good luck with your session!