Why are you opening your mouth?
Seriously. I mean you have to read what’s on the page to get paid obviously, but why are you communicating to that ONE listener? If you find yourself not connecting to the copy in your performance and thus can’t deliver that all-important “conversational” read, odds are you maybe be focused too much on abstract things like ‘style’ or ‘mood’ or ‘attitude’. Just like stage and film actors, in voiceover we need to have a purpose - an intent. So scan the copy and decide if your intent is:
To chide
To convince
To educate /To inform
To Help
To excite
To motivate
Why?
Features versus benefits. There’s an old marketing adage: Features tell, benefits sell. So what are the benefits to the listener? Why should they CARE about what your saying? Sometimes these benefits are spelled out, but sometimes you have to fill in the blanks and convey them in your delivery. Will the product or service help your listener:
Be cooler/trendier
Improve their performance
Save them time
Prevent frustration and/or waste
Save money
You may have one intention for the entirety of the copy or one intent at the beginning and a different one toward the end. Think about these things the next time you go in front of the mic.