Proper script formatting is an important step in order to achieve accurate voice overs. When creating your script, please follow the guidelines below so that we may understand exactly how you wish to have your order of voice recording delivered.
Need new ideas for writing your script? Click here to see our 75 sample scripts for voice recordings.
Delete all text that is NOT to be read.
If separate messages are required, please enumerate each file consecutively.
For your convenience, you may also download our script template:
Examples:
1. Please leave your message after the tone.
2. Please call back later, thank you.
Initialisms:
Where each letter is to be spoken separately, put a period (dot) between each letter.
Example: (C.I.A.)
Acronyms:
Where letters are to be read as words (spoken), please write the phonetic instructions beside them.
Example: NASA (Na-saw)
Abbreviations:
If you use abbreviations in your script, please indicate how they should be read
Example: "Inc." (read as "incorporated" or "ink"?)
Addresses, Telephone Numbers, Extensions, etc…
If you require to have numbers read in a specific way, please indicate this in the script as follows.
Examples:
14275 (fourteen-two-seven-five)
665-555-2000 (665-555-two-thousand)
We read them exactly as is written; therefore please verify that all website addresses or email addresses are properly written in your script.
Example: http://www.yoursitename.com is read as (http colon slash slash www dot yoursitename dot com)
If required, please specify how the punctuation should be read for special characters such as (-) & (/).
Examples:
- (Read as dash or hyphen?)
/ (Read as slash or forward-slash?)
Script formatting for IVR voice recordings is especially important so that the intonation of each voice over sounds natural and correct. Because of the concatenation inherent to most IVR phone systems (that is – small audio files strung together to form a complete message), sentences/phrases are often split up into smaller files to save time and cost. Mainly by not recording repetitive phrases over and over again, such as "Please press 1".
Punctuation and capital/minuscule letters are imperative to having your IVR voice recordings intonated correctly.
As a way of explanation, let's say there are four (4) basic types of voice recordings. We'll call them Complete, Beginning, Ending and Middle voice messages.
1. Complete Voice Messages (Normal/Full sentence)
This is a normal/full phrase and read/intonated as a complete sentence. It begins with a capitalized word and ends with a period.
Example:
Please press 1 for sales.
2. Beginning Voice Messages (Partial sentence)
This is only the beginning of a phrase. It is read/intonated as the "start" of a sentence, but the end is unfinished (open). It begins with a capitalized word and ends with an ellipse (three dots).
Example:
For the sales department, please…
3. Ending Voice Messages (Partial sentence)
This is only the ending of a phrase. It is read/intonated as the "end" of a sentence, but has no beginning (open). It has no capital letters and it begins with an ellipse (three dots) and ends with a period.
Example:
…and someone will be with you momentarily.
4. Middle Voice Message (Partial sentence)
This is only a mid-section of a phrase. It has no beginning or ending. It has no capital letters and it begins and ends with an ellipse (three dots).
Example:
…for the moment, please…