by Abe Udy, Director @ Abe’s Audio. 

These descriptions are well used the world over, and are a great way to direct a voiceover as to how you want a script delivered.

Generally, hard sell means ‘excited, punchy, enthused, WOW, urging and loud.’ 

Simply put, if you’re not yelling, you’re not selling. More shout is more clout.

Soft sell usually refers to a ‘soft, close-mic, warm, gentle, friendly, emotive’ read.

But what about deep sell?

Deep sell refers less to the voiceover style, and more to the scripting and ‘emotional’ connection of the ad. Rather than just talking at your listener or viewer, it’s all about finding that connection with them, and making them ‘feel’ something is a deep sell. Go deeper. 

For example, a deep sell ad for a car yard might be:

Does your 8 year car have side and rear airbags? What happens if you have an accident and your kids are in the back? Safety is often the last thing on the list…….

Or a video rental store:

The kids are home from uni, you’re sorting through the junkroom, and you pull out a box of old home movies. Oh the memories! 

But then you realise – you really shouldn’t have thrown out that old VCR last year. For just $25, you can rent a home movie transfer kit – a small price, but big value……

Where we can, let’s go beyond just focussing on the style of voiceover delivery, and focus on the emotional connection of the ad.

Deep sell. Easy to say, harder to execute. But something to bear in mind!

Abe Udy is a director at Abe’s Audio.