With the baseball offseason in full swing, many announcers looking to improve their presentation will take advantage of the winter months to solicit a critique from a major league announcer or colleague.  Many are spending the offseason listening to demo tapes in search of the perfect sample to send for that next job.

While you are at it, you might as well solicit the opinion of other announcers to get an objective opinion of your skills.

When I was in the minor leagues, I always took the opportunity to send out my tapes to major league announcers at the end of each season to get another opinion of my work.  Listening to your tapes is an important step in improving your skills, but asking someone else for their opinion can be just as valuable.

Most announcers at the big league level are gracious with their time and are more than willing to lend an ear.  There is some etiquette however that should be followed when you ask someone to take the time to listen to your work.

1.  Don’t send a sample of your demo without first asking if he or she is willing to take the time to listen.  While most announcers will be happy to help, never assume and always ask first.

2.  Email announcers that you respect and make initial contact to see if they would be willing to listen.  Having someone that you enjoy listening to critique your work will give you a better picture of where you stand.  In other words, if you find that your style is similar to a certain broadcaster, you are more likely to get a critique that will resonate.

3,  Be patient.  Oftentimes an announcer that you are targeting may have offseason broadcasting duties that take up much of their time.  Don’t always expect a response immediately.

4.  Reach out to multiple people.  When I critique a tape, I aways make it clear that the critique is simply my opinion and that an announcer should always seek as many opinions as possible.  The more ears that listen to your work, the more you are likely to learn something that will help you improve.