"Can you make it sound like this?"
It's a pretty common request when someone sends a voiceover reference. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.
But here's the thing. A reference might have exactly the pace you're after, while the delivery sounds far too enthusiastic, sarcastic or salesy for your project.
So when you send me a reference, tell me what you actually like about it.
Is it the conversational delivery? The slower pace? The fact that the voice artist isn't trying to sell you something every three seconds?
And just as importantly, tell me what you don't like.
Something like "I love the pace, but I'd prefer a more serious tone" gives me far more to work with than "Just make it sound like this."
I'm not trying to impersonate the person in your reference. I'm trying to understand which elements of their performance will work for your script.
A reference should just be a starting point, not an instruction to copy someone else's performance precisely.
A sentence or two explaining what you're listening for can save a surprising amount of back and forth in the studio.
