If I were to ask you what the secret to building a successful and sustainable voice over business is, what would you say? A great voice? Great equipment? Great coaching? Great demos?
In this weeks tip I share what I think might be the key.
What do you think? Comment below.
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Have you downloaded my new voice over eBook, “25 Things To Do When You’ve Got Nothing To Do” yet? It’s a collection of 25 ideas of how to maximize downtime between sessions. Below is one of the chapters.
You know what I love to do? Not do the things I don’t love to do. I’m awesome at it.
“I’ll get to that later.” Famous last words, right?
Do we ever get to it later? How much later? I don’t know about you, but when it’s something I really don’t want to do or don’t enjoy doing, it can be a lot later. A lot.
Let’s face it, we all love the fun stuff. The stuff we’re getting paid for. We love recording scripts and editing audio and delivering finished voice overs and collecting payments for our work.
But what don’t you love?
Accounting and bookwork? Marketing? Cold calling? Social media? Client follow up? How big is that stack of expense receipts you haven’t documented and filed yet? When’s the last time you updated your website?
Whatever it is you’re procrastinating on doing, now’s the time, when you’ve got nothing else to do, to un-procrastinate.
You know what sucks? A slow day.
You know what sucks worse? A slow week!
You know what sucks the most? A slow season!
I don’t care if you’ve been doing voice over for ten days, ten months or ten years, you’re going to experience all of the above. It’s the nature of the business. Some days, weeks, and seasons are naturally busier than others.
When the slow times hit it’s really easy to panic. I’ve been doing voice over work for a very long time, and when I go through a slow period, I still start to sweat sometimes. I mean, this is my income! It’s how I support myself. Pay my rent. Buy Dr Pepper!
When I talk to voice actors who are looking for advice, one of the common themes I find among those in dry-spells is a sense of desperation.
I get it. Believe me… I get it!
My first year doing VO full time I made something like $13,000. I had plenty of desperate days!!
What I learned along the way, though, is the desperation… it’s really bad. It gets in your head. It affects your confidence. In turn, it comes through in everything you do.
Desperation seeps into your voice in your auditions.
It changes the tone and language of your marketing.
It affects how you interact with clients.
Desperation chips away at your perceived value.
It’s a subtle thing. One you may not even realize. Take it from someone who’s been there, done that. What I’m telling you, it’s true.
Desperation will hurt your business.
What do you do, then? How do you push through the dry-spells? How do you keep your confidence high? How do you fight the desperation when the gigs aren’t coming and the bank account is getting low?
You treat every audition like you’ve already booked it.
You treat every prospect like they’re already a client.
You market yourself like a pro.
You value yourself like a pro.
You remember that, heck yeah I’m good enough!
And seasons change!
Voice Over Rates… a potentially dangerous and generally controversial subject. But one that needs to be discussed. This week, I share a different perspective on the topic of discounting your rates in the interests of booking a job.
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In last weeks video tip I discussed the value of coaching. Having had the opportunity to work with some really great producers during my nearly two decades in broadcasting, I know what a difference a good coach can make!
This week the World-Voices Twitter Chat was on the subject of Predatory Coaches and Demo Mills. It was a very enlightening chat filled with plenty of valuable information.
The cold, hard truth is, there are a ton con-men out there. I know the term sounds strong, but let’s be honest. What else do you call someone who promises the moon, takes all your money and delivers nothing of value? Con-men, if I’m being entirely frank, might actually be a mild term!
Knowing there are so many bad coaches out there, where does one turn to find a good one? An honest one? A coach that will actually help you develop your voice over skills?
I put this question out to a large group of professional voice actors recently in a Facebook group. The suggestions and recommendations began to pour in rather quickly.
Let me be upfront with you in saying that I have not personally worked with most of these individuals in a coaching capacity. However, based on the number of recommendations that were given, and from whom these recommendations came, I feel confident listing their names on my blog.
Nancy Wolfson – Unquestionably the most recommended name.
Pat Fraley – I had the opportunity to attend a workshop lead by Pat. He’s brilliant!
Marc Cashman – His resume speaks for itself!
Terry Daniel – He produces an incredible amount of content. He knows his stuff! .
Roy B Yokelson – Roy’s name has come to me repeatedly as a trusted coach.
September Day Carter – Highly recommended for those new to voice over.
This list is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of voice over coaches. However, these are definitely some of the most recommended names that I’ve received in my attempts to compile a list. They’ll provide you with a solid starting point, and they’ll steer you well clear of predatory coaches.
Making Money with LinkedIn: Master Class
$147.00
101 Ways to Find Voice Over Leads Master Class
$147.00
Follow Up Academy: Master Class
$147.00
Nimble For Voice Over
Original price was: $97.00.$47.00Current price is: $47.00.
