Posted on

The Secret To Finding Your Voice Over Sweet Spot

Finding Your Voiceover Sweet SpotYesterday I wrote about finding your voice over sweet spot. It’s all about the evolution from wanting to be in voice over to wanting to be in [insert niche here] voice over.

As an example, as much as Casey Kasem was my hero and I want to be the next guy that voices half the characters on Scooby Doo, I know I have no skills for the cartoon market. So I don’t focus on cartoon voice over work. You’ve got to know your strengths and focus all your energy there.

The Sweet Spot Formula

In the graphic I shared yesterday, and enjoyed enough that I’m using it again today, I give you the formula for finding your voice over sweet spot. It’s a simple one.

Find your passion, match it with your skill, focus it towards a niche, and you’ve found your voice over sweet spot!

Sounds easy right? Well it is, mostly. To get to where all of those things intersect, you’ve got to start by asking yourself a few questions.

Sweet Spot Analysis

* What jobs really turn your crank?
What type of work do you get excited about auditioning for? What sort of opportunities are you always looking for? Figure that out, and you’re well on your way to finding your passion. If you wake up in the morning praying for a certain type of gig, that’s your passion.

* In what niche do you seem to book the most work?
Take a look back at your business for the past few months. What sort of jobs are consistently coming across your desk? Do you book certain types more than any other? This is going to be a really good indication of your skill.

* Consider your own voice, style and delivery. Where do you think you’d best fit?
This requires brutal honesty with yourself. This is the part where I had to sit down and face the cold hard facts that I was never going to be the next Casey Kasem and I’d never voice half the characters on Scooby Doo. As much as I dreamed about it as a kid, the reality is, it doesn’t match my voice or my style. I’m just not full of character voices. And that’s ok. I’m really good at other areas of voice work. Being real with your ability helps you find your niche.

Man In A Hammock* How much time do you have?
I’m a full time voice over talent. It’s all I do. Day. Night. Weekends. Holidays. But even I know I don’t have time to take on a mammoth audio book or eLearning job. It doesn’t fit into my schedule. You’ve got to be real about your commitment and availability before you settle into your sweet spot.

* What’s your experience level?
If you started in voice over this morning, and your name isn’t Jake Foushee, you’re probably not ready to voice national television commercials or be the next voice of the Ellen Show. I’m not saying it’s impossible. Just unlikely. So again, be real. Starting on local radio spots or an Internet video for your buddies alligator wrangling and pest extermination business isn’t so bad. We all have to start somewhere!

Settling Into Your Sweet Spot

If you’ve worked through those questions and been honest and real with yourself, odds are, you’re a lot closer to finding your voice over sweet spot. It’s the place where you’ll thrive. It’s the niche where you’ll find work and success and hopefully, prosperity. And that’s a really good place to be!!

QUESTION: Have you found your voice over sweet spot? Or are you still looking?