You’ve Got Mail
Cost vs Worth
There’s a scene from that movie that always sticks out in my mind. It paints a simple yet eloquent picture of commerce, and although in the case of the movie it was applied in the context of the book business, it certainly carries over and rings true for the voice over business as well.
Joe (Tom Hanks) is in The Shop Around The Corner purchasing books for his relatives. He is, after all, the kind of man who buys his way into the hearts of children! Joe is thumbing through the pages of a particular children’s book and inquires about the price. When George (Steve Zahn) tells him, Joe is a little caught off guard by the amount. George then explains that the illustrations in the book are hand tipped. Joe questions, “And that’s why it costs so much?” George replies, “No, that’s why it’s WORTH so much.”
Therein lies the lesson.
Perspective Changes Everything
You can hire a voice talent to record your script for $20. There are plenty of them out there willing to do it. Some of them are well meaning individuals just desperate to catch a break in this business. They need and want experience and bookings to add to their resume and they’ll work for peanuts to make that happen. Still other voice talents are doing it for $20 because the service they provide warrants no higher fee.
You get what you pay for.
I’m not here to knock on voice actors working for cheap fees. I’m here to help you understand that a professional voice over isn’t simply about the cost. It’s about the worth.
When you hire a professional voice talent you get experience. You get quality. You get clean audio recorded on proper equipment and read by an individual that knows how to make your script come to life. You get excellent customer service. Hiring a professional is the difference between getting the recording right the first time versus the tenth time. Spending the money on a professional voice actor should not be viewed as an expense, but rather an investment in your brand.
Spending the money on a professional voice actor should not be viewed as an expense, but rather an investment in your brand.
For Your Investment…
When you hire me I’ll respond to you quickly. I’ll record your audio in 24 hours or less, often times on the same day within a few hours. I’ll provide you with quality, edited voice tracks ready to immediately be dropped into your production. If you need something tweaked or if there’s a line change in the script, I won’t hassle you. I’ll record it. I don’t just work 9a – 5p either. I’ll take pride in your project and your brand because I take pride in myself and my brand!
The cost of hiring a voice talent is what you experience when things go wrong. When the talent doesn’t deliver. When you’re forced to start the project over again and find someone else. It’s time lost. Money wasted. Deadlines missed. The worth of hiring a voice talent is when it’s done professionally the first time and you can get on with your business.
The cost of hiring a voice talent is what you experience when things go wrong.
I understand that it’s tempting to look at auditions and quotes and rank them with the cheapest at the top. We all want to save money. But if you shift your mindset from cost to worth, perhaps you’ll see the value in investing a bit more. Hiring a true professional will make it worth your while!
If you’d like to talk about hiring me for your next project I’d be happy to discuss your needs. Email marc@marcscottvoiceover.com.
