I love watching the gold mining shows on TV. Gold Rush and Bering Sea Gold on Discovery. Bamazon on History.
The idea of a bunch of out of work guys throwing caution to the wind and risking it all to strike it rich makes for a great story. I find myself watching intently and cheering them on each week. I’ve even had some quick conversations with a few of the guys via Twitter. I really do hope they all hit the jackpot.
Mining For Gold
Here’s something I’ve learned about gold mining, from watching TV. It’s a lot like voice over in one sense. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. You don’t just say, “I want to be a gold miner,” go somewhere there’s gold, and then cash-out with millions. It’s hard work. Really hard work. But it also requires smart work. Strategy. A game plan, if you will.
Here’s another thing I’ve learned about voice over that’s similar to gold mining. You’ve got to prospect.
In every different gold mining show the guys have different ways of trying to figure out where the gold is. They read maps. Study geological surveys. Explore the land. Follow rivers and lakes and streams. They drill test holes. They run test pans. It’s all part of the process.
You can’t just stick a shovel (or excavator) in the dirt, and hope to find gold. You’ve got to do your homework. You’ve got prospect.
You’ve got to find the gold because the gold isn’t going to find you!
Prospecting
What’s your strategy for finding voice over gold? Are all your eggs in one basket? Did you sign up for an online casting site and hope that’s going to bring the gold? Did you get represented by an agent and now just sit and wait for that person to bring you the gold? Did you build a web site, create a Facebook page and send out some tweets in hopes the gold will come to you?
Or are you prospecting?
Searching For Gold
I dedicate hours each week to prospecting. Prospecting can take many different forms. I’m always seeking out new contacts on Twitter that I think might benefit from my voice over work. I do the same thing on LinkedIn. I search through my network and extended network looking for people who might be able to use a voice over. I also use social media to search for people who are searching for a voice over talent.
I have certain niche areas that I want to develop. Each week I spend time sending out emails and/or postcards to people in those niche areas. I talk to friends and colleagues who know people in those niche areas asking them to make connections or introductions.
I’m always prospecting.
Just like Todd and his crew in the Yukon, or the Alabama Boys in the Amazon, I’m not waiting for the gold to come to me. I’m getting my hands dirty, putting in the time, sweat and effort, and searching and digging for the gold myself.
If you want to make more money in voice over, you’ve got to prospect!
QUESTION: What sort of prospecting techniques do you use?
