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When I wrote the article 5 pieces of e-mail marketing advice, I was referring to those times when you send a personal message rather than a general newsletter to your voiceover clients and prospects.
As you might expect, an e-mail newsletter has its own considerations. Since newsletters can be a great way to unobtrusively remind people that I am a voice talent, I have just started publishing a monthly newsletter. I want to share 3 things I learned in this process in case you want to create one, too.
1. Automated software is a must.
Lately, I've been hearing radio ads from ConstantContact -- yes, RADIO ads about email marketing! I've also been seeing banner ads for multiple email solutions on numerous other sites. Email marketing systems have obviously become a big business since people continue to have success in using email as part of their marketing plan.
You could send mail to your list using your own database and email client like Outlook. Another, more popular approach is to upload your database to an on-line service. Since on-line email services are so prevalent and offer an array of built-in features including templates and tracked statistics, it makes a lot of sense to use one if your finances can accommodate it. You can try the systems at no cost for a limited time or number of users in order to decide the best one for you.
Here's some research that may help you decide which one to use.
Earlier in the year, I saw a question in a LinkedIn group in which the participants were asked for pros and cons about email marketing systems. An assistant started compiling the results for me and got through 254 of the hundreds of responses. I had no idea so many email systems exist! If you're interested, here's the full list from those 254 comments.
Of the 84 companies found in those first 254 responses, the top 5 companies, representing 73% of the total votes in my list, were:
ConstantContact 41 votes
iContact 23 votes
MailChimp 22 votes
AWeber 18 votes
MyEmma 11 votes
Aside from this list, you can do a Google search and quickly find a chart like this one that compares numerous features across multiple systems.
2. Permission-based marketing is a BIG deal. A VERY BIG DEAL.
You've probably noticed that most emails from companies include a link to unsubscribe to mailings. That feature is mandated in the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
Beyond that law, though, people have extremely strong feelings about being added to mailings without their permission. In fact, adding someone to your mailing list without asking them first is quite the polarizing issue.
I can make this assertion after reading questions about creating mailing lists in multiple LinkedIn forums. Each time, the question elicited extremely passionate responses. I decided to create a LinkedIn Poll in which I asked the question:
"When is it okay with you if someone adds
your e-mail address to their e-mail newsletter?"
- You're connected on LinkedIn or other sites
- They gave you their business card
- You have exchanged e-mail messages
- All of the above
- None of the above -- they need permission
Of the 14 respondents, 9 voted NONE OF THE ABOVE, with ALL OF THE ABOVE being the choice of the other 5 participants.
The comments on the poll page linked above and in a similar question I asked in 2008 when I first considered a newsletter give you a good snapshot of opinions on both sides.
I decided to use iContact for my newsletter host, and I felt they went overboard on ensuring that you have permission to send the message to each contact. You have to click a checkbox in several places to validate that you have the reader's permission.
Here's what happened to me when I set up my contact list in the system:
- I removed from my database a number of voiceover clients that I've dropped and prospects with whom I hadn't established a relationship. In some cases, I had been out of touch with a person for 2-3 years, so I removed their names, too.
- I uploaded my list of solid contacts from my stand-alone database.
- I couldn't add a name to my iContact mailing until the person confirms I have their permission, so I decided to let my contacts confirm their mailing addresses could be added to the newsletter list before sending them the newsletter.
- iContact made me initial that I could contact the person even when I was sending the pre-addition confirmation letter! That's a Catch-22 if ever there was one!
3. Timing is [not] everything.
Voice talent live by the clock. Radio and tv ads need to be 15, 30, or 60 seconds. Agents need auditions at a certain time, and clients expect a fast-turnaround for recordings.
Email has its own timing. I've read that the best time to send your message is on a Tuesday morning. I planned for my first issue of Success Leaves Tracks to be distributed on Tuesday, 5 July.
The only problem was that I didn't realize that I was going to hit the permission-based wall.
I thought I could add my database during the July 4th holiday weekend and have the newsletter appear in mailboxes when people returned to work on Tuesday. Nope. I needed their permission. I ended up sending out the "please confirm it's okay to mail to you" messages on Friday, 1 July.
Let's just say that I didn't get quite the enthusiastic response I had hoped for!
In hindsight, I wouldn't have sent my confirmation notices on any Friday, particularly one before a holiday weekend! I'm sure that many people deleted the message and moved on, which limits my potential to send them messages through iContact.
Even though my timing in setting up the database could have been better, I'm confident that the newsletter will find the right audience. After all, in the words of Buddha:
is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.
For years, I have wanted to produce a newsletter as a gentle way to keep in touch with clients and prospects. When I started writing this blog 5 years ago, I thought it might take the place of a newsletter. However, I see now that my voiceover business can benefit from both tools.
This blog focuses primarily on topics dealing with voiceover, audiobooks, and marketing. Many of the articles are prompted from specific questions that I receive about working as a voice talent. I also have started a discussion board on Facebook where people may wish to pose these kinds of questions.
Long-time subscribers of this blog probably know that I draw inspiration from reading lots of biographies. I often find myself repeating things I've read while in meaningful conversation with people who are looking to make positive changes in their lives. I didn't want to change the focus of my blog, but I still wanted some way to share inspirational stories with others.
I wasn't sure that a newsletter would fit the bill. Most marketers would probably say that the purpose of a newsletter is to keep readers informed about your product and services. To me, this viewpoint seems self-indulgent when marketing myself and my services as a voice talent. Just as I don't fill my blog with entries about my voiceover projects, I don't want to create a newsletter with that kind of content, either.
Instead, I want to offer something that people would want to read, something they would actually look forward to receiving each month, like they did when I sent postcards in the mail.
You see, I would would highlight a successful, famous person who had nothing to do with voiceover. I loved picking a person and doing some research about them. Then, I would write about their accomplishments and include some of their best quotations on the postcard. People actually called and emailed me to tell me they appreciated the mailing. I stopped the postcard mailings due to the ever-increasing printing and postage costs associated with mailing to a large database.
I don't know why it took me so long, but the lightbulb finally went on -- why not publish a monthly newsletter using the same general idea so that it serves as a virtual postcard?!
And so I am, starting with the inaugural issue of Success Leaves Tracks, to be published today.
In addition to a short biography, the newsletter will include a Success Track that may help you on your path to success. If it sounds interesting to you, I invite you to sign up for the mailing list from my Facebook page. If you don't receive the July issue, you'll be able to find it in the newsletter archives.
Now that I've told you about my newsletter, my next post will provide some info I learned that may be useful to you if you intend to include a newsletter in your marketing mix.
Yesterday, I posted part 1 of this topic, in which up-and-coming voiceover talent Linda Velwest asked about the legalities of using images that she found on-line within the audiobook trailer she wanted to create. Even though she is only using her trailer for promotional purposes, she might not be able to use images and music found on-line due to the owners' copyrights.
As Linda pointed out, finding images and music that are truly in the public domain and free of copyright restriction can be a tricky matter. Cornell University has created a very helpful Copyright Information Center which can help you navigate the copyright maze. In particular, this comprehensive chart lists dates that will help you figure out if something is in the public domain.
As promised, today's entry is the rest of the story. In addition to seeing her terrific audiobook trailer created with public domain components, you can benefit from Linda's list of sites of public domain images and music.
Hi Karen,Thanks for your note. When I started working on the video, I just started looking up pictures on the internet. Then I got concerned about stealing other people's work and I got a little obsessed about stealing! You were very clear in your blog that you wanted other people to think about doing the same thing you did, but I was all paranoid!So, here it is!I found a lot of resources for public domain pictures and pictures where it is very clear how to contact the person who has rights to them and what you need to do if you want to use them:The music I got from: http://www.best-otr.com/You can certainly share my emails on your blog - it would be an honor. Thanks again for your inspiration.Linda Velwest
As Linda pointed out, finding images and music that are truly in the public domain and free of copyright restriction can be a tricky matter. Cornell University has created a very helpful Copyright Information Center which can help you navigate the copyright maze. In particular, this comprehensive chart lists dates that will help you figure out if something is in the public domain.
With so much material available in the public domain, I'm sure that more voice talent will create our own promotional videos instead of only narrating them for others! I'd love to hear from you if you have created or plan to create a promotional video using elements in the public domain, so leave your comments and video links on the blog!
Recently, I had a wonderful e-mail exchange with up-and-coming voice artist Linda Velwest about creating a promotional video. Linda kindly gave me permission to repost her messages here on the blog so that others can benefit from this discussion.
Here's my response, with some formatting and highlighting added for readability.
Hi Karen,I've been following your blog and I've been voluteering at librivox. My name there is lindavw. I just finished recording my first solo project and I'm waiting for it to be PL'd. I saw the trailer you made for your Alaska book and it inspired me to think about doing one for the book I just did! I hope you don't mind me stealing your idea! It's a good one.The book I read is a short YA book from the 1930's about these girls who are in college and their adventures during their sophomore year. I was going to make a video with me talking about the book, maybe taking some lines from the book, and having a slideshow of colleges and college students from that time as the visual on the video.I looked up on the internet and found a bunch of pictures of college students from that era. I found some great pictures from a variety of sources - some college handbooks that have pictures of their history, some pictures of movie starts of the time, some cool old pictures I also looked up the legality of using pictures in a video. And I'm kind of confused so I was hoping you could answer my questions or point me in the direction of sources that can.I am not a voice actress at this time. I'm taking classes, getting coaching and practicing all the time. But I've never actually been paid for anything. If I do make this video, I'll post it around and use it as a way to promote myself and get my name out there. But I have no intention of getting paid anything for the book or the video.I think of it like a school project where I'm preparing to enter the workforce by dong things as similar to how a professional would do it as possible. I don't want to do anything illegal or unethical and I don't know what the boundaries are.Thanks for your inspiration and any help you can give me.Linda Velwest
Greetings, Linda! Thanks so much for the nice note; you made my day! I love the line in your last paragraph about preparing to enter the workforce. So many people dash off the question to me "I have been told I have a nice voice. How do I get started in voiceover?" without any thought or perusal of the wealth of info on my web site. It's so refreshing to hear from someone who is working at building her skills and taking a methodical -- and wise -- approach to starting a new career. Bravo!I'm delighted that you liked my book trailer and want to create one of your own. Not only do I not mind that you are using this idea, I expected and encouraged people to do so in this blog post.As you'll read in the comments, one voice talent used the idea to create a trailer for a local art exhibit and landed inquiries about creating a similar one for pay. Video is a very effective marketing technique!Also, take some cues from that article about ways to spread the video, as well as publicize your book. My book has been in the catalog for 1 week and has already been downloaded more than 500 times because I have been promoting it.Think of the target audience for the book or how it might relate to a group of people, and you can figure out some places where those people hang out on-line. For instance, I posted the info and link to my book in the Alaska forum on CruiseCritic.com because it's Alaska cruise season, and many people like to take audiobooks on a trip, particularly if it relates to their destination.I really don't have a lot of specific info I can share about picture copyrights. Generally, pictures on the Internet or in magazines, books, and papers are protected by copyright. You wouldn't be able to use them or a derivative of them legally without permission of the owner. In gaining permission, you might have to pay a usage fee or royalties.The same is true of music. You couldn't use something from your own CD collection or off the web. I'll come back to the music in a minute.Most of the pictures in my video were from the public domain book I narrated, along with 1-2 that my husband took on our Alaskan cruise. As the photographer, he owns the copyright to those pictures and kindly granted me usage of them.However, I also used some images from iStockPhoto.com, which is one of many on-line sites of stock images that you CAN use in your own work. Photographers and videographers upload their work to these sites. You purchase a picture or video clip, and a usage license comes with it. I've also bought and used these pictures in my blog.The music in my video was from a royalty-free collection of CDs that I have purchased. You can buy royalty-free music on-line by song, CD, or collection. As with the images, it may take some time to hunt down just the right thing.Since you've found images that you like, you can always write to those people and request their permission to use it. They may say yes or no, or they may ignore you completely.Sometimes the copyright owner will surprise and thrill you with their response. In chapter 12 of my book, the author included the chorus lyrics from a Stephen Foster song "Old Black Joe", and she described the setting for it. I first planned to sing the song in the narration (I did that with another Victorian song in the book), but I didn't know the melody.In researching it, I found a rendition on iTunes that captured the scene to perfection. While the song is in the public domain, and therefore free of copyright restrictions, the performance of it is NOT public domain. The artist has the copyright on the performance. It was so perfect, and I really wanted to use it in my book.I found the artist on Facebook and sent a message to him. Not only did he immediately grant me permission to use the snippet, but he offered to help me promote it with Facebook ads! He quite clearly told me that he didn't care of someone lifted the song out of the book and used it for something else. His purpose in recording it was to reawaken interest in these old songs.[Important note: Since LibriVox dedicates all recordings to the public domain, anyone could lift your free book and sell it without sharing the revenue with you. See the excellent discussion on Some Audio Guy's blog about this potential downside to volunteering on this or any other site that leaves your recordings in the public domain.][I uploaded the pertinent 1:08 section of the chapter with music if you'd like to hear it.] I am proud of the way it turned out!I hope these thoughts are helpful. Send me the link to your video when you finish it; I'd love to see it! Best wishes for your health, success, and prosperity!
Linda responded with a great list of sites where you can obtain images and music that are in the public domain for use in your own creative pursuits. She also shared her very cool audiobook trailer. All of these goodies will be in part 2 of this topic, which I'll post tomorrow. Hope to see you here!
Earlier this year, I wrote a popular article titled Reasons to Create Your Own Stuff. In it, I described the audiobook that I narrated for LibriVox and included a link to the book trailer I created to promote the audiobook. I also listed some of the marketing plans I had for the audiobook and trailer among my reasons to create my work in this way.
2) Rajkumari from Mumbai, India, left a comment on my post 10 ways to get work in audiobook narration, noting that an audiobook culture is not prevalent in India. When I responded, I said, "If the audiobook culture doesn't exist there, perhaps it's up to you to create it!"
Two bonus reasons to create your own stuff prompted me to circle back to this topic today:
1) My FREE, 10.5-hour audiobook of A Woman Who Went to Alaska is now available for download from LibriVox or through iTunes as shown on this page.
Bonus reason #1 to create your own stuff:
Copywriters have known for years that the word FREE is one of the most powerful and compelling words in the English language. If you can give away something valuable for free, you can get the widest range of potential buyers to sample your products, which in this case, includes my voice and interpretation, my audiobook production skills, my ability to write an effective script for a video, and my creativity in video production.
As I wrote that sentence, I was reminded of the important passage quoted below from Eckhart Tolle's incredible and highly-recommended book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose:
Bonus reason #2 to create your own stuff:
If the thought of lack -- whether it be money, recognition, or love -- has become part of who you think you are, you will always experience lack.
Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack. Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance.
The fact is: Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world. You are withholding it because deep-down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give.
Try this for a couple of weeks and see how it changes your reality: Whatever you think people are withholding from you -- praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on -- give it to them. You don't have it? Just act as if you had it, and it will come.
Then, soon after you start giving, you will start receiving. You cannot receive what you don't give. Outflow determines inflow.
Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you already have, but unless you allow it to flow out, you won't even know that you have it.
I have found this passage to be true of past voiceover jobs. In fact, Tolle's message was an underlying reason I decided to spend time narrating an audiobook as a service project. You see, I hadn't narrated an audiobook in a while. So, rather than feeling like an audiobook gig was being withheld from me, I gave this one to the world.
It feels great to be able to give!
What do you think of Tolle's assertion that you should give that which you think is withheld from you? Does it apply to your voiceover career or any other part of your life? I'd love to get your comments on the blog!
Like many of you, I love audiobooks and want to make it my major niche in voiceover. A couple of colleagues recently sent me emails asking advice about obtaining more work in audiobooks. As you might imagine, I wrote a rather lengthy reply from which I will add a condensed version later in this post.
At the moment, though, I want to share some hot news with you. The audiobook publishing industry has changed overnight with Audible's launch today of a new marketplace to connect audiobook rights holders with producers and narrators -- the Audiobook Creation Exchange, or ACX.
ACX launched with over 1000 titles, many of which have real budgets associated with them. You can find titles that interest you and submit an audition, much like the process on Voices.com.
However, ACX does not require a subscription fee from narrators. The thought is that the cream will rise to the top. Narration contracts wouldn't be awarded to talent who have issues in vocal delivery or sound quality.
You can read the official announcement from Audible. For more details, you may want to read today's blog article from my friend and fellow voice talent Dave Courvoisier.
As promised, here are 9 more ideas culled from my earlier emails to other voice talent that may help you meet and follow up with audio publishers so you can land work in audiobooks:
1) Obtain publisher contact info and submit your audiobook demo to them. Marketing your audiobook demo is the tried and true, #1 way of getting audiobook work. You can get publisher and producer info from the Audiofile Audiobook Reference Guide (where you can also be listed for a fee) and the Audio Publishers Association, if you're a member of it. Note that you should not submit a commercial demo to an audiobook publisher.
2) If you already have worked for 1 audiobook publisher, how did you get the gig? Can you replicate those steps to bigger success?
3) LinkedIn searches can lead to work. Have you contacted publishers directly or asked for introductions to them from among your LinkedIn contacts?
4) Volunteer to improve your skills, for instance at LibriVox or for a local organization that reads to the blind. Why not create something because you WANT to, rather than for the money and fame? (The money and fame will come.)
5) I went to Pat Fraley's audiobook class in 2006. One idea he presented to the class was to suggest a title (ideally with a movie tie-in) and send a custom demo to a publisher.
6) Connect with publishers on social media sites. Commenting on the publishers' posts on Facebook congratulating them on Twitter, etc. seems like a non-pushy way to follow up and consistently get your name in front of people who may hire you. Also, are you may want to become an active member on the Audibook Community site.
7) Think about a value added service you can offer to publishers. How much and what kind of promotion do you do for the other projects you have voiced? How are your video skills? I think if I can show added value to a publisher in marketing, such as by creating a video book trailer, publishers may be more inclined to want to hire me to narrate a book.
8) Start your own audiobook company and sell your offerings as digital downloads through Amazon. With tons of books in the public domain, you just have to look around for suitable books.
9) This last one may sound far-fetched, but give yourself an attitude adjustment every day in the mirror. Tell yourself "this is could be the day that an audiobook publisher offers me a narration contract for an audiobook that will get great reviews." Things I've been speaking into the mirror have been coming to pass!
I know that audiobook work, like everything else in a thriving voiceover career, requires persistence, patience, and an attitude of gratitude. I also know that the more I relax and go with the flow, the more things like lucrative voiceover gigs come to me. I can look back over the last 11 years in voiceover and see where I have tried too hard to make things happen. When you try too hard, you actually push away the good that was on its way.
You and I cannot be denied the good that is on its way to us. If I don't have something in my reality now, I know it's on its way to me....like my Grammy for Best Spoken Word after working the ideas in this list!
Can you add some more ideas about gaining work as an audiobook narrator? I'd love to get your comments on the blog!
Suddenly, I am receiving a rash of emails with the question: "can you direct me to some Atlanta voiceover agents?"
Many people think that the key to voiceover success lies with an agent. Once you get an agent, you just have to sit back and let the lucrative offers come in, right? Ah, if only it were so easy to make money at your microphone!
This week, someone wrote to me about getting an agent while still enjoying the flush of success from working his first paid gig. He lives in another city and was ready to get on a plane to Atlanta to meet agents. In responding, I explained that I was offering this information in the same spirit of helpfulness that I write my blog.
If you've only booked one job, it's doubtful that you're ready for a voice-over agent to want to represent you.
I guess my answer above is just another case where I tell people what they need to know, not what they want to hear.In order to land a voice-over agent, you have to show that you are a marketable commodity and can offer them something that they don't already have among the people they represent. You should listen to the reels of their talent to determine whether and how you might fit on their roster.Most reputable agents have listings on Voicebank. You can sort the listings by city to find the agents' contact info and hear reels of their talent.You also want to compare the professional sound of your demo against those you hear on-line. Those professionals are your competition for booking jobs. If your demo is homemade, you'll want to invest in any necessary training with a coach before getting a professionally produced demo.Hard work, initiative, and knocking on doors does indeed pay off. I just think you need to knock on some other doors to establish yourself before you approach an agent. You can get work without an agent; agents are just one avenue, not the only avenue, of obtaining work.Check out the advice page on my site and look in the archives of my blog for more in-depth advice and resources on finding and marketing yourself to people who might hire you right where you are. To quote Teddy Roosevelt: do what you can, where you are, with what you have.
A few other thoughts about agents:
- Far too many organizations are ready to prey on people's dreams by taking their money and giving them unfilled promises in return. Modeling/talent agencies that set up in malls, organizations that hold "open casting calls" or regular searches for new talent, and places that run radio ads are probably some sort of school that makes their money from selling classes and pictures, not from booking talent. A legitimate voiceover agent doesn't need to solicit more talent, and they only charge you when you book a gig through them, usually 10-15% of the gig!
- If the agency doesn't have a voiceover department, I doubt they could really help you.
- You probably don't want to sign an exclusive agreement with one agent. Many voice actors have numerous agents located across the country and in other parts of the world. To reduce potential conflicts of interest among your agents and clients, it's best if you only have one agent per city or geographic region. Also, the relationship gets tricky when you receive the same copy from multiple agents. In those cases, I send the audition to whomever sent it to me first.
- If you are active with your marketing, be sure any prospective agents are not threatened by your efforts. One agent asked to represent me because she loved my clever pieces of direct mail and then dropped me a year later (after rarely sending me an audition), telling me that she felt my marketing competed with her. I have booked most of my work as a result of my own marketing, so I would not sign with another agent who discourages it.
- For thoughts from an agent, you will want to read the helpful article that Voices.com ran just a few days ago titled How to Get An Agent Dos and Don'ts.
If you still worry that you don't have an agent, you are focusing on what you perceive you lack in your life. Instead, look at and be grateful for all you have. Keep a list of your accomplishments ready for review so that you can maintain your confidence and positive outlook.
A good talent agent can send you auditions and open doors that were previously closed to you. With polished skills, research, and patience, you will be able to attract the right agent representation at just the right time.
Photo: iStockphoto / Talaj
Create your own stuff.
I hope that these examples of my spare time projects give you inspiration to create and market your own stuff. I'd love to see your work, so please leave a comment on the blog!
I've written about this theme in the past, but today, I want to show an example and talk about the marketing advantages available to voice talent who choose to cast themselves and develop their own work.
As a service project, I'm narrating the audiobook of A Woman Who Went to Alaska on LibriVox.org. May Kellogg Sullivan wrote the book in 1902 to recount her adventures during the Alaska gold rush at the turn of the 20th century.
Obviously, the audiobook itself is a form of creating my own work. Rather than watching fluff TV shows like American Idol, I choose to spend my spare time this way because:
- I am improving my skills, both in long-form narration and audio editing.
- I am being of service to others in offering a free audiobook.
- I can use the credit in discussions with audio publishers about paying gigs.
- The free audiobook will be helpful in developing a loyal fan base.
Marketing is a HUGE part of any business. It is especially important when the commodity offered by the business is one's voice. Not only am I creating the audiobook on my own, but I also decided to market it by creating a trailer for it!
Early in my voiceover career, I did a lot of direct mail marketing with imprinted products. While my campaigns were extremely memorable and attracted voiceover jobs to me, they also were extremely time-consuming and expensive to produce.
Here are some immediate marketing benefits of creating this trailer:
- The book is in the public domain, so most of the images had no cost. I only had to spend a few bucks to obtain the stock images that I used. The music came from my royalty-free library, which requires no residual payment.
- The video is another method of advertising my voice to people who haven't heard of me or listened to my demos.
- The trailer demonstrates to clients and prospects that I could assist them beyond voicing their scripts.
- We live in culture obsessed by and immersed in video. Tell the truth -- when you saw the video in this post, did you immediately click on it before reading any of the text? People say they don't have time to read. Many would watch my trailer who would never read my description of the audiobook.
- I cross-posted the trailer on Facebook, some LinkedIn groups devoted either to audio publishing or Atlanta businesses, LibriVox, AudiobookCommunity.com, and BarbaraSher.com. Note that most of these postings are targeted directly to 1000s of members in niche markets who may be interested in hiring me for their projects!
- I received more responses in a few hours than I ever received from a single mailing.
- The trailer gave me material to add to my blog, which helps my search engine rankings.
- Once the book is done, I will update the trailer from "coming soon" to "available now".
In addition, the subject matter of an audiobook can point to even more opportunities for marketing it on-line. In this case, a flurry of TV shows are about Alaska, so I know the public has a lot of interest in that state. One show is even about a group of people currently mining for gold in Alaska -- a perfect tie-in! Fans of these shows gather in discussion forums where I can post my trailer. I also can post it in forums for people who are considering an Alaskan cruise.
Aside from all of these reasons, perhaps the biggest reason to create your own stuff is that it is fun!
I hope that these examples of my spare time projects give you inspiration to create and market your own stuff. I'd love to see your work, so please leave a comment on the blog!
With so much information freely available, you may find it difficult to believe that one of the biggest ways to make money on-line is through information marketing. However, people are always looking for shortcuts to success, so they gladly pay a perceived expert to guide them through the process. Just for grins, check out the number of hits when you Google "how to be an information marketer". The number of hits is staggering, to say the least.
I believe in obtaining coaching and mentoring from a more experienced person in order to attain the next level of success. I don't believe in predatory marketing practices from people who offer those kinds of services. If you're looking for a coach or mentor in voiceover or any other facet in your life, you should do your own research to determine the best fit for your needs and budget.
Since information marketing on the Internet is viewed and heavily promoted as the quick path to wealth, many, if not most, information marketers are preying on people's emotions and seek only to line their own pockets. I am growing increasingly concerned about these practices in the voiceover industry as more and more people flock to this field and look for the magic secret to success.
I was thinking about this topic today after attending 2 webinars this past week. One was aimed at a group from multiple industries, while the other was specifically targeted to voice talent. Each lasted about 1.5 hours, but I ended each with widely varying thoughts about the host. I decided to point out a few of their sales techniques in hopes that I can save someone from making a serious financial mistake. (Note that I deliberately will be vague in describing each marketer's approach and offer.)
1. Like a drug dealer approaching potential junkies, the first sample is always free. They hope to get you hooked so that you'll shell out money for their program and/or products.
How many offers of "free reports" have you seen on-line? How many free webinars have you seen or attended? You never know how useful they will be to you until you actually commit the time to view the material.
Sometimes these "free" offers contain some very good information. For instance, the first of 2 free webinars that I attended this week showed me all the steps needed to create a particular thing. I now have the confidence to create one on my own, and I had an inspired idea about how I might use the thing in my life. The marketer provided solid content and then explained the benefits of the paid program.
Other times, the webinar is a poorly-concealed and aggressive attempt to market the host's paid program or product. Such was the case in the second webinar I attended this week. It started with the marketer offering some useful tidbits but progressively degenerated into testimonials from hand-picked participants.
Dont get me wrong -- testimonials are vital for your voiceover business. Comments from satisfied clients can help to convince a prospect to hire you to voice their project. You should include testimonials on your voiceover web site, as well as on your profiles on LinkedIn and the voiceover pay-to-play sites. My point is that a webinar should provide some sort of useful content for those viewing it. It shouldn't be an infomercial for the host's products and services.
2. The sales pitch or copy is overflowing with adjectives designed to tap into your emotional response.
People make buying decisions based on how they feel. Who wouldn't want to achieve success, have whiter teeth, be able to retire sooner, win fame and fortune, and exceed their fondest dream? How would it feel to have all the money, fame, and jobs you could imagine? Wouldn't you like to know this oh-so-easy method of living your dream life in the shortest amount of time possible?
An experienced copywriter can create such enticing text that it makes you salivate and WANT the product. Once you fall in the trap of imagining all the great and wonderful things the marketer is talking about, you are extremely vulnerable to buy whatever they are selling.
3. They always make the offer seem very limited or exclusive. If you don't ACT NOW, you may miss out!
This technique surfaces in several different ways:
- Only a limited number of products remain at this price. It will either sell out FOREVER or be available for a much higher price later.
- Only a certain number of seats are available for this event.
- We only accept a certain number or type of people into this program.
4. A higher-priced paid program or service often has a salutary effect on the minds of would-be buyers.
I tend to think that information offered as a report or webinar to a group of people is meant to ensnare many unsuspecting people into buying something they previously had not considered. The same is often true when you attend a free seminar in-person, such as when Drew and I went to an event promoted as an Internet marketing seminar.
On the other hand, a complimentary, private, one-on-one consultation with an expert about your specific business needs can be a smart business move. Many advisors provide a free, 30-minute meeting, You need to interview someone to see how well their product or service meshes with your needs, so I'm not talking about that situation in this post.
In Webinar #1 this week where I obtained some good info, I thought the cost of the paid program was reasonable for the time involved. In Webinar #2 which contained all of the testimonials, I was shocked and appalled by the prices of the paid program. I wondered who in their right mind would actually pay those prices.
Sadly, I think a number of people will make undue sacrifices in order to buy that program if they perceive the marketer to be expert. A higher price can indicate to people that the marketer is in such extreme demand that they can command any price. A high price tag is also another way of making the program seem available to only a chosen few. We all like to feel (there's that word again) that we know things or have opportunities that aren't available to all.
I'm sure the participants in such a program would obtain some value, but would the program really fulfill all of the amazing promises made about it?
5. If someone is really trying to sell you something, look for the PS at the end of the sales copy.
The sales copy is often several pages long so that every possible benefit can be explored in depth, and testimonials can be seen in every other paragraph. When this copy is sent through the mail in a letter, the common thought is that people may skip all of the sales copy and go right to end to see who sent the offer. On-line information marketers continue to use this ploy and add some final glorious adjectives with a call to action as a postscript.
If you're considering buying any type of program or service to gain the advantages promised by the expert, I suggest these steps:
In this Information Age, continue to sign up for free webinars and reports. You never know where that next sparkling idea for building your voiceover business will appear! Just be aware that free webinars and reports usually come with a hidden agenda to sell you something. By considering the points outlined in this article, you can make an objective and informed buying decision.A) Don't make any decision for at least a 3-day cooling off period. Get away from the emotion of the sales pitch to think logically and clearly about the offer and its usefulness in your life.B) Do some simple math. Figure out how much money you have available for this program or service. Look at the offer and assign some sort of monetary value to each part of it: materials, time with the expert, and other resources provided. Does it require additional costs, such as travel? How does the sum of the parts compare to the price as a whole?C) Do some research for similar products and services. If it's something targeted only to voice talent, ask your colleagues on your favorite voiceover chat board whether they have experience with the provider or can recommend other options. Do a Google search for info about the expert and their products. Subscribe to their blog; you'll get a good feel for how they present information.
Do you have any thoughts about the methods used to market products and services to voice talent? Please leave a comment on the blog!
Photo: Greg Grieco
The title of this article is a saying I heard early in my IRS career. Sorry if it offends you, but it really gets to the heart of stellar customer service. No matter how many great and wonderful things you do for your clients, the thing they will remember most -- and tell the most people about -- is the thing that got screwed up.
As Drew and I continue to repair and renovate our house, I'm finding no shortage of contractor stories to share with you that illustrate this principle. By observing other business operators, we can determine how to better service our clients in our voice-over businesses....and hopefully avoid some of those "Oh s****" moments.
We decided to install some recessed lighting in Drew's man cave. Drew called his friend Tommy Dunaway, an electrician who owns a business named Tommy's Lighting and Electric. Tommy came out to discuss options and give us an estimate. When he came back to install the lights, he exceeded our expectations because:
Today, I actually have 2 contractor stories. First, I have an example of fantastic customer service from start to finish.
We decided to install some recessed lighting in Drew's man cave. Drew called his friend Tommy Dunaway, an electrician who owns a business named Tommy's Lighting and Electric. Tommy came out to discuss options and give us an estimate. When he came back to install the lights, he exceeded our expectations because:
1) He arrived exactly on time, which is a rarity for service provider at one's home. Punctuality is key in voiceover as well. When I started my voiceover business, I assumed that all voiceover talent were punctual. Over the years, I've been surprised to read about people who didn't show up or were late to sessions, didn't return phone calls, etc.2) He suggested features we hadn't considered, like a dimmer for the recessed lights and a remote control for the ceiling fan. I do the same thing with my clients. For instance, if I was hired to narrate a marketing video for a trade show, I'll also let the client know that they may want to use the same voice on their phone system, e-learning modules, and web site to enhance and solidify their brand. It may seem like a self-serving piece of advice, but it's really about helping my clients achieve consistency in all of their communications.3) He finished the job in LESS time than he estimated, so our bill was less than expected. He told me he always builds in enough time in the estimate to troubleshoot any problems -- a tactic that voice talent would do well to emulate.4) He cleaned up after the job was finished. (Remember this point because I'm coming back to it in the next story!)
Tommy told me that his business is mostly through repeat business and referrals; I don't think he even has a web site. In my voiceover business, I always want to make it easy for my clients to refer me. With his terrific attention to detail and exemplary customer service, it's truly a pleasure to refer Tommy to other people.
My second story is about my new roof. We learned about Everdry Roofing because someone there follows Drew on Twitter, which just goes to show you the growing importance of social networking in attracting clients.
I thought Everdry was going to be a second success story of stellar customer service. After all, they showed up when promised, explained shingle options, worked with our insurance company on our claim, and did a great job of cleaning up the nails and other debris from the yard.
They were providing exceptional customer service -- that is, until the "Oh s***" moment.
In the picture below, your eyes are not drawn to my new roof, with its lovely architectural shingles and new ridge vent. No, instead you see the massive steel container stretching over half of my driveway. In fact, Everdry's sign in my yard points directly to it.
The "Oh s***" moment from the roof installation has lasted all weekend.
The roofers were here Thursday and part of Friday. I wasn't at all happy about the container staying overnight on Thursday since it blocks the garage. The project manager assured me at 6pm Thursday that the container would be removed Friday. Today is Sunday, and the container is still here. I haven't heard from Everdry about their plans to remove it.
If Drew and I had 2 cars like every other household in Atlanta, one of those cars would be trapped in the garage or parked on the street all weekend. As it is, we have to cautiously back out over our grass to clear the side of the container.
To make matters worse, the smell of 23-year-old shingles removed from the roof and the other materials in the container is akin to the putrid stench of animals killed in the road. Every time I walk out of my house, that nasty smell hits me in the face. We're still having 90-degree days, so you can just imagine how the smell grows as the day progresses.
As a voiceover talent, I always think of how to provide the best level of service to exceed my clients' expectations. I certainly don't want them to incur any inconvenience as a result of my actions!
For instance, it may seem like a small thing, but the manner in which you name and transmit your recordings to your agents and clients can be either an "Oh s***" or an "Attagirl!" moment:
- If they have given you a file naming convention, use it.
- If not, be very descriptive with your file names so that the purpose or script for each file is immediately evident.
- If you have to revise a file, add a revision number to the file name so that you don't inadvertently write over an existing file. Sometimes, the client may decide the original file was best after all or wants to make some other change to it.
- Compress multiple files into a zip file so that the client only has to download one file.
By being organized and forward-thinking, you can rack up the "Attaboys!" and "Attagirls!" in providing stellar service to your voiceover clients. If you have other examples of stellar service, please leave a comment on the blog!
A recent episode with the Chipper LLC Tree Service painfully reminded me of 4 important customer service principles that should be embodied by every business, including your voiceover business. First, though, I've give you a brief synopsis of the situation.
BEFORE: Two well-established Bradford pear trees with full foliage
rose high above the roofline on the left side of my house.
One of the Bradford pear trees in my front yard had a dead branch that needed to be removed, so we called a tree company based on their positive reviews on Kudzu.com. We decided that we'd also like to have the highest limbs of the trees trimmed down; they had never been pruned, were extremely tall, and overhung the roof. These trees are 15-20 years old and very well-established, but the limbs can become brittle and break in an Atlanta snowstorm.
The estimator came out last month. After Drew discussed our expectations of the work to be performed, the estimator wrote this information on the ticket:
Trim + top out + Remove debris
2 Bradfords in front -- just top out a little higher than gutters
Remove 2 Bradford saplings in front
AFTER: I still have 2 Bradford pear trees on the left side of my house,
only with no limbs or leaves to provide shade in this sultry Atlanta summer.
Naturally, we were quite upset that A) our beautiful trees were demolished, and B) the work was not done to our specifications. The trees not only look terrible, but we're concerned that they may have incurred irreparable damage and would need to be removed. Since the work was performed on one of the hottest, 95-degree July days, the trees could have endured a shock from which they may not recover.
We called the owner of the tree service to ask for the remedy of removal of our trees at no additional cost to us. As calmly as possible, I explained that the "trimming" was far more extensive and destructive than we ever imagined it could be. We had never planned or wanted to remove the trees, but now we thought we would be forced into that action.
In addition, the trees were now an eyesore to us and all residents in the 200+ houses in our subdivision since all of them must pass my house every time they enter or leave. Finally, I stated that we have a very active neighborhood email list in which homeowners are constantly requesting referrals for various services.
Here comes the part where voice talent and other business owners can learn how NOT to run your business!
The owner said he had told his estimator countless times that the estimator needed to explain to a customer how Bradford pears would look when they are 'topped out". In fact, he continued, they had a page on their web site that showed customers what to expect, not that anyone had pointed it out to us. When I finally saw that page, I learned that the phrase "top out" has a very special connotation to the tree cutter holding the chainsaw -- cut off everything! We learned too late that "topping out" is actually a last-resort measure to save trees before you remove them.
Okay, BUT....we never intended for our trees to be "topped out"! How were we supposed to know the common phrase meant something very specific to them? Obviously, if the owner has had this conversation more than once with the estimator, the company has an existing communications problem.
He flatly stated it would cost an additional $300 for them to come back out and remove the trees. The call quickly turned ugly, making my attempts to find an acceptable compromise futile. The guy completely insulted me with his terrible attitude. He was arrogant, angry, and abusive; I should have hung up on him.
He rudely demanded that Drew "needed to own up, be a man, admit that he lied [to me], and call the estimator a liar." If Drew did all of those things, they would come back for $200. It would a loss to him if he had to send a crew back to my house without pay. He then made a comment about not wanting to take the customer's word over that of his estimator!
Say WHAT??!!!
My problem with the trees is unresolved, but I wanted to tell you this story today so you'll keep these 4 tips in mind as you solve problems for your voiceover clients.
1. Communicate clearly and agree on expectations at the outset of the project.
The tree service owner had encountered my exact situation so many times that he had a web page devoted to the subject. The estimator should have shown that page to Drew and asked, 'is this the level of work you expect?".
By the same token, I want to ensure that the client and I both are using the same terms and have the same idea for the kind of audio that the client will receive. On those rare times when someone asks me for "raw" audio, they still want audio that is edited so that it is free of mistakes and re-takes.
As another example, I have had clients asking for 8 kHz, 8-bit mono files for their telephone systems. Before sending the final recordings to them, I prepare them at the project outset by giving them a sample of that kind of file. They need to know that it won't sound like a CD; it may not even sound good due to the hisses and buzzes that are inherent in such low resolution files.
2. Only take an irreversible action with your client's full understanding and consent.
The tree company crew chief had a second chance to show Drew the web page before they ever made the first cut. He also could have checked in with Drew periodically as the work progressed to ensure that they trimmed the trees to match our vision.
In voiceover, you have to protect the raw audio that you have recorded. If you delete a section and then save the file, that section could be gone forever depending on your software.
One reason that I like Pro Tools is because of its non-destructive editing features. It actually creates a new file with every change, and effects are not applied to the original file. I could change or remove the compression or any other effect, bounce the file again, and have a new file as output -- all while keeping the original recording intact. If your software doesn't offer this functionality, it's a good idea to save your original recording to a different name before you do any editing.
3. Expect that you won't make money on every transaction.
While the overall goal of a business is to make a profit, you shouldn't expect to make money on every single transaction. The goal of each transaction is to pursue cement a harmonious relationship.
The tree service owner didn't want to come back to fix the mess his crew made unless we paid for it. He caused a problem for me, so I shouldn't have to pay more for him resolve it. He should realize that he is actually going to lose a lot of money based on my negative reviews of his company to anyone who will listen!
In contrast, I offer unlimited free re-recordings if I have made an error in pronunciation or inflection if my client notifies me of the errors within a week of receiving the audio. I also outline my policy about charges for script revisions before accepting the project. However, in many cases, the client only needs something simple, like a sentence changed. Whenever possible, I am happy to quickly record and send these kinds of small changes at no charge.
4. Do whatever it takes to ensure your client's satisfaction.
This one seems like a no-brainer, but as evidenced by my conversation with the tree service owner, some people just don't get it!
It's my mission to exceed my clients' expectations! If I ever encountered a situation where a voiceover client was as upset with me as I was with the tree service owner, I would have offered to re-record their project at no cost. I even would be willing to refund part or all of the money if I could not meet the client expectations. I also would refer another voice talent in order to keep the client's project on schedule.
When your communications with your client overflow with respect, honesty, and integrity, you won't even have to think about providing quality customer service -- you will BE the definition of it!
Edited 9/12/10 to include name and link of tree service in response to questions about it
First, let me say that I'm a voice talent who only markets myself. I don't teach, mentor, coach, or hire other voice talent. Since I am a firm believer in the mindset that it is better to give than receive, I write this blog specifically to answer questions and help others achieve their dream of working as a voiceover talent.
This article contains numerous links to my other articles to give you an organized pathway through the blog and structured approach to investigating and planning your career. I encourage you to read all of the articles in the archives.
Then, after you have developed some skills and are ready to market yourself, you can set up a home recording system. Pat Fraley outlines an economical setup in his The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording Workbook and Companion CD. You may also want to read Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher's excellent book The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording.
A voice-over actor must market herself and perform auditions continuously in order to get attention and jobs from others. To gain experience, you can:
No one can tell you the exact path you must follow, but just know that the dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK! :)
Career Overview
Many people become interested in voiceover because they've been told they have a nice voice. Most people have nice-enough voices; it's what you DO with it that matters.
Declaring your intention is the first step toward changing your reality, so I applaud you for realizing what you want in life and having the courage to go after it! Like any other dream, success in voice-over requires continuous, deliberate action. I described how I got started on this page of my web site.
A voice-over artist needs to be able to be transparent when interpreting the author's words and intent of any script so that you are the best service provider to the client. I think anyone who "evaluates your voice" would tell you that you have potential and then would be more than willing to take your money. A voice talent must be able to create their own characters rather than mimic someone else.
Read, Read, Read.....then Read Some More
You can't be successful in voiceover if you don't like to read. Therefore, I refer you to the wealth of information I have written on my web site and blog, especially this entry titled A plan to break into voice-over.
Note that it includes a link to my recommended reading list. I always recommend that people start first with a book to get a broad overview of the industry. I continue to read voice-over books even though I've been working in this industry for over 12 years.
I also read a lot of blogs from my fellow voice talent. I've listed several I like on the lower right panel on my blog under the Links heading, but a quick search on-line will show you plenty more. The Vox Daily blog from Voices.com is one of the best in the business. I also listed numerous on-line voice-over forums that you can join.
Take Classes and Develop Skills
As I explain in this post about mentors, people often ask me to be their mentor when they really need a teacher. If you decide to take a class, this post has 10 questions you should ask a prospective voice-over teacher. When researching teachers, beware of 5 techniques of the "information marketer".
Listed on the right panel of my blog are some national teachers with whom I've studied. Nancy Wolfson is an excellent coach who does offer coaching via telephone. If you work with Nancy, please tell her that I referred you as I would get a free session. :)
Some teachers in Atlanta are listed on this page of my web site.
The Edge Studio Career Center contains practice scripts, podcasts with experts, and helpful tools like a word calculator and rate card.
Create a Demo
Voice-over is a business that is built on self-promotion and marketing. As with any business, you can expect it to have start-up costs. Before you can market yourself, you need to have a demo. Separate demos are needed for each target market (commercials, narrations, games, audiobooks, etc.). Before spending time and money to make a demo, you need appropriate training.
A good coach will tell help you select material for your demo that matches your voice and your style. You don't want to be in a rush to make a demo because:
1) You only have 1 chance to make a first impression
2) You need to be able to instantly perform like the person on your demo.
3) Your demo is competing with those of professionals who have been working for decades.
Establish Your Home Studio
Although you will want to record auditions from home, I wouldn't rush out to buy equipment immediately. I would first buy a digital voice recorder for daily practice. It's important to read everything ALOUD and practice every chance you can! I have and can recommend the Olympus WS-300M or the Zoom H4N.
Then, after you have developed some skills and are ready to market yourself, you can set up a home recording system. Pat Fraley outlines an economical setup in his The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording Workbook and Companion CD. You may also want to read Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher's excellent book The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording.
Market Yourself
Once you've taken classes, created a demo, and established your home studio, you're ready to develop a marketing plan. The books and resources listed in this post will help you start marketing yourself.
Also, I know that it seems like voice-over is not work, but you should realize that it takes a lot of work to generate jobs and a steady client base!
A voice-over actor must market herself and perform auditions continuously in order to get attention and jobs from others. To gain experience, you can:
- Sign up with an on-line casting service (called a pay-to-play, or P2P, site within the industry) site like Voice123.com or Voices.com (This article contains more information about these sites.)
- Perform voiceover for presentations (e-learning, marketing, etc.) on your day job for no additional pay
- Volunteer to read for the blind
- Contact production companies and radio stations
- Network with professional associations
You also can create your own recordings. Practicing in this manner has a lot of value in terms of artistry, improvement and self-esteem. These recordings may or may not be used for promotion or payment.
You'll find many more ideas for marketing yourself and your business in my blog archives.
Only after you gain some professional experience will you be ready to look for an agent. At that point, you will want to read the article Trying to get a voiceover agent?
Final Advice
No one can tell you the exact path you must follow, but just know that the dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK! :)
However, taking continual steps on your dream -- whatever you decide to do -- will bring fulfillment to your life! In any case, you must be the one to put forth action to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!
As I don't get paid to write and dispense so much helpful advice, I'd be grateful for a donation to my PayPal tip jar.
Best wishes for your success in all of your pursuits!
Edited 12/6/10 to add info about Edge Studio and Voices.com resources
Edited 4/30/11 to add link about agents
Edited 9/8/11 to add link to Atlanta teachers
Edited 2/16/12 to add new first paragraph
Edited 3/13/12 to add links to articles about:
- practice
- mentors
- the need to be giving
- a passion for reading
- information marketers
- creating your own recordings
Also updated/removed links and significantly reformatted and re-arranged info to provide greater clarity and structure.
VOICE2010, the international conference for voiceover talent held in Los Angeles, has ended, and the participants have gone home. I appreciated reading blog updates from other voice talent all the more since I wasn't there. My travel budget this spring was spent instead on a trip with Drew to Hawaii. However, I was reminded of 7 great lessons that apply to a voice-over career, all courtesy of my surfing instructor.
SURFING? As in the water sport known for "hanging 10"? If you're wondering what my surfing instructor could possibly teach about voiceover, read on!
Voiceover talent and recent surfing student Karen Commins
offers the universal greetings of surfers.
Drew and I went to Honolulu to celebrate his birthday. We make it a point to travel each year for one of our birthdays, and it was his turn to pick the destination this year. He picked Hawaii so he could later say that he had a surfing lesson on Waikiki Beach on his birthday. :)
Drew found our instructor Erik Lillmars at DCX Surfing School by doing a Google search for surfing lessons on Oahu. Since Drew is also a photographer, he liked the fact that Erik's site included photography services. In fact, Drew selected this particular instructor because photography was listed.
Two things are important from this part of the story:
1. Get your own web site, preferably with your own domain. Also, make sure that search engines can you based on your geographic area. People often prefer to deal with someone locally. While it's a global economy, I want to be the voice actor of choice for anyone in the Atlanta area!
2. If you offer extra services outside of voice-over (copywriting, audio editing, marketing consultation, etc.) or have some specialized subject knowledge, be sure to include that information on your site. Lots of people are voice talent. Your value-added services or subject expertise may be the reason you are hired.
Erik taught the lesson in his office on Koa Avenue, a block off of Waikiki Beach. He talked to us a long time before ever getting to the actual mechanics of the lesson. Some of his topics centered around Zen and meditation; he indicated the best surfers practice meditation to quiet their minds and visualize their success.
Erik also repeatedly told us to relax. If you're aren't relaxed on a surfboard, you'll be unsteady on the board and could fall off the side before you ever get to a wave. (Trust me on this one.) If you actually get to the point of being ready to ride a wave, tension in your body could cause you to lose your balance and injure yourself in falling off the surfboard.
3. Relax. If you aren't relaxed in front of a microphone, your throat muscles will constrict, and the tension will be heard in your voice and on the recording. What's worse, people can hear that tension and will want to shy away from your work. You may not think you could get injured doing voiceover work, but the long-term effects of strained vocal cords can lead to damage.
Most surfing instructors probably show you something about standing up on the surfboard using the actual board while on the beach. In our lesson, though, Erik spread a mat on the floor of his office and showed us the moves there.
The surfers you've seen on TV make it look so easy; they get to a standing position as if by magic. (If you want the magic formula to make your voiceover work look easy, skip ahead to lesson number 6.) Erik stressed safety and showed us how to get to our knees, put one foot in front of you, and finally rise to a standing position while turning to a sideways stance for balance. He had us practice this move several times in the office. Erik showed us how to dip down while twisting our body to maintain balance.
Birthday boy Drew Commins demonstrates the first step in standing up on a surfboard:
raise up from lying flat to balancing on your knees.
4) Stand up in stages. Just because you have done something briefly in a class setting doesn't necessarily make you ready and qualified to perform the actual work. I especially worry about those aspiring voice talent who take a 2-hour group class and then jump into making a demo. It's akin to the same level of preparation and expertise you have after practicing a move 3 times on a floor mat and then thinking you can surf in deep water.
Drew and I had to carry a 9-foot surfboards under each of our arms when walking from the office to the beach, which was maybe a fifth of a mile. After toting that load in the Hawaii heat, I was TIRED by the time we got to the spot on the beach!
Once we finally got in the water and on our surfboards, I felt very shaky on the hard, wood surfboard. As I started paddling out to the waves, my neck hurt immensely, and I kept feeling like I would fall off the board. Erik encouraged me to get off the board and float in the water rather than risking injury. I told Erik that it was more important for him to spend his time with Drew, and I would be happy just hanging out in the water for the duration of the lesson.
During the office part of the lesson, our instructor also told us that he had studied the pattern of the waves. Using a traffic analogy, he said that the incoming and outgoing surfers should be in separate lanes. We were impressed that Erik had created a chart that showed us how to use a particular balcony of a hotel and a structure near Diamond Head as a visual guide to our proper lane.
Like the sun over the Hawaiian beach, Erik's research was golden. Waikiki Beach is the world's most famous beach and probably has the greatest concentration of surfers at any given moment. Since Erik had spent hours and hours in studying the patterns and rhythms of the ocean, he knew the best position in the water to catch the wave. He also knew the best place to be if you wanted to hang out in the outgoing surfing "lane" while staying safely out of the way of dozens of incoming surfers. I greatly appreciated that insight since that's where I was while Eric was working with Drew.
Aloha! Drew was a natural surfer, standing up several times during his only surf lesson.
Diamond Head is in the background.
As Drew was riding a wave toward the beach, Erik came back to me. He commented several times about inexperienced surfers who were going out to a spot where no one else was. He said the waves didn't break in those locations, so the stray surfers were wasting their time.
5) Know where the waves are. Once you have decided to pursue a voice-over career, you need to analyze your strengths and gifts to know where your voice fits in the market. With that information, you can define a target market and niche within that market. You then need to study the habits of your target market in order to position yourself and gain work.
Drew made several attempts to ride a wave using the techniques Erik showed us in the office. As you can see in the above picture, Drew was successful in standing up and riding the waves several times! His hang time might not have been very long, but it was great he could stand up and surf!
As soon as the surfers fall off the board, what do they do? They paddle back out and wait for the next wave!
6) Practice! In any creative endeavor, whether it's surfing or voiceover, you have to practice if you ever expect to improve your skills and advance to the next level. Erik was an awesome surfing coach who helped us achieve our goals for the lesson. Consistent practice on your own and lessons under the direction of a good voiceover coach will do the same for your career.
While the surfers are indeed practicing their skills each time they ride a wave, they also do it for another reason -- the sheer joy of the experience. In fact, Erik told us in his office that he had previously worked in the music industry with Neil Diamond but decided to give up that hectic lifestyle to pursue his true calling and passion to teach others about surfing.
7) Do it for the joy, not the money. I often see newspaper articles about introductory voiceover classes that leave the reader with the impression that anyone can take the class and quickly start making megabucks just by "talking". Just know that if it were that easy, everybody would be doing it. The best and most monetarily successful voiceover talent are those who have the passion and true calling for the work. Even professionals with years of experience continue to practice and improve their skills. Since the vast majority of your time in voiceover may be spent in gaining work rather than actually performing it, you will definitely want to feel as much joy as possible!
I'm sure many people are already planning their trips to VOICE2011. As for me, I'm already planning my birthday trip next year! If you can think of a cool idea for me or have thoughts about my surfing story, I hope you'll leave some comments on the blog.
Success leaves clues.
Every day, I see questions on various voice-over boards like:
Yesterday, I analyzed Barry Manilow as a brand to offer clues to voice talent about marketing your personal brand to your clients. He has defined his core product, offers consistent results, and embraces constant improvement.
Today, I realized I forgot the last and most defining C in the branding process. As you can hear toward the end of this clip (1:07), Barry Manilow has a secret weapon that has made him a legend in the music industry and which savvy voiceover folks will want to adopt.
Barry Manilow performs with his back-up singers (Keely Vasquez, foreground)
at Paris Las Vegas, 3/21/10
The 4th C of Branding -- Create Your Own Stuff
- How do I get an agent? (I wrote a little about agents on my advice page for my site.)
- Should I join one of the voiceover casting -- commonly referred to as pay-to-play (P2P) -- sites, and if so, which one is better? (If you're interested, my answer to that question is here.)
- Who actually wins all these auditions? (You do have more on your marketing plan than waiting for auditions, don't you? If you need help in creating a marketing plan, check out this post. Also, this post contains 25+ marketing and publicity ideas to attract clients to you. You'll find other marketing articles in the archives.)
To me, the approaches above cause you to give away your power. I'm not saying you shouldn't do them as part of your marketing mix. However, you'll have far greater power to move your voiceover career in the direction you want it to go by casting yourself in your own projects.
Our friends who act on camera or in the theatre will write a play or show for the web, create the set, design costumes, get their friends to act with them, star in the show, direct it, and publicize their effort -- all WITHOUT pay. Either we professional voiceover people aren't creating our own stuff, or we're not publicizing it too well.
I also think many people resist investing time in such projects when they aren't being paid. Our society tends to attach monetary value to everything, which can make us feel that it's not worth doing something simply for the pleasure of doing it. Creating our own work allows us to develop skills and make us more competitive for those paying jobs. You might consider your own project to be a specialized form of practice. In addition, we can use our own projects in our publicity efforts. If you keep working at it, who knows? Someone may even pay you someday for your creation.
What to Create?
I think the question could be answered by looking at what you like and the category of voice work that you want to obtain. Below are some ideas that may inspire you.
Promos? How about creating your own video with your voice as the promo? If you can't create a video, perhaps you could work with the public access cable channel to develop one. You could post the finished product on your site and others like YouTube.
Audiobooks? How about recording short stories and books for the blind, reading at your library, or recording for LibriVox?
Commercials? How about writing your own copy and setting it to music?
Video games? How about voicing some projects on one of the fan sites?
Podcasts? How about turning an organization's newsletter into a podcast or Internet radio show?
Narrations? How about narrating feature stories from magazines? You could scan pictures or buy stock images and add them to PowerPoint or a video to create a finished presentation. As another idea, you could create audio or video podcasts based on scripts that you write.
I cannot express to you the power and importance of creating your own work in building your personal brand and attaining the level of success you want in voiceover. But -- don't take my word for it.
For years, actor/producer/director Bob Fraser has been advising actors to cast themselves and create their own work.
Author/producer/casting director Bonnie Gillespie is such a strong advocate of self-produced work that she includes someone's self-produced work each week in her popular column The Actor's Voice.
And now, you've heard it directly from Barry Manilow.
Success does leave clues, and 3 famous and highly successful people have all left the same one. Now that you have it, what are you going to do about it? I'd love to get your comments and see examples of your creations on this blog!
Barry Manilow.
Paris.
Both are iconic brands that exude love and romance. Can you sum up your voice-over brand in a few short words?
Since 1993, I've traveled to over a dozen cities from London to Las Vegas just to see Barry Manilow in concert. I've seen him perform 51 times, including his newest show at the spectacular Paris Las Vegas during my recent trip to Las Vegas. The Paris Las Vegas resort is the perfect venue for Barry, and his new show includes images of Impressionists works found in Paris, France. The latest rendition of Barry's show is truly an ideal marriage between 2 romantic brands.
Barry has been creating albums and performing in live concerts for over 35 years. After that last concert, I thought about 3 Cs related to Barry's branding that may help you achieve similar longevity with your voiceover career.
Barry Manilow performing at the Paris Las Vegas, 3/21/10
People are always shocked when I say how many times I've gone to a Manilow concert. They ask me why I would go see the same performer so many times. They incredulously inquire, "Isn't it the same show every time?"
Since I want to answer that question here by talking about his branding, I think it's easier to understand branding when looking at products instead of people. If I said I had bought Tide detergent hundreds of times in my life, no one would find the revelation shocking. At best, they might be curious about the reason for my allegiance to that particular brand of detergent.
Core Product
Tide detergent is a carefully formulated product that will remove stains from clothes. It is a brand to distinguish it from other, similar-looking products that also remove stains from clothes.
Many people don't stop to think of an entertainer as a powerful form of brand promotion. Whether we're talking about a legendary performer with decades of experience like Barry Manilow or the newest voice talent plugging in a microphone today, a voice-over talent is a unique brand just as Barry Manilow is.
What kind of song is Barry known for? Love songs. True, he sings in a wide variety of musical genres -- including jazz, pop, standards, rock, and even Latin (and I'm not just talking about Copacabana) -- but he uses the same signature sound and stays true to his core product line of love songs in most cases.
As a voice talent, I also have worked in multiple genres -- commercials, audiobooks, e-learning modules, games, and phone systems. Although I may employ a different attitude or change my vocal attributes to create a character voice, the vast majority of my work employs my signature sound. I usually stay true to my core product line of factual presentation.
Just as clothes detergents look the same, and a singer's catalog tends to sound the same, you will probably note some similarity among the types of scripts on which you excel. If you stop and determine where that similarity lies, you will have found your core product. When you know your core product, it's easier to target a niche of people who want that product.
Consistent Results
Most people make all purchasing decisions out of habit or, ideally, affinity to a particular brand. We repeat our decisions when we are satisfied with the product and it provides predictable, consistent results. Fans of entertainers and sports teams repeatedly pay big bucks to see their idols perform. What's more, they are only too happy to buy merchandise with their idol's name and logo, etc.
When I buy Tide, I know that my clothes will be clean. When I buy a ticket to a Manilow concert, I know I will hear favorite songs and see a high-energy show for 2 hours. When a client books me for a voice-over job, they know they will receive a well-narrated, pristine recording of their script before their deadline. Since I market my brand as "A Vacation For Your Ears", clients rightfully expect me to be bright, sunny, stress-free, and fun!
Constant Improvement
Going back to my detergent analogy, if Tide had never made a change in the years that I had been buying it, I probably would have switched to another detergent. As it is, Tide has removed chemicals that irritated my skin, changed from powder to liquid, and created new packaging which encourages me to get refills. The basic product stayed the same, but improvements have been made based on customer feedback.
In the years that I've followed Barry, he also has improved. Sure, you know you're going to hear certain songs and some of the same jokes from concert to concert. Mandy, Copacabana, and I Write The Songs are part of his core product line. The production and staging has changed with different tours and venues. Also, Barry has continued to produce new albums, so the music changes over time as well. He has said that he gets bored with the same show, and he knows his fans would, too. Therefore, he even changes elements of the show each night.
My clients have also benefitted from my constant improvement. I have upgraded studio components and continue to take classes to maintain and improve my performance.
When you define and stick with your core product, offer consistent results, and embrace constant improvement, you will find much success in your voice-over career over the years.
********************
Aside from these thoughts about branding, I've learned some extremely important life's lessons from Barry which may help you live the life of your dreams, specifically:
- Don't take your critics' words to heart; what do they know, anyway?
- Forget about pleasing everybody; concentrate on playing to the people who like what you do.
- Do what you love (in my case, voice-over) not for the money but because you can't NOT do it. Barry has said: "You shouldn't do it for the applause, the money or the ego satisfaction because it doesn't work. You've got to do it because you've got to do it."
- Your job is just what you do, but it doesn't change who you are.
- You can give in, you can give out, but you don't give up.
- The better produced demo you make, the better chance you have.
At the end of his concerts, Barry often urges his audiences:
DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
He closed his autobiography with this passage, and I want to share it with you.
I believe that we are who we choose to be.
Nobody is going to come and save you. You've got to save yourself.
Nobody is going to give you anything. You've got to go out and fight for it.
Nobody knows what you want except you,
and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it.
So don't give up your dreams.
My blog is configured so that I moderate the comments. Otherwise, it would be overloaded with spam comments too ridiculous to repost here. As I was approving comments tonight, I saw this legitimate one attached to the entry titled A Plan to break into voice-over. Even though I usually don't provide career advice on an individual basis, I felt inspired to answer this question as its own entry.
Hi Karen, I took Paul Armbruster's Intro to Voiceover class, been through the various levels of classes with Della Cole and also produced a demo. I met with one agent who told me I needed to get rid of my NY State accent, so I sent to two different "accent reduction" coaches and am now at a standstill. I know I need to market myself but should I redo the entire demo or just have one produced with a couple commercials in my "neutral" voice? Your website and blogs are very informational. (BTW, I am now reading Secrets of Voice-Over Success...) Thanks again! D. J.
"Much of your work in a voice-over career is going to be in managing the business aspects of the job, which starts with your good demo. I recommend that you consult only a few trusted advisors in whom you have confidence; otherwise, you can get too much input and spend too much time perfecting your demo and not enough time marketing it."
Hi Karen, I took Paul Armbruster's Intro to Voiceover class, been through the various levels of classes with Della Cole and also produced a demo. I met with one agent who told me I needed to get rid of my NY State accent, so I sent to two different "accent reduction" coaches and am now at a standstill. I know I need to market myself but should I redo the entire demo or just have one produced with a couple commercials in my "neutral" voice? Your website and blogs are very informational. (BTW, I am now reading Secrets of Voice-Over Success...) Thanks again! D. J.
Several things came to mind as I read this question, and none of them is a short -- or even direct -- answer to the question. First, I can't really answer the question about the demo since I haven't heard it, don't know how old it is, and don't critique demos for other voice talent. In the post I just referenced, I concluded with these comments that definitely apply to D. J.'s situation:
"Much of your work in a voice-over career is going to be in managing the business aspects of the job, which starts with your good demo. I recommend that you consult only a few trusted advisors in whom you have confidence; otherwise, you can get too much input and spend too much time perfecting your demo and not enough time marketing it."
Before asking about re-doing her demo, she wrote: I know I need to market myself but... Here again, I don't know how much marketing she has actually done to know whether her current demo is effective. I refer her back to these entries for some ideas and questions to help her analyze her marketing plan and her demo promotion efforts:
Last week, I read an article by C. J. Hayden, author of my favorite and most highly recommended marketing book GET CLIENTS NOW!, titled What's the Missing Ingredient in Your Marketing? that also may be helpful to D. J. or anyone else struggling with their next step.
Reading between the lines of her message, though, I had a sense that D. J. might feel on some level that her efforts are in the category of "not good enough". That's the point that I really wanted to address today.
I actively listen to both radio and TV commercials, and I encourage you to do the same thing. I often hear commercials with females who have a speech pattern that I find especially irritating to hear. It's that flat, back of the throat kind of sound with words ending on a higher pitch -- it's a dialect I call "upspeak". It reminds me of California Valley Girls of the 80s, especially the way they pronounce words ending in -ER.
It seems that many women in the under-25 crowd have adopted this sound as their own. I suspect they are emulating someone they heard on a TV show because I hear that upspeak dialect even when in the mall or at restaurants. I felt that if I didn't sound like those women, I couldn't be marketable for national ads. Also, the majority call of national ads call for younger voices, so I could think that's 2 strikes against me before I start.
The other big trend I hear is in the 25-35 year old age bracket. These women always seem to have that "crinkle" in their voice -- that little trace of gravel on certain key words. I don't know if it's done intentionally to meet specs calling for "quirky" voices or these women speak that way all of the time.
Whether it's the upspeak dialect or the quirky crinkle texture that a producer wants to hear, I would never book that job. I decided to embrace my own speech patterns after my coach Nancy Wolfson gave me these pearls of wisdom:
- You have to trust that you are ENOUGH. After undergoing voiceover training, you deserve to be there -- at the audition, in the session, on the finished product.
- Don't apologize for anything that you bring to the table.
- If you have an agent who is sending scripts to you, your agent thinks you meet the specs.
If you're concerned about an accent, you can do one of 2 things:
- Work with a speech/dialect coach to reduce it
- Embrace it
Option 1 is certainly viable, and you should be unashamed to pursue it. However, there's also no shame in embracing an accent. In fact, you may be able to garner a lot of work in a regional market.
Training, a great demo, and a marketing plan will only take you so far. To achieve your voice-over dreams, you'll need to set aside the self-doubt and know that you are ENOUGH!
Thanks to all of you who read my voiceover blog and write meaningful comments! I'm always pleased to find real comments from aspiring and professional voice talent sprinkled among the inane drivel like this, which is only posted to be a link to a site unrelated to voice-over:
A few days ago I found your blog and have been reading along quietly. I decided I could leave my opening comment. Im not sure exactly what to write except that Ive loved reading it. Nice site. I shall carry on coming back to this site now and again. I have also grabbed the RSS feed for updates.
For knowledge is limited,
whereas imagination embraces the entire world,
stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.
-- Albert Einstein
Web sites depict a small corner of one's imagination, especially when branding yourself as a voice talent. As a voiceover artist and a person, I continue to evolve, gaining knowledge and skills to be of service to clients, family, and friends, as well as those who are interested in becoming voice actors. My web site and changes in my unique selling proposition (USP) reflect the progress in my evolution. I'm reviewing them here with you in hopes that this post will spark your imagination in your own evolution as a voice talent.
After starting my business in 1999, I quickly realized that a web site would be a necessary means of attracting clients. I designed and maintained the first version of my site. Yes, it is quite colorful, but at least I used a consistent font throughout my web site and on all of my printed materials.
Karen Commins' voiceover web site version 1 (circa 2000-2005) -- snapshot from 12/14/2002
As my voice-over business grew, so did the functionality and information that I wanted to include on my web site. I decided an upgrade was order but didn't have the time to personally develop the site. However, its design was still a production of my imagination. When you rolled your mouse over the microphones next to each menu choice, a little ON AIR graphic appeared above the menu option.
Note that I still use that graphic as the little, custom picture that appears on the address line in your web browser. This picture is generated from a file on my site named favicon.ico. The advantage of the favicon.ico is that it helps your site stand out among your clients' many bookmarks. This article provides a good explanation of the favicon.ico and how you can create one for your site.
Karen Commins' voiceover web site version 2 (circa 2005-2009) - snapshot from 10/18/2009
Like you, I've read all kinds of advice about not including a picture of a microphone on my web site. People in creative industries, especially in advertising, consider microphone pictures on voice talent web sites to be tacky and outdated. While I'm sure that's true, no one ever said that they didn't want to hire me because I had a microphone on my site. Of course, I don't know whether it actually drove people away.
One thing that I do know is that you should choose your USP wisely. My original USP was STAR quality voiceovers performed within your budget! The good news is that this USP attracted clients. The bad news for me was that the USP generally attracted clients who were shopping for voice talent solely on the basis of price. As I wrote in a previous entry, I have so much to offer my clients that competing only on price is not an option.
When I moved to my second web site, I changed my USP as well. At times, I used the line on my site: People don't have time to read. That's why you need me.
However, a USP or tag really needs to be a short, memorable phrase. I later promoted myself with the tag Eloquent voice to enlighten and entertain. (I admit it; I love alliteration!) This tag took the focus off of price and emphasized something about my thought process and speech patterns, but does it really describe my voice? Probably not. Does the tag really need to describe my voice?
I thought about the answer to that question during intense coursework spanning over 2 years with my wonderful coach and branding expert Nancy Wolfson at BrainTracksAudio. I concentrated on learning to analyze patterns in advertising copy so that I could provide bookable and consistent interpretations. Through my lessons with Nancy and her delightful associate, acting coach Jeff Freeman, I also learned once again that other people don't hear us or think of us the way we think of ourselves. My voice is only one part of me, and my branding efforts need to encompass the whole person.
Finally, I finished my coursework and was ready to create a new commercial demo. I stopped marketing my previous commercial demo in September 2007, so reaching this point was particularly exciting to me. On 10 April 2009, I was very excited to walk through the doors at Creative Sound Concepts here in Atlanta. Although I had talked with owner Spencer Herzog through the years, I had not had the opportunity to visit his fabulous studio or work with his great team. I was there in April to record my long-anticipated -- and, might I add, AWESOME! -- new commercial demo under Nancy's direction.
My commercial demo was produced by Rick Santizo at Santisound in Los Angeles. Bill Morrell was my gracious and very capable engineer in Atlanta.
As a technical side note, SourceConnect, rather than ISDN, was used to connect both studios. I had unplugged my ISDN line almost 2 years ago due to lack of use. I haven't had any requests for SourceConnect other than in my demo session. However, I may acquire an account as it seems to be an affordable alternative to ISDN, and it is gaining a larger presence.
With my new demo in hand, the next step was to create an image that would match my voice, style, and personality. Nancy recommended that I work with the very talented Jason Sikes, graphic designer and owner of Village Green Studios in Los Angeles.
Nancy played my demo for Jason and discussed her views of my brand. Leaving my branding image to Nancy's and Jason's imaginations allowed these 2 creative geniuses to develop an amazing new image that represents me on multiple levels!
Karen Commins' current voiceover web site -- version 3 now on-line as of 10/18/2009
This new image is better than I could have imagined! I have not met Nancy or Jason in person, so I was thrilled that they proposed this image. Even more gratifying, some friends had the instant reaction of "Oh, that's so YOU!" :)
In the last year, I've contracted my brand and web domains to my name. The best part of this entire process is that now my commercial demo, my web site, my printed materials, my slate on auditions, my salutations, and my USP work in conjunction with each other and allow me to fully promote myself with consistent branding elements:
- My printed materials like note cards and business cards have the same luscious image. With this design, you know that I'm also planning postcard mailings!
- I slate my auditions with "Greetings from Karen Commins".
- My salutations on e-mails, forum posts, cards and letters is "Greetings" rather than "hello", "hi", etc.
- My USP is now A Vacation for Your Ears.
Being a professional voice talent means that I'm opposed to static, whether it's on the airwaves or in my career. And Einstein was right -- imagining something better in my branding efforts has always stimulated greater progress and my continual evolution, not to mention more clients!
Since I recently began including my Twitter entries in my blog, I thought you might enjoy reading this interesting article in the Nashville Business Journal. It highlights the success stories of several businesses in using Twitter to build their brand and their business. Voice talent will find some ideas for implementation in your own marketing plan.
Refashion. Reorganize. Remodel. Repair. Revise. Reinvent. Reshape. Reform. Rearrange. Repurpose. Revamp. Renew. Revitalize. Rejuvenate.
No matter which word you pick, you now know what my web site designer and I "R" doing, which explains why I haven't posted a blog entry in over a month.
No worries. I have so many ideas about voiceover and marketing still to discuss! I appreciate your patience during my web site renovation and promise to return with new content later in the month to reclaim my place in the voiceover blogosphere!
edited to add photo credit: Skip ODonnell/iStockPhoto
Ralph seemed more interested in talking about himself than in finding out about us. We quickly learned that Ralph is an artist who paints geometric designs on large canvases. He handed me his business card, which had a picture of one of his paintings and the verbiage to look for Ralph on Google. I was a bit surprised that Ralph reached for his card to take it back from me when we parted company.
I told Ralph that I love art, and I asked him how long it took him to create a painting. He replied, "that's my secret." Perhaps I was just making conversation, but for all Ralph knew, I was thinking of commissioning him to create a painting for me.
As he talked, Ralph told us that he had sold his art in Beverly Hills galleries; maybe he thought we would be impressed. He then segued into a tale of a sale that made me want to bail on that male. (Sometimes I amuse myself.) A buyer at one of these Beverly Hills shows wanted to buy a painting that he had priced at $1200 and asked him to cut his price to $700. After he agreed to the price cut, the buyer wrote a check. It turned out that the buyer was Paris Hilton's mother, and she planned to give the painting to Paris as a present. Ralph said that if he had known the identity of the buyer, he wouldn't have cut the price.
Five marketing lessons were once again made clear to me that evening when listening to Ralph. Did you catch them?
1) In a service-oriented business and in life overall, you can only be of service to others if you listen more than you talk.
Like Ralph, many people find themselves to be a favorite topic. Whether I'm socializing personally or networking as a professional voice talent, I ask questions of the other person. When you find out about another person, you are forming the foundation of a relationship. Talking about yourself just seems a self-centered way to pass the time.
You'll remember that I had expressed interest in Ralph's art. As an artist and presumably an entrepreneur, Ralph should be open to prospective clients coming from any source. We voice talent also need to be aware that the next job could come from someone to whom we haven't marketed. In fact, I have noticed that when I put energy into a focused marketing plan, the next job comes from someone out of the blue. I believe that whatever you put out into the world comes back to you, and usually it's in a way you didn't expect.
2) Be as open and willing to explain your work to someone who expresses interest.
It was odd to hear Ralph tell me that his time was his secret, and that remark alerted me that I shouldn't ask any other questions about his work. Whenever people ask me about voice-over, I am more than happy to answer their questions. I also think it's important to educate people about the time required for a project so that they will better understand my pricing.
In addition, I am a firm believer in self-promotion, especially in an industry like voice-over, with new entrants every day. Most of my voiceover work has come through self-promotion. As I tweeted on Twitter (you can follow me at Twitter.com/KarenCommins) a few days ago, this quote from W. S. Gilbert sums up my view on self-promotion:
your merits you're bound to enhance;
You must stir it and stump it,
and blow your own trumpet,
or trust me, you haven't a chance.
3) When you hand your business card to someone, you shouldn't expect to get it back.
I read a job hunting book once in which the point was made that every good salesperson always has something to leave behind. In some cases, the only thing you can leave is your business card. The whole reason to have business cards is so that someone can remember you. I carry my cards with me almost everywhere I go; you never know when a conversation about voiceover might occur. I admit I don't have them with me when I'm sitting in a lounge chair on a cruise ship. However, I do have them in my cabin and would follow up with anyone if the situation warranted it.
Since Ralph had a card with him, I would think he would be happy if I kept it. If I had his card, I not only would know his last name, but I'd know how to contact him if I decided I wanted one of his paintings. Ralph may have kept his card but lost a potential sale.
While I'm on the topic of business cards, I thought you might like to see a gallery of business cards from voice talent. Clever marketer and fellow voiceover artist Peter O'Connell recently asked voice talents to send him an image file of their business cards. You can see them on his web site. I'm also posting my current business card on this page.
4) Having your own web site and owning your domain name is becoming increasing important in cementing your identity in your prospects' minds.
While I didn't have Ralph's card for long, I had it long enough to see that he didn't have a web site. His card had the instructions search for Ralph on Google. I did a Google search for "Ralph artist". Since I don't even know Ralph's last name, I don't know which of the 7,180,000 results relate to the guy I met on the ship.
Many voice talent use their profile page from one of the voiceover pay-to-play sites as their web site link. Some kind of personal web site is better than Ralph's, but it is not the most effective strategy for your business. If you want people to remember you and come to you when they need voice talent, why would you market yourself as one of thousands of talent all vying for attention at one site?
I also don't recommend using personal web space from your ISP because it includes the ISP domain name, and the long link name can look like voiceover is your hobby. It's worth the money to own your unique domain name and create your web site. Whether on my business card, my e-mail signature, or anything I distribute to potential and current clients, I include only the link to my own site and my Twitter address.
5) When you cut your price, you are the one who bleeds.
I couldn't believe it when Ralph said he cut his price at a Beverly Hills show. Think about it -- he was standing in one of the most affluent areas in the world, yet he caved and sold his work for almost half of his original price! He immediately regretted cutting his price when he realized that his buyer easily could have afforded something even beyond his original price.
I don't fault his buyer or anyone for asking for a price cut. We all ask that question at some point, especially in a situation where we think the price is negotiable.
Since many people assume that voiceover is no more difficult than talking, buyers of voiceover services perceive our prices to be negotiable and typically ask for a price reduction. In responding to such requests, I'm always reminded of Pork's answer in this scene from Gone With the Wind (as transcribed directly from the screenplay of the movie's final shooting script published in 1989):
Pork: Miss Scarlett, ma'am . . . Ah gotter know how much money hav' you got lef'. In gol'?
Scarlett: Ten dollars. Why?
Pork: Dat won' be ernuff.
Scarlett: What in Heaven's name are you talking about?
Pork: Well, Miss Scarlett, Ah seed dat no-'count white trash Wilkerson dat useter be Marse Gerald's overseer here. he's a reg'lah Yankee now an' he was makin' a brag dat his carpetbagger frien's done run de taxes way up sky-high on Tara.
Scarlett: How much more have we go to pay?
Pork: Ah heerd de tax man say t'ree hun'red dollahs.
Scarlett: Three hundred! Might just as well be three million! But we've got to raise it, that's all!
Pork: Yas'm . . . How?
Scarlett: I'll go ask Mr. Ashley.
Pork: He ain' got no t'ree hun'red dollahs, Miss Scarlett.
Scarlett: I can ask him if I want to, can't I?
Pork: Askin' ain' gittin'.
If you feel tempted to compete solely on price, you might want to read another post-vacation story titled Cruising for a competitive advantage.
Will these lessons from Ralph the artist help you in marketing your voice-over business? I look forward to reading your comments on the blog!
Karen Commins
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
• Greetings from Karen
• How to Reach Me
• Places I've Been
• Advice for Your Journey
• So You Want to Get Into Voiceovers?
• My Path So Far
• How to Reach Me
• Places I've Been
• Advice for Your Journey
• So You Want to Get Into Voiceovers?
• My Path So Far
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