How To Audition On Voices.Com

Here are some tips on how to audition on Voices.com.

Popularity: 16%

Getting it Right

Management guru Peter Drucker says, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”  Efficiency and effectiveness are paramount to voice over talents and both are dependent upon daily habits. You know, those little things that can make us or break us?

Here are some success habits that I came up with that I work on daily that may be useful to you:

•The habit of practice, practice, practice! Even if you don’t hit perfect, you can’t grow without it!  All successful voice over talent practice; it keeps a talent sharp and gives that competitive edge.

•The habit of going the extra mile. Giving more than is expected reaps really amazing results!  Simply giving three slightly different reads of script to a client can set you apart from the rest, helping you to become a go to voice over talent.

•The habit of smiling. This is huge for voice talent!   Smiling will come across in your read and will decrease plosives!  Tip: practice in front of a mirror or on your web-cam.

•The habit of learning. Always be learning something new!   No one is ever too good to get coaching or to learn new skills.  Learning is part of being a successful voice over talent and it makes you more marketable!

•The habit of listening. Listening to what other voice over talent have recorded, listening to creative directors, listening to the client, listening to what you just read…it’s all important.  Learn to listen and to implement!

•The habit of giving back. Blogging, posting valuable links and information on Facebook and Twitter, posting a voice over session on YouTube, volunteering your voice for a charity, these are all great ways to give back and to increase your value as a voice talent.

•The habit of being true to oneself. Be authentically you!   Allow who you are to come through in everything you do.  You are hired for more than your voice, let your personality come through. Sure, emulate and learn from other voice talents, but be you!

Doing what it takes to develop these habits is sometimes easier said than done, but easier said than done still needs to be done!  Our daily habits become our character, our character becomes our reputation, and our reputation becomes our legacy.   What will yours be?

Popularity: 2%

Voice Over Auditioning Techniques

Here are some auditioning tips. These will benefit you when auditioning on the pay to play sites.

Popularity: 13%

The Value Of The Extra Mile

The extra mile is a mark of excellence!  It discloses your level of dedication, your determination to earn repeat business, and your willingness to do whatever it takes to do it right.  It’s a powerful habit and a point of competitive advantage.  It’s the difference between waiting to hear back on the audition to see if you got the gig or receiving unsolicited referrals from people who believe so much in the quality and professionalism of your work that they will put their reputation on the line just to plug you!

The extra mile is revealed through our everyday actions and requires a defined purpose.  Is your purpose to increase the amount of job leads coming in, to land more gigs, to establish yourself as an expert in the industry, or to gain unsolicited referrals?  Whatever it may be, exploring ways in which you can implement going the extra mile is a critical element to your success in achieving your objective.

How much time and effort do you dedicate to marketing yourself?  Are you networking with other voice over talents, creative directors, and influential people in the industry?  Do you refer others? Do you give others a reason to refer you? When you audition or record the job, do you often give the client a variety in the takes to choose from?  What is your reputation in the industry? Do you have a voice over coach?  Are you staying abreast of the latest trends in the industry?  Have you taken an improv class lately?  Do you contribute articles, share tips, or videos on other voice over sites?  These are just a sampling of questions that may help reveal areas in which you may decide to apply the principle of going the extra mile.

Albert Gray, the author of The Common Denominator of Success, states it well, “The secret of success of every man who has ever been successful, lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.” Going the extra mile will take a bit of extra effort; however, even picking just one area to apply the extra mile will help to set you apart from the rest.  It is a daily habit that leads to success!

Popularity: 2%

Directed Voice Over Session featuring Terry Daniel

This is a directed voice over session that I recorded recently. The client was directing from New York and I was recording in my home studio in Minneapolis. If you’re new to the voice over industry, you should find this entertaining and educational.

Popularity: 9%

Soundproofing A Voice Over Home Studio On A Budget

Trish Basanyi was kind enough to provide us a video on how she put together her home studio on a budget.

Popularity: 17%

Why Voice Over Training?

People ask me all the time, “How do I get started in voice overs?”  Great question!  Great person to ask too as I’ve been actively involved in this industry for over 20 years as a voice talent, producer, and after significant experience, as a coach.  So they ask this question with eager anticipation, awaiting the answer they want to hear!  I am not a Magic 8 Ball!  I am a voice over professional, so I give them the honest answer, the real answer, and am mystified by their response.  I tell them to make the decision to do it and to get proper voice over training and professionally produced demos, which are essential to their success as a voice over talent.

At that point a litany of excuses pour out about how they want to make money now, they’ve been told they have a great voice and should do voice overs (mind you these comments come from people outside of the voice over industry!), they cannot afford or are unwilling to pay so much money for training, etc., …basically, they want to hear that, “I’ve never heard such an incredible voice in all my life and, of course, I will help them get started for free, and make them an overnight sensation!”

Reality check!  Ask a doctor how to become a doctor and inevitably the answer will include going to medical school; ask a pilot how to get started as a pilot and inevitably the answer will include flight school; ask any professional how to get started in the field in which they are working and training will be part of the answer.  The voice over industry is no exception!  Here’s the bottom line, as stated by best-selling author of The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, Mark Sanborn, “Amateurs wing it; professionals prepare.”And in the field of voice overs, winging it simply doesn’t fly!

Popularity: 2%

When Business Gets Slow, Are You Covered?

What’s your game plan when business gets slow? Are you COVERED?

Compensation is the direct result of habits and stimulating it requires fostering the specific habits of Organization, Vacation, Evaluation, Relation, Education, and Dedication.

Organization is an ongoing task that is often overlooked until we are completely overwhelmed and forced to deal with the ramifications of clutter and procrastination!

Vacation or simply taking the time to relax, rest, and rejuvenate is just as necessary to productivity as long hours spent in the studio recording, editing, and auditioning.

Evaluation and introspection are imperative in honestly assessing business goals and marketing strategies, uncovering opportunities and areas for improvement.

Relation to audiences and clients is vital to building business, as is effective networking with other voice over talents and creative directors.

Education, coaching, and staying abreast of the latest trends in the industry are all critical components of a successful voice over career. No one is ever too good to keep learning!

Dedication is evident in our attitude, in how we approach our business and how we choose to invest in it through self-improvement and in giving back to others in the industry and community.

So go ahead and get your files, books, and financials in order!  Clean your studio!  The mess has been getting to you anyway.   Get that therapeutic hot stone massage that is so long overdue!  Go away for the weekend and just be! Revisit your goals and brainstorm ways to market yourself.

Update your website.  Reconnect with past clients.  Join your local chamber of commerce.  Update your Facebook Fan Page.  Take that improv class or meet some friends at a comedy club.  It’s okay to laugh and study delivery at the same time!

Subscribe to magazines like Adweek, Brandweek, and Variety.  Become an expert on topics in the industry or interview those who are and create an e-newsletter and blog!

Find a way to add value to what you already offer!  Business slowdowns will occur, but I’ve found it’s much better to be COVERED than to lower my head and feel sorry for myself!

Here’s to your success!

Popularity: 2%

George Washington’s Car Dealership Session

Check out voice talent, George Washington III in action!

Popularity: 5%

Behind the Mic – Ben Patrick Johnson

This is a short documentary look into a day in the life of voiceover talent Ben Patrick Johnson.

Popularity: 12%

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