Networking Your Voice

Here’s a great way to network your voice for free!  Enjoy!

Popularity: 12%

Building Credibility

You have received professional training.  You have your demos.  Your home studio is set up.  You are auditioning on a consistent basis and getting some voice over jobs.  Now it’s time to leverage your successes to build your image and your credibility as a voice talent.

Testimonials are a phenomenal way to build credibility.  Let the positive experiences your clients have had with you remove any risk or doubt from prospective clients. “Wow” your clients and your testimonials will “Wow” you and others who see them.

Written testimonials are pretty common, easy to obtain, and can be put on your website or PDF flyers detailing your services.

Audio testimonials are a wonderful way to capture the excitement and level of satisfaction of the client.  They take a bit more coordination with the client to record and may be used in conjunction with written testimonials on your website.

Video testimonials are the most powerful!  They demonstrate the ultimate belief, sincerity, excitement, and satisfaction of the client with your services. These will require the most coordination and a willingness on the part of your client to be captured on video.  While all testimonials are earned, the video testimonial is the ultimate goal.

Earning testimonials is an honor and shows prospective clients your level of dedication and professionalism.   Once earned, it’s imperative that you continue to live up to your testimonials in your client interactions. This will not only breed more testimonials but unsolicited ones too.

Popularity: 5%

Happy Is What It Takes

I hear it all the time.  People contact me every day telling me they’ve been told they have a really great voice and should do voice over work.  Others simply inquire if they have what it takes to be a voice over talent.

The truth is that most people have a pleasant voice.  So what does it take?  Becoming a successful voice talent takes being HAPPY!  That’s right, Humility, Attitude, Professionalism, Passion, and You!

Humility – Humility means being willing to take direction and be teachable.  Understand that no one knows everything in the industry, but the top talents are always learning.  The moment you stop learning is the moment you stop growing.

Attitude – Attitude will make you or break you.  It really is that powerful.  Your attitude will affect your ability to engage and attract clients, all of your interactions, and your delivery.  Learn to develop a positive attitude and learn what works best for you to keep your attitude in check.  When your attitude is in the toilet, so is everything else!

Professionalism – Professionalism means getting the appropriate training, finding a mentor, and taking ownership of your voice over business.  You must have perseverance and do what must get done even when you don’t feel like it.  It takes investing in the appropriate equipment and tools to do your job right. As a voice talent, you are in business for yourself.  You must treat your voice over business accordingly.  Ask yourself honestly, “Would you hire you?”

Passion – Passion is what drives you.  As voice talent, our voices are our instruments and we must learn how to harness the power of our passion as we use our instrument to convey the client’s message to its target audience and incite the intended response.  Each of us has our own unique energy, passion, and personality we bring to our delivery.  Learn how to harness yours.

You – Yes, you!  Everything you do is a reflection of you.  Everything you post, how you treat your clients, the quality of your work, all becomes associated with your name.  Your name is your brand.  Be sure to market yourself and gain the brand recognition in which you can take pride.

Regardless of your voice, you must possess these qualities to be successful as a voice talent.  They’re not optional, they’re required.  Do you have what it takes?

Popularity: 7%

Twitter and Voice Over Work

Here is proof that Twitter can be effective for getting voice over work!

Popularity: 11%

Staying Connected

You network. You audition. You gain clients. You create strategic relationships. All of these efforts are crucial to being successful in any field and yet are particularly important in the voice over industry. Staying connected can be a challenge, however, and the holiday season is an opportune time to reconnect.

Consider sending Happy Thanksgiving cards to your contacts in the United States with a simple message of appreciation. Contacts who reside outside of the United States may not celebrate Thanksgiving but will welcome a sentiment of appreciation too, so send them a letter of gratitude. Perhaps you prefer more of a Happy Holidays or Happy New Year approach. Go for it! Wish them the very best and abundant success in the coming year!

Everyone wants to feel important. Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated. People like to be remembered. The point is to reconnect and the opportunities to do so are not limited to the holiday season or birthdays. So take a little time to show your sincere appreciation and to remember those who have brought value into your life and your voice over business. You may find this small gesture of gratitude not only lifts your spirits, but also yields unexpected benefits in return.

Popularity: 1%

Bringing Your A-Game

You are your business.  No you, no business.  So it makes perfect sense that taking care of you must be a top priority.  Yet amidst the to do lists, the daily challenges of running a business, putting out fires, auditioning, recording spots, and a sundry of life’s little curve balls thrown our way, it’s easy to get lost in the mix and slip out of the running.  It’s easy to become last on our priority list.

Last place.  Nobody likes last place!  We dread it.   It’s what we strive to avoid. Yet if we are last place on the priority list in our own lives, how can we be anything else in our professional lives?  As a voice talent, last place is not an option!  You either get the gig or you don’t.  Getting the gig requires bringing your A-Game!  You can’t bring your A-Game if you don’t have it to bring! Bringing your A-Game requires taking care of you, getting enough sleep, eating the right foods, exercising, and taking time for yourself.

A tired voice is not a hired voice!  Lack of sleep will show up in your vocal delivery and will affect your performance.  It will also affect your mental clarity.  Aim for 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

You are what you eat!   Eating clean and staying hydrated will provide your body with the proper nutrients, boost your immune system, boost your metabolism, and give you energy.  Choose fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, lean protein sources, and healthy fats.  Drink water, lots and lots of water and green tea to stay hydrated.  Sodas, energy drinks, and other caffeinated beverages will tighten the vocal chords and dehydrate you.

Exercise.  If the sight of the word makes you want to run away, go for it!  Getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity 5 to 6 days a week will severely boost your attitude, mental clarity, energy, and metabolism!

All work and no play makes for a dreaded life day by day.  Taking time for you is necessary, not selfish! You are only one person but you are still just that, a person!  You are a person with interests, friends, and family.  Take some time to enjoy these and you will be much easier to relate to and a lot less stressed!

When you make taking care of you a priority, the ironic thing is that others will too!  They will treat you with more respect because you treat yourself with more respect.  You will become a priority in their minds because you are a priority in your own mind.  You will bring your A-Game because it’s the only game you have to bring!

Popularity: 2%

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