Career: The Secrets To Becoming Exceptional – Learn, Do Your Best, Win With ‘No’ by Bob Souer
CAREER
The Secrets To Becoming Exceptional:
Learn … Do Your Best … Win With ‘No’
By Bob Souer
Voice Actor
Let’s get
very real for a moment. No one, no matter how talented and dedicated and
industrious, is going to be able to excel at everything.
We’re all going
to have areas of weakness and average-ness. Even in our professional
lives, some things are going to be outside of not only our comfort zone,
but our ability.
Having established that, here’s what I also know:
exceptional if you will take the time and exercise the humility needed
to learn what you need to learn, in order to become exceptional.
AND DON’T DERAIL
Once
you’ve begun this process, stick with it.
The main thing that can derail
you on your journey to being exceptional is to change directions or
change focus. Doing so will derail your efforts every time.
Needless to
say, quitting will also derail you.
OK TO SAY ‘NO’
And once you’re on your way, here’s something you won’t hear from a
lot of people: Don’t be afraid to say “no.”
Know yourself, your
strengths. You can’t please everyone.
You really can’t be all things to
all people. So don’t even try.
Say “no” to the things that aren’t right
for you. I do this all the time.
WIN WITH REFERRALS
When you say “no,” it can still be a win for
you.
For instance, refer a job that isn’t right for you to someone it is right for. It’s a win for not just you, but also for your friend
who gets the job and the client who gets what he or she needs.
Do that
often enough and you won’t know what to do with all the work you do
have.
What? Turning down work leads to more work? Yes. Because at least
some of those people to whom you refer work, will refer things back to
you.
CLIENTS REMEMBER, TOO
And at least some of those clients you helped are going remember
you, too and when they have something that is right for you, who do you
think they’re going to call?
Yep. You.
The more you concentrate on doing the work you are best at – the work
you most enjoy – and turn down everything else by referring that work to
someone else, the bigger your avalanche is going to grow.
ABOUT BOB …
for over 25 years, helping an array of faithful clients tell their
“stories” through commercials, narrations, podcasts, e-learning, promos,
imaging – you name it. He also posts a highly informative daily blog
about voice acting, The VoiceOver Boblog.
Wise words to live by, Bob! It starts when we make the paradigm shift, stop thinking of our fellow VO actors as competition, and start thinking of them as colleagues. Everybody wins.
Excellent advice, Bob. What you say really does work. I can attest that it has for me. Staying with one’s own brand/niche and helping others with their’s is definitely a win-win program all the way around.
Great advice, Bob! I’ve tried it the other way (being everything to everyone) and failed miserably. I recently switched to operating as Bob suggests, and have a modicum of success. Appreciate seeing this idea reinforced in print, and thanks again Bob.
As always…good stuff Bob…thanks!!
Love this, Bob!!! :-))))
Excellent and wise advice, Bob. Thank you.
Terrific advice from a terrific guy. Thanks Bob. And the mention of “referrals to others always pay you back” is so true and often overlooked. Give others the jobs not suited to you or when you are too busy to fulfill needs adequately. Always under-promise and over-deliver, and never let people down. They will always remember excellence and never forget shabby treatment!
Helping others comes back to you tenfold in good karma.
And by the way, Bob, your daughter is a GEM. She’s wonderful and I enjoy our online friendship and hope to meet her (and you!).
Sincerely,
Bettye Zoller
Voicesvoices.com
Bob, your wise words are well-considered and well-spoken! And John, thanks for another gem of a column!