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VOICE OVER INCOME & FEES Do You Have A Hard Time Saying NO To Voice Over Clients? If YES, Read This ...  By Paul StrikwerdaI don't know where I heard it first, but it's an expression I really like a lot for many reasons. It's the line:
"No is a complete sentence." Somehow, the word NO has gotten a bad rap. In sales we are taught to always go for the YES.
People who say NO are seen as negative and uncooperative. But "NO for now," doesn't have to mean "NO forever." HARD FOR PEOPLE-PLEASERS Especially
if you're a people-pleaser who longs for validation, you probably have a
hard time saying NO to others, particularly to authority figures. I
mean, you're a helpful person and you don't want to disappoint anybody,
right? You want to be liked and accepted, so you say YES, even though
deep inside you wish you would have had the courage to say NO. People
who can't say NO have trouble setting boundaries and eventually they
will pay the price. Think about it. It's impossible to say YES to
everything and everybody. You'll end up feeling depleted, used, and
emotionally burned out. Believe me. I've been there and done that, and
it wasn't healthy. Plus,
by saying YES all the time you are creating an expectation. You teach
people how to treat you and they will use you like the subservient
doormat you are. I've seen parents who can't say NO to their kids, and
these kids don't turn out so nice. They become entitled little brats
wrapping mom and dad around their tiny manipulative little fingers. 'NO' CAN BE POSITIVE If there's one thing I've learned in dealing with clients, it's that the word NO can be a very positive thing.
Did
I lose clients over these things? YES, but those were pain-in-the-neck
clients I didn't want to work with anyway. ASSERTIVE = PROFESSIONAL And by the way, when I say
NO, I usually don't offer an explanation. Remember, "No is a complete sentence." If they need a reason they can ask for it, but I don't owe a client I don't even know, an explanation. And you know what? Being assertive tells the client I am a confident professional.
I know what I'm doing and I am worth what I am charging. The clients I
like to work with, respect that. Remember: most people know that you
usually get what you're paying for.
When you put your foot down, you will often get an exchange like this:
LEARN TO NEGOTIATE The first offer a client makes is never the real offer. It's a way to test the waters and see if you are stupid enough to bite. It's no accomplishment to accept a lowball offer. Asking for a better rate may require some practice, but if I can do it, you certainly can! What
I've found over time is that when I started to assert myself more,
people still liked me. Some even admired me for having the guts to say
NO. It gave me a renewed strength and sense of self. So, to me, the word NO is a very positive word.
And yes, it's a complete sentence! ------------------- ABOUT PAUL Paul
Strikwerda is a 35+-year veteran of the voice over industry. Born in
the Netherlands, he has worked for Dutch national and international
radio, the BBC and American Public Radio. From his secluded studio in
Vermont, he records voice overs for clients on all continents. Paul is
also a voice over coach, and author of the book Making Money In Your
PJs: Freelancing for voice-overs and other solopreneurs. You can find
him on social media as "nethervoice," and also at the links below. Email: paul@nethervoice.com Web: www.nethervoice.com |
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