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CAREER Beware These 13 Seductive Traps That Can Hurt Your Voice Over Business  By Maxine Dunn
Voice Talent & Solopreneur Voice over is definitely one of the most wonderful careers there is. If you put the passion and the time into it, the rewards are incredible. But as with any business endeavor, there can be a few things
you need to look out for. And I think this can be especially true for those of
us who work from home and run our own show. And even though this is an amazing
business to be in, being a voice actor also requires a watchful eye out for some
seductive traps that may be waiting for you. As you move forward in your career, don't fall into these
voice over traps: TRAP #1: Isolating Yourself. Voice over is typically a job you'll be doing alone in your studio at home. Sure, there'll be times when you work in pro studios and engage
with audio engineers and other voice talent, but for the most part it's a
rather solitary endeavor. Be sure you make time each week to spend time with
friends, family, outdoors, in public and socializing. Don't settle into an
isolated lifestyle.
TRAP #2: Canceling Plans With Friends And Family. There will be times when an important client asks for a last-minute recording session, or a marathon project is taking a very long time. This may require you to change plans with loved ones on very
short notice. It's a given that this can happen if you're a voice actor, just
try not to let it happen often. Your family and friends are a cherished part of
your life. TRAP #3: Never Taking A Vacation. Your voice over career is definitely important, but you might find yourself not taking a vacation because you're scared of losing work. No matter when you take a vacation, work may come up. You can either take your
equipment with you and record on the road or, better yet, let your clients
know well in advance when you'll be unavailable so they have the option to work
around your schedule. Clients appreciate voice talent with a well-balanced
lifestyle, so don't be scared to take some time off. TRAP #4: Allowing Negative Comments To Affect You. If you read voice over blogs and forums you'll discover that some voice actors aren't happy with their business and have quite negative things to say. You'll find that reading their negative
comments can completely ruin your day. Stay away from indulging in negative
talk. You alone are responsible for your business. If you focus on everything you can do to make it great, it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. TRAP #5: Staying In A Rut With Your Business Systems. It's easy to continue doing what you're familiar with and just keep doing the "same old same old." After all, there's
no learning curve involved in doing what you already know. But if you stay
there, the voice over world may pass you by. There are new changes taking place
all the time and it's up to you to stay relevant and well versed in what's
happening in the business. Keep learning and growing. TRAP #6: Lowering Your Rates. If your voice over work slows down you might think that lowering your fees is a way to get more work. Wrong! Don't put yourself on
sale. Keep your standards high and keep your rates at, or above, industry
standards. Stay strong and don't reduce your rates in the hopes of getting more
work. Note: The clients you attract when you do that kind of thing are price shoppers
and are not the kind of clients you want to be working with anyway. TRAP #7: Slackening Your Payment Policies. You might think that allowing clients to "slide" on your payment terms will ingratiate you with them and make them book you for more jobs. Wrong! The more lax your payment policies are the more you'll be
taken advantage of. Have firm payment policies and stick to them, no matter
what. TRAP #8: Relying On Just One Or Two "Big" Clients. Don't get complacent just because you have a couple of big voice over accounts. You never know when things will change or
if they'll decide to use another talent or change their campaign. Always be
actively marketing yourself to new clients while taking good care of the ones
you work with regularly. TRAP #9: Taking
"Casual" Dress To The Extreme. Be careful about heading down that slippery slope of being ultra-casual when working from home. You may discover that
you're working in your pajamas and haven't shaved in over a week. You don't
need to dress up, of course, but keep yourself clean and tidy and make sure
you've got some clean clothes ironed in case you take a client to lunch or get
called for a last-minute job at a pro studio. TRAP #10: Leading A Largely Sedentary Lifestyle. So much so, that it starts to negatively affect your health. Voice actors don't move around that much when they're
working, and when you're busy you may find yourself sitting for many hours a
day. Make sure to put exercise on your daily schedule and put healthy foods on
your daily menu. Keep an exercise band or a couple of dumbbells near your desk
so you can squeeze in some reps while you're waiting for audio files to upload.
Keep moving! TRAP #11: Losing Sight Of Your Other Interests. The danger here is becoming too single focused. Friends can get bored with you because all you ever talk about is
voice overs, and you can lose sight of what else is important to you: sports,
travel, music, reading, etc. Even though you're passionate about your
voice over career, be sure to stay balanced and take time for the other things
that you love, too. TRAP #12: Overscheduling Yourself. Beware of thinking that you have to accommodate absolutely every voice over client, just because they ask - and possibly end up editing audio files, bleary eyed at 1 a.m. When you have a full schedule,
be willing to tell clients your turnaround time will be longer. You'll do a
better job when you're not maxed out and your clients will appreciate you being
honest with them. Don't feel like you have to do everything for everybody, at
the expense of your own sanity and professionalism.
TRAP #13:
Procrastinating On Moving Forward. Be careful of "the paralysis of analysis." That is, not moving ahead with your voice over business until everything is "perfect." For example, spending month after month, or even year after year, working on your voice over demo or website until it's exactly "right." Just get it out there, and make changes once you get going. Avoid the
seduction of the paralysis of analysis, and keep your business moving forward. A career in voice overs is a wonderful way to
make a living. Just make sure you're keeping an eye on some of the traps that
you could fall into, steer clear of them, and make your voice over business the
best it can be. -------------------- ABOUT MAXINE Maxine Dunn is a full-time voice over artist, author and award-winning motivational business writer. Her voice has been heard in commercials, documentaries, corporate narrations and voice-mail systems, and she maintains an extensive clientele locally, nationally and internationally. Maxine is a British native, and her ability to also deliver a perfect American accent gives her business a wide range. She is the author of the eBook, The Voice Actor’s Tool Box – Beginner’s Edition. Get started in your voice-over career with these step-by-step, low cost strategies, a comprehensive manual for launching a business in voice overs. She also offers a free weekly newsletter The Creative Business Advisor, where she provides business success advice, motivation and resources to voice actors and creative entrepreneurs. Web: www.maxinedunn.com Email: Maxine@maxinedunn.com The Voice Actor’s Tool Box eBook: www.thevoiceactorstoolbox.com Complimentary newsletter sample: http://bit.ly/MaxineNLsample |
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I just love your comments and I'm happy that you found the article helpful!
Have a wonderful and prosperous 2013!
xox
Maxine
I've been hugged n kissed by Maxine ...Much more interesting than telling people that I've got a microphone bigger than a small church.
Well said...covered a lot of REALLY important issues that get overlooked.
Cheers,
Matt Dratva
Well stated and much appreciated. My wife and I have discussed almost all of these timely items.
I started a weekly Networking Luncheon over 26 years ago that I look forward to every week. Skyline Friday. It's just one of my ways of staying in touch with my friends and associates in the biz and we encourage others in our industry to attend so we keep it fresh.
Hope you have a fabulous 2013. I'm ready to get down to bizness!
JG
www.johnnygeorge.com
Fishers/Indianapolis
These items are all excellent. I especially agree with item #6. Enough said about THAT!!!
As to trap 10, the only thing I can add is, I've learned from a doctor that sitting for long periods is one of the single worst things one can do for general spine and cardiovascular health. I do sit while performing long-form projects. So I'll use a timer and get up and walk around every 20 or so minutes to keep my circulation up, and stiffness at bay.
Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Bobbin Beam~Voice Actress
Happy New Year!
Thierry Laflamme
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Excellent advice, on all fronts. Your advice is desperately needed on Linked-In's "Working Voice Actor Group" blog, right now.
Have a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year.
BP Smyth, Narrator
www.BPSmythVoice.com