Rejection is a way of life in the voiceover industry.
Recently I saw a social media post regarding a “PFO” email the poster received. PFO stands for “Please **** Off”. It was a “Thanks for your audition! We loved it but decided go to in anther direction.” email. That post and the discourse that followed really rubbed me the wrong way.
Why would you assume the voice seeker is lying and actually telling you to **** off? Why would they bother to write that email in the first place? Do you really think they took the time to write that email just to stick it to you?
Is it possible they really DID like you and your audition but they went in another direction for a valid reason?
Is it possible that the end-client changed the casting specs? (FYI this happens all the time)
Is it possible they will discover your unprofessional, insecure social media post and make sure they never, ever consider you for another project?
TIP OF THE WEEK
How do you handle rejection in voiceovers? What can you learn from being rejected?
Rejection in the voiceover industry is part of the game. You will audition thousands of times and most of the time you will not land the gig. If you can’t handle it, find another vocation.
Get over yourself. The voiceover industry does not revolve around you. Don’t take rejection personally. It’s not about your feelings, it’s business.
With all that mind; if you find yourself experiencing an excessive amount of rejection (you can’t book any gigs or get on any rosters), ask yourself:
Did you follow the casting specs to the letter?
Did you submit a quality audio file that was properly slated & formatted?
Can you improve your training, resources, skill sets, or self-awareness to lower your rejection rate?
If you can’t or won’t do what needs to be done to become an effective voice actor, maybe the constant rejection is telling you something…
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, April 15th @8PM EST: the Edge Studio Marketing 201 webinar “What Your Website Says About You“. In this one-hour webinar, we’ll talk about how and why your website functions as a critical marketing tool.
Monday April 19th – Saturday April 25th: VO Atlanta 2021. The conference agenda is up! Here’s what I’m presenting:
Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 3:15 PM – 6:15 PM: [X-SESSION] Learning to do eLearning
Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM: eLearning Panel (moderator)
Thursday, April 22, 2021, 3:15 PM – 6:15 PM: [X-SESSION] eLearning Script Writing & Performance Intensive
Friday, April 23, 2021, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM: Explainers Explained!
The X-Sessions cap at 12 students so sign up ASAP!
Thursday, April 29th @8PM EST: the VO Mastery workshop, “Direct Marketing”. This 90-minute online workshop is only $59. Email Rachel Wohl at rachel@nullvomastery.com to sign up!
SOLD OUT!!! Friday, April 30th @5PM EST: The Voice Actors Studio webinar “eLearning Performance Workshop“. Learn about the world of eLearning and get some live coaching, too.
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Kickball Day and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a voice actor with over 20 years of experience narrating just about every type of voiceover you can think of. He also helps other voice talents navigate the voiceover industry as the VO Strategist. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.