Are you type of person who always forgets where you park?
I am.
Not necessarily because I’m forgetful, but because my mind is already on the next thing as I’m walking into wherever I’m going. It’s taken me years to remember to turn around and find landmarks so I’m not one of those poor bastards who look like they lost their mommy at the carnival.
With that in mind, I’ve discovered three things that both clients and voice talents must do to set each other up for success so neither of you get “lost in the parking lot”. They are… 1. Communicate
Before a single word is recorded, make sure you have the finalized script (checked with the legal department!), a pronunciation guide (if necessary), and clear direction in terms of tone, pace, and audience.
2. Communicate
Know the desired technical settings; sample rate, mono/stereo, and resolution especially. Also, find out your client’s preferred output (mp3, wav, etc.) and method of delivery (FTP, DropBox, Hightail, etc.)
3. Communicate
Agree on the rate and usage. The Retake Policy must be crystal-clear. This can make or break the relationship! Make sure the billing cycle, form of payment, currency, and contact info are known upfront.
Sense a pattern here? Strong, clear lines of communication are critical to set everyone up for success and establish the potential for a long-term relationship.
TIP OF THE WEEK
All successful businesses have effective Systems of Thought and Systems of Execution in place and you should, too. Ask all of your questions BEFORE you accept the project, not during or after the recording. I have a document called “You Hired Me? Awesome!” and it contains all the questions I ask my clients before I start recording. This list comes from sending a file in the wrong format and springing the Retake Policy on them when they make script changes way too often. Don’t be that guy!
NEWS AND NOTES!
WoVO Con III is this week! If you’re going and we haven’t met in person, please find me and say hi.
Faffcon 8 is coming! A date & place hasn’t been set yet, but it has been confirmed that it will take place somewhere in Minnesota in late August/early September. I’ll post updates as soon as they come my way…
HAPPY HAPPYS!
Happy Scrabble Day and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day! I play Scrabble every day on Facebook so if you play too, hit me up for a match.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, GKN News…
Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist, and is currently writing & producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.