Lately I’ve been exploring two important concepts: assumptions and managing expectations.
People go through life managing expectations (or not managing them) based on their assumptions about themselves, the people in their life, and the world around them. For example, many aspiring voice talents assume that since they have talent (or least they think they do), that is all they need to be successful and manage their expectations accordingly.
How can you effectively manage your expectations and examine your assumptions as a voice talent? Let’s try it through the lens of the five categories of your voiceover business:
Do you have the Cash Flow to start and sustain your voiceover business?
Do you have the proper Tools to operate your voiceover business?
Do you have sufficient Technique to produce a quality demo, audition effectively, and consistently book work?
Do you have enough Marketing acumen, an effective brand, and quality marketing content to disseminate?
Are you Healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally? Do you have a realistic business plan and thought-out, specific, actionable goals?
Do you see the challenge here? Most people just want what they want and ready or not, here they come and slam into the voiceover industry sideways without a plan or a clue. I was like that for a long time and I didn’t get anywhere until I did a few key things…
TIP OF THE WEEK
1. Educate yourself on what it really means to be an effective voice talent. There are dozens of blogs and articles out there that tell you everything you need to know to determine if you are right for this business. 2. If you are right for this business, get the funds to do it right. This involves patience, hard work, and the maturity to NOT dive in until you can properly invest in training and equipment. You don’t need top-of-the-line gear right from the start but you do need to properly invest in training in producing a demo. 3. Have a plan, write it down, and stick to it. This involves making critical decisions about your voiceover business like: Decide what success looks like for you monetarily and ergonomically. In other words, figure out how much money you need to make to be viable and how many hours you must allocate towards your voicoever business. Decide which genres to pursue. I know, I know, you wanna do cartoons and video games. So does everyone else on the freaking planet. I strongly suggest you get commercial training first. A strong, dynamic commercial demo that showcases your versatility and getting commercial work that will develop your abilities can get you opportunities in cartoons and video games which are much, much, much harder to break into. Develop your skills in un-fun but stable non-broadcast genres like eLearning. Yes, its boring compared to cartoons and video games but it can be consistent, well-paying work that can fund training and demos in the genres you’re more interested in pursuing.
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, May 3rd @8PM EST: my next Edge Studio “Business and Money 201” webinar topic will be ‘Time Management’. We’ll talk about how to make sure your day doesn’t go spinning out of control! Click here to sign up.
Thursday, May 10th @8PM EST: my next Edge Studio “Marketing 201” webinar topic will be ‘Thriving in a Smaller Market City’. We’ll talk about how to thrive in a “flyover state”. Click here to sign up.
Tuesday, May 15th @7PM EST: my next Abacus Entertainment seminar will be ‘Your Rate Sheet: Get Paid what you’re Worth’. We’re going to talk about Understanding Your Value, the Principles of an Effective Rate Sheet, Negotiating Tactics, and How to Invoice your Clients. Click here to sign up.
Wednesday, May 23rd @6:30PM EST: It’s the Abacus Entertainment Open Mic #VO Nite! I will be the guest instructor along with voice coach extraordinaire Bruce Kronenberg. This workout session will focus on eLearning narration. Click here to sign up.
November 9-11: MAVO is coming!
I will be one of the guest speakers and it’s going to be a blast. Be sure to get your tickets now while you still can. Learn more at MidatlanticVO.com!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Honesty Day and Oatmeal Cookie Day! Honestly, I love oatmeal cookies…
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business and marketing consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.