Voiceovers And Your Problem

You know what your problem is? You.

You heard me right.

In 5+ years as the VO Strategist I’ve learned that if an aspiring voice talent doesn’t make it, it’s for one reason. Not for a lack of funds, tools, training, bad luck, or not “getting their big break”.

They can’t get out of their own way.

I have seen many, many people stumble about in the voiceover industry, including myself! The inner picture of themselves and their relationship to the voiceover industry is completely skewed. Specifically, the path to success.

“Training, schmaining! All you need is a nice voice.”

“I can totally score gigs without a budget for marketing, tools, or classes, right?”

“Those other voice talents are a bunch of hacks! If they’d just get out of my way, those agents would come crawling to me and my seven weeks of experience.”

Yeah, right.

TIP OF THE WEEK

If you want to to stop being your problem, you only have to do one thing: LISTEN.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: in the booth or in your head, if you can’t or won’t listen as a voice talent, you won’t make it. Listen to the industry, listen to your colleagues, and listen to yourself.

1. Listen to your Cash Flow: do you have enough money to properly invest in your career?

2. Listen to your Tools: do you have the right equipment to audition and record with?

3. Listen to your Technique: do you have the training to deliver the goods?

4. Listen to your Marketing: do you have an effective brand, social media presence, and people skills?

5. Listen to your Health: do you have an effective, realistic, thoughtful business plan?

If one or more of these are lacking, address it. Determine the source of that particular issue and figure out what you can do about it.

Your dream of being a successful voice talent will forever stay a dream unless you can turn that dream into an effective plan. Plans are based in reality. Get out of your own way and live the real world!

NEWS AND NOTES

1. The hardcover version of The Innovation Code is now on sale! I hear the audio book version is okay, too. 😉

2. Thursday August 10th: I will be the guest speaker for the The Voice Actors Studio! We will talk about the business-side of the voiceover industry with a focus on Time Management.

3. Monday August 14th: my “Business and Money 201” topic will be: Rates, Negotiating, and Billing.

4. Thursday August 31st: my August “Marketing 201” topic will be: 4 Words That Will Kill Your Marketing.

HAPPY HAPPYS

Happy Odie Day and S’mores Day!

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 30-year veteran voice actor specializing in corporate narration and commercials. Known as a "street-smart professor," he blends his theater-based training and guy-next-door performance style with mastery over voice over project management .

When he isn’t in the booth, he provides strategic business consulting at VOStrategist.com and produces the comic book Agent 1.22.