WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE!

They’re baaaaack!!!

Just in the last two weeks I’ve heard from a dozen clients that I haven’t heard from in over two years!  YAY!!!

That means their clients are coming back, and we’re starting to catch a glimpse of what it means to put this pandemic behind us. We’re starting to see a resurrection in the voiceover business.

But here’s the amazing thing.  If you spent at least some of your time over the past couple of years connecting with and developing new clients you are about to get unbelievably busy!

That’s the way business works.

I like to dabble in the stock market. I like studying companies and what makes them tick. I find companies that are well run, by great management, and produce a much needed product or service. Then I determine if their stock is significantly undervalued. And if it is, I buy it and hold on!

The market has recently gone through some major volatility, but I haven’t let it bother me. I’m invested in really good companies that I know will weather the storm.  And sure enough, some of them are starting to show signs of bouncing back. I don’t know how long it will take, but they’ll bounce back.

I can tell you that over the past couple of years I’ve been buying stock in such companies. But here’s the interesting thing. I held on to almost all the companies that were in my portfolio  before the pandemic because I knew they were good companies and would pull through.  And they are.  But along with them, the more recent stocks are starting to climb also! 

Investing in the stock market is a lot like building your voiceover business.

When the times are down, whether it be for a couple of months or more, take that time to hold on to and nurture your good companies, but build relationships with those companies that you’ve discovered are going to someday need your voice.

It’s called marketing; taking the time to find out about the company. Determining what their voice needs are and if you are a good fit for them. If you don’t know what their needs are, or even if you can meet their needs, you have nothing to sell! And until they know what their needs are, and you know what their needs are, you’re not in tune with them and you are not ready to be their voice talent.

I’ve made a lot of good friends in this business.  People that I have never worked for, and probably never will. But because I took the time to find out about them and their companies, we became friends. And frankly, I don’t care if I never work for them because I’m not a fit for their voiceover needs. But they are still my friends.

So now, if you’ve done your due diligence you are going to see some of your old clients coming back, and you may be/start reaping the harvest of connecting and building new clients.

Congratulations!

But what if you didn’t do what should’ve done during the down time?

A lot of voice talents just started mass emailing other people in our business, looking for work. Yeah?  How did that work out for you?  Oh, there are exceptions to the rule, but I’ll bet the vast majority of you that did that got squat on your returns. 

Some voice talents started phone calling potential clients. Yeah? How did that work out for you? Again, there are exceptions to the rule, but more than likely the vast majority of you who did that got nothing out of it.  Partly because you were connecting with clients who’s business was down also!

So, if the industry is coming back, and you’re not seeing it happen, here are four things you should consider doing immediately before the renaissance passes you by.

Invest In Yourself

a. Find a good coach that will help you find you!  One that helps you discover what needs you can legitimately meet for a client.  And be willing to pay a coach a little extra to coach you through an audition!

b. Make sure your equipment is up to competitive standards. Here’s the bottom line, if your signal chain is crap, you are going to be treated that way by producers and clients. They listen to hundreds of auditions every day. They don’t have time (or any interest) to make you better or even give you a chance. You’re competing against hundreds of voice talents who have decent sound chains. Make sure you sound great!

c. If you need an updated demo, do it. But only if you need an updated demo! And if you do need a new demo, make sure it is focused on what you do best!  That’s where a legitimate coach comes in.

By the way, demo costs are outrageous right now. It’s disgraceful. I’ve heard demos produced for under $1000 that sound as good, if not better that the ones being sold for over $3000…some as high as $7500 or more. Big name demo producers aren’t necessarily better producers they’re just greedier. There I said it. And I stand by it.

Demo production is a cash cow for many coaches and their producers.  Don’t fall for it! Get a demo producer to quote you a price, and send you samples.  Then compare cost and quality.

Demos usually don’t get you work. Auditions do. And business relationships. Think of a demo as an audio business card. It’s a way of introduction, and little more than that.

Figure Out What You’re Best At

I don’t do audio books. I’m terrible at them. And I still haven’t gotten paid by a major well-known author for one I did. But there are many of you who ARE good at that genre. Good for you. Go for it!

Now, reflect on this: what you like doing may not be what you are best at.  I’d love to do an in-show narration, but that has never happened. Why?  Because there are voice talents out there who are much better and experienced at it. Would I be good at it?  Not good enough!  So, I don’t waste my time chasing that dream.  I’ve got enough other things to keep me busy.

And once you know what you are best at, determine that you are going to be the very best at it!  Become the standard. Be the person all the other voice talents mimic.

Get A Website

Even if it’s just a landing page, get a website. Why?  Because producers and clients search the internet for voice talent.

There’s a reason more and more P2P sites are struggling. Clients are tired of sifting through horrible auditions and working so hard to find a good voice.  So a presence on the internet is very useful. 

Just this week I had 2 potential clients contact me because they had found my website on the internet.

Either get someone to design a webpage or website for you, or do it yourself through one of those DIY sites. I built my own site through Squarespace. And If I can do it, anyone can!

And finally…

Start contacting old clients and touching base with them to let them know you are back up and running.

Clients forget our names. They forget how to get in touch with us. And you’ll be surprised how many of them will be happy to hear from you!

And be sure to follow up with an email and a link to your latest demo (which should be on your website).

Welcome back!  The voiceover world is alive and well, and bouncing back. Get back on!