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Evolution of my web sites, commercial demo, and USPs

By Karen on 09 January 2010 9:27PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
For knowledge is limited,
whereas imagination embraces the entire world,
stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.
-- Albert Einstein

Web sites depict a small corner of one's imagination, especially when branding yourself as a voice talent. As a voiceover artist and a person, I continue to evolve, gaining knowledge and skills to be of service to clients, family, and friends, as well as those who are interested in becoming voice actors. My web site and changes in my unique selling proposition (USP) reflect the progress in my evolution. I'm reviewing them here with you in hopes that this post will spark your imagination in your own evolution as a voice talent.

After starting my business in 1999, I quickly realized that a web site would be a necessary means of attracting clients. I designed and maintained the first version of my site. Yes, it is quite colorful, but at least I used a consistent font throughout my web site and on all of my printed materials.

Karen Commins' voiceover web site version 1 (circa 2000-2005) -- snapshot from 12/14/2002

As my voice-over business grew, so did the functionality and information that I wanted to include on my web site. I decided an upgrade was order but didn't have the time to personally develop the site. However, its design was still a production of my imagination. When you rolled your mouse over the microphones next to each menu choice, a little ON AIR graphic appeared above the menu option.

Note that I still use that graphic as the little, custom picture that appears on the address line in your web browser. This picture is generated from a file on my site named favicon.ico. The advantage of the favicon.ico is that it helps your site stand out among your clients' many bookmarks. This article provides a good explanation of the favicon.ico and how you can create one for your site.

Karen Commins' voiceover web site version 2 (circa 2005-2009) - snapshot from 10/18/2009

Like you, I've read all kinds of advice about not including a picture of a microphone on my web site. People in creative industries, especially in advertising, consider microphone pictures on voice talent web sites to be tacky and outdated. While I'm sure that's true, no one ever said that they didn't want to hire me because I had a microphone on my site. Of course, I don't know whether it actually drove people away.

One thing that I do know is that you should choose your USP wisely. My original USP was STAR quality voiceovers performed within your budget! The good news is that this USP attracted clients. The bad news for me was that the USP generally attracted clients who were shopping for voice talent solely on the basis of price. As I wrote in a previous entry, I have so much to offer my clients that competing only on price is not an option.

When I moved to my second web site, I changed my USP as well. At times, I used the line on my site: People don't have time to read. That's why you need me.

However, a USP or tag really needs to be a short, memorable phrase. I later promoted myself with the tag Eloquent voice to enlighten and entertain. (I admit it; I love alliteration!) This tag took the focus off of price and emphasized something about my thought process and speech patterns, but does it really describe my voice? Probably not. Does the tag really need to describe my voice?

I thought about the answer to that question during intense coursework spanning over 2 years with my wonderful coach and branding expert Nancy Wolfson at BrainTracksAudio. I concentrated on learning to analyze patterns in advertising copy so that I could provide bookable and consistent interpretations. Through my lessons with Nancy and her delightful associate, acting coach Jeff Freeman, I also learned once again that other people don't hear us or think of us the way we think of ourselves. My voice is only one part of me, and my branding efforts need to encompass the whole person.

Finally, I finished my coursework and was ready to create a new commercial demo. I stopped marketing my previous commercial demo in September 2007, so reaching this point was particularly exciting to me. On 10 April 2009, I was very excited to walk through the doors at Creative Sound Concepts here in Atlanta. Although I had talked with owner Spencer Herzog through the years, I had not had the opportunity to visit his fabulous studio or work with his great team. I was there in April to record my long-anticipated -- and, might I add, AWESOME! -- new commercial demo under Nancy's direction.

Front door at Creative Sound Concepts, Atlanta -- "Sound starts here and goes everywhere"

My commercial demo was produced by Rick Santizo at Santisound in Los Angeles. Bill Morrell was my gracious and very capable engineer in Atlanta.

As a technical side note, SourceConnect, rather than ISDN, was used to connect both studios. I had unplugged my ISDN line almost 2 years ago due to lack of use. I haven't had any requests for SourceConnect other than in my demo session. However, I may acquire an account as it seems to be an affordable alternative to ISDN, and it is gaining a larger presence.

With my new demo in hand, the next step was to create an image that would match my voice, style, and personality. Nancy recommended that I work with the very talented Jason Sikes, graphic designer and owner of Village Green Studios in Los Angeles.

Nancy played my demo for Jason and discussed her views of my brand. Leaving my branding image to Nancy's and Jason's imaginations allowed these 2 creative geniuses to develop an amazing new image that represents me on multiple levels!

Karen Commins' current voiceover web site -- version 3 now on-line as of 10/18/2009

This new image is better than I could have imagined! I have not met Nancy or Jason in person, so I was thrilled that they proposed this image. Even more gratifying, some friends had the instant reaction of "Oh, that's so YOU!" :)

In the last year, I've contracted my brand and web domains to my name. The best part of this entire process is that now my commercial demo, my web site, my printed materials, my slate on auditions, my salutations, and my USP work in conjunction with each other and allow me to fully promote myself with consistent branding elements:

My printed materials like note cards and business cards have the same luscious image. With this design, you know that I'm also planning postcard mailings!
I slate my auditions with "Greetings from Karen Commins".
My salutations on e-mails, forum posts, cards and letters is "Greetings" rather than "hello", "hi", etc.
My USP is now A Vacation for Your Ears.

Being a professional voice talent means that I'm opposed to static, whether it's on the airwaves or in my career. And Einstein was right -- imagining something better in my branding efforts has always stimulated greater progress and my continual evolution, not to mention more clients!

My life as a secret agent

By Karen on 28 March 2009 11:57PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.
-- Dr. Seuss

This year marks 3 important anniversaries in my life:

10 years as a professional voiceover artist
24 years as a loving wife to Drew
30 years as a hard-working employee of the Internal Revenue Service

While faithful readers of this blog (and I thank you for your continued interest and support!) know about the first 2 things in the list, the third item may surprise you. Like many voiceover talent, I have a day job, but I refused to talk or write about it until now.

Having a full-time job as an IT specialist and working as a voice talent has made me feel like a secret agent with a double life. My voiceover business is not a secret from my employer; I followed the rules to obtain permission to have an outside business. However, I have felt that I couldn't talk about my voiceover work while on the job at the IRS because I worried that people there would think I'm slacking off in my duties or not interested in promotion.

At the same time, I wouldn't talk about my day job to voiceover peers for fear of losing respect and credibility. In addition, I felt that prospects and clients would look elsewhere for voice talent, thinking that I'm not serious about voiceover work, don't need the money from the gig, and/or might not be available to perform their script on deadline.

So why am I confessing now?

I started work at the IRS while still a teenager in high school. I never dreamed that I would be there 3 decades later! In fact, one day in 1996, I almost quit in anger over a reorganization that sent me to a job I didn't want. My very wise dad kept me from making a rash decision by doing some simple math to calculate an estimate for my monthly retirement annuity. You see, the government offers me retirement benefits that seem incredible in this day -- a monthly annuity and health insurance plans that will cover Drew and me for the rest of our lives. I never thought about my retirement annuity before that day. I decided that I wouldn't quit and leave our lifetime financial security on the table.

You'd think that I could retire with 30 years of service, and I could -- IF I also met the additional age requirement, which is still in the future. At this point, I plan to retire from the IRS in 7 years. It's mentally exhausting to be a secret agent, and seven more years of playing that role is too great of a burden.

Voiceover may seem like a career change, but it has called to me for my entire life. Beginning in 5th grade, my goal was always to be the voice of a cartoon character. I also aspired to be a talk show host and play-by-play announcer for major league baseball. When I went to college, I earned my degree in radio and TV journalism. I interned at a TV and a radio station and briefly worked at a radio station because I thought that was the best path to get my voice into commercials and eventually animation.

In my case, the career change happened in reverse. I did not plan my 25-year odyssey through IRS information technology positions: programmer, programmer analyst, first-line manager to a programming staff, LAN/e-mail/WAN administrator, and now technical advisor to a senior IT manager. In recent years, though, I have learned that every moment has meaning. My communications skills were highly valued in these very technical positions, and now my tremendous IT knowledge is a major asset in my voiceover business, whether used for marketing, equipment purchase/installation/troubleshooting or narrations for e-learning modules and corporate videos.

I finally accept that I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I may not be a full-time voiceover actor, but I know that day is coming. In the meantime, I'm doing all that I can to prepare for that day while still enjoying my present life. One way to enjoy my life more is to stop worrying what other people will think about me in both of my careers!

By turning in my secret agent's badge, I am relieved that at long last I can be who I am and say what I feel. The benefit to you, dear reader, is that I now am liberated to share previously withheld observations and discoveries that may help others on their own paths of career change, artistic expression and self-fulfillment.

Restaurant menus and your voice-over business

By Karen on 25 February 2009 5:00PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you follow me on Twitter (and if you don't, what are you waiting for?), you might have seen these 2 recent tweets about restaurants and not realized they could contain significance to you as a voice-over talent:

Drew and I eat out several times a week. When I find something I like at a particular restaurant, I almost always order the same thing on each visit. For the longest time, my choice of chicken fingers was at Chili's. I would ask them to cook the chicken using the Awesome Blossom batter, and I'd request the Blossom dipping sauce. The Blossom batter and sauce combo gave the chicken a real kick.

Last year, O'Charley's introduced its Pretzel Crunch Chicken with dijon dipping sauce, and I had a new favorite restaurant for chicken fingers. In addition to a distinct taste, the pretzel coating added texture to the chicken. I would order the Pretzel Crunch Chicken practically every Sunday. We always ask for the same server, so I didn't even have to place my order. She knew I wanted Pretzel Crunch Chicken.

You can imagine my tremendous shock disappointment to discover last week that not one but both restaurants removed from their menu the thing that I liked best at each place! To put my thoughts in perspective, let me share another recent tweet from Todd Schnick, a bright Atlanta marketer whose tweets and blog posts I enjoy:

Once I learned about O'Charley's menu change, what did I do? I went back to Chili's. Now that I know Chili's has also removed the Awesome Blossom batter and sauce, I'll be looking for some other restaurant to thrill me with a tantalizing flavor of chicken fingers.

If you're waiting for a take-out order based on my restaurant experiences, here are two entrees for your consideration:

1) If you change your menu of available selections, you can expect your client list to change.

I stopped marketing my commercial demo in September 2007. Since that time -- and not surprisingly -- few people who have visited my web site have asked me to voice a commercial. I expect to receive regular inquiries about voicing radio and TV commercials once I complete my new commercial demo in April under Nancy Wolfson's direction.

I don't try to be all things to all people or market myself as a voice all projects from promos to phone prompts. However, I do think it's important to have and market demos for each of your niche markets. If a prospective client visits your site, they will soon leave if they don't see their particular area represented among your menu of voice-over demos. In fact, some voice actors even create separate web sites to address different types of clients.

2) It's important to monitor your brand to know when your customers are talking about you. If possible, respond to their complaints, resolve problems and show good will.

Most marketers agree that it requires more time, money and energy to attract new clients than to retain existing ones. In addition, word of mouth is a powerful source of both referrals and refusals.

Although I posted my messages on a very popular social networking site, neither O'Charley's nor Chili's has responded to me. Even more surprising, GoDaddy.com didn't respond to me on Super Bowl Sunday when I and dozens of others tweeted about GoDaddy's sleazy ad that prompted me to immediately move -- as in before the Super Bowl ended -- the one domain that I had registered with them to another registrar.

Just as I'm not all things to all people, I also realize I can't be in all places at once. One tool I use to monitor my brand is Google Alerts. I have created alerts for my name and all of my web site domains. I receive e-mails when Google finds my name or domain names across the web. Not only have I been notified when someone references me or links to one of my sites in their blog post, but I also have discovered an instance where someone has violated my copyright by re-posting one of my blog entries without attribution.

An added benefit to Google alerts is that you can create up to 1000 alerts for free and track anything you want. For instance, you may want to track job listings only within a particular web site without going to that site each day. You could enter an alert using the format

site:websitename.com voiceover

Note that you wouldn't enter the leading http://www. for this syntax. Google provides extensive documentation to help you narrowly define your search terms. Also, be careful that you go to http://www.Google.com/alerts to set up your alerts. I saw another site that had a similar address but charged a monthly fee for the service.

I've been writing for a while, so I'll stop now and head over to Twitter to see news from Todd Schnick and my other Tweeple. After all this discussion about chicken fingers, perhaps it's time to try Zaxby's for supper tonight.

5 keys to confident cold calling

By Karen on 18 January 2009 9:52PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A couple of recent newspaper headlines from different cities gleefully state that you can make lots of easy of money as a professional voice talent after taking only a 2-hour introductory group class. According to these articles, a particular group of voice-over teachers seems to be traveling through the country and conducting these "if you can talk, you can break into voiceover and make fabulous money" seminars at community colleges.

I thought about writing a blog entry warning people about the false hopes generated by the headlines and the teaching company, but I decided against it. I don't want to insist that someone considering a voice-over career must follow a certain path. Besides, who am I to predict the outcome of such a class? I suppose it could happen that someone is blessed with the most distinct voice, the most amazing cold-reading skills, the most transparent and authentic interpretation, and the most exciting contacts who are looking for a shining new star to voice their national TV commercial/e-learning project/PBS documentary/trade show video/major animated movie. A 2-hour class is certainly sufficient for this kind of person to be able to hang out the sign as a professional voice talent and have clients with unlimited checking accounts flocking to them with no effort.

For the rest of us, though, gaining work as a voice talent requires much more -- more confidence, more training, more marketing and more relationships, which all require more time, money and effort on the part of the voice actor.

I started writing this entry on Friday, 16 January. When I got up that morning, the Atlanta temperature was a frigid 14 degrees. A good use of time on such a bitterly cold day -- or any day when you have free time -- is to work on your marketing plan, particularly making cold calls. (You knew there was a tie-in with the weather somewhere!)

When I decided to become a voice-over actor in the late 90s, I was perpetually excited during the process of making my demo. I then hit a brick wall when it came to marketing it. What good does a fab demo do me if I can't make myself call people who not only might be interested in hearing it but actually willing and able to hire me? The thing that propelled me to make the first call was the following passage that I read in Rick Crandall's book 1001 Ways to Market Your Services...Even If You Hate to Sell:

Overcoming Your Cold-Calling Fears

Cold calling scares all of us sometime. Ram Yellen deals with his fears by asking himself these questions:

1) What's the worst thing that can happen if I make this call or proposal, or ask for a referral? (They can say no, no, a thousand times no! --or is that from a Victorian soap opera?)

2) What's the best thing that could happen? (You could make a new, lifelong friend.)

3) What would I do if I knew that this person needed my services tomorrow?

-- Pin up a picture of someone successful in your business and ask yourself what he or she would do in this situation. (If it's a competitor, you can do it just to show them up!)

-- Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.

The bit about the Victorian soap opera cracked me up. Even now, I still have times when I feel fear or anxiety about making calls to pursue my voice-over career. I think about the "1000 times no" line, and it gives me courage (after I stop laughing!) to make the call.

I admit, though, that I still prefer to initiate conversations in writing or in person. The recipient of your calls could think that you don't have any work. They may hold the perception that voice talent who are in high demand don't have time to make prospecting calls.

Still, phone calls are sometimes necessary. For the times you choose to include phone calls in your marketing mix, here are 5 tips that will boost your confidence and courage:

1) Research the organization before deciding to call them.

Google is my friend. I can search for the type of organization and then find company web sites, on-line profiles on social networking sites and possibly news stories related to the target company. Many times, you can see portfolios of past work and get contact information. I can't tell you how many phone calls and e-mails I have received from people who want to work for me as a voice talent. In those cases, I always know that the person has not done their research to identify the nature of my business. Good research will also move the phone call away from the "iceberg right ahead" category of cold call disaster.

2) With your research completed, identify some reason for the call.

Repeat after me: "it's not what they can do for me; it's what I can do for them." You may say you were updating your database, had a referral, saw they are members of a mutual professional group, etc. However, you don't want to call and offer unsolicited advice about improving the business.

3) Write and rehearse a script that you will use when the other party comes on the line.

We voice talent always read from scripts, yet many people ignore this step when deciding to call potential clients. You want to state how you found them and be ready with a list of questions and/or a desired outcome for the call. A recent post in the Marketing Mix blog should give you fantastic ideas for a boilerplate script. Just like any voice-over script, you will want to practice it and possibly record it so that you can deliver it fluidly and easily.

4) Write another script for leaving a message.

You don't want to be caught off-guard and leave a rambling message on voice mail. You also want to motivate the person to return the call. Saying something like "I have some information that may allow you to create an e-learning module at lower cost" is much more intriguing to the prospect than "I'm wondering if you ever need to use voice talent." The second sentence is especially ineffective since it immediately indicates that you haven't done your research.

Also, be sure to state your name and return number clearly at the beginning AND end of the call. How many messages have you heard where someone rushed through a message and then blurted out their name and phone number at the end of the call so fast that you had to rewind the message more than once to understand it? You don't want to be one of those kind of people, do you?

5) Be prepared for follow-up actions.

Take careful notes during the conversation. You may have promised to send your demo or some information on the web, or you may hear some other action that you could take, like meeting them at an upcoming event. Track your needed actions with appointment entries on your calendar.

As you can see, even your preparation for your first prospecting call can require more time and energy than the 2 hours expended in an introductory voice-over class. Perhaps a more appropriate name for the traveling voice-over seminars would be:

"If you can talk, you can call people on the phone to discuss voice-over work with them, and you may even make some money as a professional voice talent if you have an outstanding demo and make enough calls to market it, being sure to do your research ahead of time."

Creating your roadmap to success

By Karen on 31 December 2008 11:20AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In my last blog entry, I wrote about the necessity of envisioning success in voice-over and creating a road map to reach your desired destination. Since it's natural to look toward the future as we change to a new year, I thought you might appreciate 3 ideas that may help you draw your map.

You've already decided on a career in voice-over, but do you know how your voice fits in the industry? Many voice talent try to be all things to all people and end up frustrated by endlessly attending classes, creating new demos, and marketing to potential clients without first thinking of how every action should tie together and lead one closer to one's goals.

You see, I know something about such frustration. Oh, sure, I'm radiating inner peace now (well, most days, anyway!), but I have a journal entry from 1 June 2003 in which I wrote:

Today's word is frustrated. I looked in the dictionary and found the word describes ME.

I even modified the dictionary entry to include my picture and my name in the description. If you can't read the highlighted portion, it says:

1 a: to balk or defeat in an endeavor b: to induce feelings of discouragement in Karen Commins

My voice-over career was the number 1 reason for my frustration that day. I wrote:

I could do so many things to further my voice-over career...I have so many good ideas for marketing and promotion -- so many things I want/need to do, should/could do -- but not enough time. I know I could book more gigs if I could....

You get the drift.

So what changed?

Continue reading Creating your roadmap to success.

25 reasons clients hire this voice talent

By Karen on 19 November 2008 2:26PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most of my articles in this blog pertain to working and marketing oneself as a voice talent. Today, though, I want to write to my potential clients. Sometimes you may need to persuade others in your organization to hire a professional voice talent instead of creating a recording using internal personnel. Here's a way for you to spell it out for them!

V	oice-over is my life's passion! I didn't wake up one morning and decide to go into voice-over because I thought I could earn some easy money. I can remember being in 5^th grade and knowing that voice-over is what I was meant to do. I have been in voice-over since 1999, and I intend to be working in voice-over for decades to come.
O	utstanding ability to take and perform to your direction. If you want a word or line with different emphasis or characterization, I attentively listen to your instructions and carry them out on the next take.
I	ntegrity. I don't agree to voice every project that is offered me. I believe in the power of the word, especially the spoken word. If I don't like the words that would be coming out of my mouth, I won't say them. You can feel assured my voice would not tarnish the image of your business by being associated with some other project that you might consider questionable.
C	haracter reads are a specialty. Two of my audiobooks required me to give a distinct and unique voice to over 50 characters! I also have provided the voice for several characters in 2 videogames.
E	ducation. I continuously invest in my education to maintain and improve my skills in copy interpretation, script analysis, microphone technique, character development and audio editing. I have studied voice-over with Nancy Wolfson, Jeff Freeman, Susan Berkley, Pat Fraley, Rich Jones, Judith Sullivan and Paul Armbruster. I also have taken a class on Pro Tools audio editing at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I'm currently studying Spanish at Berlitz so that I can perform your copy in another language.
O	ption for assistance with script revision. I have superior writing skills, as evidenced by my BA in broadcast journalism and the publication of several articles in national magazines.
V	ersatile and pleasing vocal range and pitch. My normal voice is a lower, resonant pitch that is perfect for narrations in corporate America, but I can go up and down the scale and add characteristics to create believable character voices.
E	veryone can talk, but not everyone can read aloud well, much less make themselves transparent in the process. As a professional voice actor, I can perform your script so that your audience concentrates on your content, not the manner in which it is performed.
R	ates are attractive. Many voice talent belong to a union, which sets rates based on the type of work performed and its usage. The rates shown are for the voice talent only and do not include studio time. I have flexibility in setting rates, which always include my voice talent and production time.
S	tunning SOUNDPROOF studio. My studio is custom-built for recording, incorporating special soundproofing construction techniques. The room has no windows, 2 layers of ceilings with added insulation, 2 sets of doors at each entrance with barrier space and 2 layers of 5/8" drywall covering the 2x6 walls. I record in a WhisperRoom for enhanced sound quality. In my pristine recordings, you won't hear kids, dogs, lawnmowers, computer fans, airplanes, thunder, cars or even paperclips as background noises.

B	usy people don't have time to read. I convert your copy into communication.
Y	ou won't need to go through the process again of finding competent, reliable voice talent.

K	eeps your audience listening and interested. Need I say more?
A	lways on time. You won't miss a deadline because you were waiting for me to finish your recording.
R	esearch is done prior to recording session. For audiobooks, I read the book at least once prior to recording it. I spend time to look up and learn correct pronunciations of proper names.
E	quipment is industry standard. Instead of recording straight from a low-end microphone into the computer, I record on a Neumann TLM 103 mic connected to a Voicemaster Platinum processor. I use Pro Tools LE with a Mbox on my Macbook Pro computer. If necessary, I could exchange session files with any other recording studio in the world.
N	umerous clients and credits, including: Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, Pepsi Cola, ADP, Verizon Wireless, Georgia Department of Transportation, Delta Airlines, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, BlueCielo ECM, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Orkin.

C	redible and creative actress who delivers sensitive and well-timed copy even during cold reads.
O	ffers custom auditions of your script for FREE.
M	ember of Audio Publishers Association. I maintain contact with audiobook publishers and can direct you to resources that may assist you.
M	arketing expertise is FREE. I minored in marketing in college and am a perpetual student of marketing books. I love marketing and am always happy to discuss it!
I	nformation technology narrations are a specialty. I earned a MS degree in computer information systems and worked over 20 years in IT positions including programmer and LAN/WAN/e-mail administrator. I can perform scripts geared to a technical audience with complete authenticity and believability since I actually understand the words that are coming out of my mouth! :)
N	ot all things to all people. Would you hire a plumber to fix your air conditioner? Companies value those with expertise in an area, so why should the voice of your important presentation be left to someone who is not skilled in voice-over delivery? Even among voice-over projects, I am selective about those I will perform. For instance, if you want someone to record a movie trailer, I can refer you to other talent. I specialize in audiobooks and narrations, including podcasts, documentaries and corporate presentations. I also enjoy performing scripts used in radio and TV commercials, as well as video games. I often voice the initial greetings and on-hold messages for phone systems, but I will not undertake telephony projects requiring hundreds of menu prompts or file conversions.
S	atisfaction guaranteed! I require 50% payment up front when beginning a project. If you are not delighted with your recording, I will not invoice you for the remainder. I don't know of another voice talent who dares to make this promise!

You may have noticed that I only listed 24 reasons that I should be your voice talent. The last is that I'm FUN! I see the use of humor as a mission-critical element in my voice-over business. Everyone is under enough stress, so I want to use humor to help people feel at ease. Contact me now so we can get started on your next project!

Social networking in voice-over

By Karen on 12 October 2008 11:06AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In the attitude of silence,
the soul finds the path in a clearer light,
and what is elusive and deceptive
resolves itself into crystal clearness.Mahatma Gandhi

I am and have always been a voice-over actor in my soul. I am passionate about my work and cannot imagine my life if I didn't express myself creatively behind the microphone. However, even with my boundless enthusiasm for and commitment to my voice-over work and clients, my soul also needs quiet time for nourishment and relaxation.

I feed my soul in several ways, both large and small. Most recently, I took a large portion by allowing myself to totally be on vacation while on a cruise.

Whenever we travel for pleasure, I notify agents and clients that I will be unavailable for recording within a range of dates. I have thought many times about taking a portable voice-over studio when I travel. In reality, though, my desires to travel lightly and enjoy fun, uninterrupted time with Drew coupled with the airlines' increasingly smaller allowances for checked luggage have deterred me from including a portable studio with my baggage.

As a business owner, I always have a laptop on these trips. I check my voice mail and e-mail throughout my vacation so that I can quickly respond to potential clients. Since I'm usually paying high per-minute charges for phone and computer access, it's easy to limit the time spent in those activities while on vacation.

I must also feed my soul in small ways during my regular working days, so I choose to limit time for all on-line activities, especially for social networking. I have read messages from many voice talent who seem to feel that they must have a presence on every social networking site. Perhaps my thoughts on these sites will be helpful to others.

Continue reading Social networking in voice-over.

Setting prices and getting paid

By Karen on 17 July 2008 2:15PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I recently wrote about cleaning out my paper files. I tossed folders for voice-over clients who can't pass my red velvet rope policy and, in doing so, created a vacuum for the clients whom I want to attract.

I looked at and made a decision about every piece of paper in my filing cabinets. I found an e-mail message that I sent to a client in 2002. I extracted the main portion below because I wondered if you have found yourself in a similar situation:

Hi, Clientname. When I agreed to do this project, you will remember that I cut my normal rate severely in order to work with you and establish an ongoing business relationship. I thought the script was in final form, so we did not discuss whether any changes to the narration would be included in the original fee.

I have already spent about 3.5 hours on the narration, editing and transmission of the files, including resaving and resending the files in .mp3 format earlier this week [because the client originally specified .wav format on CD]. At my normal rate ... this project would have cost $675 instead of the $150 to which we agreed. Because I am committed to providing you with high quality service and ensuring your total satisfaction, I will not request additional compensation for these edits. However, please be aware that I will be unable to perform future projects at the same low introductory price.

In reading my words today, I realize that I was dealing with a textbook definition of price-buyer. In addition to demanding more work than was originally agreed, the client never followed through on the promise of additional work. I don't remember, but I believe I had difficulty in obtaining payment for the narration. Price-buyers are the same clients who can take months to pay you.

Continue reading Setting prices and getting paid.

6 lessons from my first voice-over job

By Karen on 09 July 2008 10:00AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

In cleaning out my filing cabinets, I found the script and paperwork from my first voice-over job. I learned some valuable lessons that day, and I hope that telling the story today may help new talent.

I had produced my first demo and had mailed it without success for about 6 months to agents and prospects. I also created a database, using data I found on-line and in organization directories. I then started mailing postcards to these prospects.

Lesson 1: Always qualify your prospects before adding them to your database. I had not even contacted people to find out if they hired voice talent before entering all of the contact information into my database. Mail-outs are expensive, and I learned the hard way that repeatedly mailing things to people who would never hire me is a colossal waste of time, money and energy.

One person called me after receiving one of my postcards. I was elated when he said he wanted to hire me for a radio commercial. My first job, and a radio commercial, no less! I wouldn't have cared what the job entailed; I was giddy with the knowledge that I had hit the big time! I didn't ask any questions except for the scheduled time and directions to the session.

Lesson 2: Ask questions of potential voice-over clients. At a minimum, you need to know the type of project, the usage for your voice (both in the script and in geography) and the client's budget. You can also ask about the frequency that voice talent is hired and samples of previous work. You have the opportunity and obligation to provide your own policies. For instance, I expect new clients to pay 50% up front, and I expect everyone to pay immediately upon receipt of my invoice. I also charge fees for revising or writing scripts, as well as re-recording segments due to client changes.

When I arrived at the address, I was confused. The address was at a duplex in a somewhat seedy looking neighborhood. Surely this producer had hired a recording studio? Was I at the wrong address? I rang the doorbell. I was at the correct address and felt a little distraught when the producer led me to a back room. I started thinking how I might escape and was relieved to see microphones at a table. He sat at one, and I sat at the other. I had produced my demo in a gorgeous studio at Todd A/O/Editworks (now R!OT Atlanta). I naively thought that all recording studios were of the same caliber.

Lesson 3: Many people work out of their homes. If I were approached now by a new prospect to go to another location, I would inquire in person and/or through Internet research to determine whether the address is commercial or residential. If you don't feel safe at an address, don't be ashamed to cancel the session, even at the last second. If I felt my safety was in jeopardy, I wouldn't care if I lost a prospect's respect and business. As an aside to this point, potential clients who have seen the picture of my stunning soundproof studio have asked if they could come here to direct my performance in person. Since my studio is in my home, I do not allow anyone to come here until I am comfortable in the working relationship.

Continue reading 6 lessons from my first voice-over job.

Saying "thank you" after the gig

By Karen on 07 May 2008 2:27PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seattle voice talent Jeffrey Kafer recently wrote a terrific blog entry about ways to go above and beyond in your service as a voice talent. While I do several of the things on his list, the most important one is expressing gratitude for the voice-over gigs that come my way.

Whenever I first work with a client, I always send that person a hand-written note and include a small gift card. I have been surprised how many people respond by thanking ME for the gesture! They truly seem touched by the thoughtfulness. Apparently, many people emulate Don LaFontaine's view of thank-you notes and gifts:

Don't suck up! Please! Don't spend a lot of your time and money finding little gifts for your clients or sending thank-you notes after each session. I know this advice flies in the face of other opinions, but it's what has always worked for me. Think about it. You don't receive much more than a Christmas card from the people who work for you, like your mail carrier, your paper delivery boy, or your dry cleaner. There is no reason to be overtly grateful for the work. You're doing them as much of a favor by performing consistently as they are in giving you the job in the first place. It's a very symmetrical synergy.

-- Don LaFontaine, Secrets of Voice-Over Success, p. 20

While I don't pretend to have the stratospheric demand or accompanying financial blessings of Mr. LaFontaine, I disagree with his statements about thank-you gifts on several points. First, voice talent cannot compare themselves to postal workers. American postal workers are salaried employees of the US federal government who automatically earn a paycheck and benefits. As I worked for much of my life as a federal employee, I can also state that federal employees are prohibited by law from accepting gifts exceeding a very modest value, and all gifts received in a calendar year count toward that value.

Aside from these monetary issues, the bigger difference between voice-over artists and postal carriers is that the postal service has a monopoly. If you want to receive mail and have it delivered to your house each day, you know you must contact the postal service.

Someone choosing voice talent doesn't have such a clear-cut decision. The decision-maker could search for the ideal voice-over specialist through millions of individual web sites of voice actors or on various on-line casting sites. The person looking for voice talent may decide to contact a talent agent to narrow the field, or they may be influenced by the marketing efforts of a particular voice talent. Perhaps the person asks someone in their industry for a recommendation.

Regardless of the manner through which they decide to hire me, I am well aware that my clients had a choice. When they have another opportunity to contract voice talent, I want to do everything in my power to ensure they choose me again. My thank-you note may signal the end of the first job, but often, it is the bridge to a long-term relationship.

In the big picture, gratitude is a critical attribute for attracting prosperity and abundance. How can you expect to receive more of anything -- including voice-over jobs, wealth and prestige -- if you don't convey constant gratitude for everything that you already have?

Showing gratitude today will not only set you apart from other voice talent, as noted by Jeffrey Kafer, but more importantly, you will put the right kind of energy out in the world. As I continue to read and learn from works based on the Law of Attraction, I understand more and more that what you put out in the world will come back to you and probably in ways that you didn't expect.

Because of the energy that I am sending forth into the universe, I expect someday to achieve the level of success in voice-over currently enjoyed by Don LaFontaine. Even then, I would still send a personal thank-you note to each new client.

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Karen Commins
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