Every month this year we’ve been focusing on a different theme…
January: Organization
February: Focus
March: Momentum
And in April we’re focusing on our…
How you approach anything in life has everything to do with your mindset which means it also shows up in how you approach your voiceover business.
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way in terms of approaching my voiceover career:
Auditioning
When auditioning, I always appreciate every opportunity that comes my way! Gratitude is at the center of everything I do, and it’s powerful.
Before recording, I make sure I’m in good spirits. For me this means a positive headspace and having energy! I never audition when I’m tired or grumpy. 😉
I perform every audition script as though I’ve already booked it. To me there is no difference between voicing an audition vs. a paid job. I show up fully with the equal amount of thought and care.
Another key component of my performance approach is connecting with the copy and first reading it a few times before considering the casting specs or reference materials. This is a helpful way to come up with an alternate take if you’d like to submit more than one. Once you’ve been influenced by direction you can’t be uninfluenced. 😉
Lastly, I approach auditioning with detachment. What I mean by this is I don’t “hope” I’m enough while crafting my read. I offer my best interpretation(s) and remind myself that the voiceover industry is all about selection, so if I’m what they’re looking for I will align with it. Submit and forget, annnnnnd onto the next one!
Clients
When corresponding with clients or during live directed sessions it’s important to remember we have three jobs.
We’re there to:
- Be great at our craft.
- Provide broadcast quality audio.
- And provide exceptional customer service.
I’ve heard way too many horror stories over the years about talent who forget this last part. 😉 How you approach and interact with clients will very much play a part in whether or not they book you again in the future. Being kind and saying thanks truly goes a long way.
Agents | Production Companies
When approaching agents and production companies respect their time. Keep your email brief and concise. Use word economy when drafting your intro letter. Remember that you’re reaching out to be an asset and hope to partner with them – so that means already having a professionally produced demo, a home studio with connectivity, and the ability to follow through with all things required of a professional voice actor. If you’re not quite ready, don’t reach out prematurely. Let your personality shine through your writing and be yourself! And again, gratitude for the win. Thanking them in advance for checking out your work/demos/etc… Always a nice way to wrap things up.
Communication Styles
We all have our own unique communication style, but sometimes talent unknowingly make unfavorable choices when interacting. I’ve seen a few doozies over the years that I would never recommend doing:
- Emailing someone you hope will help you with directives. “Hey, I need you to do something for me.” Ummm, asking for help is different than presuming it.
- Emailing too often with one question per email, and sending several in a row.
- Emailing producers/agents questions about auditions when the answer is clearly in the instructions.
- You book a job and your first question in your reply is “How much does it pay?”
- Misspellings! Incomplete thoughts! Need I say more?
- Writing a novel-sized email. Don’t do it.
- Just saying “attached.” (Implying audio is attached). That’s fine, but a “Good morning & thank you” takes two seconds to write and will make the person receiving it feel like a respected human.
- Bugging agents, producers, clients asking if you booked a job you auditioned for.
- Arguing with clients about their direction or being defensive during the creative process.
- Interrupting clients, creatives, producers when they are talking.
Overall, taking a moment to slow down to infuse sincerity and kindness into your correspondence makes way more of an impact than you may realize. Barking orders or being a pest are most definitely ways you don’t want to be remembered.
May you approach April in good spirits with an open heart and mind! So much greatness awaits!