‘Voice Over Blog’

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Is 2010 Your Year?

I’m dedicating this year to be the year of laughter, love, and living life to the fullest! It’s going to be my best year yet!  A year to take hold of my passions and work to make my dreams a reality.  A year to launch Voice Over Club, to speak at VOICE 2010, to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone!

I am passionate about what I do and am blessed to work from home as a voice talent, producer, and coach.  I thoroughly enjoy all three aspects of what I do – they complete me.  It hasn’t always been this way.  It started as a dream, something I wanted to learn about and pursue.  Then I made the decision, took action, and followed through with resolve.

I had to learn to take action!  Each day I took action in my voice over career created a confidence in me that pushed me forward.  Each week built up momentum. Each month built credibility.  Each year my income increased.  I just had to start.

What are your dreams?  Are you a prospective voice talent or are you a voice talent?  Which one do you aspire to be?  If you’re serious about being a professional voice talent, do you have professional training and demos?  If not, what is your plan to get them?  What is your time-line?  What will you do to challenge where you are today so you can be where you want to be a year from now?  We each have the same number of hours in a day, the same number of days in a week, the same number of days in a year to accomplish what we choose to accomplish.  The only difference is in our priorities.

Go ahead and decide what you want!  Take action!  Follow through with resolve and make this your best year yet!

Wishing you joyful abundance and blessings for the New Year!

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Staying Connected in the Voice Over Business

You network. You audition.  You gain clients.  You create strategic relationships.  All of these efforts are crucial to being successful in any field and yet are particularly important in the voice over industry. Staying connected can be a challenge, however, and the holiday season is an opportune time to reconnect.

Consider sending Happy Thanksgiving cards to your contacts in the United States with a simple message of appreciation.  Contacts who reside outside of the United States may not celebrate Thanksgiving but will welcome a sentiment of appreciation too, so send them a letter of gratitude.  Perhaps you prefer more of a Happy Holidays or Happy New Year approach. Go for it!  Wish them the very best and abundant success in the coming year!

Everyone wants to feel important.  Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated. People like to be remembered.   The point is to reconnect and the opportunities to do so are not limited to the holiday season or birthdays. So take a little time to show your sincere appreciation and to remember those who have brought value into your life and your voice over business.  You may find this small gesture of gratitude not only lifts your spirits, but also yields unexpected benefits in return.

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The Truth About Voice Over Demos

Demos!  You’ve gotta have ‘em and they’ve gotta be awesome!   So what does it take to get an awesome demo?  First, understand what a demo is and what it isn’t.  A demo is a critical tool, and without it, you’re not in business.  It’s your calling card; it’s what gets you in the door!  A demo is not just a bunch of spots thrown together and it’s definitely not something to skimp on or cut corners in producing.  Your demo reflects your level of professionalism, your range, and the value you have to offer the client.  It should provide just enough of a sampling to whet their appetite, draw them in, and leave them wanting for more, and should showcase your range and versatility.

All of this takes proper preparation and training.  No amount of producing or background music will cover a talent’s inability to effectively deliver a variety of scripts. Get proper training and coaching before you cut your demo!

Every spot on your demo should be unique with the goal of highlighting your range and vocal abilities.  Additionally, each spot should sound real, as if it were a paid gig.  Pay attention to detail in your takes, the client most certainly will!  The goal should be to make them want you!

Keep your demos clean and keep them up to date.  Your demos need to be an accurate representation of you and your abilities.   If your demos are outdated, the perception is that you are too!   Be authentically you and be your best!

Invest in professionally produced demos!   Work with a coach and director who is also a voice talent and producer, who understands the importance of a proper demo, someone who will be brutally honest with you, who is reputable, and knows how to produce awesome demos!  You should be able to listen to samples of their previous demos.  Is the music appropriate?  Do the spots flow well?  Does it sound clean or over-produced? Can you depict the versatility of the voice talent in the demo or is it just same voice, different background music?  Be critical!

Demo production is definitely an investment and much of the expense is due to production costs.  Licensed music can be very expensive.  The time to properly edit and mix the audio tracks of the demo and add the music is also quite time consuming. Producers who are worth the price are also voice talents and coaches who have earned the ability to command a decent rate for their services, as the opportunity cost is that of paid gigs they could also be doing.  This also accounts for the wide range of prices for demo production.

Look for the value not just the price!  You get what you pay for and the most expensive is not always the best.  This is an investment in your business that requires due diligence on your part.  Your demo speaks for you.  What is yours saying?

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Getting it Right

Management guru Peter Drucker says, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” Efficiency and effectiveness are paramount to voice over talents and both are dependent upon daily habits. You know, those little things that can make us or break us?

Here are some success habits that I came up with that I work on daily that may be useful to you:

•The habit of practice, practice, practice! Even if you don’t hit perfect, you can’t grow without it!  All successful voice over talent practice; it keeps a talent sharp and gives that competitive edge.

•The habit of going the extra mile. Giving more than is expected reaps really amazing results!   Simply giving three slightly different reads of script to a client can set you apart from the rest, helping you to become a go to voice over talent.

•The habit of smiling. This is huge for voice talent!   Smiling will come across in your read and will decrease plosives!  Tip: practice in front of a mirror or on your web-cam.

•The habit of learning. Always be learning something new!  No one is ever too good to get coaching or to learn new skills.  Learning is part of being a successful voice over talent and it makes you more marketable!

•The habit of listening. Listening to what other voice over talent have recorded, listening to creative directors, listening to the client, listening to what you just read…it’s all important.  Learn to listen and to implement!

•The habit of giving back. Blogging, posting valuable links and information on Facebook and Twitter, posting a voice over session on YouTube, volunteering your voice for a charity, these are all great ways to give back and to increase your value as a voice talent.

•The habit of being true to oneself. Be authentically you!  Allow who you are to come through in everything you do.  You are hired for more than your voice, let your personality come through.  Sure, emulate and learn from other voice talents, but be you!

Doing what it takes to develop these habits is sometimes easier said than done, but easier said than done still needs to be done!   Our daily habits become our character, our character becomes our reputation, and our reputation becomes our legacy.  What will yours be?

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The Value Of The Extra Mile

The extra mile is a mark of excellence!  It discloses your level of dedication, your determination to earn repeat business, and your willingness to do whatever it takes to do it right.  It’s a powerful habit and a point of competitive advantage.  It’s the difference between waiting to hear back on the audition to see if you got the gig or receiving unsolicited referrals from people who believe so much in the quality and professionalism of your work that they will put their reputation on the line just to plug you!

The extra mile is revealed through our everyday actions and requires a defined purpose.  Is your purpose to increase the amount of job leads coming in, to land more gigs, to establish yourself as an expert in the industry, or to gain unsolicited referrals?  Whatever it may be, exploring ways in which you can implement going the extra mile is a critical element to your success in achieving your objective.

How much time and effort do you dedicate to marketing yourself?  Are you networking with other voice over talents, creative directors, and influential people in the industry?  Do you refer others? Do you give others a reason to refer you? When you audition or record the job, do you often give the client a variety in the takes to choose from?  What is your reputation in the industry? Do you have a voice over coach?  Are you staying abreast of the latest trends in the industry?  Have you taken an improv class lately?  Do you contribute articles, share tips, or videos on other voice over sites?  These are just a sampling of questions that may help reveal areas in which you may decide to apply the principle of going the extra mile.

Albert Gray, the author of The Common Denominator of Success, states it well, “The secret of success of every man who has ever been successful, lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.” Going the extra mile will take a bit of extra effort; however, even picking just one area to apply the extra mile will help to set you apart from the rest.  It is a daily habit that leads to success.

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Directed Voice Over Session

This is a directed voice over session that I recorded yesterday. The client was directing from New York and I was recording in my home studio in Minneapolis. If you’re new to the voice over industry, you should find this entertaining and educational.

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Why Voice Over Training?

People ask me all the time, “How do I get started in voice overs?”  Great question! Great person to ask too as I’ve been actively involved in this industry for over 20 years as a voice talent, producer, and after significant experience, as a coach.  So they ask this question with eager anticipation, awaiting the answer they want to hear!  I am not a Magic 8 Ball! I am a voice over professional, so I give them the honest answer, the real answer, and am mystified by their response.  I tell them to make the decision to do it and to get proper voice over training and professionally produced demos, which are essential to their success as a voice over talent.

At that point a litany of excuses pour out about how they want to make money now, they’ve been told they have a great voice and should do voice overs (mind you these comments come from people outside of the voice over industry!), they cannot afford or are unwilling to pay so much money for training, etc., …basically, they want to hear that, “I’ve never heard such an incredible voice in all my life and, of course, I will help them get started for free, and make them an overnight sensation!”

Reality check!  Ask a doctor how to become a doctor and inevitably the answer will include going to medical school; ask a pilot how to get started as a pilot and inevitably the answer will include flight school; ask any professional how to get started in the field in which they are working and training will be part of the answer.   The voice over industry is no exception! Here’s the bottom line, as stated by best-selling author of The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, Mark Sanborn, “Amateurs wing it; professionals prepare.”And in the field of voice overs, winging it simply doesn’t fly!

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When Business Gets Slow, Are You Covered?

What’s your game plan when business gets slow? Are you COVERED?

Compensation is the direct result of habits and stimulating it requires fostering the specific habits of Organization, Vacation, Evaluation, Relation, Education, and Dedication.

Organization is an ongoing task that is often overlooked until we are completely overwhelmed and forced to deal with the ramifications of clutter and procrastination!

Vacation or simply taking the time to relax, rest, and rejuvenate is just as necessary to productivity as long hours spent in the studio recording, editing, and auditioning.

Evaluation and introspection are imperative in honestly assessing business goals and marketing strategies, uncovering opportunities and areas for improvement.

Relation to audiences and clients is vital to building business, as is effective networking with other voice over talents and creative directors.

Education, coaching, and staying abreast of the latest trends in the industry are all critical components of a successful voice over career. No one is ever too good to keep learning!

Dedication is evident in our attitude, in how we approach our business and how we choose to invest in it through self-improvement and in giving back to others in the industry and community.

So go ahead and get your files, books, and financials in order!  Clean your studio!  The mess has been getting to you anyway.   Get that therapeutic hot stone massage that is so long overdue!  Go away for the weekend and just be! Revisit your goals and brainstorm ways to market yourself.

Update your website.  Reconnect with past clients.  Join your local chamber of commerce.  Update your Facebook Fan Page.  Take that improv class or meet some friends at a comedy club.  It’s okay to laugh and study delivery at the same time!

Subscribe to magazines like Adweek, Brandweek, and Variety.  Become an expert on topics in the industry or interview those who are and create an e-newsletter and blog!

Find a way to add value to what you already offer!  Business slowdowns will occur, but I’ve found it’s much better to be COVERED than to lower my head and feel sorry for myself!

Here’s to your success!

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Are You Teachable?

The key to finding voice over jobs lies in how well you market yourself! The key to landing voice over jobs is your level of preparation and execution. The key to preparation and execution lies in teachability. Outstanding actors and actresses are outstanding because they listen to the director! Even coaches get coaching. I do!

Teachability determines success, especially in the voice over business. Successful voice over talents are directable. They are active listeners who crave to learn and improve, willing to implement the direction given, and strong enough to put their personal opinions aside for the sake of learning something new and delivering what the client wants.

Some of the greatest rewards of being teachable include learning to see the script in a different light, correcting bad habits such as rushing the script and redundancy, and maintaining a humility that keeps one approachable and a pleasure with which to work. I’ve learned that no one is ever too good to stop learning and those who think they are too good to learn are not that good!

Do you mimic the commercials you hear on the radio or TV? What a great opportunity to practice and learn from others who have been cast! Additionally, practice reading all kinds of scripts, listen back to the audio, and record again. It’s amazing what one can learn by simply doing that! Also, take an improve class! Aside from being a ton of fun, its great practice for thinking on your feet, releasing inner creativity, and really getting out of the comfort zone. Further, practice reading scripts that aren’t comfortable for you; it will make the easier ones better!

So how vital is having a quality coach and mentor in voice over work? It’s a must! Like learning an instrument, it takes patience, dedication and commitment. The right coach and a teachable attitude is the difference between playing Jingle Bells and Beethoven’s 5th!

Are you teachable?

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Terry Daniel at Voice 2010

It’s official! I am very honored and excited to announce that I will be speaking at “Voice 2010″ in Los Angeles this summer! I will be teaming up with my esteemed colleague, news anchor and voice talent, Dave Courvoisier. We’ll be conducting a seminar on Profitability, Productivity and Results: Getting Voice Over Work through Social Networking!

I am thrilled to be presenting with Dave on this topic as we are good friends and have developed some awesome chemistry over the years. This is sure to be a phenomenal event! I’d like to thank James Alburger and Penny Abshire for inviting us to be a part of the largest voice over event in the world! Stay tuned!

For more information on Voice 2010, click on this link; http://voiceacting.com/dap/a/?a=517

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