Business Tips Archives - The Compassionate Voice

Why Go Voiceover Pro

Book Authors' Business Tips, Business Tips, Voiceover Clients

With the advent of the automated digital assistant, we are becoming accustomed to instance voiceover services. But if you’re producing eLearning, blogs, industrial, or commercial materials, the right voice can make or break the success
of your project. Before you reach out to that person in your office with the “great voice,” I would say go for the professional voiceover. Hiring a voice talent is the best and most cost-effective path to a successful audio project.

Pros are Pros
While your colleague may have a great speaking voice, this does not mean he or she is a voice actor or is the right voice for the project. Most credible talents have spent time (lots of money) and sometimes years learning to communicate vocally with the skill of a stage actor. Also, voiceover talents are professional business people. The voiceover’s business is to deliver what you need when you need it to the best of his or her ability.

In her blog, The Benefits of Using Professional Voice Talent, Marie Hoffman noted that “The professional voice talent is a trained actor, who communicates, not just reads, your story.” Why go amateur when you can go pro the first time?

Business of Caring
Voiceover professionals are concerned about your project. That may seem odd, but voiceover talents want to see their clients’ succeed. As such, the success of a well-performed project gives the actor a sense of satisfaction especially when he or she knows that you are pleased with the outcome.

Relationships for Repeat Help
If you have ongoing projects or even occasional ones, time and money can be lost looking for an in-house voice or new talent for each project. When you work with a professional voiceover, you have a go-to expert. In many cases, your expert can refer you to other reliable talents for your various voiceover needs. Building relationships can lead to helpers in the voiceover industry reducing your overall project cost and time expenditures.

Would you ask your Dentist to lay carpet in your home? Probably not. So, let the voiceover professionals do their job for your business: to voice your project with passion and expertise.

On the Clients’ Team

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Not too long ago, I made a drive to my client’s studio. This trip was special because it took almost an hour by car (especially with East Coast traffic) to reach the location for the two-minute narration. Because the client is a new voiceover contact, I accepted the offer to visit their studio to help build a new relationship. While I could have easily recorded the short script in my professional home studio, going into the client’s studio gave me an opportunity to meet the team and to lay the foundation for our working relationship. Yes, voiceover success includes building relationships.

As a voice talent, the business is more than just auditioning. The voice actor needs to reach out and touch those they work with and for. Placing a face with a name can help you make a long-term connection and friend. In my case, the numerous home repairs in my community provided an excellent opportunity to get away from my voiceover studio and take time to understand the needs of a first-time client personally.

Relationships within the voiceover community are essential. Moreover, developing relationships, in general, is good because it’s the human thing to do. Voice talents are the audio ambassadors for their clients’ thoughts, products, and purpose. Through good working relationships, you as a voice actor can let your clients know that his or her projects are in good hands (and voice).

Don’t forget the relationship building side of the business. Little things like following up with thank you cards and remembering your clients during holidays and special anniversaries not only keep you in other’s mind but can also keep you in their heart. Most folks do business with those whom they like. Look for opportunities to do and be nice because it’s the kind thing to do.

In a culture that is becoming more and more polarized, developing your human side as a voice talent and a person is usually unexpected yet welcomed. If your client or clients are near, take the time to visit the studio if possible. Bring some cookies or something else to encourage the friendship. Who knows, you may return more often than expected.

Your Voiceover Endgame

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, voiceover

My voiceover career has been one of the most exciting times of my life. For talents like me, voice acting is an expression of the innermost creative self. But, no matter how much we love our chosen profession, a day will come when we’ll have to move on. As a voiceover professional, you don’t want to suddenly fall off the radar screen. No matter the state of your career, give consideration and plan your voiceover endgame.

Build a network of succession. Many seasoned talents become coaches and mentors to novice voiceover talents. If you are a coach, note your students who have similar vocal styles and temperament, then consider including them in your succession plan. Let your clients know you are connected to other talented voice actors that you have nurtured. As you get to know a person you have coached and or worked with, you come to know his or her work ethic and what your clients can expect from the talent. This is a great way of passing along your business to other skilled persons. Even in your end game, credibility is still important.

Publicize your other skills. Before becoming a full-time voice talent, I worked as a communication manager for a scientific agency. The essence of my position was to break down complicated subject matters into everyday language for internal and external customers. Such “translation skills” (as I call writing, designing, project managing, etc.) are skills I acquired aside from voice acting.

Think about what skills you have that may come in handy during your post voiceover period. Let others know now about your skills in areas such as writing, designing, public speaking, etc. By letting your clients know about your other talents, you’re opening the door for options you may want to pursue after you have passed on the voiceover mantle.

Plan for financial changes. Start managing your finances and save for your future. If you haven’t already, consider an individual retirement account (IRA), Money Market Fund, Certificate of Deposit (CD) or other saving vehicles to prepare for changes to your regular income. The reality of money is our needs change with time. Your VO endgame should include some sound methods to keep your lights on and a roof over your head. Benjamin Franklin said, “There are three faithful friends – an old wife (or husband), an old dog, and ready money.”

Maintain good health. It’s important that you maintain good vocal and personal health throughout your life (See suggestions in my blog, “Voiceover Success: Your Mouth Matters”). No matter how long you choose to pursue voice acting or other pursuits, you’ll need good health to keep going. Take time to rest and address any changes in your voice or personal health. I recommend getting regular yearly check-ups from head to toe.

To the best of your ability, be ready for whatever “new game” is beyond your voice over career. The time is now to prepare for your voiceover endgame.

Be VO Excellent!

Business Tips, VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, voiceover

A voiceover talent has a unique responsibility in establishing a reputation for excellence. In such a competitive field, excellence has a way of narrowing down the number of talents who rise to the top and are constantly working. The best way to stand out from other voiceover talents is to establish and maintain excellence always.

It’s All In the Details

You must prepare for success. A voiceover’s proper business preparation includes demos, a website presence, and active social media. Operating a voiceover business on the side is not the same as running a successful voiceover business. A part-time business can be run successfully if the proper emphasis is placed on maintaining its parts so that they function for the activity around the clock.

Excellence also means good overall communication. For instance, make sure the texts on your website and other social media sites are as error-free as possible. In her book “The Brand Mapping Strategy,” Karen Leland says, “The words on your website need to be clear, concise and accurate when describing your business and brand.” Consider hiring an editor or using sources like Grammarly to help you edit your writing and other information representing you. Take time to carefully set up and review your online presence to make sure your site communicates the best about you.

Focus your Time and Talent

When speaking with promising voice talent, I hear a lot of “I want to do audiobooks, commercials, eLearning, …I think I can do it all.” While that sounds great, failing to focus on one’s best skill can lead to a lot of running around and getting nowhere. Focus on what you want to perform in your voice over business. There is no shame in just doing one or two genres.

Find and build on what you’re good at as a voice actor. For example, are you a compassionate person, who can quickly feel empathy for others? Perhaps you project an anthem style in your vocal delivery and may be good at fictional reads or eLearning projects. Find your style and what you do best. As your business grows, you can branch out into other genres. Start small and build.

Follow Your Plan

Developing and sticking to a business operation plan takes time and discipline. This is also the foundation of excellence. Such habits like delivering on time plus keeping good records and up with the trends related to your voiceover business solidify your position as one of the best.

Hard Work Required

Voiceover excellence means keeping your business strong by developing and maintaining good practices. This may be the hardest part of excellence. The daily work of reaching out to clients, managing your web presence, posting to social media, and delivering quality products to your clients on time is a must.

Remember, procrastination and excuses can kill the tender roots of your excellence. Work hard to build and keep your good name and brand foremost with your voiceover clients. Excellence can only be achieved by practice. But, that’s what voiceover talent do anyway!

Voiceovers at Home but Not Alone

Business Tips, VO Business Tips, Voiceover Clients

Many voiceover actors enjoy the convenience of working from the privacy of his or her home studio. No long commute just the trip from bed to the booth can be the weekly routine. Still, if you’re working at home alone, there can be unforeseen drawbacks. In the event of an emergency or crisis, the voice talent who is unable to reach out to someone near may be faced with serious or even life-threatening challenges. Here are some steps to meeting the challenges of being home alone as a voice talent.

Tackle Isolation and Loneliness

“Human beings are inherently social creatures,” says Christopher Bergland in his article, “Loneliness: Perceived Social Isolation Is Public Enemy No. 1. “Research continues to grow that each of us must maintain social connectivity… .”

Make time to interact with others during the week to help maintain the connection to the outside world. Bergland further notes, “… research shows that we need face-to-face contact and intimate human connections to engage biological systems that have evolved for millennia to preserve our mental and physical well-being.”

You don’t have to leave home to reach out to others. In “7 Ways to Overcome Social Isolation When You Work From Home,” Ali Wenzke says, “Even a quick phone call with a friend can lift your spirits.”

Get an Accountability Buddy

If you live alone consider partnering with another voice talent or at home worker and commit to a daily check-in. This is a way of letting someone know you’re okay. If an emergency occurred and you could not contact help, your daily check-in could save your life.

Last March, a voice talent that I have admired for many years suffered a stroke in his home studio. Had it not been for his neighbors noticing the talent’s “SOS” taps for help, he may have lost his life. “Always get to know your neighbors,” says Sarah Brown, a security expert at Safewise. “The more people invested in your lives, the more likely they are to report an incident they see, to call the police if you need help, to watch your house while you are on vacation, or even to let you back into your home if you ever get locked out.”

Take the edge off Emergencies

Life happens no matter what so work to lessen some of the negative side effects. Let your family or a trusted neighbor know where to find your lists of medications, allergies, and personal information. If you cannot speak, others will need to know this information. You may want to keep such information in your wallet or purse.

If you have a specific condition, wear a medical ID bracelet. OneCallAlert notes in 10 Safety Tips for Seniors Living Alone indicates, “This information can be invaluable to emergency medical personnel when they come to your home, especially if you’re unconscious or unable to communicate.”

Lastly, even if you are usually surrounded by others, consider sharing with trusted individuals your insurance, bank accounts, and medical directives. If you must be hospitalized, your bills will still need to be paid. If you need extended care, others will need to know about any Long-Term Care or Disability Insurance policies. Let others know about your medical directive. The only way your wishes can be honored is that they are known by others.

This is just a short list of possible things you can do to be better prepared for a lifestyle as a voice talent working from home. Taking some precautions now can give you peace of mind as you voice your best all day long.

When to Say “No” to A Voiceover Job

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Voice actors in business provide a service. The Internet and social media are key places for hanging one’s shingle and open for business signs. In turn, offers for voice jobs can come from many sources. But what happens when you must turn down a gig? We all want to be liked (and get paid), so saying “no” may seem like a business killer. Sometimes, giving bad news is a part of life, but knowing why, when, and how to turn down business can make all the difference in your future. Here’re my why, when, and how for saying “No” to a voiceover job.

Why Do It

Since the whole point of a for-profit business is to make a profit, turning down business seems like the last thing a working voice actor wants to do. Still, circumstances will arise in life when turning down a voice job works best. In “When to Say No to Work” (posted in Backstage, April 7, 2011), Michael Kostroff notes, “It’s often said there are only three reasons to accept an acting job: 1) for artistic satisfaction, 2) for money, or 3) for career benefits—contacts, experience, education, film for your reel, a valuable credit, etc. It’s a philosophy well worth adopting. You may want to consider passing up jobs that don’t meet any of these criteria, leaving that work to someone for whom it might have greater value.”

When It’s Best

There is always a cost in running a business. Voice acting is a creative pursuit, but that does not remove the need to run an efficient business. When a project is very costly in time, a low return on investment, or needs more than you can provide for a final quality project, you may want to pass. Passing on a job should be a stepping stone not a bolder in the road. Look for ways to keep it moving.

How to Say It

In “The 8 do’s and don’ts of delivering bad news” (CNBC Make It) Wed, 5 April 2017,
Rhett Power’s advises, “Don’t burn your bridge – say it nice: Even though you won’t be working for the organization, it’s in your interests to be polite and professional. You never know when you might want to work for the employer in future, so it pays not to burn bridges.”

If you know you are not able to fulfill the offer, let the client know as soon as possible. Write or speak your message in a respectful tone and manner. Give one or two reasons for your decision. Shy away from giving reasons like such as there is not enough money in the project, you’re taking your kids on vacation, or you want to watch a movie. While these may be your legitimate reasons, the client may not agree. If your goal is money, then you may want to negotiate with the client beforehand to try to reach a better payment for the project. However, if you have another engagement, conflict or many obligations, a personal emergency, etc., express the truth in your information to your client. It’s better to be professional and upfront with your situation to help keep good working relationships. There may be a time when you are available and can perform other voice work.

End with salutations and a request to keep in touch. Business relationships start with people relationships. It’s your job as a professional voice talent to be savvy and helpful even if you have to say “No.”

Voiceover Learning Sites-My Picks

Business Tips, Personal VO Views

To stay on top of the ever-improving voiceover business, you’ve got to keep up with what’s going on. Doing voiceovers is the best. But as members of a networking society, reading blogs and reviewing useful Web sites can help keep you on top of trends and changes in the VO industry. Online voiceover information is freely available to help educate you and increase your understanding of the everchanging voiceover career field. Interacting with the voiceover community will not only help improve the quality of your vocal delivery but the quality you provide to your clients as well. Learn from the best through social media and the Web. Below are a few of my favorite sources of information for personal and professional voiceover success.

Nethervoice Blog

Paul Strikwerda is one of my favorite talents and voiceover business persons. As a wildly successful and grounded voice talent, Paul regularly shares excellent advice on many key topics. He freely shares from his decades of experience on trends in the VO industry as well as insights personally and professionally. I recently posted a blog on working from home inspired by Paul. (See “Voiceovers at Home but Not Alone.“)

VoiceOverXtra

Your “One-Stop Resource for Voice-Over Success” is a wealth of non-stop information on the voice-over industry. The site lives up to its name with daily resources, resource centers, help for new talent, regular advice from seasoned pros, polls, hardware and software information, and access to training and troubleshooting your home recording area. Also, the site has an easily accessible catalog of “how-to” information that is a must for receiving training resources from industry experts and working pros.

Gravy for the Brain

Gravy for the Brain has online courses, personal interaction events, and more aimed at raising the “standard of the voiceover industry.” Voiceover industry webinars and other training are also available. The concept, created in September 2013 by successful voice talent/business persons, is to keep voice acting professionals at the highest benchmark worldwide. The site is regularly updated to keep visitors fresh on what’s happening in voiceovers.

SocialMediaToday

Social media is here to stay and must be taken seriously as a venue for voiceover business marketing. Social Media Today posts updates and trends, as well as digital marketing, content marketing, and influencers’ renews in the social media arena. This distinctive source keeps businesses across all sectors current on social media trends and trend makers now and into the future.

Facebook Groups

Facebook has a wealth of voiceover related groups. There are groups to help with acting skills, marketing a business, studio gear, travel rigs, etc. There are even groups for honest expressions of business up and downs, how to deal with clients, voice and whole-body health, and sharing your favorite vocal booth tips. Some groups are private, but many are open to anyone seriously seeking to learn and interact with like-minded voice over talents. Access to Facebook group permission sites usually require responding to a few questions confirming the earnestness of the requester, but once in, your voiceover career will never be the same.

My list is by no means exhaustive. The Internet is growing every minute, so keep searching platforms for legitimate groups on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc. The offering of information and skills can be overwhelming, but this short list can lead you to reputable sites and instructors who can provide legitimate information via your fingertips for developing a successful voiceover career from just about anywhere in the world.

(Photo credit: Tom Baugis)

Ageless Voiceacting

Business Tips, Personal, Personal VO Views, Voice talent renewal, voiceover

If you’ve worked in various fields and now you find yourself exploring voiceovers in your 50s or older, you may be wondering are you too old to be a voice talent. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. However, success in voiceovers may mean that you have to work a little differently than those under 50 to keep relevant. Getting and being competitive as a voice talent involves preparation and smart work…and is not age based.

Recently, I was listening to one of my favorite podcast, and one of the co-hosts mentioned that new voice talent often asks her how old is too old to be a voice talent. Hearing the question, I had an immediate response. You see, I spent over 20 years working in communication, and in the later years of my career, noticed a change in the way employees over 50 were perceived by younger workers and employers. Many times, I witnessed older workers being labeled as out of touch, over the hill, or archaic in their careers. The funny thing is that most of these same workers were performing at peak or better in their jobs. The assumption of one being obsolete was made strictly based on age. So, I understand why new talent over 50 would question whether there is an age maximum as a voiceover performer.

I’m here to say voice acting has NO age requirement. It’s all about effectively sounding and emoting a particular age group.

Realize that Age is Just a Number: Do you remember “Rocky the Squirrel”? June Foray was the iconic voice of Rocky from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.” June worked many years over her 50th birthday and had a total career span of 85 years. Now that’s what I call staying relevant.

What about the voice of the first Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer? Voice actor Billie Mae Richards performed Rudolph and other voices and was a working talent in 2004 at the age of 82, just six years before her death.

Solomon Hersh (best known as Paul) Frees started his acting career in 1942 and remained active for over forty years. Frees worked for major animation production companies including Walt Disney Studios, Walter Lantz Studios, UPA, Hanna-Barbera, MGM Studios, and Rankin/Bass. Paul worked well into his sixties. These actors worked into what some would call retirement years, but I call their best years.

Review your Bridges, Keep Some – Burn Some: It may be wise to decide which bridges to keep and which to burn. If you worked in a career or field for several years, some of these earlier associations could lead to future voiceover work. For instance, if you’ve worked in engineering or the medical field, you probably understand specific specializations not known to the average person. That knowledge and experience gives you a leg up as the perfect voice talent for jobs in your former career field. Let your colleagues know that you are a voice talent and available for related projects.

Use Old Profiles to Showcase Your New Business: Instead of combining your old social media professional profiles into your voiceover sites, consider rewording the information. Show how your former work makes you a perfect choice for similar voice projects. Let your voiceover profile stand alone, and let your old profiles link to your new information. This way you keep the same connections and alert them of your unique skill sets.

Embrace Technology (or hire your kids): Most working voice artists have professional home studios. Voice talents must learn about recording software and hardware, acoustics, and other related skills. Every day brings new technology into our mist, so this is indeed not an age thing. Learn what you have to through online classes, YouTube videos, LinkedIn or private coaching. It’s a necessary step, and you can do it. Just take it slow and master one new item at a time. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Master the majors like home recording (a software), editing, etc., and move on to other skills. If you have children or know of others with audio, web, or social media skills, ask them to help you or even hire them to do some of the work. You can also contract out the editing until you are comfortable with your new skill sets. Don’t let not knowing something keep you from getting what you need for running your business.

Embrace a Young Attitude: When you’re home behind a microphone, no one can see or care about how old you are, it’s all in the attitude. This is where your field work comes in. Look for opportunities to hang around younger people and listen and interact with them. Listen to the thoughts and ideas of young adults, Millennials, and Gen Xers. Note their tone, inflections, patterns, and attitude. Look for ways to add what you’ve heard and observed into your voiceover delivery. Experiment with speaking like someone much younger (or older) than yourself and review your performance. By noting the way people talk, how they expressed themselves and incorporated these attributes into your performance, you can keep current and sound almost any age you want. My cousin, who is at least 14 years older than me, has a youthful tone that reminds me of a 22-year-old and not her actual age of 60+ years.

Keep it Healthy and Moving: As we age our body and mind needs to keep engaged and healthy. Make sure to monitor your health. As we get older, sometimes we have to deal with mouth noises or diction problems. Make sure that you are taking time to go to the doctor and keeping up with proper dental care. Lastly, daily phonetic warmups can help with diction and word pronunciation.

Staying home is lovely, but it is even more critical for you to get out and move your body. Keeping it moving is whatever gets you moving. Walking is a great exercise. Don’t forget about weekend getaways. A change of scenery is also a great way to keep it moving and recharge your mind. Don’t take the fun out of your life, add a little voice acting to it.

Remember, as you age be timeless not timed. Break that lip!

Be Your Best VO Employee

Business Tips, Personal, VO Business Tips

Voice acting can be a wonderfully fulfilling career field. Most self-employed voice actors work alone and have to manage all aspects of their business. For those first starting their own business, transitioning from employee to employer can be a bit of a challenge. Without a boss or supervisor tying a salary and raises to performance, one may not be as driven to work as structured in a self-employed venue. But with a little hindsight, many employee job practices can be applied as sole-entrepreneur business practices. For long-term success, apply employee work practices as a self-employed talent to keep your business on track. Below is a list of best-practices for full-time employees that perfectly fit the independent voice talent.

Report to Work On Time
You don’t have to punch a clock to start working, but it’s a good idea to have regular daily work hours. Developing a routine will get you up and moving as if you were commuting into an office, but now it’s your home office. You can even make your coffee at home.

Schedule Lunch and Breaks
Most companies like to know when employees are on break or at lunch. You’re the boss now, so schedule when to break for lunch, run errands, etc. If you have to take an extended break from your home office, schedule make-up time that day or on a Saturday just as if you ’d taken leave as an employee.

Attend Operation and Progress Meetings
Many businesses have regular Monday staff meetings to check accounts and status, review sales, and practices. As a voice talent, have your own Monday status meeting to review your marketing, client follow-ups, billing, social media progress, and anything forwarded from your last week of business. The session can help you narrow your focus and limited wasting time in your upcoming week. TIP: Record your free flow of ideas or thoughts and add to your to-do list if needed.

Attend Regular Training
To keep current, many employers require regular refresher training for their staff. As a self-employed voice actor, you need to stay current too. Proper ongoing training can include listening to podcasts on all things voiceover related, attending conferences, and working regularly with a voice coach.

Interact with your Co-workers on New Ideas
Full-time employees often share updates with their colleagues. Voice actors are no different. Facebook groups and Twitter postings provide alerts to new tricks and tips in the home studio recording. YouTube and other direct streaming broadcasts from voiceover experts are excellent for discovering new ways to work smarter and not more laborious in the booth.

Set Regular Hours
Most jobs have regular hours of operation. Set the hours you plan to work your voiceover business. Try to consistently work for a fixed number of hours and days (full-time or part-time) and remain faithful to those times. If you have a big project, work at that time, then as a reward, try to give yourself some time off for your overtime work. Also, setting regular hours allows your family and friends to know when you are available for time away from the VO business.

Leave the job at the job
Working for an employer can bring many challenges during the day, and the same can happen in voice acting. You will lose some jobs just because you are not the one the casting director needed (or liked). Try not to take it personally. It’s usually not a talent matter, but you will probably never know the real reason you didn’t get a gig. So, leave the VO job at the job. Do the best you can, come back the next time, and keep working your business.

Take Time for Vacations
Most of today’s top managers and business gurus tout the importance of vacation time. Americans are known for being the hardest working people in the world. When it comes to vacations, CNBC’S MakeIt reports, … a whopping 49 percent of Americans won’t be taking one this summer… .

Take time off and do something non-voiceover related. There is no shame in taking your traveling recording gear just in case you get that big job while on the road. (You’re in business so be prepared). Let your clients know you’re taking time off and when you will return. Still, be prepared in case a client needs you for a job while you’re on vacation. Also, don’t forget to change your voicemail message so callers will know when you will be available and back in your home studio.

Let’s face it, if you’ve ever worked for someone else, most of these points are nothing new. That’s a great start. Now, use these points in running your daily business to establish and maintain a solid groundwork for long-term voiceover success.

Break a lip.

Stay or Go in Your Voiceover Career

Business Tips, VO Business Tips, voiceover

We all have areas of curiosity in our search for the career that fits our personality and will give back to our pocket. The voice acting business is a creative way of self-expression and to help clients connect with their audiences. Running any business involves keeping a watchful eye on its structure and progress. If you find you’re not getting the results you’d hoped for as a voiceover artist, it may be time to move on and seek another creative pursuit.

Recently, I did a little moving on from Golf when I tried it over a year ago. As a former tennis player, I thought it would be a good fit (maybe I wanted to be like Althea Gibson). The concepts seem similar, and I felt I had a good eye for focused contact with a ball (or any other object hurried at me). So, I took a few group lessons and semi-private classes then spent time at the range practicing my swing. Well, a couple of months into new pursuit, I realized my assumed natural bent to hitting the ball at least most of the time, may have been a little off. Not willing to give in too soon, I kept at it for a few more months.

Then one day while leaving the golf course, I asked myself an honest question, “Is golf something that I have the time, the willingness, and the finances to continue until I reach my perceived success?” Although my intentions were good, I realized that learning to play golf would take years and substantial finances to achieve a good handicap. Not only that, but I didn’t really enjoy my new pursuit, it wasn’t my passion. The activity was just something I picked up because it looked fun, and I thought it might be an excellent way to expand my friendships. It was time for me to move on.

Cost of the Learning Curve ( Don’t make your clients pay for your learning) – In a new pursuit, there’s always a learning curve. A professional voice talent must make the time to learn the business, which includes recording, editing, marketing, and other skills. This time usually involves long hours of study and reading. Costs can consist of hundreds and even thousands of dollars spent before reaching a comfort level as a proficient voice actor. So, it’s not a good idea to venture out for clients until you’re well equipped to provide your best. Producers expect the very best from professional voice talents, so determine the amount of time you will spent practicing and learning new voiceover skills and then double it. Determine if you can financially operate your business and pay for your training with no incoming revenue for (sometimes) long periods of time.

Think About Your Passion – When I think back on my golf experience, the pursuit was not wrong, I just was not committed and passionate about spending the money and time to become proficient in the game. While I liked and was fascinated by the skill, I was not willing to pay the fees, dues, and other costs long-term. The sport was not my passion, just an interest.

Voice acting must be your passion. Know why and what you want from the career field. Again, there will be more long hours learning, marketing, and running the business than you can imagine. Only a passionate pursuit and purpose can fuel a voiceover business in the making. If you’re not excited about voiceovers, you may want to consider a different career field.

Know When it’s Time to Go or Stay – A new voice actor can take years to solidify himself or herself in the industry. There are no shortcuts to voiceover success (read my earlier blog). Know when you are on the right path to reaching your business goals or if it’s it not working out for you. Don’t spend all that you have physically and financially on a passing curiosity.

I meet a lot of folks who are fascinated with the idea of voice acting. However, when I explain to someone what it takes to become a successful working talent, he or she usually losses their zeal. But, I think that’s a good thing. It’s better to understand the costs of time and resources needed now or within the first year or two of a voice acting business, than after spending thousands of dollars on equipment and coaches to realize voice acting is not one’s passion.

There’s no shame in deciding to move on with your shirt (financially speaking). So, you may not see me on the golf course, but I plan to be in my vocal booth for as long as I can. Is voiceover your fun pursuit (my golf) or your real passion? Only you have the answer and the way to the best commitment in your life.