Business Tips

Breaking In or Breaking Through In Voiceovers

February 23, 2023 by Leesha S

February is celebrated in America as Black History Month. As a Black person, I’ve been studying history, including Black American History, for most of my life. Many of the programs and movies showing on streaming services highlight the lives and journeys of famous Afro-American actors and writers. Most of the programs also have commentators who tell their stories and how they identify with the famed person of color. These are feel-good stories of sorts. I thought about how in my family, the children were encouraged to break in and breakthrough. You see, if my parents or relatives accomplished a goal or some remarkable feat, those coming up behind them were expected to take what others had done to the next level. Not too much time was spent reflecting on what had been done, but more time was spent thinking of what one could do more significantly than what had already been done. Voiceovers are a lot like that. Don’t just break in, breakthrough as a voice talent.

In this changing society, new and improving voice actors should focus on breaking into and breaking through the business. It’s more than just making money; it’s making one’s own unique space in the voice-over industry. Becoming an authentic, sought-after talent is breaking through as a voice actor.

Reflect On The Past But Aim For The Future

Many of us have heard of Don LaFontaine, Mel Blanc, and Jean Vander Pyl. These voices are only a few of the many talents who have blazed trails in the voice-acting business over the decades. The names of many famous talents, who broke the voice-acting mold, will never graze our lips in casual conversation.

Voice actors should study the efforts and strides of talents of all races and backgrounds and then use that information to help shape their breakthrough journey. “Breaking in” stops you at the door. “Breaking through” leads you up the steps and paths of new challenges for greater success.

Voice talents are expected to do a good job no matter their level of experience. As a talent, you should always do your best and look for new leads and opportunities for voice work. Ace a style that you may be perfect for in a particular genre. See what talents and skills lie within you and find out how you can become the best at being you.

Breaking Through Is Hard

Don’t let words like “can’t, no, too hard, too old, not talented enough, or don’t know,” hold you back. Breaking through is about learning what one needs to learn and going for the job or assignment. What works for one voice talent may not work for another. So, find what works for you and do the hard work. Don’t let procrastination or fear rob you of your breakthrough moments.

In one of my first directed sessions, a comment made by a couple of the producers changed the timbre of the session for me. They remarked about how another voice actor was so easy to work with and took almost no time when being directed. As a talent in my second session, hearing producers sing the praises of another talent was not encouraging. In fact, the comments made me feel insecure, and the session did not go well for me. Later, I realized I can’t control comments made by producers, but I could control my behavior. I learned from this experience. Now when I’m in a directed session, I remind myself that I am working in my studio and on my time. I think to myself, “I am enough for THIS job.” It’s up to me if I want to do this job or not. Taking control of the session helps me break through and unleash my talent and success.

“Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough.”
Zig Ziglar

No End To Real Breakthrough

Many famous people don’t achieve all their dreams and goals. If you were to interview history makers in entertainment at the end of their careers, many would say they have not achieved the success they wanted. Still, breakthrough people keep going forth and don’t spend too much time counting their former success. Part of that is why they are successful.

As a voice talent, it’s your job to become better than your last job. So, continue your learning and growing with the industry. Keep your chops, knowledge, and equipment ready to keep you competitive. Yes, acknowledge your success, but don’t stop growing. Keep moving forward as a voice actor, meeting the challenges, and growing your success. If you’ve reached your business goals, great. Now go make new ones.

Learn to review and appreciate the past achievements of others. But more importantly, learn from the break-in talent and push to make your breakthrough success.

Go ahead and break that lip! #breakthatlip

Six Ways Voiceactors Can Skip the Scam Forest

July 22, 2022 by Leesha S

Getting through the forest of scams to the Kingdom

It’s true. There is good business out there for new and established voice talent. As a seasoned professional voice actor, I pride myself on giving clients fast, courteous service at a fair price. Therefore, like any other small businessperson, I enjoy meeting and collaborating with new people and expanding my list of potential voiceover contacts. However, with so many interactions strictly over the Internet, marketing to and attracting good new clients and contacts can sometimes feel like walking through a mysterious forest looking for the right path to the kingdom. The last thing anyone wants is to lose time and money being hurt or robbed by a scammer. To that end, below are six ways to lessen your chances of being scammed in the voiceover business.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Most of us have heard of the emails (usually with poor spelling) or the messages that we have won $1M and need to send an unknown person our bank account information. Or you have heard the one about the long-lost uncle or aunt who has just died somewhere overseas, and you are the only one inheriting his or her entire fortune. When is the last time you heard of someone leaving a hefty sum of money to a “relative” they didn’t know or had ever met? I think in these cases, eccentrics like that die and leave their money to their cat. So, we figure out pretty quickly it’s a fraud. Common sense is our first line of defense when weeding out scams.

When you receive a request for voiceover services, ask the person how they heard about you. Voice talents often refer business to other trusted colleagues for voice services outside their particular genre or field. Also, this helps you verify the person is a legitimate business contact. Get as much information as you can without acting too much like Sherlock Holmes.
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
― Robert Frost

Don’t be afraid to speak directly to a potential client.

As voice talent, we often collaborate with clients from all over the world. If possible, try to arrange a short introductory call to hear the person’s voice and give them a mini-speech on how you can meet their voiceover needs. This practice allows both of you to get a feel for each other.

PowerHomeBiz.com recommendations the following:
When trying to determine if your new client is a scammer, it’s important to speak with them on the phone. As most criminals use the internet to hide their true identities, most will shy away from getting on the phone. However, there are a few things to consider when on the phone with a potential client.
When speaking with new clients, use software that protects your identity and sensitive information. With the help of tools like a conference call bridge, you’ll also be able to use secure conference calling to verify the identification of new callers. Additionally, you can use screen sharing for further confirmation that you’re speaking to the person you believe you are talking to.

Beware of fast turnaround request from strangers.

While most of the work in the voiceover industry is fast, that is no reason to drop your guard. Beware of those who contact you for a quick turnaround job and not mention rates, usage, or how you can be compensated. You don’t want to rush out and do a job and never receive a dime. This can easily happen to new voice actors desiring to build their client base. Also, a promise of paying you after a job is completed is no real guarantee. Make sure the client provides you with at least a down payment before the delivery of any voice work.

PowerHomeBiz.com says, “Whether it’s a new client with a “rush order” or someone looking to hire you immediately, having incredibly tight deadlines is often a red flag of a scam. Scammers use pressure and urgency to force their victims into making the wrong decision. While there are often clients that need quick turnarounds, having a stranger demand work immediately is cause for pause.”

Market to and work locally.

You can skip the shaky contacts if your roster is full of good clients. Seek to build relationships with local companies that need your voice-over services. It’s always a good idea to review a company’s business profile online and check with the Better Business Bureau for an idea of the company and the experiences of the current and former clients. In addition, your local Chambers of Commerce may have a listing of companies you’re looking to work with, so you can verify if the company is on the up and up.

Connect with caution on Social Media.

In BBB, 10 Steps to Avoid Scams, it’s suggested, “Consider only connecting with people (or companies) you already know. Check the privacy settings on all social media and online accounts. Imposters often get information about their targets from their online interactions, and can make themselves sound like a friend or family member because they know so much about you.”

Protect your money.

Consider wisely who you share your online cash sharing credential with. Most low-cost or no-fee cash apps carry little protection if your account is hacked. While it’s good business to provide accessible payment services to clients, you want to ensure you are not opening yourself to a scam. Never share your cash app information with a company you are unsure of and not confident of the relationship. In addition, most cash apps have no provision for recovering lost or stolen money; therefore, you are responsible for what goes out of your Cash app account.

Safeguard your accounts by signing up for Voice Verification or Push Notifications for your mobile banking transactions—signup for email notifications of any transactions on your business accounts. Monitoring your accounts is the best way to catch fraud before it becomes an unrecoverable situation.

A wise voice actor takes care of business, so he or she is free to take care of the clients. So go you, break that lip.

Communication-A Voice For Everyone

March 18, 2022 by Leesha S

Communication is a funny thing. For example, I recently went to Costco for gas, and before I could turn into the pump area, one of the attendants yelled something about a “back pump.” While I heard the words, I didn’t get their meaning. Finally, after unsuccessfully trying to get gas from a pump that was trickling fuel into my car, I got clarification from another attendant. He told me the pumps as you pull up to the area are considered the back pumps, and they were not working. Therefore, I had to fill up at a pump near the far end (or the front).

Something so small almost caused me not to get gas, and these days a 40 cents saving is a big deal. While the pump information was first communicated, I didn’t understand and relate the information to make the best use of it or my time. Had the first attendant been a little more informative (or placed tape around the broken pumps), I may have better understood and had no problem getting my gas.

This is just an example of the importance of communication. Today we are faced with information overload and Fake News. As a voice talent, I know that the first rule of an audition is to follow the instructions. Unfortunately, many audio producers often receive auditions that show the talent did not read the specs or follow the instructions. Your voice is your tool for communication. Always make an effort to be clear and understood.

Communication, which includes instructions, cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. It’s how we as people live and interact with others, whether at work or play. However, the responsibility for good messaging is placed on the person doing the communicating or the sender. Here are some tips to help increase the chances of getting what you want from your communication.

Know What You Want To Communicate

We live in a busy, fast world. So, whether you are ordering pizza or developing a business proposal, start with clarifying what you want to communicate and what you expect from the receiver. In voiceovers, this means having a good idea of the basic message of a script and its purpose.

Consider Your Audience

I don’t like the phrase, “It’s common sense.” I think it is very condescending. We all have had different life experiences and make judgments and decisions based upon our practices and knowledge. We should never assume that others share all our judgments, philosophies, or views on the world.

Good voice actors and communicators, in general, think about their audience and shape their messages accordingly. Never assume that the other person or receiver will understand your terms. Be clear in the words you use and the shared meaning of them. It’s okay to supply detailed instructions if it helps the communication. Sometimes, more is better.
“You don’t realize how language actually interferes with communication until you don’t have it, how it gets in the way like an over-dominant sense.” Lily King

Choose the Best Method

Sometimes a simple conversation will do the trick, or you may have to write or find another way to get your message across. Depending upon what you want to say, make sure you use the best method to be effective and suitable in getting your message delivered.

To apply methods to voiceacting, this may include voice and emotions. Using the right emotions at the right point in a delivery can have a powerful impact on listeners. Carefully crafted emotions are powerful tools used by the best voice artists.

Keep It Simple

Your crafted, audience-based message can be simple and still contain the right words needed to convey the meaning. Of course, we do this every day to the people in our regular circles. Still, if you are speaking to a stranger, new work associate, or the like, you may need to make quick judgments about how to communicate well in a non-condescending way, but still be successful. This can take time but putting a little thought into how we speak to and share with others is a necessary skill set we should practice daily.

Follow up and Get Feedback

The sender in communication should look for evidence from the receiver that they have understood the message. Your receiver may or may not respond verbally, but their actions should give you feedback.

Some receivers may repeat back what has been said. This is an excellent technique because it allows the receiver to ask questions. Moreover, the sender becomes the receiver and can critique if their message was successfully conveyed.

The bottom line is to consider your listener or receiver when interacting and how they can best understand your message. If you keep others in mind as you communicate, many things will fall inline.

There will be communication failures, but that’s when we take a breath and start all over again. So, yes, sometimes we get a do-over—simple stuff.

If you’d like more on improving your communication in business, see Entrepreneur’s 14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills. Good stuff.

Be a great communicator, it’s your voice. Break that lip!

A Lesson from Cycling-Don’t Follow the Wrong Crowd in Voiceovers

September 8, 2021 by Leesha S

Have you ever been on your way following someone or something only later to find out that you were wrong? Well, I recently had that happen to me. A few days ago, I went on a bicycle ride with a new club. Strangely enough, halfway into the ride, I realized I was following the wrong group of cyclists. Would you believe it that I thought about voiceovers and my auditions and business practices? While my story started with a bike ride, my little blunder reminded me of the importance of following the right leads and looking for the right kind of voice over work. Don’t follow the wrong crowd, even in voiceovers. Find your proper course.

Who’s Zooming Who?

When we started the bike ride, the ride leader and about 15 of us started on our way out of the parking lot onto the long, quiet road in front of us. The entire club group (including my group) consisted of about 100 cyclists in several small groups. I assumed each group had its route based on the various clusters, but this was not the case. What I did not realize is that my group shared the same route as another faster group.

During our first climb, several cyclists started passing me, going up a hill. So, I assumed I was falling behind. As such, I began to work harder to catch up with this cluster of “speed demons.” Peddling faster and harder, I was putting my all into catching up, but I still stayed a few feet behind and never really made the connection.

At first, I thought that I was not ready for my group or not as good of a cyclist as I had thought. Assuming that I was with the proper cyclists, I couldn’t understand why so many passed me. But me being me, I kept trying to ride faster. I didn’t know any of the faces of the speeders, but I attributed that to my being new to the group.

When I slowed down to let a group of other riders catch me, someone in the group told me I was leaving my assigned group. The faster cyclists were a part of another group. I was following the next speed of riders and had left my original group almost a half-mile behind. (Not a good first impression.) Awkwardly, I had left my small group of seasoned cyclists and was now exhausting myself trying to catch up to a different group of stronger riders. I was following the right course but the wrong crowd.

Follow Your Proper Course

There are some great lessons in my story. As related to voiceovers, you can probably see the parallels:

Know and be who you are. When it comes to voice acting, make sure you pursue voice-over jobs that adapt well to your skill sets. The industry is constantly changing, so make sure your skills rank you at the top of your genre.

Audition within your values. This is more important than ever. Make sure you’re not auditioning or accepting voiceover jobs just for the money. Money comes and goes, but your integrity and good name are priceless.

Stay within your comfort level. There is a saying in the business that you should only do what’s fun. So make sure you’re still having fun. If that killer instinct to compete for the high-dollar commercial jobs is working for you, then go for it. If not, find what will work for you and your best market.

Work your genre, well. We’re all changing, so is your sound changing or becoming more mature? Notice your speech and inflections to make sure you fit into the right voiceover niche for you personally and professionally.

Life teaches us the right path is rarely the easy one.” Roy T. Bennett

Working hard to follow the “in-crowd” will only wear you out as it depletes the spirit and the drive of your purpose. It’s okay to follow the slower crew. It’s okay if you don’t constantly run after projects that can make you thousands of dollars and land your voice on national commercials. It may be better to pursue jobs that are more fulling and enable you to develop long-term relationships with solid clients. Perhaps, it’s time for more local work or work closer to your values and goals.

Don’t get lost following the wrong (voice over) crowd. Instead, find your proper course. Now, I’m careful to ride and voice with the right group. Keep having fun as you break that lip.

What now in Voiceovers? Thoughts on Coping with Change

August 18, 2021 by Leesha S

Man Overwhelmed by What's Next in Voiceovers — Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

How many times have you said in the last year, ‘What now?’ It’s incredible to me all the stuﬀ I have to adjust to every week. As a voice talent and business owner, it seems that I’m constantly questioning the latest things. So how do you handle the constant daily changes in your voiceover business and life in general? What do you do when you feel you can’t take another new thing? Here are some thoughts on how to get a grip on ever-present changes in voiceovers.

Don’t panic. Take it slow.

While I genuinely believe I am incredible, sometimes I have to read or hear something a few times before I get it. New social media sites or home appliances can take a moment or two to understand and learn how to operate correctly. If I get stuck in my understanding, I’ll seek expert help. Depending upon the situation, a good YouTube video can be a great source of information, reducing my anxiety and helping me get up to speed on a matter.

In voiceovers, taking direction is essential to success. One key focus of any good talent is to learn to take direction. Taking direction means correctly hearing or receiving feedback and then making the appropriate changes for the next performance. Being directed can be stressful and may seem like a lot. So, it’s essential to calm the mind and then focus on the critical points of the direction. If there is still a disconnection, repeat to the director what is wanted or ask for clarification. It’s better to ask for help than to deliver something completely different or unwanted by the producer.

Accept the Change (That’s life)

News flash. We are all getting older with every passing second. While this reality may not matter to a young adult, anyone over 35 acutely feels the aging process, especially in today’s youth fixated society. We should see change as an opportunity to grow and become more than we are at the present moment. Whether it’s a new technology, a road, app, or business style, there’s usually a simple explanation available to help us through.

The rise in automated voices or Automated Intelligence (AI) software has many voice actors panicking. Voice professionals wonder if the AI will make it hard to make a living or work in an industry they love and enjoy.

Voiceovers is like any other business. Change happens. A good approach would be to research and fully understand the new variations happening in the business. With understanding can come a since of where one can fit into the AI industry. It’s better to face change head-on and find a way to make it your friend, not your foe.
“He was swimming in a sea of other people’s expectations. Men had drowned in seas like that.” Robert Jordan

Don’t Become Overwhelmed.

Of late, I’ve noticed that keeping up with the social media world can be a little challenging. Finding something to post that is stunning and gets a lot of net traction can be like throwing paint on a wall and hoping it sticks.

Seemingly, there is a new app, program, social media platform, or computer thing every week! I’m not sure if humans were built for our technology roller-coaster ride. Many of us are just hanging on or faking it. Some are about to get thrown oﬀ at the next curve! So instead of barely making it, choose what to add to your business platform or home studio and what to just put on hold.

In Mark Schaefer’s article, Keeping Up with the Furious Pace of Social Media Change, he recommends avoiding Fear of Missing Out or FOMO. Mr. Schaefer comments, ” As you build your social media tribe and the conversations multiply, you have to adjust and come to grips with the fact that you have a life beyond social media. Some thing(s) are going to slip through the cracks. Allow that to be OK.”

Your life and time are precious, so take on what you can do well and do them consistently. Learn what you must in voiceovers and pick up the rest down the road. It’s better to do a few things well than a lot of things poorly. You’ll sleep better too.

Break that lip!