Voice acting success is like other business fields and takes one main ingredient: working a sound plan. It’s is not brain surgery. Guess what? That same advice applies to a banker, baker, investor, or any other self-employed person or company. As we live our lives, each day brings its own set of unforeseen challenges, so every day we must decide to succeed. For many of us, our goal is to achieve success as a voice actor. Fortify yourself to keep working your voiceover career plan.
I read some distressing news the other day from author Brian Tracy. In “No More Excuses!”, Tracy writes, “All routes to success have been discovered. Everything that you need to learn to move to the top of your field has already been learned by hundreds and even thousands of other people.” Now it’s time to let your voiceover training, advice from coaches, notes, books, home studio, and all the other items you’ve assembled to start driving your voiceover success. While there will be trends in the voice acting industry, the basics of business success are tried and true. Auditioning, marketing, producing quality, and the like. Instead of looking for some new fast-track tip or secret, take the proven road to voice acting success and stay the course.
Keep Focused-Narrow your Niche
Voice acting can be a niche market. Those entering the voiceover field may want to audition for everything without knowing his or her strengths and best performance skills. This willingness to do everything makes a person a generalist at best. The problem is most producers are looking for experts and the best voice to perform a particular genre or type of voice. So, away with the everything mindset, narrow your focus to one or two voice-over performance types.
Susan Friedmann writes in her book, Riches in Niches, How to make it BIG in a Small Market, “You absolutely must, and I repeat must strive to be the expert. Expert status presents benefits that truly separate you from the crowd. “ Narrow your skills down and keep it moving.
Cherish Your Time
Working the proven strategies for voiceover success is not a random path to victory. Successful voice talents need time to train, market, read blogs and industry information, network, and even have fun. Make sure you are using each day the best way possible for your voiceover career and life.
Each evening list your most important things to accomplish on a coming day (and week). Rank your items in importance and what tasks must be done first, second, third, etc., for you to have a productive, satisfying day. This process will help you do first things first and cover all aspects of your business plan per week.
Limit Social Media
Make sure you limit your social media time. We all like to read blogs (which I just mentioned), but your critical daily tasks of marketing, emailing clients, etc., probably outrank your social media activities. While social media should be a part of your overall business plan, don’t let watching videos or news feeds rob you of precious marketing time. Limit yourself so you can cover your day’s top priorities.
Refocus Often
Even if you have an ironclad voiceover business plan, life happens. Unexpected interruptions in our families, business, and health can knock us off track. Remind yourself each week of your goals and your path to success. One way to stay on track is to post your primary goals in a visible place in your office or workspace. At the end of each work week, review how well you did during that week. Also, note what you need to do differently to reach voiceover success in the following week.
Don’t Work Alone
I’m a big proponent of networking and building relationships. Robin Jones Gunn said, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” As you follow your voiceover plans, don’t forget to help others in their plans. Give advice when you know the answer, help others when possible, and let others help you in your success. No one wants to fail. Building a successful voiceover business takes a lot of time, patience, and courage. Work with others to reach your success and help others find theirs as well.
We know the success path can be challenging, but it is possible. Continually push yourself toward the voiceover success and it can and will be yours. Follow your plan and don’t stop moving forward. It’s all about you helping others on the proven road to success.
In the voiceover world, they say, “Beware January and June.” So, if your June is not what your other colleagues may be experiencing business-wise, you need to come up with ways to regroup. Regrouping should lead to more jobs, better auditions, and more revenue doing what you love. Unconventional methods of regrouping can lead to better creativity and a renewed focus for business success.