VO Business Tips

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!

Find a New Love for the Way You Do Voiceovers

March 4, 2022 by Leesha S

Image of lady voice talent by Andre Santana from Pixabay — This lady has the right idea (BTW, this is not me).

Have you ever been at an impasse? It can be hard to choose how to continue doing what you love the way you want. Crowd thinking can change like the wind, and you may not always agree with the thought. These types of challenges can lead to several hard choices. We all want to be accepted and admired by our peers. But what about when the road our peers take is not the road we want to travel? I know these are challenging questions. I’m not immune to social changes and influences as a voiceover talent.

On the contrary, voice talent must know the flow and timber of public audio and stay in step with the best groups to further one’s business. This added pressure may cause one to take a step back to see what’s going on. As I resurrect my blogging, I want to share what’s been going on with me. I’m sharing how I believe you can get back to doing what you love in a way it may love you back.

Redefining the Love of Voiceover (or whatever gets you going)

We all have our joy triggers. Voiceacting gives me a creative outlet and a sense of accomplishment. But I’m not limited to voiceovers. Biking, traveling, writing, hiking, and drawing also give me pride. It’s essential to figure out what gets one moving and what’s fallen off the list. For me, I’ve begun to notice more of what moves me now as opposed to what moved me ten years ago, five years ago, or even one year ago.

Change with Age

Things tend to fall off our must-have and must-do lists as we age. Hopefully, most people learn to put their drive for money in check while managing the need for necessities, which will never go away. But the rushing to the next new things, faster friends, or being in the “in crowd” should eventually drop off to the things we used to do.

Redefining what is working can help whittle down the list of musts. It has taken me some time to revise my must-have list, and I’m happy to report that voice acting remains a must!

Remembering the Great Ones

It’s pretty clear that I’m a minority, but I don’t limit myself as a woman of color. For me, I’m most proud of being a part of my family. My relatives have made outstanding strides in their lives, and several with little education. For example, my great-grandma worked hard as a wash woman and saved up enough money to purchase several tiny wooden row houses (in her then small North Carolina town) to rent out the rooms. My great-grandma then when on to buy even more real estate and helped her children with college and even financed the opening of a daughter’s hair salon in Washington, DC.

Revise the Journey Ahead

Remembering my great-grandma’s life and others and reflecting on how they met extreme challenges still fuels me. Taking the whole of who I am and where I came from fuels me to look to the future with optimism. I don’t need social movements to tell me who I am or wake me to American history (especially since I’ve been an American and World History buff since my teens). Appreciating my foundations and knowing that I can still carry out my goals, even the new ones, helps me remember who I am and imagine what I’m yet to be.

Keeping in mind who I am, who I’ve helped, and what I’ve done helps me grow personally and professionally. My voiceover business is essential to me. As such, I strive to treat each client with respect and as if they were paying me many thousands of dollars for every job. This means being authentic to what I can and cannot do, how I present myself to the public, and how I take care of my voice-over clients and myself. The lady in my graphic (BTW, not me) has the right attitude.

Over time, I’m learning it’s okay to pull back on being a part of the hot groups and hot VO events. Not everyone in the business is a friend, but that doesn’t mean I cannot friend others. Supporting others, learning the things I need to know, and focusing on finding the right people needing my help are what continue to be my keys to performing as a compassionate, caring voice talent.
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith

That’s my Spiel

How about you? With the COVID pandemic, along with other social matters, I know you, too, have had to do some soul searching. I hope you’ve had a chance to give some thought to my journey and make sure you’re still doing what you love your way. Then what you love may love you back.

Break that lip!

In Voiceovers Challenges are Opportunities in Disguise

October 5, 2021 by Leesha S

If you’re like me, your years on this Earth have brought you many opportunities and challenges. Opportunities can help us grow. Challenges can bring growth or failure in the end. In this post COVID-19 lock down existence, opportunities and challenges abound yet are elusive. So, instead of complaining about what’s next or challenging in the voice-over industry, why not expand and look for ways to make voiceovers lead you to new paths of opportunities.

Elephant In The Room

I recently went to a voice-over conference and had my feelings hurt. The person was not trying to injure me, but her constructive criticism felt like she had hit me with a two-by-four over my head. The criticism was related to some recent work I had done. Her point was I needed to make changes to improve my marketability. Well, all I heard were dollar signs!

After a few weeks, it occurred to me that I should thank my critic, embrace her comments, and make the changes necessary to maintain my marketability. Her words were somewhat of a shock because I had been walking around my elephant. Once I faced ‘my elephant’, I embraced my truth and planned a better future as a voice-over professional.

“Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.”

Steve Maraboli

Turn Challenges into Opportunities

Do you need to update your voiceover demos? Is your sound dating you? Are you making more excuses than cold calls these days? The excuses list can go on, but my point is it’s time to face your truths and the elephant in your room. Turn these challenges to your voiceover business into new opportunities for improving your success.

Check Your Bio

We, as voiceactors, tend to only focus on getting jobs voicing projects. But most of us have talents and skills that reach across many areas of business. We should never forget other things we can do and can bring to a table. Over time, skills can become a little rusty, which means it may be time for a refresher. Dormant skills or talents (once updated) may make excellent complements to a voice-over business. Writing, editing, marketing, drawing, painting, accounting, and other skill areas can be excellent additional income sources.

Make It Work

We all have seasons of plenty and want. The trick is to make the seasons work for you. Manage your livelihood (with the elephant under control) with a fresh appreciation of your skills. That may mean redoing your work or play schedule to be available for other jobs. If voiceover projects are less plentiful for a short time, consider seeking employment that can utilize your other skills.

For example, the voiceover industry always needs copywriters, audio engineers, proofreaders, or other invaluable skills. Look for ways you can fill the needs of the industry and develop new relationships that can lead to more voiceover work.

We get one shot at life, so it’s okay to slow down sometimes but don’t stop meeting life head-on. Whether you face opportunities or challenges, make your voiceover business work for you, and let your love of being a voice-over professional never take the back seat.

You can and are the best at what you do. So voice on and #breakthatlip

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

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.

When it comes to change, don’t forget ChatGPT. What about ChatGPT? The folks at ZDNET provide a good overview. Their short answer is “ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with the chatbot.”

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!

5 Types Of Voice-over Enthusiasts

July 27, 2021 by Leesha S

Boy shouting into microphone — Photo credit: Yingnan Lu from Pixabay

Do you ever wonder what makes a quality voiceactor or narrator? There is no sure-fire predictor. Quality is forged in fire and effort, and top voice talents are no different. Let’s look at five of the most popular types of voiceover or VO enthusiasts that could lead to great voice talents.

Curiosity Seekers

The seekers have become aware of voiceacting and think it’s great. Perhaps they are into gaming or elearning and have become curious about voice acting. They may know someone or have seen an advertisement about voiceover and believe they can have a good shot at being a top in the industry. They think with some information and an agent, they can start working as a voiceover practically overnight.

Professional VO Students

These students have taken class after class and have a good handle on the voiceover basics. They may have had instruction in Improv and or acting plus have an idea of their best niche. But, year after year, they have still not invested in a good demo or actively pursued any voiceover jobs. They may feel they need a little more time or need to become better situated in their day job before looking for VO work. It will be soon for them, but not today. They feel they’re not quite ready.

VO Sales Pitch Buyers

These poor souls may have attended a class at their local community college or participated in an online advertised voice-over presentation, and as a result, invested money in a voice-over demo. Unfortunately, they recorded their demo before they had the basic skills necessary as an actor and business owner. They may have paid out thousands of dollars (sometimes from credit cards or needed savings). While they have tried to make sound business and marketing gains, the work is just not coming in. They have or are starting to become discouraged about voice acting altogether.

“Where’s My Money” Talents

These folks had a few good jobs at the start of their voice-acting career. It looked like they were headed towards great success. Yet, after that great start, the work came to an abrupt halt. They are puzzled as to what is wrong since they booked some great jobs at the start of their career. They are beginning to lose confidence and wonder if the system is rigged.

Enthusiasts Turned Professionals

These budding professionals may have started voice acting career as anyone of the first four. They may have been told they have a nice voice and should consider voice acting. As a result, they invested money in the field, but, initially, were unable to maintain a business or find VO jobs. Some may have procrastinated because they dreaded marketing or rejections from lost auditions. Yet, while the times were tough, these folks did not quit. They made changes to keep their VO business dream alive.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney

The enthusiast turned professional did something about their situation. They understood fictional character Jane Fulton’s quote in Rita Mae Brown’s novel. Instead of doing the same, they found their path to growing their success. Perhaps they worked more hours at their day job to pay for good voice-over training. They may have attended Improv and other training to improve their creativity. Some may have sought professional help to set up their home studio equipment properly and learned how to edit their recordings. Some may have also partnered with others, joined mastermind-type groups to learn how to set up and run their business. They learned about marketing their business according to their particular personality type and style.

The professionals don’t take audition rejections personally and taking care of themselves and others to ward off burnout or arrogance with their success. Unlike the other four types, these up-and-coming talents realized that it doesn’t matter how you get into voice acting. What matters is knowing and deciding if voiceover is right for you. The professionals learned that following a dream is a decision that leads to a commitment to do what it takes to become a quality working voice talent.

Being in voiceovers is not easy, but it can be very rewarding for talents and buyers. Helping clients develop great products can be so gratifying. But it takes work and devotion to becoming the best voice talent one can and reaching one’s goal for success.

Keep breaking that lip!