Book more and better…

Voice over work is abundant and prevalent. Working from production studios AND home studios are both viable to build consistent income. We would all like an agent to book us regularly, but we need to take charge of our own career and book work ourselves.  How do you book GREAT gigs on a regular basis to sustain a business?

Focusing on consistently being in a great position to be hired for great paying jobs requires strategizing:

• >Have access to higher paying jobs
• >Brand yourself as a top-quality talent
• >Win great auditions more frequently

How do you gain access to higher paying jobs?

That IS the million-dollar question. Here are a few ideas:

1 – Have ongoing, regular clients

Establishing yourself as a freelance voice talent means doing the work to cultivate business. With research and an excellent portfolio to market yourself, finding your own clients is viable and necessary. Plus, maintaining relationships with ongoing clients and great leads is what will keep your business sustainable.

From Voice Actor, Peter K. O’Connell, “No other person will (or should) work as hard to drum up voiceover business as the voice talents themselves should. The key… a talent’s database of prospects and clients must be developed, then grown and nurtured every business day.”

From Voice Actor & VO Heaven Founder, Larry Hudson, “…from the context of “I am here to solve your problems.” …don’t create more problems for the client, …execute the job the way the client wants, i.e. recording speed, bit rate, type of file, …ask, is this a directed session, where do I send the file, invoice details, etc. … be 100% clear prior to starting the job.”

2 – Be on productive rosters

There are production companies and creative agencies that maintain talent rosters. With your professional VO demos ready, research those agencies on-line, initiate a conversation, and foster a business relationship with them.  

From Voice Actor, Lauren McCullough, “Figuring out your ideal client, and reaching out to them is a great way to get more and consistent gigs. … have an up-to-date demo and stay top of mind … whether that be through social media, a mailing list or direct mail.”

3 – Have a few excellent agents

Agents have access to the best voice acting jobs available. Clients can now hire talent directly, having a few regional agents is beneficial to accessing work across North America. While agency rosters can be full and outrageously competitive, demand continues to grow, and work is abundant.

From Voice Actor, Maria Pendolino, “As they say in ‘Hamilton’, you need to be in the room where it happens. In the VO world, that means being on the receiving end of great quality auditions. When you’re ready and have a killer demo, seek out solid representation and be on the rosters of great production studios. Then when those auditions hit your inbox, be yourself. Of course, read and follow the specs, but remember the only thing that’s unique about you – is you.” 

How do you brand yourself as top-quality talent?

1 – Have an excellent portfolio – Have quality demos created in appropriate genres. The most important is the Commercial Demo. Only add other demos, when you are ready, that best showcase your strengths, including Corporate, Promo, Animation, Gaming, Explainer video, Telephony…

2 – Keep your website in great shape – Your up-to-date portfolio elements need to look relevant, remain current, and scream professionalism, so that when your website is referenced by potential clients, they feel 100% comfortable hiring you.

3 – Keep your social media profiles in great shape – Make certain your profile(s) are relevant to your brand and to your target market. An abandoned account looks like you may not be in business anymore.

From Voice Actor & LinkedIn Expert, Tracy Lindley, “It’s important that your website and LinkedIn profile showcase your best work. Update your portfolio in both places often to reflect what you can offer. Your marketing should also be an ongoing, daily activity…”

And, how do you win auditions, more frequently?

1 – Be well trained – Consistently train with coaches who bring out the best in you. Continue to provide the best reads possible, knowing your strengths and what is expected of you from clients.

2 – Focus on receiving the best auditions – Consistently engage with national and regional agencies and production houses to be on their rosters for voiceover auditions; maintain communication with past clients for future opportunities; seek only reputable on-line auditioning options that provide credible auditions with professional rates.

3 – Execute auditions skillfully, consistently – Audition daily if possible. If you’re not booking, continue to be trained and coached with reputable coaches who will be honest with your potential for success…

From Voice Actor & VOICEOVERVIEW Founder, Dani States, “… to book GREAT gigs you must have great, reputable training and ongoing coaching – so that the quality of your auditions both from a performance and technical perspective stand out from the crowd. To land consistently good jobs from return clients, treat each client with a high degree of professionalism…”

Training and marketing with a big dose of professionalism. Not easy…

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This post originally published on backstage.com at https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/book-better-higher-paying-voiceover-jobs-more-frequently-67182/ (Feb 18, 2019)