For Voice Over Talents

The glory of fall in the Midwest still feels fairly new to me, which makes it particularly awesome. Since I’m originally from Southern California, where leaves pretty much stay the same color all year round and generally refrain from disembarking their respective limbs, I never really got the full gist of what autumn was all about until I moved to our cozy home in the Southwest corner of Michigan.  We really lucked out with a house nestled neatly on 1.5 acres of beautiful wooded terrain.

In a word: Wow.

In three words: It’s absolutely fabulous.

My mouth is still agape, at least figuratively, over the brilliant kaleidoscope of changing colors. Blazing reds mingle with burnished golds and yellows, contrasting keenly with the pert green still peeking from the lawns and evergreens.

It’s the perfect mix of beauty, peace and tranquility… And an excellent environment from which to work as a voice-over actor.

What? There’s a Downside?

And then I discovered the downside. Two downsides, actually. All those deliciously colored leaves don’t stay neatly tucked in their places. They instead flail not-so-neatly across the lawn, roof and gutters.

Thankfully, this voice-over actor doesn’t have to deal with the first downside, which is cleaning up all those leaves. My hard-working husband does that — although every year he swears that next fall he’s going to hire someone else to handle the chore (or move back to California)! No matter how brilliant the colors, collecting and disposing of all those leaves is enough to send a person to the chiropractor, or massage therapist as my husband prefers lately.

But I did have to deal with the second downside. The curse of the constantly droning leaf blowers. While leaf blowers are loud and invasive enough to make anyone a little buggy, they can be the death knell for voice-over actors trying to create pristine recordings in their home studios.

The Sworn Arch Enemy of the Voice-Over Actor

Since many of our neighbors also work at home or are retired, it’s not as if they confine their leaf blowing or other noisy landscaping activities to weekend hours only. Any day, any time is fair game to be accosted by the insidious low rumble of small-engine lawn equipment.

I blogged about this issue three years ago in my article “Voice Acting and the Battle of the Blowers” when avoiding the noise was contingent on being smiled upon by the Leaf Blower Gods, and an occasional personal request of one of my neighbors — “Um, I hate to ask this but could you pretty please hold off on doing this until I finish my ISDN session with my LA voice over client?” I got a lot of blank stares with that approach, but it worked for awhile. What was needed, however, was a much more permanent fix.

This year I’m armed with a fool-proof solution… It’s called Studio B.

This ingenious inspiration began a couple years ago when a little voice inside my head suggested I actually move my recording sessions to a new location in my home during the heavy noise pollution seasons.

Fortunately, I have a fairly spacious house so there were several options to consider. One room in particular was the logical choice. While I still enjoy the same high-tech goodies as Studio A, such as the must-have ISDN phone patch capabilities and excellent acoustical accoutrements, Studio B comes with an additional advantage.

It’s outfitted like Fort Knox (if Fort Knox was meant to protect silence instead of gold). To get to the heart of Studio B, I walk through not one, not two, but FIVE doors, deep into the bowels of a wholly soundproofed haven where not even the rumble of a low-flying small aircraft can penetrate. I know this may date me a little, but I actually feel a bit like Agent 86 on his way to speak with the Chief every time I head in to my own recording booth (watch the clip to see what I mean).

So let the leaf blowers rumble, the snow blowers growl and the Midwest be tidied unto the highest. I shall rest comfortably knowing I now have my serene workspace in the solitude of Studio B.

In a word: Wow! In three words: It’s absolutely fabulous.

Published by Debbie Grattan on 11/22/13.

Debbie Grattan is a Professional Female Voice-Over Actor who has been in the business  for more than 20 years, racking up well over 10,000 completed voiceover projects while partnering with hundreds of production companies, marketing and advertising firms, commercial voice-over recording studios and corporate/business clients around the United States and abroad. Check out Debbie’s Voice-Over Actor Demos and request a voice over services quote for an upcoming project.

Working for myself as a female voice over talent and independent contractor, I enjoy the luxury of having some degree of control over key aspects of my business such as my rates, my time, my schedule, and my terms of working with my voice-over clients.

I really love the work I do. I suspect it could be a bit of a shock for newbie voice over talents to know that I spend more than half of my day sitting in my business office engaged in email and phone conversations with current and prospective voice-over clients, quoting voice over services, firming up details, coordinating recording sessions on my calendar, editing and delivering finished audio files, following up on projects, and generally making sure my voice-over clients have exactly what they need.

That’s all work that is NOT actually accomplished in a recording booth! Of course, all of that activity is ultimately necessary for a successful business and is directed toward two primary goals:

1. Serving my voice-over clients the best way I know how 

2. Getting paid

I’ve talked a lot in previous voice over articles and blogs about serving my voice-over clients, so I thought it would be appropriate here to discuss Goal #2.

Voice-Over Clients and the Art of Getting Paid

I know from my own personal experience and from reading stories shared by other seasoned voice talent, that getting paid can sometimes be a tricky thing.

There are several challenges that voiceover talents will encounter which relate to this topic. Things like:

1.  Feeling worthy and deserving of receiving hundreds or thousands of dollars for something that doesn’t seem very difficult to the average person (but in reality can be extremely difficult).

2.  Knowing how much to charge for your voice over services. Rates can vary drastically depending on a variety of factors including market size, usage, union involvement and budget of the client.

3.  Creating an accounts payable / accounts receivable system and staying on top of invoicing. Basic accounting skills and ability to track payment status are critical.

4.  Knowing what to do when a voice-over client is late on their payment.

Getting paid can sometimes enter a “gray” area and not knowing how to handle what matters most can become a big obstacle for voice over talent who are new to the business.

Over the coming weeks I will be exploring various aspects of how to get paid by voice-over clients. Look for the next chapter in this series of articles in about a week.

Published by Debbie Grattan on 11/08/13

Debbie Grattan has been delivering Voice Over Services for more than 20 years. She has worked on over 10,000 projects while partnering with hundreds of production companies, marketing and advertising firms, commercial voice-over recording studios and corporate/business clients around the United States and abroad. Check out her Demos and request a Complimentary Custom Audition for an upcoming project.

Published by Debbie Grattan on 10/02/13

One of the best things about being a professional female voice talent is having the chance to meet and work with some truly exceptional people. I was fortunate enough, in the beginning of my career, to connect with voice over artist Scottie Rummell.

As we were both living in Orange County, CA, and shared mutual professional voice over clients, we would sometimes find ourselves sitting across from each other in the booth at Audio Images in Irvine, playing some husband/wife couple searching for a new car, or other familiar scenario.

Professional Voice Talent Scottie Rummell Pays it Forward

At that stage in both of our careers, we were driving the LA route regularly for voice over acting workshops, VO auditions, meetings with agents, and recording sessions. Scottie was nice enough to recommend me to his big time Hollywood agent, where I was signed as a female voice talent for a few years.

I recall him telling me how, in honor of one of his first mentor relationships with the legendary Daws Butler, (famous Hanna-Barbera cartoon voice) he vowed to “pay it forward” by helping others in the professional voice over business, as much as he could. Even in the big leagues of professional voiceovers, Scott’s heart has always been in the right place.

 

 

Fast forward to around 2001, when Scott chose to really focus on the movie trailer “big voice” sound… and the rest is history. Now, in the professional voice over business, he’s the voice you know from literally hundreds of films, TV shows and network promos.

Even after moving from Southern California to Michigan, I would be comforted to have the TV on, and hear that familiar voice for Oprah, or ABC, or the latest movie blockbuster, and I could say “there’s Scottie” with a huge smile on my face!

I hope you enjoy meeting him in this short video. You’ll get a sense of his sweet nature and the joy he feels from getting to do what he loves to do, and be the BEST in his field.

Debbie Grattan is a Professional Female Voice Talent who has been in the business  for 20+ years. To date she has been a part of more than 10,000 voiceover projects and has partnered with hundreds of production companies, marketing and advertising firms, commercial voice-over recording studios and corporate/business clients around the United States and abroad. Check out her Professional Female Voice demos and request a voice over services quote for an upcoming project.

Published by Debbie Grattan on 09/13/13

So, what happens when you’re known in a local, regional or national market, as “the voice” for a particular product, store, or brand, AND a competing vendor wants to use your voice for their product too?

Here we get into another form of the question of “exclusivity” and how a voice can have an association with a product, or a segment of products. The branding of a product or service, which is so critical in today’s business world, is a reason we must always be aware of in our everyday work as professional voice over artists.

I’ve had this instance come up in a couple of ways recently. One in a local market, and another in a national context.  Each one was handled slightly differently.

Preventing Conflict of Interest between Clients with Local TV and Radio Commercial Voice Overs 

In my local market, where I can hear my voice regularly on TV and radio advertising for several varied products and services, I have done work for a chain of mattress stores (we’ll call them Client A). I worked with an advertising agency and local production company to create an entire year’s worth of these ads for use on a monthly basis, basically targeting sales of certain products with certain times of the year.

Another local appliance chain (Client B), with whom I’ve worked as an on-camera talent in the past, reached out to have me help them with their female voice over needs for a particular commercial, when they felt the voice provided by the local TV station airing their spot didn’t meet their expectations. Client B also happens to sell mattresses, and this particular spot was advertising primarily bedding and mattresses.

I could have just done the commercial voice overs job, taken the money, and waited to see if anyone would notice that the same female voice was advertising two competing stores, selling the same product. But, that didn’t feel right for obvious reasons. I am very aware of the importance voice over plays in brand recognition, even in small to mid-sized markets.

There is a psychology behind creating a brand, and how the consistency of the graphics, colors, logo, music, and voice over (along with other things) support what an advertising agency is developing over time, to make their client stand out in the market.

Wanting to do what was right and in full integrity, I made a phone call to the advertising agency producer (of Client A), to tell them of my situation, and ask what their stance was. I had not signed any kind of “non-compete” clause with them, so legally, I suppose, I would’ve been free to do whatever I wanted and collect a check. However, the moral stance on this bothered me, and even though I wanted to come to the rescue of Client B to aid them with their current request, I also felt an obligation to Client A, and didn’t want to jeopardize their advertising strategy or my working relationship with them.

As it worked out, indeed, I was correct in assuming that this was a conflict of interest. The advertising agency producer was extremely grateful that I had not crossed this line, and caused harm to his relationship with Client A and the brand strategy that had already been put into play. My Client B understood my position, and respected that I felt it was inappropriate to voice the same type of spot for competing stores within a small market.

In order to help Client B get what they needed, I recommended a couple of female voice over talent options that I felt would be a good fit for their current spot. They ended up picking one of those options and were very happy with the result!

As anyone who’s been in business for awhile knows, it pays to use “long-term thinking” in situations like this and avoid the temptation to be short-sighted or just plain greedy. I feel very fortunate that I have enough of a flow of work coming to me all the time that I can do the right thing and still be able to pay the bills.

I think it is important to be aware of the fact that there will be times when you will have to use your own integrity and common sense to say “No” to professional voice over jobs even though the people hiring you aren’t aware of the conflict of interest . It can be a fine line, but it’s best to err on the side of not crossing the line. Reputation counts!

Debbie Grattan is a Female Narration Specialist and Voiceover Actor who has recorded commercial voice overs for more than 20 years. To date she has worked on more than 10,000 projects and has partnered with hundreds of production companies, marketing and advertising firms, commercial voice overs recording studios and corporate/business clients around the United States and abroad. Check out her Professional Voice-over Talent Demos and request a complimentary custom professional voice-over talent services audition for an upcoming project.

Published by Debbie Grattan on 08/21/13

When a client asks you to be an exclusive voice over for a particular share of the market, there are several things to consider.

I recently had this dilemma come up for me, when a direct response end-client (not the producer of the commercial spots, but the actual manufacturer and VP of the company that develops the “as seen on TV” or infomercial products,) came to me to ask what my price would be as a professional voice over actress exclusively for them.

Since I happened to land the commercial voice over for his company’s particular plush children’s toy that performed the very best in history for all children’s products sold on TV the manufacturer (maybe you’ve heard of Pillow Pets), thought that perhaps he could purchase my voice, for exclusive use in this share of the market, for a price.

This was undiscovered territory for me.

Is it only celebrities who should be paid generously for the exclusivity of their voice talent?

Certainly, I can think of celebrity pitch men and women, who are paid generously for the exclusivity of their voice talent in certain shares of the market. Take for instance, Tim Allen (Campbell’s Soup – Pure Michigan), Jeff Bridges (Hyundai), Jon Hamm (Mercedes-Benz), Julia Roberts ( Nationwide Insurance ) these are just a few names that come to mind.

Obviously, for big name celebrities, there is a higher price tag than for a relatively unknown female voice over talent like myself. But, if they wanted to keep my voice exclusively for use with their products, and keep it off the market for competing products, then what kind of price tag would I put on that?.

Is it worth it to give up other professional voice over opportunities for exclusivity offers?

I did quite a bit of thinking and research on this one…

If I was to remove myself from accepting other jobs in any competing category, what effect would that have on my bottom line?  I did go back over the last several years to take stock of just how much income I had earned from these direct response type ads.

If I was going to say “no” to current and future clients in a particular genre of product, than what was I giving up? And, would figures from years past be only a small indication of what could be out there waiting in the future? If I were to decline other offers, what kind of relationship damage would I be doing for years to come, by not establishing and continuing these relationships? What would give up all this be worth?.

After a few discussions with some trusted individuals in the know, I took some advice, and asked the VP to give me what he thought was a reasonable price for me to be hired as a professional voice over exclusively for his company. I suppose in any sort of business deal, it’s sometimes best to have the other party throw out the first offer, especially since it was his idea in the first place.

His offer was low in comparison to what I had already determined to be my potential earning ability within this market. I countered….high, but certainly within what I thought was a reasonable range for what he was asking me to do. I didn’t get a responding email. I guess it was too high, in his opinion, to even consider countering.

I suppose there is a price for anything. If they were offering a 6 or 7 figure contract (which is I’m sure what the celebrities’ agents have negotiated for them on these deals) then it would have been worth it for me.

I didn’t regret my decision, or the money I turned down. Looking at the long-term ramifications of choosing to exclude certain vendors or clients, and how much that limits what I can deliver as a female voice over talent, it just made more sense to keep my voice available for anyone who wishes to hire me. You never know who and what that next professional voice over services client can bring to the table.

What are the secrets behind being a successful professional voice over talent?

This is a question I am asked regularly, and I also see it often in online voice over talent groups and forums.

Of course, there are no real secrets. The idea of  a “secret” anything is usually just a tactic used to sell more books, seminars, etc.

In my experience, I’ve found there are only one thing you can do to become a successful professional voice over talent and that one thing isn’t the same for everyone.  Do things that work for you and take you closer to your goal of being a successful professional voice over talent.  Do things that don’t work for you and take you further away from your goal of being a successful voice talent.

I’ve shared my own tips and “secrets” before, and I know that nothing that I share will work for everyone who applies it.  Well, almost nothing…

That’s because the art of voice over is just that—an art, not a science. It’s also a business, and there ARE many tried and true business practices that DO work for nearly anyone who uses them.

How I became a Successful Female Voice Over Talent

As I read voiceover stories online, and hear about people struggling to book voiceover jobs or find an agent, I recall my own struggles that were part of my path in the early years. It wasn’t easy, but I was enjoying the journey, so it didn’t seem like a struggle to me.

Believe it or not… I actually didn’t set out to become a female voice over talent. Having  a career as a “voice over talent” wasn’t even on the map back then (early 1990’s) as a possibility for more than a tiny few lucky people. Generally, the only people who could make money doing voiceover work were people who had direct access to professional recording studios or connections and/or agents to get into those studios to record actual paying gigs. This was all before the days of home recording studios and the internet.

I remember when I was sent on my first voiceover audition, I didn’t really know what to expect or what it was about at all. But, being a young, passionate, hungry-for-work actress in Southern California, I was up for anything (well, almost anything) that might lead to more opportunities to hone my craft and make a few bucks. Most of my work was for on-camera jobs, live spokesperson gigs, stage work, and the traditional actor jobs that I knew existed.

I had an Agent who encouraged me to audition for Voice Over Talent and I soon discovered after a couple of successful voiceover jobs that I had a natural aptitude for it. So I started intentionally pursuing more opportunities in voiceover auditions and workshops, asking my agents to send me out on more of those kinds of gigs when they came along. Over time I got to know many producers and studio contacts in Orange County, Los Angeles and even San Diego. That’s how it all started for me. But that path to success isn’t even an option in today’s world.

How to make it as a Voice Over Talent Artist

If I were to write a book about how to make it as a voice over talent, and rely on my experience of how I made it as the blueprint, my book would be irrelevant for anyone wanting to become successful today.

In fact, back then, when I told someone what I did, they looked at me with that head-cocked look you see puppies make: “A what…?” So, then I’d explain  “You know when you watch a TV commercial or listen to a radio commercial, there is someone speaking but you don’t necessarily see them or know who they are? Well, I get paid to speak the words for situations like that.”

Now when I mention that I am a female voiceover artist, what I usually here is: “Oh yeah, my friend/cousin/neighbor is doing voice overs! Maybe they could call you so you can give them some advice about how to be more successful?”  Ah, Sure… but there is a nominal $350 per hour “brain-picking fee.” I take checks, credit cards and PayPal.  Joking aside, the advice I always give to anyone thinking they should go into this business is simple…

• Take a few workshops from reputable voiceover casting companies or agencies in large metropolitan areas, and notice how you feel after you do that.

• Determine how much authentic natural talent you have, and how much heart-felt desire and willingness you have to hone and perfect your talent and ability over the next 10+ years.

The truth is, being a voice over talent isn’t the right job for most people—just like being a doctor, an insurance agent or florist isn’t the right job for most people. We each have to discover which jobs are the right fit for us as individuals with our own unique strengths, talents, abilities and interests.

If after reading all that, you’re still saying, “Ok, I get it… But how do I become more successful as a voice over talent??!” Keep reading for my tips, but don’t get your hopes up too high because they are very common sense things that often get ignored.

I’ve written several voiceover business articles on this topic, so I recommend you check them out as well. Of course there is a ton of information on the internet from a range of reputable sources as well as people who don’t have a clue about what they are writing. Part of the learning curve is figuring out who’s accurate, and who’s not.

As I said earlier: if there were ever any voiceover “secrets,” they are out of the bag by now and someone has found a way to get paid for sharing them.

The business suggestions are still very important to remember and often overlooked. Assuming you have reached some level of talent, a desire to do the work, the ability to interpret copy in multiple ways, and so on, then here is my short list of, “What works for me and helps me be a more successful voice over talent.”

It’s all about connecting with the Voice Over Client, and then becoming extremely valuable to them.

So, how do you that?

• You always do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

• You always are professional and courteous to people you are dealing with.

• You always return emails and phone calls quickly.

• You are always pleasant to work with.

• You always deliver your voice files on or ahead of schedule.

• You always under-promise and over-deliver.

• You are available to discuss the style of the voice over, or hold a phone patch session with the client to give them what they want.

• You are always focused on giving them what they want and being of service to their needs. It’s not about you. It’s about them and helping them get what they need to complete their project.

• You always follow-up with your clients afterward, to make sure they were satisfied with your work, and ask for a copy, if possible, for your library of work. You ask them for permission to add them to your database, so you can stay in touch.

• You compile a database, which you continue to update with new contacts. This is your most valuable marketing resource.

• You have an actual marketing strategy in place, to maintain your connections with your contacts.

Those last two bullet points are a big KEY to building your professional voice over business, and are probably the most overlooked by voiceover actors.  Anyone can voice one commercial spot, if they are invited, or have a connection.  But keeping business flowing to keep up a flourishing career takes time, energy and smarts.  You have to be up to the task, and keep pushing. It’s never-ending.

Great connections lead to referrals, which are critical in this business. It’s all about connection and relationships.