Simple Strategy Professional Voice Actors Use to Earn More...

Professional Voiceover Actors make a good living. How come you're struggling with low paying jobs that come far and few between? Let's talk about it.

Simple Strategy Professional Voice Actors Use to Earn More... - 6:18

Hey guys, one of the first things that I ask people when they come to me and they want to work with me, and uh, use me as a coach and a consultant, is: "Tell me about your professional resume." And inevitably, they want to give me all the information pertaining to voiceover. Or, you know, if they don't have any voiceover or acting experience, then of course, they make it a point to say so. But I go, "No, no, no, no, no. Tell me about your resume. Tell me about your career in all areas up until this point." And I'm going to tell you why it's important. Stick around.

The number one reason I want to know what your non-voiceover resume looks like is because that is the best way to leverage your network, leverage your contacts, and be in control of your voiceover career. It sounds remarkably simple on the surface, but there's a lot of truth behind it.

People who are concerned about relying too heavily on pay-to-plays (maybe that's you, right?) or maybe it's um, a dependency on online casting that you don't want to have anymore. Or maybe you're just not wanting to get involved with that muckety-muck of the casting world in general, and you're wanting to kind of forge your own path instead of being dependent on these digital forms of casting that can be very, very impersonal.

You have an opportunity to build your own client list. And in doing so, you make lasting connections that ultimately lead to repeat business. And that's where the true success for any entrepreneur really lies. And voiceover is no exception to that.

What does it look like? Well, it's [What it looks like] pretty straightforward. I want you to look at the industry that you know and that you understand and that you've been a part of for however long. And whatever that industry is, be it—I don't know—automotive technology, healthcare, manufacturing, even things like restaurants and hospitality, food services—all of these industries, in some way, shape, or form, use voiceover.

Your job is twofold. Number one, it is to introduce your existing network, this existing group of people, to this new endeavor. If you never tell them that this is what you're doing, how can they help you? They can't. They don't even know what's going on because you're making the incorrect assumption right now. Maybe, "Oh, they have nothing to do with that." Not true.

If you take that existing network and you send everyone you know an email and say, "Hey, I'm starting this new career path at whatever stage you're in it, and say I'd like to introduce you to the services that I'm offering and I would like to ask you to send my information to anyone in your immediate company or in your department or in your network that deals in marketing, that deals with advertising, that deals with talent hiring, or that deals with a very specific skill set or area of the industry—let's say things like training videos or um, web presentations, or even the management of a company YouTube channel—you task your network, you task those people with going out there and I mean, in a way, being little champions for [Task your network] you.

I've always said that, you know, our networks, our family, our friends—they want to help. If you don't explain to them how, they won't know what to do. And most often, it's not that you're trying to explain the industry to them. It's not that you're trying to expl [explain to] them the intricacies of your day-to-day as a voice actor. You're trying to impress upon them who the people are that they might have access to that might be interested in your services. That's the key. Because referrals are where it's at. They always have been, right? Everything: word of mouth, referrals, testimonials—this is why everybody wants a good Google review, right? It is an opportunity for your friends to go to someone else and, and when I say friends, I also mean, you know, colleagues, to go to someone else and say, "Hey, here's this person I know and they're really good at what they do. And they're—they're a voice actor and I wanted to show you this."

Conclusion: Because maybe we could use them for something. That's an amazing way to get your foot in the door. It's also an incredible way to, again, build up a marketing list and build up a really curated list of people, people to sell and prospect to. And that's what's so critical.

And everyone, I genuinely—I don't care what you've done previously—everyone has a network. Everyone has a group that they can tap into and get this kind of assistance. Take a step back from the online casting. Take a step back from the pay-to-plays and instead go look to your email list, go look in your [contacts,] and start [communicating effectively about voice over with the people who already know you.]

You would be amazed at the kinds of opportunities that will come to you. And they'll usually be a lot better paying than the stuff that you find online.

I hope this helps, guys. It's just one of the many things that I help voice actors with in marketing and sales and the development of their business. I offer a slew of classes in this for both beginners and advanced voice actors. If you'd like to consult with me on the business side of VO, let's do it. I'm here for it. I'm here to help. And I look forward to talking to you.

Take care.

704-674-8294 / GabrielleNistico.com / gabby@voiceovervixen.com

Gabrielle Nistico, Gabby Nistico, The Voiceover Vixen, The Business First VO Coach, #VoiceoverVixen #VoiceOnFire #BusinessFirstVOCoach Voiceover, Charlotte, North Carolina, Voiceover Demo, Voiceover Coaching Advice, Working Actors, Los Angeles, New York, Linkedin, how to be a voice actor, leverage your network, networking, job experience, resume, skillset