Ah, December. It’s cold for most, wetter and snowier for many, and one thing is true for all of us: after Thanksgiving, time is on speed. It’s like time wakes up every Dec. 1 and puts the pedal to the metal in an attempt to fast forward us right out of the year at light-speed. On a year like this one none of us are complaining about leaving 2020 behind, but there’s still one very important thing to do before the year’s end. And no, it’s not staying up all night Googling gift ideas for your mother-in-law-that-has-everything. That can definitely wait. What can’t wait is taking care of some Very Important Persons: the employers who contribute to putting a roof over your head.
If you’re like me, that roof is provided by voiceover producers, clients, agents, directors, writers, and casting directors who hire you throughout the year. The holidays are a great excuse to send a note of gratitude to all of those who have placed their faith in you to record their projects during the year and 2020 should be no exception. Everyone needs all the love and appreciation they can get!
Thank you notes not only give you an opportunity to be grateful to the hand that feeds you, but they’re also a good strategy to stay top of mind (they’re a happy reminder you exist!). If you’re wondering about the technicalities, I’m a big believer in the power of hand-written notes, but with all the additional masks and packaging destined to landfills this year due to COVID-19, I’ll be going digital. That said, I won’t be sending a mass email. I want to stay top of mind, not top of spam-inbox, so I’m considering sending a personal short video or giphy. Personal messages may seem like a pain, but they’re are always worth it.
Beyond being kind to clients and employers, and staying top of mind, this simple act gives me the opportunity to take stock of what worked this year and what didn’t (pandemic factors aside). To get a quick x-ray of your voiceover business, I recommend creating folders in your email program labeled by industry sector. For instance, all my advertising clients go into an email folder labeled “Commercials,” all my medical clients go into a folder labeled “Medical,” and so on.
How to Become a Voice Actor This is where the fun begins. In some years, I’ll notice more clients in one sector than in another. For instance, this year, I was popular with boutique advertising agencies. I’ve accumulated a nice list of new clients in this sector and some have knocked on my door a few times this year already. It’s clear that whatever I’m doing in this sector is working. But what if things slow down next year? Easy: I’ll make it my mission to search for other boutique advertising agencies. When I find them, I’ll send them the very same demos that worked for current advertising clients. In theory and often in practice, similar clients like the same type of voices and performances because they create similar types of productions.
Another thing I noticed this year was that my regular medical clients used me less. There may be many reasons for this, but when I listen to the medical demos on my site, I notice they’re a bit old. I know I can do much better, and that these aren’t nearly as attractive as they should be. So, if I’m not as busy as I’d like next year, I’ll add “recording new medical demos” to my list of to-dos and send them to my clients to see if that will break the dry spell. While I’m at it, I’ll reach out to new clients in that sector as well.
If I notice that I haven’t booked any work with some of my agents, I’ll also use the year’s end as an excuse to touch base and talk shop. Perhaps they have important feedback I should be aware of that they just won’t volunteer unless I ask. Perhaps I’m sounding too announcer-y and I need to hit my acting class again. In fact, if you notice that you’ve stopped booking in an entire sector of the industry one year, you may need specialized coaching to help you get back on track. For instance, a colleague of mine noticed that his entire voiceover business had slowed down tremendously, so he called me for coaching. When I listened to his demos, I instantly knew what was wrong: he’s lived abroad for many years and he’s now acquired a funky accent. He clearly needs an accent coach to correct the situation and once that’s under control, he’ll need to record new demos and launch himself anew.
Life happens and we all need a tune-up from time to time. It’s completely normal. If you make it a habit to take stock of your business once a year, you’ll stay on top of it. So, this holiday season, be grateful to those who appreciate your talent enough to pay you for it and take the opportunity to notice what you can do in the new year to improve your bottom line. This way, slower times ahead will become exciting opportunities instead of dreaded anxieties (let COVID-19 and your mother-in-law-that-has-everything feed that monster). On that note, bring it on 2021, we know things can only go up from here!
Looking for remote work? Backstage has got you covered! Click here for auditions you can do from home!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
