Stuck in a Rut? Get Out of the Grave!

Are you in a rut right now? More importantly, is your VO business in a rut? Ellen Glasgow once said that "the only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions." I know that might sound a little spooky – especially with Halloween being last week and all. 

However, she still raises a very valid point. If your VO business is currently stuck in a rut, it very well could be suffering a slow death right before your eyes. The worst part is that many VO professionals are stuck in a rut right now and don't even know it!

At this point, you might be asking, "How would I know if my business is in a rut or not?" Well, here's a question for you to ask yourself: "How much of my work is from repeat clientele, referrals, testimonials from past clients, my online presence, high-quality auditions and my overall voicing techniques?"

Do not be in such a rush to answer that question. Take a moment to really think about it, reflecting on the past year, the past month or even the past week. Be totally honest with yourself!

Each of those key factors play vital roles in keeping your VO business alive. Yes, as voiceover artists, the part of our job that we love the most is the actual recordings! Getting in the studio with a brand new project and speaking into the microphone until we get the perfect take. However, as a business owner, we have a completely different set of duties & tasks that we must handle just as well – if not better.

I'm going to take a note from comedian Jeff Foxworthy for a moment by creating a "You Might Be in a Rut If…" list.

Here we go.

· You might be in a rut if you are more focused on getting brand new clients instead of creating brand new projects for old clients.

· You might be in a rut if you haven't even bothered to ask your old clients for referrals and recommendations simply because you don't think that they would have anyone to refer or recommend.

· You might be in a rut if you have social media profiles and websites created for personal use, but nothing set up for your professional career.

· You might be in a rut if you are using the same demo recording for every single proposal – even if the footage does not meet the needs of your potential clients.

· Here's my favorite: You might be in a rut if you spend more time complaining about your VO business not working instead of figuring out new & improved ways to work your VO business.

It's all about momentum! If you don't have momentum, you have to get it. If you do have momentum, you have to keep it. Therefore, no matter what stage you are at in your professional career, you will always have to work on maintaining momentum in order to avoid building an early grave for your business.

Examine your repeat clientele. What exactly keeps them coming back for more? Find a way to add even more value to their experience, which will make it even easier for them to recommend your VO business to other people. Remember – the difference between a one-time client and a repeat client is a second project. If you are able to lock in a second project, chances are that you can create an opportunity for a third, fourth, fifth and so on. However, if you are waiting for them to ask for it…you might be waiting forever. Be proactive and make the opportunity by pitching new ideas and potential projects to your one-time clients before sealing the deal on their purchases. Doing so will keep that door of opportunity wide open!

When it comes to advertising your business, stop relying on yourself to handle the burden alone! Allow your past, present and future clients to help you with that. How? Word-of-mouth and referrals go a very long way. However, thanks to the Internet, it's even easier than that – especially on social media.

By simply mentioning your VO business on Facebook or Twitter, your clients will expose your company to their inner circle of friends, family, coworkers and colleagues & everyone else that they are connected to online. It kind of takes the traditional testimonial to a whole new level, doesn't it? Whether you realize it or not, you could indirectly generate recommendations and referrals with a single Facebook post made by one of your clients. Being proactive is the key. Chances are that if you "remind" your client to mention you on Facebook, they will do so without even realizing the long-term benefits that one-time action will create for your business.

Lastly, do not allow your auditioning process to become a boring chore. No one likes to do chores – especially if they are dull and boring, right? Focus on shaking things up a bit to keep it interesting and effective! If you notice that your auditions don't seem to get the results that you expect, it might be time to go back to the drawing board. Invest in yourself and your business by getting insight and feedback from a professional voiceover coach. Sometimes, a second set of ears can help a lot when it comes to taking your career to the next level.

Remember – newbies to the VO industry are not the only ones that struggle with getting stuck in ruts. Longtime VO professionals are faced with the same struggle in addition to fighting against becoming complacent instead of competitive in today's market.

Do not just allow yourself to make a new home inside of your rut because, as mentioned earlier, that can become a grave for your VO business. Use these tips and tricks to dig your way out of that hole and keep building your business successfully for many years to come.

Distractions, Distractions, Distractions!

How many times are you distracted on a daily basis? Chances are that you would need a lot more than just two hands to count them all with your fingers. Whether you have a house filled with people or you live alone, distractions seem to always find a space to fill in your life – personally as well as professionally, right?

Building a successful VO business places you face-to-face against distractions within the industry – especially with the rapid growth and popularity of low-bidding contractors and P2P sites that seek to rob us of high-quality opportunities & clients. It can be challenging to focus on throwing out bait to catch new fish when these cutthroat competitors seem to swoop them up from underneath our noses with a low-quality net.

That, in itself, can become a huge distraction that completely throws us off track. Quite a few people have caused this type of distraction to sink their battleships completely – waving the white flag and surrendering their business goals, ambitions and dreams. You want your VO business to be successful, right? You probably have big things planned for your future in your industry, right? Who doesn’t?

Here's the bottom line: You can't do big things if you're distracted by small things. At this very moment, some of you might be saying to yourselves, "Terry, it's not a small thing! The number of clients that seem to choose the cutthroat contractors over me is getting larger and larger! It's definitely not a small thing!" That is where having the right perspective comes into play.

Think about it this way. Everyone knows that quality comes with a price tag. The lasting clients that are going to help you build & maintain your VO business are the ones that are going to run as far away from those cutthroat competitors as possible. They are going to remember the fact that "if it seems too good to be true, it is" and clearly stay away from it. Those are the clients on which we need to stay focused!

By allowing yourself to be distracted, you might end up stooping down to their level – dropping your prices to stay "competitive" in the market of low-quality bids… but for what? Why spend so much time fighting for those 10 clients that apparently only want to spend $10 on a project when you can search for one quality client that is willing to pay at least $100?

Yes, it may take a little more time and a lot more effort to find the high-quality clients that are willing to pay the prices that your high-quality work deserves…..but it is well worth the wait. Remember: You cannot focus on something if you are distracted by anything. That is why it is important – no, vital for you to stay focused.

Jermaine Riley was once quoted as saying, "Distractions destroy action. If it's not moving you towards your purpose, leave it alone."

Another great quote advises you to "starve your distractions and feed your focus."

Your purpose is to build and maintain a successful VO business. You need high-quality clients that are satisfied with your work in order to fulfill that purpose. You don't have any time for distractions. Thinking about the few dollars that you are losing to cutthroat contractors is also allowing you to let those potential goldmines slip through your fingers. Make the decision to not be distracted.

Another great quote to remember: "Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. Time is short."

Stop being distracted by distractions & strive to focus on staying focused – refusing to allow anything or anyone stand in the way on your journey towards success in this business.

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

"The road outside of your comfort zone is bumpy and uncomfortable – but it's worth the trip." 

When I decided to break out of my comfort zone to get started in voiceovers, there was not a safety net to catch me. I walked away from my radio job without a lot of money saved. I even borrowed $10,000 with a crappy business loan. Why was it crappy? I ended up paying back $15,000! Most batting averages were higher than my credit score at the time; not to mention that the bills and my mortgage still needed to be paid on top of everything else.

However, I was determined to make the trip outside of my comfort zone worth it. I used the money that I received from that crappy loan to upgrade my equipment and invest in professional coaching sessions. I attended numerous networking events, made contacts and send out demos every single week.

It took a couple of years, but the hard work and effort started to pay off in a big way over time. I took the time to go out of my way for my clients – providing superior customer service. It paid off, because many of them are still working with me today.

Bottom Line: You need to break out of your comfort zone to get on the road to success. However, it takes a lot of hard work and effort for you to stay on that road. Many people try to break into the voiceover business with goals of becoming "the next big thing" in the industry. They have huge pipe dreams and expect those dreams to come true overnight without applying any effort. They do not want to invest in themselves mentally and financially primarily because of the books and blogs that claim they do not have to since ANYONE can do it. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and understand that there are no shortcuts to success in this industry.

I shared my story to make it clear that success within the voiceover industry does not come with shortcuts, cliff notes or "Pass Go, Collect $200" cards. Making sacrifices and playing the waiting game are part of the package. You will not achieve overnight success in this industry, but you can achieve lasting success. Invest in yourself. Invest in your goals. Invest in your business. The bumps on your trip away from your comfort zone will seem a lot smaller once you have reached your destination. You will then be able to help others that are right where you are now and sincerely say, "I've been there."

If you are not willing to put in the work… if you are not willing to make the sacrifices… if you are not willing to endure the journey… then you are wasting your time and should consider a different road headed in a different direction.

Voice Over Sermons by Terry Daniel

Last week, I started a new mini-podcast where I broadcast a VO sermon every morning at 7:45am central. Why 7:45am? I have no idea. I wanted to pick an odd time that would stick out! It's going well so far and I already have about 1350 listens total. I know, who cares about stats! I'm pretty pleased with how it's going and people have been pretty darn supportive. These sermons are are good tools for voice actors both seasoned pros and brand new. Check out all of the shows below. Have a great week!