Why Won’t Anyone Hire You in Voiceover?

I have been asked by a lot of beginners why they aren’t getting the jobs.  They bid and bid, but don’t get the work.  Of course, as in any industry, there is much to be said about experience.  The more that you have to showcase, the more trustworthy you appear to a potential client.  But, it isn’t all about experience, and there may be other reasons why you are missing out.

Lack of Self-Confidence It is the rule of every great salesman – you must believe in what you have to sell.  If you can’t honestly say that you love the product, why would anyone else want to buy it from you?  The same is true when the product is your voice.  If you don’t believe in your ability to return a very solid, professional piece of work to the client, you are going to have a very hard time selling your services.  That could explain why you aren’t winning the jobs.

Lack of Focus If there is one message that I could give to every new voice over talent, it would be, ‘choose a niche and stick to it’.  In the beginning, it is really hard to turn away jobs.  However, you can benefit greatly from staying focused on one niche market. Follow those niches that are most accepting of your signature sound. First of all, you can more quickly rise to the status of expert.  Secondly, you can build really great relationships with other voiceover talents.  Not all will return the favor, but if you recommend another professional to the person you are turning away, there is a good chance that you might see that good fortune returned to you.  Don’t be a afraid to turn a potential client away because the job doesn’t fit your area of expertise, but do so wisely and it may just pay off in the end.

Lack of Exposure I have said it before, and I will say it again, and again, and again, and again… and, I think you get the point – becoming a voiceover talent means becoming a businessperson.  You are, in essence, taking on the role of entrepreneur.  That means managing the billing and issuing the contracts, but it also means tackling marketing.  Bidding on jobs is certainly part of that process, but definitely not all of it.  You need to be advertising your brand, and your brand is you.  So, make your name known.  Be social.  Be engaging.  Interact with others in the business.  All of these efforts will help to ensure that people associate your name with the voiceover industry.