The Importance of Confidence in a Voiceover Artist

In every profession, there is a need for confidence.  If you spend too much time doubting yourself, you will be more likely to make costly mistakes, and you run the risk of convincing others that you are not worthy of your position, your next scheduled raise, or consideration for promotion.  In this field, though, confidence is even more important.  A lack of it will be heard in your voiceover work, which can immediately turn off potential clients.  Walking into an audition overly nervous is very likely going to lead to a poor outcome.  And, if you lack confidence in yourself, you will miss valuable opportunities to go above and beyond for the clients who will serve as your leading source of recommendations. 

If you want to ensure repeat work with a client, or better yet, a referral to others looking for talent like yours, then you must showcase a supreme level of professionalism.  The ability to properly enunciate, to read with a larger-than-life personality, and to improvise as needed will be strongly rooted in your self-confidence.  If you don’t trust yourself, you will miss out on these opportunities to showcase your true strength as a voiceover artist.

So, how do you find your confidence, when it is lacking?  The greatest piece of advice that I was ever offered, in this regard, was to fake it until it feels real.  Here are a few ways that you can do just that.

Focus on Posture The taller and straighter you stand, the better you will feel, the better you will project, and the more confident you will appear to others.  If you don’t feel comfortable standing while recording voiceover work, then focus on sitting with better posture.

Pamper Yourself When you look good, you feel good.  This is a very true statement and something that most people have already experienced in their lives.  So, take the time to pamper yourself on a regular basis.  For some, this may mean a trip to the barber, the salon, or the spa.  For others, it could simply mean an investment in new additions to the wardrobe.  Although you don’t want to cause yourself financial hardship, it is important to spend a little bit on yourself, so you can feel your very best whenever entering a professional setting.

Follow Your Instincts When pre-reading a script, if you notice a section that simply does not sound natural, regardless how many different ways you attempt to read it, then suggest a minor edit, or just attempt to do that in your first reading. In most cases, this effort will be appreciated (or pleasantly unnoticed) by the client.  In those rare instances when a client is a stickler about wording, there is always the option to do a second reading or to dub it over later.