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Envision 3-Legged Stool To Keep
Your Voice-Over Career Upright
By David Brower
Voice Actor
©2010 David Brower
 For a few seconds, close your eyes and visualize a three-legged stool. It will help you to stay focused on what's truly important to keep your voice-over business moving forward. I realize that some of us need more coffee before we can visualize much of anything (that would be me). So there's a helpful picture below.
Now, let me explain.
LEG 1: YOUR VOICE
 It's not the perceived quality of your voice that's important. Rather, it's what you do with it that counts. It's called Voice Acting, not Voice Dancing. So do you know how to use your voice to act and to truly earn quality voice-over auditions?
By the way, you should never quit learning. If you don't have a coach to help you "grow your voice" on an on-going basis, you need to find one.
LEG 2: YOUR EQUIPMENT
Do you have a home studio or access to a studio where you can deliver a quality audition each and every time?
If you don't have a studio nearby, you can create a home studio for less than $1,000 pretty easily.
(Note: See VoiceOverXtra's Home Studio section for advice on setting up and operating a home studio).
LEG 3: YOUR MARKETING
Do you have a consistent, on-going marketing plan in place, or at least in the works?
Does it consist of direct mail, email, phone calls and follow up?
How about the quest for referrals, cold-calling, contacting friends and friends of friends?
How about the web? Is SEO (search engine optimization) in place on your web site?
Do you have an agent, profiles on Pay2Play sites, or both?
The marketing list can be endless, so pick three or four ways that you feel comfortable to focus on and deliver on a consistent basis - and then go do it!
Be sure that whatever your choices are, that they will provide you a good ROI (return on investment).
USE THE CONCEPT
Bottom line: Make a plan and work the plan. Like any good 3-legged stool, if any one of these voice-over legs disappears, guess what?
Right: you fall on your rumpus.
But if you can consistently keep the stool UPright, you are in the game and you Will Grow Your VO Business!
The thing I love about the 3-legged stool concept is that just by saying it out loud, or even muffled under my breath, I know in about 10-15 seconds if I am "on course" or "off track" with my business.
Hope you'll try it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised as to what "The 3-legged stool" will do for your VO business over time.
ABOUT DAVID ...
David Brower is a former radio and television professional and was an automotive advertising specialist for the 8th largest automotive company in America. After doing voice work on a part-time basis for over 15 years, “Poppa” is now a full-time voice actor and audio producer based in Loveland, CO. He has voiced and/or produced automotive commercials in over 40 markets, produced a 20-voice animated cartoon, and has clients in Germany, Norway, and India. Recently, he also began a popular blog, Poppa Unplugged.
Emai: poppa@poppasvoice.com
Web: www.poppasvoice.com
Blog: www.PoppaUnplugged.com
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Nice to see David collected them all in one place. I'll admit that sometimes that my stool does get a bit shakey! But I'll be on mine for life!
Best regards,
Donna Summers