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CAREER
Tips For Building Your Voice Over
Business - Without Wasting Time
March 18, 2014

By Bettye Zoller
Voice Talent & Coach

Time wasted is time lost forever. In the interests of helping you save time, here are my five TOP TIPS on spending each day most wisely in the voice over world - so that you can take better care of your clients, contact potential new ones, and advertise yourself best. Here they are:  

1. Spend less time on Facebook and other social sites.
Instead, work on promotional materials you plan to send and to give out in person in your area to people you network with (try to attend at least two in-person networking events per week!).

Checking the "gossip" on FB is ok, but just keep one eye on the clock!

2. If you are signed to agents now ...
Everyone should have at least three agents in various geographical areas. Contact them by phone or email just to say "hello" and keep your name in their minds.

3. Audition online daily.
I suggest joining no more than TWO online voice over sites that send auditions. See how they work for you and do not give any site more than a one-year trial period before leaving them and spend your money elsewhere.

This auditioning includes, of course, audition notices your agents send you. Not getting any from your agents? Oops...that's not a good sign.

4. Research voice over articles and articles online.
There are wonderful groups (free) on LinkedIn and Google, and VoiceOverXtra has a terrific archive of articles to learn from - all free. Click the ARTICLES tab in the menu bar above.

5. If you don't have TWO demos - commercial and narration ...

... get with a good producer and start the process now to make those "killer" demos. If you do have demos but they are not good or are over two years old, make new ones.

My philosophy is that you need not throw away older demos entirely - just add to them and "renew the flavor."

And whenever you have a new demo to send and give out, it's a great opportunity to meet new people and renew agents' interest in you - and hopefully, to interest new agents in you, too.

You may also be ready for "niche demos" such as medical or audiobook, but those do NOT come first when you're just getting started.

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS


Remember, just like every business, it's a "build." I believe it is about a two-year build to get regular clients and get "the hang of" the biz.

And NEWORK all the time. Join non-voicevover groups, too, or at least attend a meeting now and then. Examples would include Women in Business, The Advertising League and Women in Film & Television.

Think of more. Get familiar with groups in your home area where you can meet people in advertising and marketing. They HIRE voice talents!
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ABOUT BETTYE
Bettye Zoller is a multi-award winning voice over talent, coach and audiobook narrator based in Dallas, where her VoicesVoices production and voice over training company hosts workshops and copy-reading sessions. She is also a speaker at industry events and presents VoiceOverXtra webinars on a range of voice over topics.


Email: btzol@aol.com
Web: www.VoicesVoices.com


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Comments (1)
Al Richardson
3/18/2014 at 10:30 AM
Great advice Bettye...both for the new and seasoned Pros.
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