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VOICE OVER CAREER You're Busy, Busy - But Getting Nowhere. What I've Learned About Being Productive May 16, 2017  By Paul StrikwerdaVoice Actor What's frustration number one for a freelancer? Being busy without being productive. It's a trap I have fallen into many times. I was working all day long, without much to show for it. That is, until something finally dawned upon me: Busy people talk about how little time they have. Productive people make time for what is important. The question is: How do you know what is important for your business? On some days, everything seems important: answering emails, invoicing clients, making phone calls, updating the website, recording auditions, paying bills, designing marketing materials, researching new gear, keeping up with social media… The list is endless, especially when you're a one-person band. MISTAKE NUMBER ONE ... It's tempting to do it all, and to do it all by yourself. But that's mistake number one. Here's how to fix it: Focus on what you're good at. Outsource the rest. There's a reason why a brain surgeon doesn't do her own billing, a CEO doesn't answer every call, and Tim Cook doesn't design the next iPhone. People who run a successful business hire people who are smarter and more talented than they are, to take care of certain aspects of that business. These experts are able to do things better and quicker, leaving you with more time to focus on your strengths. That's where the money is! WHAT TO OUTSOURCE ... So, if you're not a kick-ass web designer, hire someone who is, and have him/her teach you to maintain and update the site once it's up and running. Or do you have time to become an SEO specialist? I didn't think so! If you stink at bookkeeping, get an office assistant to take care of the numbers, and let an accountant prepare your taxes. This ensures that you maximize your deductions, and you minimize the money going to the IRS. An office assistant can also take on other administrative tasks, such as dealing with unpaid invoices. That way, you don't have to be the bad guy (or gal). If you're struggling to create a logo or a catch phrase, hire a graphic designer and a copywriter. They specialize in making you look and sound much more professional than you'll ever be able to do yourself. Clients will only see you as a professional if you present yourself like a pro. If you're recording a massive project (such as an audiobook) on a tight deadline, pay someone to edit and master the audio for you. Why spend time on a $60 to $100 per hour job, if you could make between $350 and $500 per hour? WHAT'S THE TRUE COST? If you're thinking about how much all of this will cost, you're looking at it the wrong way. Reinventing the wheel, learning on the fly, trying to do everything yourself… it will leave you frustrated and without energy to do what you do best - the very things clients hire you to do. And that is going to cost you! If - on the other hand - you decide to outsource some or all of these things, you'll be surprised how much time you will gain. Now, let's see if I can save you some more ... AUDITION LESS. MAKE MORE. In the beginning of my career I spent way too much time auditioning for jobs that were out of my range. Why? Because someone had told me that it was a numbers game. The more I auditioned, the greater the chance I would eventually land a job, they said. Doing auditions was a way to learn on the job, right? Wrong! Clients hire you because they trust you can do the job. They don't want you to experiment on their dime. These days I am super selective. I know I don't have a movie trailer voice, so I'm not even going to try to sound like one. I won't audition for projects by companies or causes I cannot support (sorry fast food and tobacco industry). And if you're not offering a decent rate, you can find yourself a Craigslist talent, but please don't waste my time. SELECTIVE AUDITION LINES I also got smarter in the way I audition. Knowing that clients will often only listen to the first seconds, I am no longer recording three-minute scripts. Unless the client specifies otherwise, I'll pick a few lines from the beginning with the company name, and I'll include the payoff line at the end. Then I'm done. I know Michael J. Collins auditions this way, and based on his fine dining pictures on Facebook he seems to be doing okay. One last thing about auditions: I no longer record 10 takes before I'm satisfied. If I can't produce a good read in a few tries, the job is probably not meant for me. THE HARDEST WORD Apart from curbing my presence on social media, there's one other thing that has saved me tons of time: I became better at saying a certain two-letter word. "Can you evaluate my demo for free?" NO!Don't get me wrong. I enjoy helping others, but I don't run a charity. I run a for-profit business. That means that in everything I do, I have to think about the Return On Investment. Making enough money gives me the opportunity to invest in ways that will save me money and grow my business, as well as the freedom to engage in activities that are important, but that won't generate any money. ONE MORE LESSON When I look back at my career, I wasted so much time waiting for things to happen. I thought that if I put a few things in place; had the right equipment and a decent amount of talent, things would turn out okay. After all, a wise man had told me: "Do what you love, and the money will follow."Tell that to the people who are going broke, lovingly living a dream. A few hard years later, I realized that if I wanted to be successful, I had to become the prime instigator and number one delegator. I had to stop being busy, and start becoming productive. It was quite the transformation, but you know what they say: "Busy people talk about how they will change. Productive people are making those changes."Are you? ---------------- ABOUT PAUL Paul Strikwerda is a 26-year veteran of the voice over industry whose Nethervoice service features German and Dutch voice overs, translation and evaluation services. Born in Holland, he has worked for Dutch national and international radio, the BBC and American Public Radio. Although 90% of his work is in English, Strikwerda also records in Dutch, German and French. Clients include Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, and the Discovery Channel. And he is author of the new book, Making MONEY In Your PJs: Freelancing for voice-overs and other solopreneurs, and publishes an informative and entertaining blog, Double Dutch. Email: paul@nethervoice.com Web: www.nethervoice.comDouble Dutch Blog: www.nethervoice.com/nethervoice Making MONEY In Your PJs: http://makingmoneyinyourpjs.com |
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-Kath Crumrine