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female voiceover actor

What to Do When People Hate your Work

Voiceover Business

 

Once in a while, hopefully once in a long while, you’re going to encounter someone who hates your work. It could be a critic, a competitor, a troll…hopefully it’s not your client, but occasionally that happens too. What do you do when that happens?

Credit: todocoleccion.net

 

First off, acknowledge your pain. To yourself anyway. Let yourself feel the wtf, the hurt, the shock. It sucks when you’ve done your best and someone doesn’t get it. Or thinks it’s garbage. Honor the sting. Pause. Breathe. Then move to the next step.

 

You won’t be able to keep every client 100% happy 100% of the time. Much as you might try or think you can, it’s just not possible. Hello diverse marketplace. But you can do an audit to learn from it and figure out how to move on.

 

Sometimes you need to wo/man up

 

Don’t just listen, but hear what they have to say. Is it valid? Could your work have been better? Did you follow your client instructions clearly? Did you take creative licence a little too far? Did you take any short cuts? Overblow the budget? Did you leave anything out or not get it in on time? Always looking for ways to improve your craft/work helps make you a better whatever-you-are. A couple of years ago I was tippy-toeing in the deep end with one large job because I wasn’t up to speed on the technology it required. The instructions the client sent registered like Klingon to my short circuiting brain. I explained my Power Point wasn’t as fluent as theirs and asked for a little hand-holding. Happily the client responded with patience and with guided poking and prodding, I was able to give them what they needed.

 

Sometimes it’s them

 

Credit: TripAdvisor.nl

They may have too many cooks in their kitchen. Not a clear enough idea of the outcome they want. Or how to execute it. Maybe someone on the team is going through a major life change and consequently they are off their game. Maybe they dropped the ball and are looking for an expendable crew member to take the fall. (i.e., you) A few years ago I was hired to voice a series of regional radio spots and asked to record in a live session with clients sitting in on the call. This is a frequent occurrence for me to which I happily comply because it means they get exactly what they want in session. Their client is there to sign off. And, everything went very well. All seven (yeah, a lot of cooks on this one) parties I patched in for the recording were very pleased with my voice over – or at least that’s what they told me. Two days later this client contacted me saying that actually they weren’t happy and had re-cast and re-recorded the session with another announcer. He was not specific with why they had reached this decision, but was very pointed about asking me to drop my fee or consider cutting it in half as they weren’t going with me. I politely pointed out, no, I had lived up to my part of the agreement, and insisted on payment for work delivered. I did get paid, but never heard from the client again. Perhaps it’s for the best.

 

Sometimes you need to fight back

 

Especially if you have been wronged. Like not getting paid. Use of your work with your permission. (A variant of not getting paid) Or if someone has unjustifiably tarnished your reputation. Like a critic or (ugly territory alert) a competitor. Years ago, when I was the 6 o’clock TV weather woman for a major market news network, I did a little skit for spring that some people loved and some people hated. It was a rap. In the early 90’s it was very different for a white girl to rap, but I had grown up next to Detroit and that stuff was in my veins. The news anchor didn’t handle improv or off-the-cuff remarks very well, and his shock and disapproval registered loudly when the camera cut back to him. The next day the local media critic compared me to a clown and bemoaned the poor anchor that had to work with me. So I bought a red nose and that evening quipped about how it helped to have a sense of humor when dealing with Canadian springs. Which it does. My fan base grew that day. But more importantly, I came back from a public put down with aplomb.

 

How have you handled criticism of your work? If you have anything to add, I’d love to hear it. I’m a heavy hitting female voiceover actor always looking for new ways to grow and improve.

Filed Under: Voiceover Business Tagged With: Canadian springs, competitor, critic, criticism, female voiceover actor, live session, media critic, radio spots, re-cast, troll, TV news, voice, voice over, weather woman, work audit

10 Easy Hacks to Make the Most of Your Professional Community

Voiceover Business

Your peeps. Your gang.  The guys and gals in your field who support you, maybe sometimes compete with you, but also cheer you on when you succeed. Listen to you, or take you out for drinks when you need to complain. This is your professional community. One of your greatest business resources.

Make the Most of Your Professional Community
Make the Most of Your Professional Community

But are you using this resource to the fullest? Your relationships with the people in your industry can help you in more ways than just being sympathetic to your problems or sorting out a project together. Here are ten easy hacks to form stronger alliances, become more efficient, help each other stay on track and even help each other get more business.

1. Mentoring Group

Create a group of people who you can learn from and can learn from you. Maybe of you is more skilled at marketing, another at IT, another at whatever service you’re selling. Help each other, formalize it. do

2. Accountability Group

Again, a small group (more than 3 and less than 8) that meets once a week, reveal goals and hold each other accountable for meeting them. The practice of having to report in, helps push each other, gives each other a lift and helps you become aware of what areas you may need to put more energy into.

Make the Most of Podcasts for your Business
Make the Most of Podcasts for your Business

3. Podcasts

These little audio gems are popping up like Orville’s in the microwave. There’s most likely at least one in your industry and lots on all the various aspects of business. (i.e. CRM, marketing, cold calling, supply chain, etc.) Download and check one out while you’re driving or exercising.

4. Chats Skype/Zoom

If you are a one man or one woman band (aka business) meeting other people in your industry to hang out or inspire each other, resolve issues. A couple of my colleagues lead biweekly chats and I pretty much always learn something from one person and share something with another.

5. Staying on Track  (Sprinting Groups)

If you need to produce something like a number of words if you’re a writer or auditions if you’re a voice over actor, like me, or perhaps layout pins if you’re a graphic or web designer, try a sprinting group. You meet in a chat room, set a timer and go. Then check back in after the set amount of time and report what you got done. Knowing someone else is working along at the same time I am, helps keep me on track.

Make the most of your Street Team
Make the Most of your Street Team

6. Street Team

These are people who spread around how cool you or your product is by word of mouth. i.e. on the street. This works really well for artists, writers, musicians, and P2P business owners. Your street team gets excited about what you’re doing because they think It’s All That. They usually get something (small, but exclusive) for helping you out with an event or spreading the word about your cool news. (i.e. back stage passes, entertaining backstory from books, etc.)

7. Social Media

You have to pretty much be living under a boulder if you’re not using some form of social media nowadays. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, they’re all great ways to engage and stay in touch with contacts, colleagues, help and be helped. Make sure you engage in Groups and Events, too.

8. Marketing Groups

Look over your friendly competitors. Could you package your services with a colleague or two? Pool your marketing budget to get a bigger bang for your buck and appeal to a greater proportion of your market together. Major corporations do it. Why not individuals providing a service?

People who make the most of your conference
Make the Most of your Conference

9. Workshops, Conferences

Workshops and conferences are also great places to make connections among your industry, learn what’s trending and what’s disappearing, what people are talking about and what is missing. Perhaps even identify a need – something you can create a workshop about and present to your peeps yourself.

10. Hiring Within

Create your support list. Always have a ready capable solution for a client who asks, “Do you know someone who…” Have a ready two or three contacts who provide related services you can recommend or work with together on projects. Invite them to be reciprocal. Ask the people you recommend, to recommend you back.

I’m a female voiceover actor marketing my talents to producers of commercials, narrations, eLearning and pretty much anything else that requires a creative, confident, conversational voice. I coach, direct, produce and perform. I’d love to connect with you if I can help your business in any way.

Filed Under: Voiceover Business Tagged With: accountability, chat groups, coaching, conference, female voiceover actor, marketing group, mentoring, podcast, professional community, sprinting groups, street team, support list, voice over actor, workshop

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