Why the “same people” get all the voice over jobs and how to become part of the club
By Susan Berkley
Do you ever feel discouraged because it seems like the “same people” get all the voice over work and there’s nothing you can do about it?
Have people told you not to bother with voice over because a small handful of people get all the work?
I used to think this was a myth, a lie even, perpetrated by naïve and ignorant people and voice talent who wanted to discourage the competition.
But you know what? I was WRONG! The shocking truth is that 20% of all voice talent are booking 80% of all the work.
Ever hear of the 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto Principle)? You probably have. It is a common rule of thumb in business that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients, 80% of your problems come from 20% of your clients and so on.
A sales trainer friend of mine recently told me 65% of everything sold in America is sold by only 15% of all sales people.
The cold, hard truth about voice over is that 20% of all voice talent are getting 80% of the work.
So here’s what this means to you and your voice over business, no matter where you are in your career…
There is no “secret club.” There is no privileged elite. There are no lucky breaks, just a small group of dedicated hardworking people willing to do what others are not willing to do and these are the folks who reap the rewards, and deservedly so.
To me this is great news, because to be successful, all you have to do is model what the top 20% of all voice talent are doing right!
Here’s a short list:
Goal focused. They work with specific, measurable and time bound goals. They set deadlines and work to meet them.
Work ethic. They show up on time, so what ever it takes and are reliable and professional.
Life learners. They have coaches and are always seeking to improve their skills
Client focused. They get to know their clients and focus on their needs rather than on their own celebrity status. They are always pleasant to work with and treat others well.
Motivated. They have specific objectives about what they want to achieve with their voice over business. Typically these objectives are financial, but they can also include flexible time, achievement of a lifelong dream and a career transition.
Mastery of The Inner Game. Scratch the surface of any successful person and you’ll find they’ve had to wrestle with their share of demons. They’ve had to find the courage to face up to things about themselves they’d rather not see so they can fully access the talent and richness within.
Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?
Susan Berkley is a top voice over artist and founder of The Great Voice Company, a company devoted to teaching great voices around the world how to become successful voice over actors. The Great Voice Company is an international leader in voice over training and in providing top quality voice over recordings in all languages to discerning businesses and marketers. For additional information visit www.greatvoice.com. Why the “same people” get all the voice over jobs and how to become part of the club.
