Karen Blogs

Twitter updates from Karen on Sun 08 Nov 2009

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:50:02 -0500

Words=power! RT @paulocoelho The whole universe helps when you want something. It does not select positive or negative thoughts. Be careful
Listen to the bill narrated by voice talent! http://HearTheBill.org RT @LoreleiKing US healthcare bill passes House http://bit.ly/QtBco
FREE mp3 of 4-Hour Work Week audiobook. Log into Audible 1st then go to promo link in Audible's Facebook post http://tinyurl.com/yef6bs9 #fb

A short letter to my loyal readers

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:38:26 -0500

Dear loyal readers of my blog,

You may be surprised to see Twitter updates appearing instead of my normal essays about the topics of voice-over, marketing, and audiobooks. I have not abandoned my style or intention in maintaining this blog for voice talent. However, three life-altering events during the past 6 months -- primarily the loss of my mother -- have left me with little time to write anything of length.

I also realized that many of the links I have posted on Twitter are often excellent resources for voice talent and audiobook narrators. Even if you're following me on Twitter (and if you're not, it's always a good time to start!), you may have missed some of this useful information.

Therefore, I am including my tweets as a supplement -- not a replacement -- to my usual writing on this blog. I have more feature-length articles in the works. I also plan to expand my content to include more short entries like this one since I know it can be difficult to make time to read a longer article.

I thank you for your continued interest in and support of this blog, and I hope you are living the life of your dreams!

Cordially,

Karen Commins

Photo credit: Akirastock/iStockPhoto

Twitter updates from Karen on Sat 07 Nov 2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:01:02 -0500

Had a few minutes in between calls with clients, so I added more names to my Twitter list of voiceover folks: @KarenCommins/voice-talent

Twitter updates from Karen on Fri 06 Nov 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:01:02 -0500

Exc. article from @CJHayden on 7 ways to say thanks: Link

Voice talent & musicians -- Blastwave FX offers 60 free, royalty-free sound effects in its download pack #2: Link

Twitter updates from Karen on Wed 04 Nov 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:06 -0500

Legalities of fair use vs. copyright laws are changing on YouTube per this article in VideoMaker: Link

Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless. -- Thomas Edison #quote

Am I the only person on earth who couldn't care less about Jon/Kate/ their +8 or any other talent-less person turned famous by reality TV?

Is anyone surprised that Kate Gosselin wants to become a voiceover actor? Will anyone be surprised if it happens? Link

Haven't seen any baseball playoffs, but this Manilow-esque ode to Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte cracked me up: Link

The challenge for me as a voice talent is to make those 131 words, or any other script, flow smoothly and honor the intention of the writer.

has just discovered the longest sentence in the history of mankind. In my latest section for Link

Proud to volunteer for Link

Researching a script & found a fab resource! Phonetic pronunciations of authors' names verified with publishers: Link

All you Eiffel Tower/Paris lovers out there should head to Link

Excellent example of viral marketing video by Volkswagen. Change stairs to a piano keyboard, and people use them: Link

Funny video of Neil Gaiman talking about the process of narrating his books & why some authors shouldn't do it: Link

Fear is in our minds, not reality. RT @dreaminaction "When fear is your compass, your own True North will allude you." - R.Z. Cornell #quote

Drumroll....tada! My new web site is on-line, complete w/ new graphics & a new commercial demo! (New avatar too) Link

RT @VoicesDotCom Hear The Bill Interview with Diane Havens | Vox Daily Link

Saw a TV ad for which I auditioned, but a man was cast. Voice talent can't feel rejected when voice isn't right: Link

just turned on Family Guy and discovered it's the episode with BARRY MANILOW! "Oh Quagmire, you came and you gave without taking..." LOL!

Just saw this quote of the day; it applies to voice-over: "A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory." -- Arthur Golden

No voice-over, but I loved being the videographer! RT @DrewCommins Video of the Dive Show at aquarium Sunday 10/11: Link

6 things swimming teaches us about voiceover

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:23:00 -0500

Karen's narration of this entry

It was such a gorgeous day yesterday that Drew and I wanted to go swimming. We called our gym, hoping that the outdoor pool might be open. Most outdoor swimming pools closed Labor Day weekend, and the gym pool was no exception.

I have always loved swimming, especially outdoors in the sunshine. Not only is swimming fantastic physical exercise, but it's also a wonderful meditative activity. I can't think about too much other than the present moment if I want to keep track of my lap count! Since voiceover is always on my mind, it's no surprise that I began thinking of parallels between swimming and voice-over during a recent swim.

Sunny summer day at the swimming pool at Lifetime Fitness, Duluth GA

Recreating my web site

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:12:00 -0500

Refashion. Reorganize. Remodel. Repair. Revise. Reinvent. Reshape. Reform. Rearrange. Repurpose. Revamp. Renew. Revitalize. Rejuvenate.

No matter which word you pick, you now know what my web site designer and I "R" doing, which explains why I haven't posted a blog entry in over a month.

No worries. I have so many ideas about voiceover and marketing still to discuss! I appreciate your patience during my web site renovation and promise to return with new content later in the month to reclaim my place in the voiceover blogosphere!

edited to add photo credit: Skip ODonnell/iStockPhoto

Voice-over career requires time and energy

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:18:00 -0500

Karen's narration of this entry

Nothing lasts forever. The most unforeseen circumstances will swamp you and baffle the wisest calculations. Only vitality and plenty of it helps you.
--WASHINGTON A. ROEBLING

Washington Roebling's name may not be familiar to you. He's not in the voice-over industry. In fact, he has nothing to do with voice-over or entertainment. However, I recently read about him and his monumental accomplishment, and his quote applies to anyone pursuing a big dream, including a career in voice-over.

You see, Washington Roebling was an engineer -- not just any engineer, but the chief engineer behind the famous Brooklyn Bridge. I recently read David McCullough's fascinating and extremely well-researched novel The Great Bridge, which describes the people, risks, relationships, political environment, and long processes involved to build that bridge. It's the sort of sweeping, satisfying book that I would love to narrate, but these historical books are usually about men and therefore narrated by men in the audiobook. But I digress ...

Part of the story that is so remarkable is that Roebling fell seriously ill and wasn't even on-site during much of the construction, yet he pressed on until the Brooklyn Bridge was completed and his dream realized. With his wife's admirable and steadfast assistance, Roebling wrote such an incredible collection of notes and designs that his assistant engineers were able to complete the work to his specifications without his supervision.

The on-line Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vitality as physical or mental vigor especially when highly developed. I can't agree too much with Roebling's assessment that vitality is necessary to accomplish anything of importance, especially a voice-over career. However, I would also add time to the equation.

Many people jump into voiceovers with the expectation that a lucrative and easy career awaits them. Unlike an engineer, they don't study the landscape or make calculations about the best way to proceed. They may give up before achieving the level of success that they seek.

I have often heard that entertainers and sports stars who are considered to be an overnight success usually have been working diligently and learning their profession for 10 years or more. This passage in John Maxwell's book Put Your Dreams to the Test: 10 Questions that Will Help You See It and Seize It better explains that theory:

Author and speaker Jim Rohn points out, "The twin killers of successare impatience and greed." I believe they are often the killers of dreams as well.Most people want results that are quick and dramatic.However, the reality is that most dreams are achieved very slowly, and the results come about unspectacularly. If you have achieved any major goals in your life, then you already know that realizing goals can be less thrilling than imagining them. That's why you need to learn to take satisfaction in the journey and find fulfillment in the small steps along the way.

Drew and I visited New York City for the July 4th holiday, and we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Although I've seen it many times, I could only fully appreciate its immense size, strength, and beauty while actually standing on it.

Karen Commins walks across the Brooklyn Bridge 7/4/09

The construction process took 14 years, which was 2-3 times longer and at a far greater cost than the original estimate. Had Roebling not maintained his vitality and persevered through unimaginable obstacles over long stretches of time, this masterpiece of American architecture would not be standing.

I thought again about the time and energy needed to complete a dream while we watched Macy's July 4th fireworks on the Hudson River. We were treated to a spectacular 30-minute show, but the tremendous planning and coordination, including the actual fireworks manufacture and testing, must have started as soon as the festivities were finished last year, or perhaps even earlier. I created a short video of some highlights from the fireworks and added music from my royalty-free library. I am posting the video here for your viewing pleasure.

Time and vitality have been necessary ingredients in my voice-over business since its inception. Like anyone, I have had and continue to have personal challenges, like the losses of my dad in 2003 and my mother just 2 months ago in May. In the past couple of weeks, Drew and I were shocked to learn that his position as a lead software engineer has been eliminated after 12 years of employment with his company, so we unexpectedly are starting a new chapter of our lives.

I don't bring up my personal obstacles to gain your sympathy but to point out that vitality is needed to sustain the momentum in my voice-over career while time marches on. You may have noticed that even my blog entries lately required an unusual amount of time and energy to complete. Many days, I have to judge my progress on my voice-over dreams based on incremental forward movement. However, like Roebling and his bridge, I continue to focus on my vision of success, counting my blessings and victories as I go along.

What kind of correlation do you notice between time and energy in pursuing your voice-over goals? I'd love to hear from you with comments on the blog!

5 marketing lessons from Ralph the artist

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:30:00 -0500

Karen's narration of this entry

Life has intervened to keep me away my blog this last month. Two weeks have passed since I started writing this little story from my recent cruise, which is relevant to voice talent. Drew and I were sitting in lounge chairs on the promenade deck one evening when another man and his wife sat next to us and starting talking to us. We found out that the guy's name is Ralph; I don't remember his wife's name.

Ralph seemed more interested in talking about himself than in finding out about us. We quickly learned that Ralph is an artist who paints geometric designs on large canvases. He handed me his business card, which had a picture of one of his paintings and the verbiage to look for Ralph on Google. I was a bit surprised that Ralph reached for his card to take it back from me when we parted company.

I told Ralph that I love art, and I asked him how long it took him to create a painting. He replied, "that's my secret." Perhaps I was just making conversation, but for all Ralph knew, I was thinking of commissioning him to create a painting for me.

As he talked, Ralph told us that he had sold his art in Beverly Hills galleries; maybe he thought we would be impressed. He then segued into a tale of a sale that made me want to bail on that male. (Sometimes I amuse myself.) A buyer at one of these Beverly Hills shows wanted to buy a painting that he had priced at $1200 and asked him to cut his price to $700. After he agreed to the price cut, the buyer wrote a check. It turned out that the buyer was Paris Hilton's mother, and she planned to give the painting to Paris as a present. Ralph said that if he had known the identity of the buyer, he wouldn't have cut the price.

Five marketing lessons were once again made clear to me that evening when listening to Ralph. Did you catch them?

1) In a service-oriented business and in life overall, you can only be of service to others if you listen more than you talk.

Like Ralph, many people find themselves to be a favorite topic. Whether I'm socializing personally or networking as a professional voice talent, I ask questions of the other person. When you find out about another person, you are forming the foundation of a relationship. Talking about yourself just seems a self-centered way to pass the time.

You'll remember that I had expressed interest in Ralph's art. As an artist and presumably an entrepreneur, Ralph should be open to prospective clients coming from any source. We voice talent also need to be aware that the next job could come from someone to whom we haven't marketed. In fact, I have noticed that when I put energy into a focused marketing plan, the next job comes from someone out of the blue. I believe that whatever you put out into the world comes back to you, and usually it's in a way you didn't expect.

2) Be as open and willing to explain your work to someone who expresses interest.

It was odd to hear Ralph tell me that his time was his secret, and that remark alerted me that I shouldn't ask any other questions about his work. Whenever people ask me about voice-over, I am more than happy to answer their questions. I also think it's important to educate people about the time required for a project so that they will better understand my pricing.

In addition, I am a firm believer in self-promotion, especially in an industry like voice-over, with new entrants every day. Most of my voiceover work has come through self-promotion. As I tweeted on Twitter (you can follow me at Twitter.com/KarenCommins) a few days ago, this quote from W. S. Gilbert sums up my view on self-promotion:

If you wish in this world to advance
your merits you're bound to enhance;
You must stir it and stump it,
and blow your own trumpet,
or trust me, you haven't a chance.

3) When you hand your business card to someone, you shouldn't expect to get it back.

I read a job hunting book once in which the point was made that every good salesperson always has something to leave behind. In some cases, the only thing you can leave is your business card. The whole reason to have business cards is so that someone can remember you. I carry my cards with me almost everywhere I go; you never know when a conversation about voiceover might occur. I admit I don't have them with me when I'm sitting in a lounge chair on a cruise ship. However, I do have them in my cabin and would follow up with anyone if the situation warranted it.

Since Ralph had a card with him, I would think he would be happy if I kept it. If I had his card, I not only would know his last name, but I'd know how to contact him if I decided I wanted one of his paintings. Ralph may have kept his card but lost a potential sale.

While I'm on the topic of business cards, I thought you might like to see a gallery of business cards from voice talent. Clever marketer and fellow voiceover artist Peter O'Connell recently asked voice talents to send him an image file of their business cards. You can see them on his web site. I'm also posting my current business card on this page.

Current business card for voice talent Karen Commins

4) Having your own web site and owning your domain name is becoming increasing important in cementing your identity in your prospects' minds.

While I didn't have Ralph's card for long, I had it long enough to see that he didn't have a web site. His card had the instructions search for Ralph on Google. I did a Google search for "Ralph artist". Since I don't even know Ralph's last name, I don't know which of the 7,180,000 results relate to the guy I met on the ship.

Many voice talent use their profile page from one of the voiceover pay-to-play sites as their web site link. Some kind of personal web site is better than Ralph's, but it is not the most effective strategy for your business. If you want people to remember you and come to you when they need voice talent, why would you market yourself as one of thousands of talent all vying for attention at one site?

I also don't recommend using personal web space from your ISP because it includes the ISP domain name, and the long link name can look like voiceover is your hobby. It's worth the money to own your unique domain name and create your web site. Whether on my business card, my e-mail signature, or anything I distribute to potential and current clients, I include only the link to my own site and my Twitter address.

5) When you cut your price, you are the one who bleeds.

I couldn't believe it when Ralph said he cut his price at a Beverly Hills show. Think about it -- he was standing in one of the most affluent areas in the world, yet he caved and sold his work for almost half of his original price! He immediately regretted cutting his price when he realized that his buyer easily could have afforded something even beyond his original price.

I don't fault his buyer or anyone for asking for a price cut. We all ask that question at some point, especially in a situation where we think the price is negotiable.

Since many people assume that voiceover is no more difficult than talking, buyers of voiceover services perceive our prices to be negotiable and typically ask for a price reduction. In responding to such requests, I'm always reminded of Pork's answer in this scene from Gone With the Wind (as transcribed directly from the screenplay of the movie's final shooting script published in 1989):

Pork: Miss Scarlett, ma'am . . . Ah gotter know how much money hav' you got lef'. In gol'?

Scarlett: Ten dollars. Why?

Pork: Dat won' be ernuff.

Scarlett: What in Heaven's name are you talking about?

Pork: Well, Miss Scarlett, Ah seed dat no-'count white trash Wilkerson dat useter be Marse Gerald's overseer here. he's a reg'lah Yankee now an' he was makin' a brag dat his carpetbagger frien's done run de taxes way up sky-high on Tara.

Scarlett: How much more have we go to pay?

Pork: Ah heerd de tax man say t'ree hun'red dollahs.

Scarlett: Three hundred! Might just as well be three million! But we've got to raise it, that's all!

Pork: Yas'm . . . How?

Scarlett: I'll go ask Mr. Ashley.

Pork: He ain' got no t'ree hun'red dollahs, Miss Scarlett.

Scarlett: I can ask him if I want to, can't I?

Pork: Askin' ain' gittin'.

If you feel tempted to compete solely on price, you might want to read another post-vacation story titled Cruising for a competitive advantage.

Will these lessons from Ralph the artist help you in marketing your voice-over business? I look forward to reading your comments on the blog!

One word of advice: PRACTICE

Wed, 20 May 2009 19:38:00 -0500

Karen's narration of this entry

My extended absence from my blog is due in part to an amazing 2-week cruise from Miami to Los Angeles through the Panama Canal. For those who are interested, you can read Drew's account, get cruise tips, and see his awesome pictures from our trip on his blog. As faithful readers of this blog know, I always observe lessons applicable to voiceover when I travel, and this latest trip was no exception.

Every cruise ship director hires a variety of performers who must amuse and entertain the passengers. The nightly shows during our sailing on the glorious Norwegian Pearl were particularly enjoyable. We heard pianist Nadia Zaitsev perform some incredibly complex arrangements of Bach, Beatles, Gershwin, and Chopin before tackling a truly thrilling rendition of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. Another night, we watched a guy known as Los Gauchos twirl rope with balls at each end with such terrific speed so that it looked like swirling laser beams encircling him. Okay, it sounds like a lame act, but trust me, this guy was mesmerizing. We watched Professor Watson move effortlessly between solos on fiddle, mandolin, and trumpet in successive songs.

With each performer, I first admired their talent. My second thought was about the enormous number of hours that each must have spent in practice of his or her art in order to perform flawlessly before the audience. As voice talent, we also have the responsibility of practicing before we're in front of an audience, whether that audience is face-to-face, as in a studio session, or virtual in an on-line audition.

During our trip, fellow voiceover artist Terry Daniel wrote an article on his blog about the merits of practice. Terry wisely points out that voice talent have a perpetual need to voice copy out-loud in order to find the best technique and interpretation.

When I'm on vacation, I usually do practice voiceover almost every day. I'll read aloud the ingredients of shampoo bottles (great practice for medical narrations), the ship's daily newsletter (practice for travel narrations), and books (practice for audiobook narration and characterizations). However, I admit that I have been lax sometimes about practicing voiceover while at home.

While many people think that voiceover work is simply talking or reading aloud, the ability to read smoothly out-loud is just the starting point in this career. I always encourage newcomers to read everything out-loud in order to bring some reality to their dream.

As a voice talent gets some paid jobs and starts growing a business, it's easy to forego practice for the sake of practice. We may think we get all the voiceover practice that we need in doing auditions. If you view an audition as part of the job of being a voice talent, though, you can see dedicated practice is necessary before undertaking any auditions.

In addition to Terry's article, I read a couple of other things recently that re-affirm to me the necessity of constant voiceover practice. An editorial in the New York Times reminds me that reading aloud is a very different physical experience than reading silently. Also, comprehension can be measured by a person's skill in reading out loud because "...it reveals far more than whether the reader understands the words. It reveals how far into the words -- and the pattern of the words -- the reader really sees."

Even more interesting to me is the assertion made by voice talent Anthony Mendez in his insightful and fascinating e-book titled Meditation for Voice-Over: The Voice Actor's Guide to Not Worrying and Reducing Stress. I liked this ebook immensely because Anthony applies some Law of Attraction and mind power principles to increasing one's voiceover business. He lists 3 Ms as the benefits of voiceover practice in front of the mic:

1) Your muscles become strong.

2) Your muses conspire to help you realize your intentions.

3) Your mind is focused on a single point, which causes manifestation to occur more quickly.

(Hmmm...maybe that should be 4 Ms!)

Anthony further states that by doing, you will BE.

I can think of no better reason to practice voiceover every day. Toward that end, it's my intention to record this and future blog posts as part of my practice sessions.

Do you practice voice-over? I'd love to get your thoughts on this topic, so please leave a comment on the blog.

Voiceover and the Law of Paradoxical Intent

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:34:10 -0500

The numerous new-age, Law of Attraction books that I have read all state that you have to detach from the outcome if you want your desires to be fulfilled. Recently, I read about the Law of Paradoxical Intent and had an epiphany concerning the progress of my voiceover career.

In her brilliant, thought-provoking book Secrets of Success: The Science and Spirit of Real Prosperity, Sandra Anne Taylor explains this law as follows:

This law says that the more desperate you are about achieving your goal, the more you'll push it away, actually creating the opposite -- or the paradox -- of your desire.

So many people never even realize that it's the negative energy associated with their own needy attachment that's sabotaging the results they're looking for. This is a very common phenomenon....

Picture of negative energy

When your desire becomes a large part of your life, it's a natural emotional response to become hopeful about the outcome. It's very important, though, to reel in any fear, urgency, or neediness because those vibrations are both resistant and repulsive, causing you to move out of the synchronistic flow of Universal manifestation. You become attached to the result when you value the future over the present. This creates vibrations of desperation, jagged waves of energy that push against the current of abundance, sending away that which you desire most. Remember, the natural flow of the Universe is love and peace, but when you move in the direction of frantic worry, you counter that intention, magnetizing more effort and disappointment in the process.�

You have to do things to progress your dream without being tied to a particular conclusion. You can't expect the Universe to provide without taking appropriate action aligned to your thoughts. Before you roll your eyes and think "she's writing about woo-woo stuff again", let me give you some real-life examples of this principle.

While on my IRS job, I observed someone who desperately wanted a promotion. This person is the sole money-earner for the family and has a great need and desire to earn more money. This person was praying every day for a promotion and was convinced it would soon materialize.�

You might think that this person was working extra every week, asking to help others with their work, and generally becoming an indispensable member of the team. Instead, this person is completely unreliable, taking leave every single week and not finishing the simplest tasks for months.�

At first, the sympathetic manager wanted to find a way to promote the person.�After further inspection of the person's work ethic and leave patterns, though, the manager decided to cancel any move toward a promotion. In fact, the manager is now documenting the performance of the employee and may take an adverse action.

Sometimes it's easier to learn from the experiences of others than to see how these Universal laws apply to oneself. I therefore was a bit shocked to discover I also had unknowingly integrated the Law of Paradoxical Intent in pursuing my voiceover career.

The facts:

I desperately wanted to be a full-time voice actor instead of working full-time at the IRS.�
Drew and I agreed that we needed to save $X in the bank in order for me to take an early retirement if one were offered to me. I had been desperate (there's that word again) for an early-out for the last 5 years. (The early retirement thing is subject to a bunch of government rules that are out of my control and too dull to relate here.)
I spent a lot of money on classes, equipment such as an ISDN box and marketing materials in order to make my voiceover dream happen. I added up my expenditures and found I actually had spent the equivalent of the $X we decided we needed to save PLUS another 20 percent.
Since I spent the money, I no longer have it, causing me to feel more financially insecure.
If an early-out were offered to me now, I wouldn't automatically take it because I haven't saved $X.
Therefore, my choices might have prevented me from obtaining the thing I wanted most.�

I wrote in a previous entry about the desperation I have heard in the voices of those wishing to enter the voiceover industry. These days, I'm also noticing desperation in the actions of fellow voice talent. Whether they are spending their days networking with voice actors and prospects on dozens of sites or chasing every low-paying lead on the pay-for-play sites, they seem to be desperate for the next client and the next job.

While you want and need to be focused on your voiceover career, I've learned that single-mindedness of purpose to the exclusion of everything else will invoke the Law of Paradoxical Intent. By relaxing and accepting my life, I not only have found balance, but voiceover jobs and new clients have come to me with little or no effort on my part.�

My life as a secret agent

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:57:25 -0500

Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.
-- Dr. Seuss

This year marks 3 important anniversaries in my life:�

10 years as a professional voiceover artist
24 years as a loving wife to Drew�
30 years as a hard-working employee of the Internal Revenue Service

While faithful readers of this blog (and I thank you for your continued interest and support!) know about the first 2 things in the list, the third item may surprise you. Like many voiceover talent, I have a day job, but I refused to talk or write about it until now.

Having a full-time job as an IT specialist and working as a voice talent has made me feel like a secret agent with a double life. My voiceover business is not a secret from my employer; I followed the rules to obtain permission to have an outside business. However, I have felt that I couldn't talk about my voiceover work while on the job at the IRS because I worried that people there would think I'm slacking off in my duties or not interested in promotion.�

At the same time, I wouldn't talk about my day job to voiceover peers for fear of losing respect and credibility. In addition, I felt that prospects and clients would look elsewhere for voice talent, thinking that�I'm not serious about voiceover work, don't need the money from the gig, and/or might not be available to perform their script on deadline.

So why am I confessing now?

I started work at the IRS while still a teenager in high school. I never dreamed that I would be there 3 decades later! In fact, one day in 1996, I almost quit in anger over a reorganization that sent me to a job I didn't want. My very wise dad kept me from making a rash decision by doing some simple math to calculate an estimate for my monthly retirement annuity. You see, the government offers me retirement benefits that seem incredible in this day -- a monthly annuity and health insurance plans that will cover Drew and me for the rest of our lives. I never thought about my retirement annuity before that day. I decided that I wouldn't quit and leave our lifetime financial security on the table.�

You'd think that I could retire with 30 years of service, and I could -- IF I also met the additional age requirement, which is still in the future. At this point, I plan to retire from the IRS in 7 years. It's mentally exhausting to be a secret agent, and seven more years of playing that role is too great of a burden.

Voiceover may seem like a career change, but it has called to me for my entire life.�Beginning in 5th grade, my goal was always to be the voice of a cartoon character. I also aspired to be a talk show host and play-by-play announcer for major league baseball. When I went to college, I earned my degree in radio and TV journalism. I interned at a TV and a radio station and briefly worked at a radio station because I thought that was the best path to get my voice into commercials and eventually animation.

In my case, the career change happened in reverse. I did not plan my�25-year odyssey through IRS information technology positions: programmer, programmer analyst, first-line manager to a programming staff, LAN/e-mail/WAN administrator, and now technical advisor to a senior IT manager. In recent years, though, I have learned that every moment has meaning. My communications skills were highly valued in these very technical positions, and now my tremendous IT knowledge is a major asset in my voiceover business, whether used for marketing, equipment purchase/installation/troubleshooting or narrations for e-learning modules and corporate videos.�

I finally accept that I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I'm supposed to be doing.�I may not be a full-time voiceover actor, but I know that day is coming. In the meantime, I'm doing all that I can to prepare for that day while still enjoying my present life. One way to enjoy my life more is to stop worrying what other people will think about me in both of my careers!�

By turning in my secret agent's badge, I am relieved that at long last I can be who I am and say what I feel. The benefit to you, dear reader, is that I now am liberated to share previously withheld observations and discoveries that may help others on their own paths of career change, artistic expression and self-fulfillment.

Restaurant menus and your voice-over business

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:00:00 -0500

If you follow me on Twitter (and if you don't, what are you waiting for?), you might have seen these 2 recent tweets about restaurants and not realized they could contain significance to you as a voice-over talent:

Drew and I eat out several times a week. When I find something I like at a particular restaurant, I almost always order the same thing on each visit. For the longest time, my choice of chicken fingers was at Chili's. I would ask them to cook the chicken using the Awesome Blossom batter, and I'd request the Blossom dipping sauce. The Blossom batter and sauce combo gave the chicken a real kick.

Last year, O'Charley's introduced its Pretzel Crunch Chicken with dijon dipping sauce, and I had a new favorite restaurant for chicken fingers. In addition to a distinct taste, the pretzel coating added texture to the chicken. I would order the Pretzel Crunch Chicken practically every Sunday. We always ask for the same server, so I didn't even have to place my order. She knew I wanted Pretzel Crunch Chicken.

You can imagine my tremendous shock disappointment to discover last week that not one but both restaurants removed from their menu the thing that I liked best at each place! To put my thoughts in perspective, let me share another recent tweet from Todd Schnick, a bright Atlanta marketer whose tweets and blog posts I enjoy:

Once I learned about O'Charley's menu change, what did I do? I went back to Chili's. Now that I know Chili's has also removed the Awesome Blossom batter and sauce, I'll be looking for some other restaurant to thrill me with a tantalizing flavor of chicken fingers.

If you're waiting for a take-out order based on my restaurant experiences, here are two entrees for your consideration:

1) If you change your menu of available selections, you can expect your client list to change.

I stopped marketing my commercial demo in September 2007. Since that time -- and not surprisingly -- few people who have visited my web site have asked me to voice a commercial. I expect to receive regular inquiries about voicing radio and TV commercials once I complete my new commercial demo in April under Nancy Wolfson's direction.

I don't try to be all things to all people or market myself as a voice all projects from promos to phone prompts. However, I do think it's important to have and market demos for each of your niche markets. If a prospective client visits your site, they will soon leave if they don't see their particular area represented among your menu of voice-over demos. In fact, some voice actors even create separate web sites to address different types of clients.

2) It's important to monitor your brand to know when your customers are talking about you. If possible, respond to their complaints, resolve problems and show good will.

Most marketers agree that it requires more time, money and energy to attract new clients than to retain existing ones. In addition, word of mouth is a powerful source of both referrals and refusals.

Although I posted my messages on a very popular social networking site, neither O'Charley's nor Chili's has responded to me. Even more surprising, GoDaddy.com didn't respond to me on Super Bowl Sunday when I and dozens of others tweeted about GoDaddy's sleazy ad that prompted me to immediately move -- as in before the Super Bowl ended -- the one domain that I had registered with them to another registrar.

Just as I'm not all things to all people, I also realize I can't be in all places at once. One tool I use to monitor my brand is Google Alerts. I have created alerts for my name and all of my web site domains. I receive e-mails when Google finds my name or domain names across the web. Not only have I been notified when someone references me or links to one of my sites in their blog post, but I also have discovered an instance where someone has violated my copyright by re-posting one of my blog entries without attribution.

An added benefit to Google alerts is that you can create up to 1000 alerts for free and track anything you want. For instance, you may want to track job listings only within a particular web site without going to that site each day. You could enter an alert using the format

site:websitename.com voiceover

Note that you wouldn't enter the leading http://www. for this syntax. Google provides extensive documentation to help you narrowly define your search terms. Also, be careful that you go to http://www.Google.com/alerts to set up your alerts. I saw another site that had a similar address but charged a monthly fee for the service.

I've been writing for a while, so I'll stop now and head over to Twitter to see news from Todd Schnick and my other Tweeple. After all this discussion about chicken fingers, perhaps it's time to try Zaxby's for supper tonight.

A mathematical viewpoint for success

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:45:13 -0500

Here is a fun little exercise that someone sent me which contains indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me laugh because it seems true, whether we're talking about becoming a successful voiceover talent or anything else.

Using a strictly mathematical viewpoint, what makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? �We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103? What makes up 100% in life? �??

Here's a little mathematical �formula that might help you answer these questions: ?

If A B C D E F G H I J � K � L �M �N �O �P �Q �R � S �T �U � V �W �X �Y � Z are represented as:�

��?1 2 �3 4 �5 6 �7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 �22 23 24 25 26 ??

Then: �??

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K ?

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98% ??

and �??

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E �?

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96% �??

But �?

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E ?

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100% ?

And

P-E-R-S-I-S-T-A-N-C-E

16+5+18+19+9+19+20+1+14+3+5 �= 129%

And finally

P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E

16+5+18+19+5+22+5+18+14+3+5 = 130%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that while Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, Attitude will get you there. However, it's the Persistance and Perseverance that will put you over the top! �??

5 keys to confident cold calling

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:52:13 -0500

A couple of recent newspaper headlines from different cities gleefully state that you can make lots of easy of money as a professional voice talent after taking only a 2-hour introductory group class. According to these articles, a particular group of voice-over teachers seems to be traveling through the country and conducting these "if you can talk, you can break into voiceover and make fabulous money" seminars at community colleges.�

I thought about writing a blog entry warning people about the false hopes generated by the headlines and the teaching company, but I decided against it. I don't want to insist that someone considering a voice-over career must follow a certain path. Besides, who am I to predict the outcome of such a class? I suppose it could happen that someone is blessed with the most distinct voice, the most amazing cold-reading skills, the most transparent and authentic interpretation, and the most exciting contacts who are looking for a shining new star to voice their national TV commercial/e-learning project/PBS documentary/trade show video/major animated movie. A 2-hour class is certainly sufficient for this kind of person to be able to hang out the sign as a professional voice talent and have clients with unlimited checking accounts flocking to them with no effort.

For the rest of us, though, gaining work as a voice talent requires much more -- more confidence, more training, more marketing and more relationships, which all require more time, money and effort on the part of the voice actor.�

I started writing this entry on Friday, 16 January. When I got up that morning, the Atlanta temperature was a frigid 14 degrees. A good use of time on such a bitterly cold day -- or any day when you have free time -- is to work on your marketing plan, particularly making cold calls. (You knew there was a tie-in with the weather somewhere!)

When I decided to become a voice-over actor in the late 90s, I was perpetually excited during the process of making my demo. I then hit a brick wall when it came to marketing it. What good does a fab demo do me if I can't make myself call people who not only might be interested in hearing it but actually willing and able to hire me? The thing that propelled me to make the first call was the following passage that I read in Rick Crandall's book�1001 Ways to Market Your Services...Even If You Hate to Sell:

Overcoming Your Cold-Calling Fears�

Cold calling scares all of us sometime. Ram Yellen deals with his fears by asking himself these questions:�

1) What's the worst thing that can happen if I make this call or proposal, or ask for a referral? (They can say no, no, a thousand times no! --or is that from a Victorian soap opera?)

2) What's the best thing that could happen? (You could make a new, lifelong friend.)�

3) What would I do if I knew that this person needed my services tomorrow?

-- Pin up a picture of someone successful in your business and ask yourself what he or she would do in this situation. (If it's a competitor, you can do it just to show them up!)�

-- Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway.�

The bit about the Victorian soap opera cracked me up. Even now, I still have times when I feel fear or anxiety about making calls to pursue my voice-over career. I think about the "1000 times no" line, and it gives me courage (after I stop laughing!) to make the call.

I admit, though, that I still prefer to initiate conversations in writing or in person. The recipient of your calls could think that you don't have any work. They may hold the perception that voice talent who are in high demand don't have time to make prospecting calls.�

Still, phone calls are sometimes necessary. For the times you choose to include phone calls in your marketing mix, here are 5 tips that will boost your confidence and courage:

1) Research the organization before deciding to call them.�

Google is my friend. I can search for the type of organization and then find company web sites, on-line profiles on social networking sites and possibly news stories related to the target company. Many times, you can see portfolios of past work and get contact information. I can't tell you how many phone calls and e-mails I have received from people who want to work for me as a voice talent. In those cases, I always know that the person has not done their research to identify the nature of my business. Good research will also move the phone call away from the "iceberg right ahead" category of cold call disaster.

2) With your research completed, identify some reason for the call.

Repeat after me: �"it's not what they can do for me; it's what I can do for them." You may say you were updating your database, had a referral, saw they are members of a mutual professional group, etc. However, you don't want to call and offer unsolicited advice about improving the business.�

3) Write and rehearse a script that you will use when the other party comes on the line.

We voice talent always read from scripts, yet many people ignore this step when deciding to call potential clients. You want to state how you found them and be ready with a list of questions and/or a desired outcome for the call. A recent post in the Marketing Mix blog�should give you fantastic ideas for a boilerplate script. Just like any voice-over script, you will want to practice it and possibly record it so that you can deliver it fluidly and easily.

4) Write another script for leaving a message.

You don't want to be caught off-guard and leave a rambling message on voice mail. You also want to motivate the person to return the call. Saying something like "I have some information that may allow you to create an e-learning module at lower cost" is much more intriguing to the prospect than "I'm wondering if you ever need to use voice talent." The second sentence is especially ineffective since it immediately indicates that you haven't done your research.�

Also, be sure to state your name and return number clearly at the beginning AND end of the call. How many messages have you heard where someone rushed through a message and then blurted out their name and phone number at the end of the call so fast that you had to rewind the message more than once to understand it? You don't want to be one of those kind of people, do you?

5) Be prepared for follow-up actions.

Take careful notes during the conversation. You may have promised to send your demo or some information on the web, or you may hear some other action that you could take, like meeting them at an upcoming event. Track your needed actions with appointment entries on your calendar.

As you can see, even your preparation for your first prospecting call can require more time and energy than the 2 hours expended in an introductory voice-over class. Perhaps a more appropriate name for the traveling voice-over seminars would be:

"If you can talk, you can call people on the phone to discuss voice-over work with them, and you may even make some money as a professional voice talent if you have an outstanding demo and make enough calls to market it, being sure to do your research ahead of time."