VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Mike Harrison]

A client I've had for a couple of years; one who has always been very positively vocal about the quality of work I provide and the turnaround, several weeks ago requested an estimate for a job they said would be in my hands the week of July 22. I responded right away.

I heard nothing more since, so I emailed yesterday to check on the status. The reply came today:

"We don't have this work available for you anymore. When something comes up we'll be in touch."

If a job became delayed or had fallen completely through, I would expect to read something to that effect, but the phrasing they used seems awfully unsettling. And this person is an English-speaking American, so it's not a typical language thing.

Any other takes on the wording?

Thanks.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Quicksilver]

Wild guess #1...they lost their client. But some people are challenged when it comes to communicating so it could be anything.

I had a client email me 3 or 4 times over the last 3 weeks saying that we "needed to talk" about a recent project and he would call me before XXXX and he never called and I couldn't ever reach him. Today I get an email that all is peachy but he needed 1 pickup for a 7 minute project and the check is in the mail. That is apparently what we needed to talk about. He had me imagining all types of scenarios.

Hope it works out for the better for you.

DC

[Mike Harrison]

Thanks, DC. I wish that was it. This is one of those cases where this was the end-user.

If it were a question of cost, I would hope that any client – existing or prospective – would simply say that, and allow me the opportunity to make an adjustment. Just up and moving on makes more work for them. And doesn't make it a particularly good day for me, either.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Bailey]

To me it sounds like they are saying...

"We don't have this VO work available for you anymore. When something VO comes up we'll be in touch."

They can't find the words to say what they want to say. Very contradictory.
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 .gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[Quicksilver]

A friendly phone call goes a long way. Think of a different reason to call them and bring it up off handed. I always make a point to try and talk to my clients on the phone whenever I get a chance. It's never felt like a waste of time, quite the opposite.

If they found someone cheaper, may they be stricken with a newbie with a USB mic and a great radio voice


-Drew

[heyguido]

I'm with Drew on this one. Based on your past history, and their previous feedback, there's no reason to assume there's a problem with anything you've done.

It's more likely an internal issue.... A project that was turfed, internal strife, or a simple change of direction (or management).

And Drew's right about the phone.... If you have a friend there, it's worth a call. Email sucks for conveying nuance.
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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

[Lee Gordon]

[Dayo]

Why don't you simply ask your client? No-one is going to die...
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Colin Day - UK Voiceover
www.thurstonday.co.uk

[Philip Banks]

I agree. If it bothers you and clearly it does either treat it like an audition and forget it or "make that call".

[Ed Fisher]

A friendly attitude and voice can go a long way.

I'd simply give them a call. Tell them you received their email and that they are an important client (everyone likes to feel they are "important") and you want to check to see if they are still happy with your service. You may not like the answer you receive, but at least you will know.

If your primary way of communicating with them has become email...sometimes a "little one-to-one conversation" can make the difference.

Or...you could simply "let it go" and hope for the best.

Either way.

[Mike Harrison]

Thanks for all the feedback, support and suggestions. I did place a call to the client today... and my call went to voice mail.

The message I left was – in an 'active hush' that would've made Nancy Wolfson proud – "What happened? Anything I should know?"

There has been no reply yet.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Yonie]

Dammit, Mike, I'm so sorry but; was that really your phrasing?

[Mike Harrison]

[ballenberg]

Sounds simple to me--they went with another voice, but didn't want to say it quite that way to spare feelings. Doesn't sound like a language issue to me.

Maybe they needed a different sound for some reason, maybe they needed it dirt cheap and didn't feel right asking you to lower your rate. That's what I'm reading between the lines.

And I've read a lot of lines. When I was a photographer, my rep would say of a gig, " It went away." i.e. It went .to another shooter. It's the creative business.

[Scott Pollak]

Not sure how much help I can be on this, but maybe sometimes ya just gotta say "okay, thanks.... I'll look forward to our next project together" and try not to over-think it or worry about it. Easier said than done, I know. I'll bet we've ALL had something like this happen with regular clients and sometimes you don't even HEAR from them; they just..... disappear. For whatever reason. Maybe it was simply time for a fresh voice. Maybe their work is drying up. Who knows?

You've left your message for them, now put it out of your mind and move on to other things. Should you NOT hear back from them, just be grateful for the years of good work and look forward to that next great client who will replace THEM!
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Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com