VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[MichaelN]

Having just started out, I knew long ago going into VO that it would be business. And like any business, there are many avenues that can lead to establishing relationships with clients. However, from the numerous discussions I've read here, the one that nearly every mentioned utilizing was "direct/self marketing".

So I spent a good chunk of a day reading a few dozen threads/posts on here with the word "marketing" and while I learned a heck of a lot, I still have a lot of uncertainty as to how to approach direct marketing. What I mean is from my position as a beginner with no experience (ie. a demo & website in one hand, zero clients in the other), I'm uncertain of how to execute a technique. I imagine after you have a bunch of previous clients under your belt, things are a little easier - you have proof of your VO service.

Before I dive into my mountain of questions, one thing's been made clear to me... every persons marketing path is unique - what works for some doesn't necessarily work for others.

Assuming I know who I am, my brand and what I have to offer, how exactly would I approach potential clients?

- Emailing / Cold Calling / Sending Postcards to businesses (I've noticed most people on this board avoid cold calling for valid reasons)

- New Business with no VO: say I find a business that has no VO on a video on their website. Marketing myself for that seems straight forward (eg. "a voice over is more relatable and personal than text", "some people prefer audio over reading text"). But what if their website has no video. If I can only offer VO and suggest having a video could bring in more customers, is this worth pursuing since I just gave them extra work to also get video production done?

- Business with existing VO: say I know a business has phone messaging or IVR, could I still market myself to them either trying to get different work or suggest I can offer them something potentially "more welcoming" than their current VO?

- When pitching myself to a business, would it be beneficial to record a short VO sample and send it to them? eg. recording some text from there website. I imagine a demo isn't as useful as a sample that is in context with their business.

- Production Companies / Studios / Stations: after researching what kind of work they do, if I think I might fit, should I contact them and ask if they are looking for new talent and/or send my demo?

- Is there a benefit to marketing to local businesses where you can meet people in person, opposed to contacting those interstate/international?

- Other methods of direct marketing?

Now I don't expect anyone to spill their secrets and reveal what's in their secret herbs and spices, but if there's anything that can be shared, it would be much appreciated.

At the same time if anyone provides VO marketing consulting or can recommend someone who does, I'd be happy to invest in their time and wisdom if it can help me in this initial phase. Feel free to PM me.

Thanks all!

[Bruce]

Gee, "How to Make It in the Voiceover Business When You Haven't Been There Yet".

Two obvious things first: Have a demo that features the best of what you can do now. No cheating with totally dolled-up takes. And embed this in a clean, simple website that features your contact info.

What to do next: get people to go to your site and listen. Emails and phone calls are the easiest since we all have the equipment necessary. You will build confidence as you keep improving your spoken and written pitch.

Who to approach first: Unless God gave you amazing interpretive skill right out of the gate (and she's not been known to do that often) go for clients who will be more accepting of talented beginners. Smaller companies, smaller ad agencies for example. A very busy talent here in Oregon started by calling many companies during their busy time or off hours to listen to their phone messaging. If it was of poor quality she would transcribe it, record some of it in her much better style, send it to the owner/manager and offer her services. She got a lot of work that way. I can imagine you could do the same thing with videos posted on smaller companies' websites. If you can do better, send them a sample, see what follows.

As has been discussed here ad infinitum, Pay to Play sites can lead to some initial work if you audition quickly and bid on the low side. At minimum you'll get interesting clips for future demos.

When you have enough experience and cred to move on to middle and upper levels of marketing and work, do it and don't look back.

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Lee Gordon]

[MichaelN]

Thanks Bruce. Start small - makes sense.

And thanks too Lee.

So in regards to middle/upper level businesses, is there any industry "rule" that would prevent someone from marketing to big names such as Vons/Pavillions, CVS, Best Buy etc?
Obviously (I assume) most of the VO work for these brands go through agencies and are likely union, but has anyone had any success directly marketing themselves to a big brand? - particularly local businesses that allow you the opportunity to meet decision makers in person, where I imagine a personal interaction with a potential client could give you a better chance at landing a gig.

[Bruce]

There's nothing stopping a beginner from going for bigger clients. You're right that the bigger the end client the more likely they are to go through a talent agent (or multiple agencies) to find voices. And no, not all major brands require union talent. Many do, and the bigger the brand the more likely they are to go union, but there is a fair percentage that are non-union.

Should you go for big clients directly? The bigger they are the more likely they are to defer such inquiries to their in-house advertising people or their outside ad agency. Now, if you can sidle up to and engage a corporate big wig in a one-on-one situation like a Rotary Club meeting or such, sure, give it a swing, but chances are they'll direct you to someone else.

Should you even try? Big clients lean toward using more experienced talent because they have more experience using their voice, acting abilities, and interpretive skills. Unless you think you're ready to "run with the big dogs" you might be wasting your time when you could be securing easier jobs.

HOWEVER, there have been several million examples throughout history where the above statement has been proven very wrong. Basically, think it through and then go with your heart.

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .