I don’t think I’ve ever met an aloof voice talent but I know a bunch that could come across that way; they hurt their businesses but they don’t know they are doing it.

My reference is because these voice talents don’t have a phone number on their web sites. Hard to believe when you digest that sentence – a voice talent with a web site that contains no phone number. They are unable to be easily communicated to via the most effective form of electronic communication (email isn’t the “most” effective).

I was on the phone today with a very talented, well-respected and experienced voice talent whom I’ve known on-line and off for some time. I wanted to follow up on an email he sent me via phone (because I’m a talker – a voice talker).

His email signature did NOT contain his phone number (another long standing no-no in my book). So I clicked on the web link that was in his sig (awesome!) to find his phone number.

The phone number wasn’t on the site and then I remembered it was in my phone’s contacts so when I buzzed him, I called him on the omitted phone number on the web site. The reason he gave for not having a phone number on the web was that didn’t want his home phone number (where his studio was) listed all over the web. He hadn’t seemed to consider the situation with the cell phone.

My thoughts on this to him were simple:

– Use a cell phone as your business phone – nobody can see WHERE you are answering your phone. It will always be with you and you’ll have less chance of missing an incoming job. The rules on phones have changed – cell phones are a priority over traditional business lines in many cases (your mileage may vary)

– If you follow this strategy, make sure you ALWAYS answer your phone in a professional manner and make sure you outgoing message sounds professional. No “It’s me, you know what to do, dude.”

– When you secure a cell phone contract, get them to give a good phone number. What constitutes a good phone number? One that is easily memorable and sounds like a business number. When I bought my phone a number of years ago, just after cell phone numbers became portable, I told my phone provider that I would buy a new phone and contract with a good phone number – without it, the deal was off. Quickly they found me 716-572-1800.

– Live near a big city? Sometimes you can get a phone with the big city area code (212/New York City for example). Suddenly, you’re a big city voice talent.

I hope this helps.

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
8 Comments »

As you’ll recall (cause you’re the only one who reads this blog…and thanks again for that) the issue of payment terms for voice over services provided was addressed here recently. It revolved around American voice talents who work domestically and internationally with one story focusing on the challenges of U.S. voice talents getting paid by internationally based clients.

This is truly a universal problem, as Mahmoud Taji notes in his recent post, because getting the money one is owed is an economic challenge for voice over talents no matter where you live.

Tags: blogs, commentary, customer service, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
Comments Off on be in it for the money – international edition

Back in the early 1950’s 😉 when I started out blogging about voice overs (and marketing and advertising), there were like…5 of us. Now there’s a double-decker London bus full of voice over bloggers.

While I think I have them all listed here and subscribe to them all, I know that the playing field changes fast and frequently. That coupled with the fact that some bloggers fall of the face of the earth or get bored with blogging means my list needs updating. If you’d rather not watch paint dry, you can always sift through a listing of voice over bloggers to see who is still actively publishing…the effect is the same but voice over blog list actually feels more tortuous.

Example: one blog I THOUGHT I was subscribed to and had listed here was Paul Strikwerda’s blog called Double Dutch. Very good blog and you should subscribe.

Today I realized this omission and fixed it. But it reminded me to ask you if you have a voice over blog and are not listed with a link on voxmarketising.com to:

1. Please let me know this and I will correct the error
2. If you haven’t already, please link back from your blog to this blog (audio’connell’s voxmarketising – is the proper name and the address is http://www.voxmarketising.com) So simple, even a caveman can do it.
3. If you have ceased blogging and are on my list, just ping me and I’ll pull you off the list.

Thanks.

Tags: advertising, blogs, marketing, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
7 Comments »

For many folks the economy has really ruined their year. That has been equally true for performance based professionals – voice talents, actors, disc jockeys, producers, directors, writers etc. I’ve been lucky with my business and I know it. So let me share with you a secret.

Full Circle Studios (yes two mentions in two days – they should pay me – and they’re not paying me for this) created a web site called Casting Central where actors, voice talent, models and agents within Western New York State can get a free listing. So when FCS clients want to check out possible talent for a production – it’s as close as a mouse click.

Are you a talent who wants to get listed? Click here for details.

I hope this helps you in your search.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tags: casting, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
3 Comments »

One of the reasons I am so focused on making sure voice talents continue to see a career in voice over as a business is because I’ve witnessed so many who get caught up in the joy of getting the work that they ignore the key detail within the “career” part of the equation – getting paid.

I have been VERY fortunate in my career…less than a handful of times has any client tried to stiff me; I am bless with very professional and nice clients. You probably are (or will be) too. The overwhelming majority of potential or existing clients in our world are ethical people.

But a very few aren’t so my advice up front is that you create a process for every client where you have more control over how funds are delivered to you and you establish that control in your initial negotiations. I have a one page work order/agreement that lays out for the client (and, in the case of those few stiffs I mentioned, the courts) work, payment terms (am a big fan of payment upon delivery) and payment amounts. Professionals I work with don’t mind this a bit document one bit and in fact appreciate it.

Understand that no matter your level of voice over experience, some clients will try and pull a fast one; these are people who are usually unscrupulous in all aspects of their lives and it may just be your turn to deal with them. Sorry, its your turn to take out the trash.

My friend and fellow voice talent Jeff Kafer has had occasion to blog about this problem. And today I read on the Yahoo Voiceover Group about a collection challenge fellow voice talent Cheryl Fall’s friend has faced with an international client. You think its challenging to collect from across the street? Try collecting money from across the seas. Here’s Cheryl’s post (complete with collection emails), reprinted with her permission:

Jobs from India
Posted by: “Cheryl Fall” cheryl@cherylfall.com cheryl.fall
Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:54 pm (PST)

Hi All,

About a month ago, someone posted a message asking about voice opportunities
coming in from India. I had replied that I avoid doing any work with anyone
who contacts me out of the blue from India or other offshore locale, because
it is difficult to get paid.

Recently, a fellow voice talent did a huge job for an group called VoxBox,
based in India. This job consisted of hundreds of individual files that had
to be recorded, edited and delivered within a very short time frame. Seven
(7) months later, she has still not been paid – and probably will never be
paid.

For the record, this is a well-known Spanish speaking voice talent with MANY
years of experience, who I work with on a regular basis. Excerpts of her
emails to this client are below, and she gave me permission to post these to
the group. Hopefully it will help others understand why I do not do business
with offshore companies.

~Cheryl

HERE ARE THE EMAILS:
On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 1:25 PM:

Melroy,
I sent you the invoices again yesterday when you said you would pay only
$500.00. I am sure you had time to review them by now and determine that
the total due is more than $500.00. We are waiting for full payment through
pay pal immediately. I Just check the account. No payment has been
deposited.
————————–

I will send $500 via Paypal. Give me a few more days. I need to refill my
Paypal.
—

Yours Sincerely,

Melroy D’Mello
Founder – Vox Box
http://www.voxbox.in
+919833020332

——————————-
On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 2:28 PM:

Hello Melroy,
We received your email promising to pay us the first week of November. We
are already on the second week and no payment has been received yet. My pay
pal account does not reflect your payment either. When do you intend to pay
and through what method?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
———————————-

Melroy D’Mello has sent you a message.
Date: 10/27/2009
Subject: RE: Please reply to my email messages requesting payment

I will send across payment by first week of next month. Sorry for the delay.
Appreciate your patience and hope you can forgive this delay.
Melroy

On 10/25/09 10:34 PM:
——————–
Melroy,
I am not willing to wait any longer than the 6 months passed since working
for your math project in Spanish. You have repeatedly ignored my messages
and have disregarded my inquiries for payment. Please be so kind as to remit
payment immediately for the money you owe me and reply to my email from
today Sunday, October 25, 2009.
—————————

I have received all six invoices :
I request your patience for a short time more and to take this up in
exactly a week and a half’s time as Melroy is currently travelling on
business and handles the payment procedures. We are considering taking a
låna pengar with the help of Sambla but need approval from our manager.
Shawn Pereira
Project Manager
www.voxbox.in
——————————-
On Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 3:18 AM:
Hello Shawn,
Since Merloy is not available, he mentioned in his automatic reply to refer
all emails to you. Thank you.
——————————
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:38:45 -0700
To: Melroy D’Mello <melroy@voxbox.in>, Michelle <michelle@voxbox.in>

Hi again Melroy and Michelle,
Would you be so kind as to forward payment for the attached invoices? It
has been 75 days since I sent these invoices.
Thank you kindly for your prompt attention to this matter.

Tags: commentary, voice actors, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
1 Comment »

The life of a voice actor is an arduous one. Creating a voice, setting a mood, transmitting a message within only a finite time period. Lesser performers would quake and fall under the pressure.

Not yours truly.

When called upon by my agent in a recent audition to portray fear, panic, intense medical distress and possibly public mortification I rose the occasion…well, for this role, I actually sat down. It was but a brief utterance I had through which to convey all those emotions.

I played the part of the “Man” in this audition:

VO: When diarrhea hits…
MAN: Uh-oh.
VO: KAO. Kaopectate stops it fast.
Powerful liquid relief speeds to the source fast,
to stop diarrhea and get your system back to normal…
Woman: Fast.
VO: Kaopectate. Stop the uh-oh fast, with Kao

And I did so with various choices thusly:
[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/PeterOConnell_KMale.mp3]

You may stand in awe of my voice acting greatness. And you’ll laugh at me a little less if I get the job cause for that one phrase I’ll cash a very healthy check.

Feel free to pick your favorite uh oh.

Tags: commentary, commercials, silliness, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
8 Comments »