Get Your Mind Right for VO
In this informal chat from January 2021 on Clubhouse, I shared how to reset your mind and confidence when auditioning and marketing for voiceover. You can follow me @DareeAllen on Clubhouse and other social media platforms.
In This Episode…
Foundation of thought work and mastering your mind 2:27
Finding your identity in VO 5:56
Self-talk when auditioning 14:11
Dealing with P2Ps 21:11
Directed sessions 27:45
Marketing yourself 32:21
Setting and standing by your rates 40:18
Key Points
Learning to manage your mind will help you cope with your feelings and ultimately not hinder you from the results you want in your life. Circumstances can contribute to our thoughts. Thoughts lead to feelings, which turn into action or inaction, which lead to our results. Circumstances are neutral. The way we interpret the circumstance shows our mindset. There is no strategy that can overcome your disbelief. We MUST build up and keep our self-confidence game if we want to get noticed (in a good way), and make an impact.
Imposter Syndrome
There's no need to question your identity as a voice actor. If you do voiceover part-time, then you're a voice actor. If you do voiceover full-time, then you're a voice actor. We have to stop judging and legitimizing how we define people, and better yet, stop allowing others to define us. You don't need to add the disqualifier "aspiring" in front of your title. It tells others not to take you seriously.
"I'm just a newbie" OR "I'm new to this." There's a difference between being new to this and being true to this. If you're true, if you're going after what you really want, focus on that, not your experience level. Get your weight up, get coaching, start putting yourself out there, and don't announce your newness.
Auditioning
When you look at an audition script, what do you tell yourself? Do you evaluate what's there and then make a determination of whether to proceed? That's good, but then what self-talk is coming into play after that? Whether you want to keep the language you've been using or switch it up— that's up to you. But negative energy will spill into your reads, whether it's lack of confidence, anxiety or doubt. Same thing goes for directed sessions
Only submit for things you believe in, think you can do well, or want to give your best effort to. Whether its a brand, political affiliation, style of read, or whatever. Don't lend your voice to causes you'd be ashamed to be associated with. Things that don't resonate with you. Again, you want to bring good, positive energy into your read. So either pick projects you believe in or act like you do.
It's not necessarily a bad look if you don't book something with an agent or a P2P for awhile. When it comes to booking auditions, yes, there are some variables within your control, like your skills, your choices in the read, your studio sound. But there are also many things that are NOT out your control, such as when the audition was due, the specs being cast, and when the recording session is scheduled. So it makes no sense to worry about things you can't control. Just keep doing great work and be persistent. And tell yourself the right things. One of the wrong things to tell yourself is that you have been rejected. That's such a strong word, no matter what context it's in. As my friend Kesha Monk says, "audition and let it go."
Directed Sessions
Have you ever experienced frustration during a directed session? It happens. I like to thank people when my mind starts to think negative thoughts. Gratitude really helps reset my brain and reframe my thoughts in a session. I've also learned not to allow myself to get fatigued. No matter how much water I drink, I don't have the stamina to read for 3 hours straight. Don't automatically think, "I'm an imposter. These folks are going to think they made a mistake hiring me because of how I'm performing right now. They're gonna know I haven't done this before." Everyone has a first time, and everyone has bad days! Besides, they chose you! They booked you for a reason. Reframe your thoughts that these people loved your voice and your audition, and they want you to win. You all make each other look good!
Marketing
What's your marketing mentality? I have made peace with it. I've gone from "I have to do this, so I get to do this." I market so that I can voice.
You are a service provider, a person that provides a service to clients. For this reason everything you do, every interaction needs to be customer focused. So the primary goal is not to simply sell. You mindset is to build relationships and deliver great experiences. Change your mindset from "I am bothering them" to "I am providing a service that others need." You're not bothering people. You are providing a service. On occasion, you may send an email and they say thanks but no thanks. Silence could be a no, but it could also be a Not Now. There's a host of reasons for a No or a Not Now, but either way, it's not personal!
I love content marketing. My faves are podcasts and blogs. Blogging is not dead. Podcasts need show notes. Both will help your website's SEO. Making a free profile on a P2P is likely to give you some more SEO too, as long as you include rich tags and keywords when uploading your demos and samples. Use the words casting is looking for. Check the specs.
Rates and Quoting Projects
Do you have the audacity to ask for what you want? For what you're worth? Ask for what you want, and keep asking. If it's uncomfortable at first, keep practicing. Role play with a colleague if you have to— whatever works!
There is a difference between price and value. As a voice actor, you are recording, editing, marketing, negotiating, all the things. And you are providing a service. If they say or imply that your rates are "expensive," you say, "yeah, 'cause it's amazing." When you start second-guessing yourself, your clients will too. "Other voice actors are doing it for this much." As an entrepreneur, you are a leader. And you know what? Leaders don't apologize. Leaders don't think, "Gee, I should be grateful for this opportunity / I'm new / This is my first ____" because that screams desperation. Being grateful doesn't need to come with suffering, a loss of dignity, or accepting pennies. You can be grateful AND be paid your rate. Not everyone is meant to be your client.