Double Dutch

No, I’m not going to tell you what it is just yet. Let me begin by asking you a simple question: Do words have power? When you think of it, aren’t they just letters in a certain order? Or are there words in our language that are so potent, that they have the potential to transform our life and our livelihood?

Now, before you think that I’ve gone all philosophical again instead of practical, just  STOP for a moment and think about it…

In the past few days I’ve asked some of my friends about words they feel have had (and still have) a profound impact on their professional lives. Here are some of the words they came up with:

As for me, the one word that has been my guiding light in the past 25 years as a freelancer, is neither grand nor deep. Yet, I believe it to be one of the most powerful words in our vocabulary. Without it, my career certainly wouldn’t be where it is today. It consists of two letters.

It is the word NO.

NO is the ultimate reflection of where I draw the line in life; the line between what I am willing to accept and what I must reject. Right now I can honestly say that I owe most of my success as an independent contractor to this word. It’s quite simple:

In order to give yourself a leg up, you sometimes have to put your foot down.

Today I am offering you seven suggestions for shaping your freelance career by using the power of what William Ury calls a “Positive No”.

1. SAY NO TO MOST FREELANCE JOBS
In this recession it seems that many freelancers function in survival mode and operate out of fear. They jump on every job opportunity that presents itself, because “you never know what tomorrow will bring”. They’re like a batsman who’s hitting at everything the pitcher’s throwing at him.

Although you might consider yourself to be a versatile voice-over pro, web designer or copywriter, even the famous Swiss Army knife has its limitations. It is humanly impossible to be everything to everyone. Like a batsman, you have to wait for the perfect moment where preparation meets opportunity, to hit that ball out of the park.

KNOW when to say NO. It’s early in the day as I am writing this article, but I’ve already said NO to at least fifteen jobs that didn’t meet my criteria. Why waste time applying for work I’m not totally qualified for?

I could get really ticked off by colleagues who subscribe to the “more is more strategy,” telling me: “It’s a numbers game. The more I try, the more chances I have to land a job.” Even though it might look that way sometimes, it is not a lottery. It is a business.

And why am I not ticked off? Well, we all have our life lessons to learn, and some people just prefer to learn things the hard way. And because they can’t…

2. SAY NO TO DIY
If you’re running your own business, it’s probably safe to say that you’re wearing many hats: CEO, CFO, COO, Head of HR, Advertising, Acquisition, Marketing, PR, IT, R & D, Quality Control, Social Media Manipulation… Are you tired yet? And guess who’s delivering the goods?

Just because you’re self-employed, doesn’t mean that you must do everything yourself. You shouldn’t, because you’ll burn out before you’ve even lit up the place.

KNOW your strengths. A realtor decided to shoot his own real estate video tours to save some money. As he was taking his shaky camera through a million dollar property, I could hear him do his own narration. The result was cheap, unprofessional and embarrassing. When he read my paper on video tours and voice-overs, he decided that he was not going to be the new host of House Hunters. Thank goodness for that!

So, here’s your assignment of the day. Ask yourself: What is the number one thing in my business that:

1. Is an essential part of my job
2. I’m not good at
3. I hate to do
4. Takes up way too much time

Now ask yourself two questions:

- How much more productive would I be, if I would outsource this to an expert?
- How much more profitable would I be, if I would outsource this work, especially if I…

3. SAY NO TO LOW RATES
In a society where most of us still equate value and quality with price, low rates are the trademark of an amateur. This strategy might bring you a few short term gains, but you’ll end up a long-term loser.

If you need nine more reasons why you shouldn’t sell yourself short, read my article: The secret to landing any freelance job.

KNOW the value of your work and the effect of your pricing on your bottom line and on your market. Then take the next step and…

4. SAY NO TO LOW STANDARDS
The Greek philosopher Mediocrates gave us the Law of Averages:

“Average standards lead to average results”

Look around you. Despite all the self-help hoopla that is sold as the “psychology of excellence,” the best most can hope for is mediocrity. Otherwise, “average” wouldn’t be the most common denominator and Walmart would have no customers.

KNOW that as an independent contractor you have the privilege of not having to live by other people’s rules. Look at your role models. Did they achieve success by following other people’s standards, or by setting their own? Become a non-conformist. Be utterly un-average and totally inimitable. Be younique and…

5. SAY NO TO BLAME
The Law of Causality deals with the relationship between an event and the consequence of that event. This interplay of Cause and Effect is reflected in our language as in: “My business isn’t doing so well because….”

We all know people who aren’t where they want to be in life, and they’re absolutely convinced that it is someone else’s fault. If only all the other people on this planet would change, they’d be so much happier! Those are the folks who blame the fast food industry for the obesity crisis and the tobacco industry for turning them into helpless, brainwashed chain smokers.

Blame makes people lame and seemingly dependent on things they have little or no control over. Mind you, I am not denying the devastating role some external circumstances can play in someone’s life. Neither am I trying to guilt-trip people for having been dealt some terrible cards.

I am talking about people who –rather than take responsibility for the things they have control over, expect others to fix them for them. Those are the people who’d rather complain about something than do something about it.

KNOW the difference between making things happen and letting things happen. It’s fine to subscribe to an on-line job search service. However, if you adopt a wait-and-see approach and blame the website when you’re not landing gigs within a week, you’re giving them way too much credit and you have effectively disempowered yourself.

I firmly believe that we’re not helpless leaves in the wind. I believe that we can harness the power of the wind and adjust our sails by the virtue of the choices we make. One of those choices we can make is to…

6. SAY NO TO UNCONTROLLED SPENDING
Why did the New York Times write that “one of the world’s most successful photographers essentially pawned every snap of the shutter she had made or will make until her loans are paid off”?

The Times cited as one of the reasons, that Annie Leibovitz has had a “long history of less than careful financial dealings“.

In the ideal world, you always have a pipeline full of projects. In reality, work can come in waves. When you finally hit that freelance jackpot and you’re starting to make some serious money, nothing is more tempting than to go on a spending spree. After all, you deserve it, don’t you?

Yes, you totally deserve to reap the rewards of your labor, today, tomorrow…. and in a few months when that big project is done and the money is no more. It’s not fun to be brilliant but broke.

KNOW that when it rains it probably pours, and when it doesn’t, you must set money aside for… a rainy day. Your bills don’t care whether or not you were lucky to get a nice chunk of cash in June. There’s always July, August and -dare I mention it- the day you hope to retire.

The book “The Millionaire Next Door” is not about big spenders. It is about people like you and me who live well below their means. Those folks are likely to…

7. SAY NO TO TAKING INSTEAD OF GIVING
“What’s in it for me? I want it for free!” seems to be the mantra of the new millennium. This narrow focus on personal gain, often at the expense of others and our planet, is an egotistical and eco-destructive philosophy.

Yet, some self-styled entrepreneurs have made the following three words the cornerstone of their business: Gimme, gimme, gimme.

With the rise of social media, this new group of predators is all about ‘getting’ instead of ‘giving’. They want to befriend you in order to milk your network, so they can slam your contacts with overt or covert product- and self-promotion.

These vampires seldom contribute to a discussion, and when they do, it’s mainly to get their contact information in the comment field. They ask for referrals. They don’t give referrals. They want a sample of your work… and run away with it.

KNOW that the way to grow a freelance business is to become a contributor; by giving back. Over the years, countless people have given me their time and expertise free of charge, just because they wanted to help.

PAY IT FORWARD
The best way to honor the gifts they have given me, is by passing them on to someone else. That’s one of the reasons why I started this blog, and that’s why you might find me answering someone else’s questions on a networking site.

When you start paying it forward, amazing things will happen. Do you have time for three examples?

* A few months ago, Shelley Cryan, a brilliant freelance photographer and real estate videographer, asked for recommendations for a voice-over microphone on an on-line forum. I happened to read her request and gave her some suggestions. A few weeks later, Shelley asked me if I’d be interested in narrating one of her virtual home tours. I just completed my third narration for her.

* Earlier this year, master narrator John Pruden wrote an excellent article for VoiceoverXtra. After I had left a comment, John got in touch with me and we exchanged a few emails. Recently, he told me about an audio book project that might be a good fit because I’m a multi-linguist. He recommended me to the client and to cut a long story short: after an audition they offered me the job.

* In April, David Rosenthal -the enthusiastic driving force behind Internet Voice Coach- wrote me an email in which he told me how much he enjoyed my blog. Not so long ago he asked me if I would like to join his team of contributors at Internet Voice Coach as the “expert on all things international”. I couldn’t be happier!

Over the weekend, my IVC “department” opened its doors and it now features exclusive interviews with Bodalgo’s Armin Hierstetter and Arabic blogger/voice-over Mahmoud Taji (who recently published a free e-book called “The Modern Voiceoverist’s Guide to the Online Universe & Other Stories”).

I’m not telling you these things to impress you. I’m sharing these examples to impress upon you that wonderful and unexpected things can happen as a result of being attentive to opportunities to help and contribute.

TEST
One last thing. Should you choose to adopt these seven suggestions and become a no-sayer, expect to be tested! We live in a culture of YES and instant gratification. People don’t want to hear the word no. They’d rather cut off their no’s to spite their face. When they’re putting pressure on you to cave in, remember this:

The best students usually get the most challenging tests!

So, stick to the program and keep on saying “yes” to NO.

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS What are some of the things you have said NO to as a freelancer, and how has that worked out for you?

PPS What’s the number one question colleagues keep on asking me, and how do I answer it? Find out here!

“He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on.”
- Benjamin Franklin

All of a sudden, the lame world of voice-overs is up in arms. Why? I have one word for you “VoiceJockeys”.

The website Voicejockeys.com describes itself as “a virtual meeting place for voice over talent and people in need of their services.”

Yep, it’s yet another on-line casting service trying to cash in on a market of hopeful but clueless voice-over newcomers. The more the merrier, right? At least these jockeys were honest about their intentions. According to their website they offer:

“(…) professional voice over work at a fraction of the cost. “

You might wonder: How do they do it, these clever casters? VoiceJockeys discloses their amazing strategy on their website:

“(…) we bring you directly to the source, the actual talent, not to a fancy agency or casting service. We empower you to make your own casting decisions and basically “try before you buy” entirely cutting out the middle man.”

Hold your horses… does that make any sense whatsoever? If there would be no middle man, wouldn’t the voice-seeker be contacting the talent directly, instead of VoiceJockeys?

VO-LAW TO THE RESCUE
Tipped off and ticked off, attorney and voice-actor Rob Sciglimpaglia Jr. decided to go over the VoiceJockeys talent contract with a comb as fine as only attorneys can get their hands on. In part one of a three-part VoiceOverXtra series, he concludes:

“I carefully reviewed the rates and contract that is posted on the web site for this company, and it is straight out of the dark ages concerning protection of the rights of the working voice-over artist.

I liken it to a SWEAT SHOP for voice talent.”

Sciglimpaglia spurred into action and offered to represent VoiceJockey voice-overs pro bono, as a group, in an effort to secure new contract terms. According to VoiceOverXtra:

“(…) he is already negotiating with VoiceJockeys, and he started a blog to report on similar companies that “prey” on voice actors with low pay and excessively restrictive contracts.”

BETTER LATE…
Rob’s right: Voice Jockeys.com is not the only on-line agency taking you for a ride. They are one of many sweatshop-services in a market that thrives on exploiting the hopeful, the desperate and the ignorant.

The fact that some members of the voice-over community apparently needed an attorney to analyze the fine print of a contract, doesn’t speak well of the level of professionalism in this industry. Always do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. It’s number 3 on my list of 10 classic mistakes why people leave money on the table.

I fully support Rob’s mission, and if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I take the issue of fair compensation and reasonable rates very seriously.

MIRROR, MIRROR
But reading Rob’s review could lead people to believe that “cheap paying companies” as he calls them, are the only ones to blame for sliding fees and unfair terms & conditions. That’s like blaming the fast food industry for the entire obesity crisis.

The only reason these business practices are perpetuated, is because people are falling for them. Sweatshop services exist because they feed a need. They prey on predatory pricers (or “poachers” in Rob’s words), and they appeal to those who want something for next to nothing.

What’s more, some colleagues have been defending bargain basement rates with arguments such as:

• we live in a capitalist economy and prices are determined by market forces
• setting minimum rates amounts to price-fixing which is illegal
• underbidders aren’t underminers; the low end of the market does not affect the high end
• lowballers have the best of intentions: they need to make a living too
• stop beating a dead horse; nothing will ever change
• Don LaFontaine never bothered to mount campaigns against people who voiced movie trailers at a rate below his

SOLIDARITY
As a freelancer, I have worked in many different industries. In no sector have I ever encountered so many colleagues who were ready to justify rip-off rates for whatever reason.

Could it be because some of them are also in the business of hiring voices? Is it because they don’t have to survive on a voice-over salary? Is their partner perhaps the main breadwinner? Or is there something going on, at a deeper level?

In the end it boils down to a matter of mentality. Let me spell it out in black-and-white terms:

Some people primarily operate from a ME-mentality. Others operate from a WE-mentality.

WORLD VIEW
The question: “What’s in it for ME?” is a powerful driving force behind human behavior. It focuses on immediate benefits to the individual, regardless of the impact on the community. It comes from an age-old survival instinct that puts self first.

In this vision, there are winners and losers. An oil spill in the Gulf is just an unfortunate consequence of a fossil fuel based economy. Who cares about the environmental impact, as long as it’s not in my backyard and I can keep on driving my SUV? It’s the price of doing business.

The question: “How does this affect the GROUP?” focuses on how individual fates are connected through a network of relationships. It looks at the long-term consequences and collective future rewards, rather than at instant individual gratification.

In this vision, we’re all in the same boat, sharing the same ocean. An oil spill in the Gulf is a signal that we should be serious about renewable energy, preserving this planet, instead of polluting it perhaps permanently. The world is our backyard, and we look dumber in a Hummer.

My question to you is this: which horse are you betting on?

SHAKESPEARE
The beleaguered King Richard III is a classic sell-out character. He is desperate. During the final battle his horse, Surrey, is killed and the King can no longer flee. Hoping to secure his survival, he offers his meaningless empire with the infamous iambic pentameter:

“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

It was a bad barter, and we all know how the story came to an end. Richard the Third was left at the mercy of his enemies because he had devalued his Kingdom. He died at the hands of the Earl of Richmond.

HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement of the moment. In a few days or weeks, the drama of VoiceJockeys will be forgotten, or looked at as an isolated incident. New sites will emerge and it will be déjà vu all over again. Does it have to be that way?

Shakespeare’s Richard III starts with the following opening words:

“Now is the winter of our discontent”

Perhaps this VoiceJockeys episode could be the start of our “winter of discontent”.

OUR POWER
I once read that globally we spend more money on advertising than on education. It’s a scary statistic, but it goes to show how much money is spent and made in product promotion.

Let me ask you this: Can you imagine commercials without voice-overs? Can you think of documentaries or industrials without narration? How about instructional DVD’s, Public Service Announcements, Voice Response Systems…

All of the above would not be possible without voice actors. We can make or break a million dollar campaign. We can engage and motivate an audience. We can warmly welcome old and new customers. We can entertain and teach at the same time.

We are voice-over professionals.

Then why don’t we insist that we fully deserve and should get a significant slice of the pie? Are we lacking respect for our own profession? Are we degrading our training, our background and our craftsmanship? Are we devaluing our crucial contribution to advertising, marketing, education and cultural enrichment?

If we don’t take ourselves and our work seriously, why should others? Ultimately, we get what we deserve, and if we feel that we don’t deserve that much, we should stop complaining about rates going down and the cost of living going up.

Or we could start by charging reasonable fees that are a reflection of the added value of our work, as well as the respect for our talent!

It looks good on paper doesn’t it? It sounds even better, read by a voice-over professional.

Then why do I get the feeling that we’ll be having this same discussion in a week, a month or a year from now?

Here’s why:

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

Are you thirsty, yet?

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS Even the best teams need a coach. Read all about the brand new Internet Voice Coach  website in the next installment, and  be sure to check out a very special offer for readers of this blog.

RATE SHEETS. Do you have one? If you don’t, why not? Wouldn’t it be handy to publish your fees on your website? That way, the powers that are thinking of hiring you, know what to expect.

Not only is this your first line of defense against those who can’t afford you, it will also establish you as a professional.

Rate sheets. Why would you want your competition to know how much you charge? Wouldn’t you undermine your competitive edge by giving others the ammunition that will allow them to underbid? Do you want people to write you off based on your rates, without giving them a taste test of what you have to offer?

Rate sheets. Some voice-over casting sites have ‘em, but are they up to date? And when you compare the rates listed, to the budgets offered for projects posted on these sites, what do you see?

Do these sites stand behind their own rate sheets, or are these ‘average fees’ nothing but a marketing tool to attract new members: “Look at how much money there is to be made in voice-overs. Sign up today!”

There is a big difference between suggested rates and suggestive rates.

So, what do you do when someone asks you for your rate? In my last article, I warned you against blind bidding, and I suggested you do your homework. But here’s the thing: you’re only one part of the equation.

What about your clients? How can we make them understand that they can’t expect us to just pull a number out of a hat (unless your name is James Alburger, who is also a professional magician)…?

That’s how I came to I write an

OPEN LETTER TO VOICE -SEEKERS

Dear voice-over shopper:

Thank you so much for getting in touch! Before we get down to business, may I ask you a question?

Would you ever bid on a project without knowing the specifics?

Let’s assume you’re in the construction industry. A prospect sends you an email asking:

“How much for a building? Give me your best price!”

Could you honestly answer that question? Of course not. Yet, I receive emails every day, asking:

“How much for a voice-over? Give me your best price!”

… as if we’re talking about the cost of a Big Mac or a quart of milk. Even that differs depending on where you live.

If you were a builder who was asked to come up with an accurate estimate, you’d minimally need to know what purpose the construction would serve (commercial or residential); you’d have to know where it will be located, how big it needs to be, when it needs to be finished etcetera, etcetera.

Voice-over professionals are no different. They’re  independent contractors. They need to know what purpose their recording will serve, in what market it would play, how long the script is and how soon you need it (among other things).

Without specifics, any bid is based on pure guesswork and not on the particulars of your project.

“Then why” -you might ask- “are so many of your colleagues willing to plug in just about any number -no questions asked?”

I’ll answer that question with a question.

Would you trust a builder who’d name a price knowing hardly any details of the project? Or would you consider that to be… ‘unprofessional’?

STANDARDS, ANYBODY?
The voice-over industry is populated by seasoned pros, hopeful hobbyists and anything in between. With today’s technology, it’s so easy to plug a mic into a computer and hang up a sign saying:

“Voice for Hire. Will work for food.”

There are no requirements, no regulations and no standards.

What would happen if the construction industry would operate that way?

Some might argue that that’s an unfair comparison. When builders don’t follow regulations, people could get hurt. No one’s ever going to get harmed by an unprofessional voice-over artist, right?

Think again, and let’s zoom in on Medical Narrations. What would happen if the name of a medication would be mispronounced or if the narrator messes up the dosage? What would happen if a procedure would be read in such a way that it could be misconstrued?

These are extreme examples. I agree. How about something less serious: Audio Tours.

Imagine hundreds of tourists getting stranded on a hot summer’s day because the narrator had instructed them to go left instead of right. Among the group members are elderly people, pregnant women and folks with various medical conditions.

That’s not just a ‘small oversight on the part of an inexperienced narrator’.

That’s a lawsuit in the making!

THE REAL DEAL
Professionals do their homework. When a voice talent gets back to you with specific questions, that person is not trying to be a pain in the neck. It’s a sign of professionalism. It means that you’re not getting the cookie cutter treatment. It’s an indication that this person takes his or her job and your project seriously. Please remember:

Amateurs passively plug in guesstimates. Pros ask questions and give informed quotes. There’s a reason why the word pro is part of ‘pro-active’.

Think of it this way: your voice-over project is a destination. If your end-client does not provide you with a clear description, how can you be sure that you’ll ever get there? Without the right information, you’re setting yourself up for failure, as well as the talent you’re hoping to hire.

Let’s assume the end-client asks for fruit and you come back with the juiciest orange ever to hang from a tree. It could have been a lucky guess. But what if your client says:

“Oh come on… I didn’t want a boring orange. I had an orange yesterday. You should have brought me an apple. A green apple. From Holland.”

THE BLAME GAME
Now, it’s easy to point the finger and blame your unspecific client. But blame is lame and disempowering. The ball was in your court. What did you do with it?

Not only are you now wasting your own time; you’ve just posted a vague project on a casting site and hundreds of voice-over talents are wasting their time recording a custom demo that’s nothing more than a shot in the dark.

Some of you might respond: “That’s just too bad. It’s part of the industry. It’s always been like that and it will never change. You win some. You lose some. And if you don’t like it, go do something else.”

That might be true, but does it really have to be that way? It’s 2010. Are we still running the industry based on these inefficient, expensive, last century old-school ideas?

IT ALL ADDS UP
Please consider this: how long will it take you to weed through all these shot-in-the-dark submissions? You might end up picking a very affordable talent, but -thinking of your hourly rate- how much did all that weeding just cost you and your company? Don’t you have better things to do than listen to auditions that totally miss the mark?

If you expect talent to be on target, give them a fair chance to hit the bull’s eye.

Tell them what you’ll be listening for in as much detail as possible. If not for the sake of the voice talent, do it for your own sake. You’ll get much better results in less time.

Here are a few other tips. Don’t worry, they won’t cost you anything!

• Language. Don’t just put “Spanish” if you really need a speaker from Chile. Otherwise you’ll get accents from wherever Spanish is spoken. (more on accents in this article)

• Age. When you need a young and energetic sound and you’re not clueing us in, don’t be surprised to receive demos from mellow middle-aged matriarchs and serious sounding seniors (as well as from blogging voice-overs who love alliteration).

• Budget. You say that you want to hire an experienced voice talent. Do you really think you’ll get one for a hundred bucks? Try this experiment: go to a jewelry store and shop for a 24 carat diamond. When you’ve picked out a nice rock, tell them you wish to get it at the price of a cubic zirconia. Let me know how that worked out for you.

I assume that you take pride in your work, just as we take pride in ours. Don’t devalue what we do. Believe me; it’s not as easy as it sounds.

• Expert. If you don’t want to pay a pro, ask Sam in Receiving to record that power point presentation you’re about to give to potential investors. It’s only the future of your company that’s at stake.

Cindy the secretary has a nice voice too. Perhaps she’s willing to do that phone greeting that will be heard by thousands of customers every day. It’s not our job to determine how you want your company image to be perceived by the rest of the world.

• Editing. If you expect a talent to deliver clean, edited audio, don’t assume that someone will throw that in for free. First of all, editing is a special skill, and not every talent has mastered that skill.

Secondly, it takes an experienced editor at least twice as long to clean up the audio, as the time needed to record it. People deserve to be compensated for their time and expertise. Aren’t you?

• Payment. Don’t be surprised if we ask you to pay 50% upfront and the remainder upon receiving the recording. Some colleagues won’t record a word without getting paid in full first. You see, we haven’t established a relationship yet, and most of us have been burned in the past. Did that band you hired for the office party require money upfront? Did the hotel ask you for a deposit at the time you reserved that conference room?

Don’t take it personally. We run a voice-over business; not a collection agency. We give you our word (literally) that we’ll deliver the goods. In fact: we will WOW you! Please PayPal your down payment so we can get the ball rolling.

FINAL THOUGHTS
If you happened to detect a slight sarcastic undertone in my writing, please know that I’m aware of that. It’s a bad habit and I’m working on it. Just not today.

Secondly: not all voice-seekers are created equal, and it’s not right to put all of you into the same category. You’ve got to make a living too and make your boss happy by hiring the best talent at a reasonable price.

I’m confident that we can meet in the middle, and I’m committed to making your product or service shine as if it were my own. You and I are in the same boat:

Happy customers are our best credentials.

Testimonials from satisfied clients are stories that can never be accurately reflected in the most detailed of rate sheets.

Now… let’s talk some business, shall we?!

Sincerely,

Paul Strikwerda ©2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS If you had a chance to write your letter to those who are thinking about hiring you, what would you like them to know? Share your comments and thoughts below!

PPS Voice seekers are not the only ones trying to get more out of you for less. My next article is about Internet Casting Services  taking it to the extreme.

How much do you charge for your services? What determines your asking price? If you charge too much, you run the risk of losing the job. If you’re selling yourself cheap, you look like an amateur. Here are 10 ways to win the bidding war.

“Do these cookies taste as good as they look?” asked our friendly neighbor.

“Even better,” said my almost 8-year old daughter with a big smile on her face.  “I baked them myself this morning!”

Last week, she went door-to-door to raise money for our Walk MS team. She’s a much better fund-raiser than her father, who’s still hoping to do better with his “Giving a Voice to MS” campaign.

“How much are they?” the neighbor wanted to know.

“You can get two cookies for a dollar,” answered my daughter. A moment later, she had four shiny quarters in her hand.

“Fantastic,” I said. “I’m so proud of you! You just made your first dollar. Now, do you want to know a little secret to raising some serious money?” She was all ears.

“Next time someone asks you how much your Snickerdoodles cost, tell them:

‘You can give as much as you want’. Then you just wait… and see what happens.”

“But what if they only want to pay fifty cents?” my daughter asked.

“Well,” I said. “You’ll have to tell them that they have to give at least one dollar. Always know your bottom line. If they don’t think they’re worth that much, there are plenty of other people to sell them to. It’s okay to walk away from a bad deal.”

THE WILD, WILD WEST
In the unregulated world of freelancing, putting a price on a product or service is one of the most talked about and controversial topics. Why?

Copywriters know all about crafting compelling copy; web designers are great at creating sticky sites, and voice-over actors can sound like they know what they’re talking about, even if they don’t.

Here’s the problem: just because you’re good what what you do, doesn’t mean you know how to sell yourself. If anything, you’re probably selling yourself short and you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.

How many schools or vocational training programs are actually teaching business 101, sales techniques or negotiation skills? With a diploma in hand, many graduates discover that it’s a jungle out there, and the only way to learn is by trial and error. That’s an expensive strategy.

In my last article, I talked about the consequences of predatory pricing and about why low rates are bad for business. The next question is: how can you make sure you get a decent price for your product or service? Let’s begin by avoiding these

10 CLASSIC MISTAKES WHEN QUOTING A PRICE

1. Blind Bidding. Especially in today’s market where lots of freelance jobs are auctioned off instead of negotiated, it’s tempting to just plug in a number, no questions asked. Clients love it because your eagerness, ignorance or desperation practically guarantees them a bargain.

Project details are left vague for a reason! But how can you make the right offer without having the right information? That’s because you’re falling into trap number two. You are…

2. Making Assumptions. Poor client! She said she was operating on “a small budget,” so if you really want that gig, make sure you put in a lowball offer or give a discount.

NOT SO FAST! What might be a “small budget” to some might be a large chunk of money to others.

How can you be so sure whether or not a customer you don’t even know can or cannot afford you or your product? Did you just read the tea leaves? Did that little voice in your head tell you so? The “limited budget excuse” is the oldest trick in the book of cheapskates. And you’re buying it because you’re…

3. Not Doing Your Homework. Do you have any idea who your mystery prospect is? What company does she work for? How many employees does this company have and in how many countries? What clients do they serve? What’s their market share? What reputation does this firm or this person have?

You’d be surprised by how much can be found out by spending a few extra minutes on your computer (just look at how much info I was able to dig up on the editor of Newspapers for the Blind). Wouldn’t you want to have these data available before you quote a KIA price to someone with a Bentley budget?

Of course some website-seeing won’t give you all the answers, nor will it give you a chance to build a more personal relationship with your prospective buyer. Dry facts always have a backstory, and you’re not getting it because you’re…

4. Not Asking the Right Questions. Ideally, your product or service is the solution to your client’s problem and the pleasure to their pain. But if you don’t know what their specific wants and needs are, you won’t be able to fulfill them to their satisfaction.

Any price will be too high if your prospect doesn’t feel that what you’re offering is what he really needs.

Ask yourself: what do I minimally need to know to make sure that I am the right person for this job and to put in a reasonable bid? My article about breaking down an audio book rate gives you a sense of how much is really involved and how much is usually left out when bidding.

Once you’re fully prepared, why not turn the table by asking: “How much have you budgeted?” (notice the not so hidden presupposition) I must warn you: it’s easy to sabotage this process by…

5. Too much talking. Not enough listening. It boils down to this: do you really want to know, or are you just asking? If you’re passionate about your profession, chances are that you’re full of it… Some people -not you of course- are even full of themselves. And because you know and care so much about what you do, it’s very easy to go on and on and on about it. Zzzzzz

As I said to the computer guy at Staples: “I don’t need to know how it works, as long as I know that it works.” He didn’t get it. He was in his own little world. I think he’s still talking to me, even though I left the store two hours ago…

When you’re actively listening to your prospect, make a mental note of certain buzz words and phrases that are an indication of why this project is important, and what this project is all about. If you’re on the phone, write it down. If you don’t keep track of these buzz-words, you’ll be…

6. Describing the benefits of a product or service in your terms; not in your client’s terms. What might be important to you is utterly irrelevant. What really matters is what’s important to your client. Never tell a prospect why they should hire you. People do things for their reasons, not for yours.

For instance, you might believe that price is a decisive factor in the deal you’re discussing, because that’s how you operate. Nothing is ever bought based on price alone, and perceived value might really be what the client is basing her decision on.

Some of us prefer more expensive brand name products. Others favor more affordable store brands. Do not bring up the price or your fee until the customer does. Otherwise, you fall into the trap of…

7. Bad Timing. Every sales trainer will tell you: never mention the price until a customer has fallen in love with the product. Highlight the benefits first, and be sure to use your client’s criteria and your client’s buzz words. Make the sale based on value. Value is usually defined as benefits received, divided by the price paid. If the perceived value is higher than the price paid, your customer’s a happy camper.

But what if a prospect tells you: “I can’t possible afford that. That’s too much money.” Is it ‘game over’? Only if you keep on…

8. Believing that Objection = Rejection. Wrong! Objections are opportunities to better understand your client. One salesman put it this way:

“I love objections. The more, the better. How can you sell somebody something unless you find out what he or she is thinking, and what his or her reservations might be about your product or service?”

Here’s the thing: it’s almost impossible to handle objections if the customer’s interest is not high enough, or when the prospect is not a “qualified buyer”. Those are the people who are “just looking” and who aren’t authorized to make purchase decisions.

“Your price it too high” is the oldest objection in history. Linguists call it a ‘comparative deletion’ because the obvious question would be: “Compared to what?” And without knowing the price concern, you can’t possibly help your prospect overcome it. Usually there are two reasons:

-the perceived value of your service or product is lower than your price or your fee;
-your prospect genuinely can’t afford it at this moment in time

In the first scenario, you haven’t convinced your client that what you’re offering truly meets his or her needs, or is valuable enough. In that case, you need to backtrack a little. In the second scenario, you can start offering other options (more about both in a future article).

There’s a third possible response to the price objection: giving in. That has to do with…

9. Being insecure about your own value. If you start apologizing for your prices, or if you’re undervaluing your services because you don’t think you’re worth it, stop negotiating because you look like an amateur.

The least you can do is go back to number 3 and educate yourself about the going rate for a particular project in a specific market.

Secondly, read “The Money Book for freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed” and get a grip on your finances. Know how much you need to make to break even, and how much you want to make to lead the life you feel you deserve. Get a backbone and be proud of your price!

Losers lower their prices. Winners know what they’re worth!

A word of warning: if a prospect senses any sign of insecurity, you’ve just shot yourself in the foot. Remember that people equate price with quality. If they contacted you, they’re interested in hiring you, so hang in there and avoid…

10. Falling for False Promises. Never accept a job based on the promise of future work. The job is the job. Even when the client holds up a juicy carrot and says: “If this works out, chances are that a whole lot more will come your way,” treat it as a big red flag. You know that you’ll end up doing more for less, and you’ll never hear from them again. End of story.

FORTUNE COOKIES
Well before we’d reached the end of our block, my daughter had sold all her cookies and a minivan stopped in front of us. It happened to be a family that had already bought a few bags of Snickerdoodles for the MS Walk.

“Here sweetie,” said the mother, as she handed over a 20 dollar bill.

“But I don’t have any more cookies to give you,” said my daughter.

“That’s okay,” replied the Mom. “When you came to our door, I could only pay you a few dollars, because that was all the money I had in my wallet. I just went to the bank to get some more. All of us agreed that your Snickerdoodles were the best we’d ever had!”

Even though she was smiling, it looked like the Mom was holding back tears. As my daughter was talking to her kids in the back of the car, their Mom said quietly:

“My mother died from MS last year. We miss her so much. Thank you for doing the walk!”

“You’re very welcome,” I said. “I am so sorry to hear about your loss.”

I always tell my daughter: 

Different people do different things for different reasons.

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS If you feel that this article has been of value to you in any way, please  show your appreciation by making a donation to my Walk MS team today. Thank you!

PPS Ever felt like telling your clients how you really feel about them?  I just wrote an Open Letter to Voice-Seekers.

Is your freelance business going down the drain? Are you sick and tired of rejection? Have you had enough of wasting your time on auditions, bids and proposals that never lead to anything?

Perhaps it is time to make frustration your friend. Be sure to add a strong dose of disgust to the mix. According to success strategist Jim Rohn, disgust is one of the four emotions that can lead to life change. Rohn:

“The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I’ve had it!”

RESOLVE
Once your frustration has reached a boiling point, it is time to make up your mind. Are you throwing in the towel, or are you going to take massive action and turn your business around? If you pick the last option, the next question is: HOW?

The secret to landing any type of freelance job is contained in these three words:

PRACTICE PREDATORY PRICING

In other words: start offering your service or product at a price which is either below the going rate or below production cost. Crush the competition by underbidding. You gotta pay the bills, right? It’s better to have a low-paying job than no job at all. Après nous, le déluge.

Most of us live in a capitalist society based on a free market. There are no fixed prices in the unregulated world of freelancing. Today’s economy is based on one principle only: Survival of the cheapest. Is that morally wrong? Don’t be a hypocrite; we’re all accomplices. A few scenarios:

-Two gas stations on opposite sides of the road. Which one do you pick?
-You’re in the market for a new TV. Why are you using a ShopBot?
-Outlet Malls have become America’s number one tourist destination.

NO MORE WHINING
Let’s make a deal. Stop complaining about business being slow. End the self pity because nobody wants to hire you. Your product is not the problem. The problem is your pricing. So get off your high horse and start lowering your rates right now. If you won’t, others will. Ever wondered why almost anything is made in China?

Okay. Time Out.

TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw coined the phrase: “If you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences.” Before you start slashing your fees, consider the following:

10 CONSEQUENCES OF PREDATORY PRICING

1. Bargain prices attract bargain shoppers. Low paying customers are usually high maintenance customers. As one freelancer put it:

“People that are only willing to spend pennies will argue over every cent, while people willing to spend whatever it takes, care more about the result than the bill.”

2. Bargain prices create unrealistic expectations. You will attract clients that expect a gourmet meal at a fast food price (and at drive-through speed). Beware: as in mountain biking, it’s easier to go down than to go up. Once your price-level is set, it is hard to justify a higher price.

3. Bargain rates devalue your work. Don’t be fooled. Predatory prices attract clients that pick you based on your rate, not on your abilities. For them, the value of your work depends on your fee, not on your skills or experience.

Product launch coach Dave Navarro wrote: ” Because people tend to not value things that don’t cost them much, they’re much more likely to be dissatisfied with it – regardless of the quality of the product.” Are those the people you really wish to work for?

4. Bargain rates show little self-respect. A freelance web designer put it this way:

“I wouldn’t think of cutting my prices, because higher prices show that you are confident with your work, and confidence sells a lot more effectively to QUALITY clients -more-so than price.”

5. Bargain prices foster resentment and jealousy. What signal are you sending to yourself when you’re working for rock bottom rates: “Is that all I’m worth? Don’t they appreciate my work? Why am I only making one third of what he makes in two minutes and it take me two hours?”

6. Bargain rates bring your quality down. Freelance writer Steven Snell:

“If you are not making very much from a project you may rush through it so that you can finish and move on to something else. I know. It’s easy to say “I’m only making $X for this work, I don’t need to do any better than this.” As a result, your work will be less than your best. If you’re making a reasonable amount you should be able and willing to do your best work.”

7. Bargain pricing leaves less time to do well-paid work. Imagine the frustration of having to say “no” to a golden opportunity because you’re swamped with a project paying peanuts.

8. Predatory pricing is unfair competition. Dumping your product or service will isolate you from your colleagues, and it will negatively impact prevalent prices. Don’t blame the anonymous forces of demand and supply for a steady decline in rates. You are as much part of the problem as you are a part of the solution.

9. Predatory prices leave you working more and earning less. That’s a no-brainer, but didn’t you become a freelancer to have more free time and make more money?

10. Bargain rates lead to bankruptcy. What do JetGreen, DutchBird, and LowFareJet have in common? They were all low cost airlines that practiced predatory pricing. They went under because they over-promised, under-delivered and couldn’t break even.

GOING DOWN?
What do you do when clients say: “Sorry, I can’t afford you” or “In this economy we simply can’t pay regular rates.” Do you tell them to find a freelancer on Craig’s List, or do you give in and work for next to nothing?

Have you ever low-balled a project in order to get the gig? What do you think of undercutting colleagues? Are they simply trying to make an honest buck, or are they ruining the market for all of us?

Is there a way to increase your competitive advantage, without lowering your prices? Funny you should ask! It’s all about avoiding expensive pricing mistakes. That happens to be the topic of my next article, so stay tuned!

Paul Strikwerda © 2010
www.nethervoice.com

PS Voice-over colleague  Mary McKitrick has written two excellent blog posts that are absolutely worth your time: Setting rates in the voice-over business & Perceived value in voiceover. And if you like her writings, wait till you hear her voice!

PPS So many freelancers are quoting a price for their services based on assumptions and  ignorance. Could you be making one of the most common mistakes? Find out here!

The voice-over market is a buyer’s market. Voice-talents are exposed; voice-seekers are protected. As voice-over pros, we want to work. We need to work. Sometimes we’re so happy to be picked out of a pile of 100+ auditions; it’s tempting to say “YES” when we finally get a break. But would we have done so, had we known the facts?

The World Wide Web has put me in touch with the wonderful, the wacky and the weird. Anyone can pretend to be anything on the Net. That nice guy you met online might very well be the next “Craigslist Killer”. Or he could be Prince Charming! How can you be sure?

THE VOICE-OVER AS P.I. (VoPi)
I have a question for you: do you think you should have to play Sherlock Holmes if you audition for a job on a site like voices.com? Aren’t you paying the staff to do their homework to make sure you’re not connected to some creep?

If you’re a member of voice123, you might have seen the following disclaimer:

Legal note: Although Voice123 tries to establish the legitimacy of all voice seekers, you are responsible for conducting your own investigation into any and all claims made by prospective voice seekers, agents and/or clients. You assume all liability for use of any information you find through Voice123, LLC, or any of its publications.

Good luck, especially if the voice seeker is purposely hiding his or her identity! As we have seen in the case of the founder of Newspapers for the Blind, the voice123 team responded after members had complained about the way they had been treated. Make no mistake about it: at the end of the day, “You are responsible for conducting your own investigation.”

Here’s the good news: the Internet is not only a place for con-men and convicts. With so much information in the public domain, we might as well use it as a tool in our fight against the frauds, the fakes and the phonies. My story of Newspapers for the Blind is the perfect example. Before I get into that, I have an admission to make.

A GOOD CAUSE
When I was young, idealistic and hopelessly naive, I honestly believed that people involved in philanthropy must be good people. It never occurred to me to do a background check on a charity. What can I say? Even Steven Spielberg thought that Bernie Madoff was a nice guy…

After my story about Will May, some of you wondered: Is his organization a real charity?

On its website, Newspapers for the Blind (NFBT) says it’s a 501C-3 Corporation. This is a type of incorporation that is used to set up a charitable corporation, founded with the intention of providing a service to the community, rather than making a profit.

Incorporating a company makes it a legal entity, responsible for its actions in the community. This is important, because it removes a great deal of the responsibility from the person who is starting the company.

One source puts it this way: “If you start a 501(c)3 company, you want the legal liability for possible damages to be the responsibility of the 501(c)3 corporation so that your personal possessions are safe from creditors.”

FACT CHECK
So, how do you separate the chaff from the wheat? The IRS web site has a search engine that makes finding a registered charity a piece of cake. The Better Business Bureaus* have a similar function on their website. In both databases, Newspapers for the Blind does not come up as a registered charity, and I have asked the IRS and the BBB to look into this. I also checked the Maryland Charities Database (the state where NFTB is based). Again: nothing came up.

But there’s a catch: Elisabeth Leamy, the ABC News Consumer Correspondent warns:

“ (…) even if the IRS really has granted non-profit 501C-3 status to a group, that’s no indication of quality. The IRS doesn’t have the time or staff to really scrutinize those who apply for charity status. I once investigated a company that earned 501C-3 status. The IRS overlooked the fact that the founder was a convicted felon who kept most of the group’s money for himself and didn’t even register with the state as required by law.”

In her article “How to Identify a Fake Charity”, Jamie K. Wilson recommends we carefully examine a charity’s website and look for the following signs:

• A board of directors numbering at least six people, with their credentials or regular job titles and place of employment listed
• A permanent street address in the United States or your own country
• A 501(c)3 statement
• Success stories
• An outline of this charity’s goals
• Downloadable financial statements that detail where money has been expended in the past
• Accurate statistics with verifiable and legitimate sources
• Good writing, spelling, and grammar

She concludes:

“Any charitable website lacking two or more of these traits is suspect. That does not mean the charity is fake. On the contrary, it might be very new and very legitimate, but without a track record. However, fake charities generally lack at least two of the above items.”

Steven Lowell of voice123 had this to say about Will May, the founder and editor of NFTB:

“Truth is…if he is rough to deal with, and pays, that is one thing. You get your money and never work with the person again. But to pose as a charitable organization, then not pay, and pull the routine that the people who delivered work must be the problem, when he in fact hired them…It is not a better business practice, and to some extent, illegal. I am not up to date on laws governing posing as false charity, but he did promise payment, and never came through.”

WHO IS WILL MAY
Again, using what is in the public domain, what can we learn about the founder and editor of Newspapers for the Blind? Let’s first see what Will May tells us about himself on his LinkedIn profile:

Interests: I like to sail boats and fly aeroplanes

Groups and Associations: Chief Medical Examiner of the Lesbian Fighter Pilots Association

May lists himself as the owner of Nevis LLC. A Nevis Limited Liability Company is based in the Caribbean tax-haven of Nevis. For $1495 USD, you too could become the proud owner of a Nevis LLC. It has a few benefits:

• Nevis does not impose corporate tax, income tax, withholding tax, stamp tax, asset tax, exchange controls or other fees or taxes on assets or income originating outside of Nevis.
• The owners and managers are not registered anywhere, which provides for complete secrecy.
• A Nevis LLC allows you to shield your assets from lawsuits, agencies, and financial creditors.
• Owners can manage the company without becoming liable for company financial obligations or legal liabilities.

THE LAST TYCOON
Voice-over colleague Juliette Gray worked for Will May and never received a penny. She confirmed what I had suspected when I questioned where the money for Newspapers for the Blind was coming from. Juliette wrote:

“One long conversation I had with him he told me that he had put a lot of money himself into it and he was a retired real estate tycoon from NYC.”

This is confirmed by the information May listed in his LinkedIn profile under “experience”:

“Chairman of Wm. B May & Company- Real Estate from 1982  – 2006”

This is not your average local realtor. The William B. May Company once was the nation’s oldest real estate brokerage firm, and it has been in the hands of one family for four generations. The website of the New York Real Estate Institute states:

“William B. May’s impeccable reputation has been built on a singular philosophy of integrity, trust, full accountability and integrated service. To this day, we pride ourselves on unwavering ethics, steadfast client loyalty, and competitive endurance.”

In a December 2000 newsletter, the company boasts:

“With age comes wisdom. The development of 57th Street at the heart of New York City was what first put William B. May on the map in the late 1860’s. At that time, we sold property to the Carnegies, the Fricks and the Vanderbilts.”

Today, the company is no more. Only the brand William B. May has survived. The business concept is owned by Broker Services Holding, LLC and it is operated as a franchise.

On his  LinkedIn page, Will May concurs that the company as it had existed, ceased operations in 2006, after -as he put it- “a tumultuous take-over fight”.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST
Gabriel Sherman is contributing editor at New York Magazine and a special correspondent for the New Republic. Prior to 2006, he was the media reporter at the New York Observer. In April of  ’05, he witnessed the demise of the venerable family firm.

When I read his article  “William T. May Sues Agency On Century 21 Ads”, a few things fell into place. This is how it begins:

“William Talcott May is the co-chairman of the storied real-estate brokerage founded by his great grandfather in 1866 and inheritor of the New York real-estate dynasty that bears his father’s name, William B. May.

But when the 44-year-old eccentric bounded into City Bakery on West 18th Street on a recent Thursday morning, wearing a fire-truck-red Scottish kilt and a navy-blue wool sweater, his broad, leonine cheekbones streaked with charcoal-hued face paint, he looked more Braveheart than businessman.”

If you don’t have time to read the entire article, here are some of the ‘highlights’:

• Mr. May studied economics at Duke University. He dropped out in 1982 after two and half years. At Duke, Mr. May was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, played rugby and co-founded the school’s polo club with 40 ponies he said his cousin won in a craps game in South America.
• After leaving Duke, Billy May -as he was known- returned to New York and worked in William B. May’s brokerage business while managing some of his own buildings. On the job he was stabbed and shot by tenants.
• As he was flying his private plane on 9/11/’01, he witnessed the entire disaster from 10,000 feet above New York Harbor. He told Gabriel Sherman: “I was on the radio to McGuire Air Force base in 20 seconds saying there had been a terrorist attack.”
• In December of 2001, the FBI and police arrested Mr. May for leaving six fake bombs at the New Castle County Airport in an attempt to highlight lax security.
• Between trial and sentencing, he served 31 days in solitary confinement. Mr. May received a felony conviction and four years probation for the incident.
• Mr. May’s attorney at the time, Penelope Marshall, said in reports that Mr. May was not medicated for his bipolar disorder.

Sherman ends his report from 2005 as follows:

“Mr. May, who says he has already spent $1 million of his own money to stanch the attacks on his family’s business, said he will not surrender until his family wins its name back. “I’m like a one-man pack of wild dogs when I get angry,” he said.”

LESSONS
You don’t have to be  a psychologist to realize that past behavior can -to a certain extent- predict future behavior. In the case of William Talcott May, knowing about his background made me understand where his Mr. Nice and Mr. Nasty type of behavior was coming from. I just hope that he doesn’t unleash his ‘one-man pack of wild dogs’ on me. I’m more of a cat person.

As I said before: I think that Newspapers for the Blind offers a terrific service. I sincerely hope that it will survive Will May’s erratic actions. Eventually, his karma will catch up with him.

INTERNET CASTING
As for our friends at the voice-over casting sites (sometimes known as Pay-to-Plays)… we realize that you don’t have the time or the resources to conduct extensive investigations. However, it would be very helpful if you would publish information on those individuals who have pulled a fast one, and share it with your members and with other voice-over casting sites. That way, scammers who are exposed on one site, won’t be able to set up shop at another site.

Instead, you have left it up to our trusted colleague Mahmoud Taji, to come up with a Scam-Alert for our industry. As much as I applaud his hard work, this should not have been left to the efforts of one blogging voice-over talent in Egypt.

As voice-seekers, we pay you in order to take advantage of your internet voice-casting service. We don’t want to be taken advantage of, because you choose to protect your voice-seekers from our phone calls.

Come to think of it… isn’t that how we used to do business? We simply picked up the phone and introduced ourselves to a prospective client. What would Sherlock Holmes call that? Elementary, perhaps?

Paul Strikwerda © 2010

www.nethervoice.com

*The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has developed Standards for Charity Accountability to “assist donors in making sound giving decisions and to foster public confidence in charitable organizations. The standards seek to encourage fair and honest solicitation practices, to promote ethical conduct by charitable organizations and to advance support of philanthropy.”

PS Is your accent preventing you from booking gigs and if so, should you change it? My next blog is about tweaking your twang!

Posting jobs under false names, not paying invoices and Jekyll and Hyde-treatment of voice-over talent… these appear to be the trademarks of William May.

Mr. May is the founder and editor of Newspapers For The Blind Organization,Inc,  a web–based service, offering a daily selection of newspaper articles for the vision impaired, read by voice-over pros. The site was quietly launched during the last quarter of 2009 (and should not be confused with NFB-Newsline®).

The idea behind Newspapers for the Blind (NFTB) is not new but certainly noble. The other two people involved, Dr. Edward E. Boas Jr. and Noelle Mills Adler, have impressive credentials. Dr. Boas is a Professor of Computer Science, Data Processing and Electronics at Cecil College in North East Maryland. Ms. Mills Adler is a past president of the Ladies Christian Union of New York City (now known as the LCU Foundation).

But it’s the voice-over professionals known as “newspapercasters” who are at the heart of NFTB. Newspapersfortheblind.org  raves:

“Our three dozen readers, culled from 3000 auditions, bring the precise vocal skills to reach and meet our unique audience.”

THE OFFER
At the beginning of September, last year, I became a member of this “elite team,” after auditioning for the following job posted on voice123:

Newspapers for Blind
This is a daily long term commitment to read a newspaper article into an MP3 for webcasting and free-phone service to the blind and hearing-impaired.

The files would want to be recorded from roughly midnight to 6AM US Eastern Time, so, geography may be important to readers.

The pacing of the delivery is painfully S-L-O-W, and the voice resonance is highly critical for the hearing-impaired. Tenors and sopranos need not bother; it won’t work for the hearing-impaired. Professor Henry Higgins diction is important; bite the words.

Voice-seekers name: confidential
Company name: hidden

I was absolutely thrilled to have made the cut. Regular gigs are hard to come by in this industry, but there was another reason why I was so excited. Some jobs we do for the money; others because it is the right thing to do. This was the best of both worlds!

THE AMAZING MR MAY
On top of that, the founder/editor seemed to possess an incredible drive and contagious enthusiasm to make things happen. His initial emails were personable, funny and encouraging. After I started reading leads from The Independent and The Times, he commented:

“My Cat; BraveHeart, loves your voice. She always perks up when I play your readings.  You have a fan.”

One day, I shared with him that I wasn’t feeling too well. He responded:

“Paul, hope you shake the cold…..just don’t shake this perfect voice, W”

This was clearly a man with a heart! One thing bothered me a little, though. Whenever I asked May if he intended to formalize the relationship and how payment would be handled, it took him months to come up with something that came close to a straight answer.

WORRIES
A month or so into the job, I had yet to be paid. Then I noticed that May had placed another job posting on voice123. Why would he be looking for new recruits? When I asked him about it, he answered:

“Please don’t worry about not enough readings for NFTB. Stick with me; I have to keep a Chinese Wall between the not-for-profit and other activities. There will be plenty of other activities to follow.”

He was right. Not only would I be recording and editing at least two articles a day, Will asked me and four other colleagues to record public service announcements for NFTB (a 501C-3 Corporation). I was tickled when he told me:

“Out of the 5, they chose your Public Service Message on 970 AM, New York.”

By that time I was on a roll. The only thing that was missing was a regular paycheck and eventually, that became an ordeal. I had to send out countless reminders, only to hear that my “address was lost” or that someone would be looking into it.

GIVE ME A BREAK
On November 15th, May surprised me with the following message:

“Lets let your money catch up with your readings; take a break.”

I responded:

“(…) As you know, I am very supportive of your charity, and I don’t understand why I should take a break. (…) If you do not have the money to pay me, you should have said so from the beginning. As a professional, I made my commitment based on your commitment. Financially, I plan ahead and make future projections based on assurances that have been made by my clients. Knowing that payment would not be forthcoming or would be seriously delayed, would have given me the opportunity to reconsider my commitment to NFTB, and possibly spend my time and energy generating income in other ways. (…)”

The answer:

“I had interpreted your last mail as unhappy. I was simply saying lets let the accounting, our weakest link, catch up with you. We have enough money, just not enough accounting bobbins.”

But on November 20th, I received the following email:

“Don’t count on any more readings in your planning; nothing to do with you.  We’ll catch up the accounting, and probably just wind things up.
May try to limp along at half or one-third normal see what happens.

(…)

Also, frankly, not enough users to merit all of the work; I’m working 18-20 hour days to throw 8-10 k out the window each week…what for.

I think we made sliced bread, when the world wants baguette.”

ANOTHER VOICE
The truth is that it was business as usual at Newspapers for the Blind. They didn’t miss a beat, and never have. I was sidetracked for no apparent reason, while waiting for my checks. And I was not alone:

Voice-over colleague Juliette Gray picks up the story:

“I was hired in November. They required reading articles (in my case from the London newspapers). These articles were long and the editing took ages. Then the person in charge decided because these people were also partially deaf that I needed to change my sound system. I did this willingly because I thought I had a steady job.

At quite a bit of expense I was ready to start working again and it was then he turned out to be a complete nightmare. We exchanged numerous e-mails, phone conversations, etc. and then he did a 180 degree turn – sort of like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Became impossible to communicate with and finally did get nasty in his final e-mail. Needless to say I never got paid.”

VOICE123
Steven Lowell handles the PR for voice123. This is what he said when I asked him about NFTB and Will May::

“When I first saw the job posted a while back, I was very excited because in NYC, I got some early voice over practice in the 90′s doing charity by reading books to the blind at a local church. It was something a coach recommended I do for practice.

The job made me think, ‘Wow! Good to see something like this again! Yet, what followed was an unpleasant experience of several talents with decades of experience, complaining to me that he was harsh and unfriendly to work with.

When reaching out to Mr. May to present that there have been problems, merely as a way to communicate feedback, his reply to me was, ‘Who complained? I don’t have the time to coach every talent to perfection….’

Before hearing my side of the story, voice123 heard from Juliette and 2 other voice-over professionals; one from the US, and one from the UK. As I was researching this article, I got in touch with other newspapercasters. Without exception, they asked me not to reveal their names, because they’re still hoping to get paid and they want to keep their job. But all of them told similar tales about Mr. May, and I wondered if voice123 had taken any action.

BANNED
As a rule, voice123 only investigates non-payment matters that are 60-days old. Steven Lowell: “This is because we do not get involved, and most payment disputes are resolved quite easily with a reminder email from me.”

Having examined concrete proof from email correspondence as to what had happened, voice123 banned Will May from the site. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter. Lowell:

“Mr. May posted the initial jobs under his own name. Once removed from the site, he began to use different names. During verification efforts by our staff, it was discovered who was posting the job. The staff at Voice123 has not changed in 2 years, and we have become very aware of ‘who is who’, and as such, have been able to catch people easily trying to repost after being banned.”

MONEY
Juliette Gray is still waiting for her paycheck, and she’s not the only one. I was lucky. Even though Mr. May still owes me a substantial amount of money, I did get paid for approximately two-thirds of my work.

For months, I asked May to pay the remainder of the balance, but he was MIA. When my knocks on his door became louder, he finally sent a very unfriendly email, accusing me of “futzing the dates” on my invoices. He wrote:

“I am in no great rush to go through hours of checking to deal with whatever might be outstanding to you. Checking truth versus falsehood is a nuisance.”

I responded:

“The invoices were sent on November 9th of last year, so you have had over two months to figure things out. I resent your remark that I “started futzing the dates”. My invoices accurately and faithfully reflect the work I have done for your organization at your request, and that’s the work I deserve to be paid for.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS
I think that Newspapers for the Blind offers a terrific service. The newspapercasters are dedicated and talented readers who can be proud to support their families by bringing the news to the blind and vision-impaired, day in day out.

The website has an impressive list of reputable institutions labeled as “dedicated listeners“. There is no doubt in my mind that the energetic editor has moved mountains to realize this project. Based on my email exchanges with him, Will May works night and day to keep the service up and running. I don’t know for sure,  but I suspect that he has invested a substantial amount of his own money into this worthy undertaking.

I also believe that people are not their behavior. From time to time, all of us do things that we are not proud of, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t know any better. Just because we do something crazy, doesn’t mean that we are crazy.

Having said that, it is not okay to treat people the Will May-way, and voice123 was right to ban him from the site. Other sites have been alerted to make sure he doesn’t pull the same stuff. Furthermore: May needs to pay his talents. Without them, there would be no Newspapers for the Blind.

For now, I am left with one question: why would someone who is clearly invested in and dedicated to such a noble cause, turn from Mr. Nice into Mr. Nasty?

In my experience, there’s always a story behind a story. And believe me, in this case there is.

But that’s for another time and another day.

Paul Strikwerda © 2010

If you’re a quitter, don’t waste your time reading this article. If you don’t want to grow your business, move on to another blog. If you’re afraid to face the facts, by all means: keep your head buried in the sand. And if you think you know better… good for you. Now, PROVE IT!

“Harsh words to start off the New Year, Mr. Strikwerda,” my inner voice whispered. “For a moment, you sounded like that annoying English chef from ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. Why be so confrontational? 2010 has barely started. Why not write a nice poetic piece about splendid resolutions, good intentions, high hopes, big dreams and snowflakes? That should go down well at the start of the New Year. Cut your readers some slack!”

CREATURES OF HABIT
A 2007 survey of over 3,000 people conducted by psychologist Richard Wiseman led to one conclusion: 88% of all resolutions end in failure. Why?

1. People are stubbornly set in their old ways
2. People lack willpower and self-control

In my experience, good intentions are just as effective as wishful thinking, and are as lame as the word ‘try’. Hopes and dreams usually get stranded on a beach named “One day….” And if we are to believe behavioral psychologists, most of us will do more to avoid pain than to experience pleasure. In other words: you and I will put more effort into running away from the things we don’t want, than in moving toward the things we desire. [Provided we even know what we want. When asked, most people can tell you exactly what they don’t want: “I want to stop smoking. I don’t want to be overweight.” We tell our kids: "Don't touch that!" And what's the first thing they do?]

Making changes can be a painful process. If you’ve ever watched the show “Kitchen Nightmares”, you know exactly what I mean. Even if you’re not a fan of reality TV, and even if you can’t stand Gordon Ramsay (the foul-mouthed British chef who turns failing restaurants around), I’d like you to consider the following: is there something you and I could learn from this show and apply to our own business?

ANNUS HORRIBILIS
Let’s be honest: for many of us, 2009 hasn’t been the best year on record. I know that some of you are seriously thinking of giving up. Others are still wondering what went wrong. But even if the past year wasn’t too bad, you want your business to grow and do even better, don’t you? So, if quitting is not an option, how can you overcome your challenges, and make this year the best one ever?

Problems are never solved at the level they were created, and that’s why I find it very helpful to look outside of my own field. Success does leave clues, and you don’t need to be a CSI-specialist to find them. That’s why I’d like to take you inside ‘Kitchen Nightmares’, and identify some of the ingredients of failure and success that may very well help us turn our businesses around.

STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
From a therapeutic point of view, Gordon Ramsay’s show follows a classic approach for bringing about change. There are three stages in this strategy:

1.    PRESENT STATE (a.k.a. problem state)
2.    RESOURCES
3.    OUTCOME STATE (a.k.a. resolution state)

“Kitchen Nightmares” starts off by showing us why and how a restaurant is failing (present state). Then, top-chef Ramsay comes to the rescue, offering his experience and expertise (resources). Following his advice, changes are put into place and the restaurant has a successful re-launch (outcome state). A few months later, Ramsay returns to the scene of the crime to find out how the restaurant is doing.

Okay, let’s rewind. If you’ve watched “Kitchen Nightmares” a couple of times, you must have noticed a common theme: Businesses don’t fail. People fail. People are the biggest asset and the biggest obstacle. If you wish to turn a business around, you must turn the people around. Now, why is that easier said than done? Here are a few clues.

DENIAL
Once upon a time, all owners had a dream: to run a restaurant. Lack of culinary skills and the absence of business acumen did not stop them. Years later, their beloved business is one bill away from bankruptcy. Strangers can smell the smoke from a distance, but the owner pretends that there’s no fire. Denial is one of the biggest stumbling blocks on the road to transformation. Why make changes if you don’t believe something’s wrong? Ask anyone who’s ever been in therapy.

CONFRONTATION
In the next scene, Gordon Ramsay enters the restaurant. He usually orders the signature dish. Fans of the show already know the food is going to look terrible and will taste even worse. As Ramsay tries to describe his disgusting dining experience, some of his words have to be bleeped out. Leaving most of the meal on the plate, he storms into the kitchen where the chef/owner is obliviously bragging about the menu.

“Bloody Bleep! That’s probably the worst *** I’ve ever tasted,” says Ramsay. “Are you out of your mind? You could have killed me with that raw fish. How dare you serve that load of ***?”

Instead of taking this as a wake-up call, most chefs are as shocked as they are in denial. They get the food back, but can’t take the feedback. Instead, most respond by putting up a wall of DEFENSIVENESS and BLAME. They’ll say things like: “I’ve never heard anyone complain about the fish. It’s bought in. All I do is heat it up. Besides, who do you think you are to criticize me? The ‘great’ Gordon Ramsay? Give me a break!”

As tempers flare, the camera captures close-ups of tired sous-chefs, worn-down waitstaff and desperate significant others. The same words are written on their faces: “We’ve tried to tell him many times, but he just won’t listen. He always knows best.”

TIME-OUT
Let’s leave the show for a minute or two, and talk about your business. At one point in your life you had a dream. What happened to it? I’m sure you’ve invested a lot in professional demos; you use the right gear; you did tons of auditions; you have an online presence and we can find your innermost thoughts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. But did it get you anywhere? Have you made any money lately? Did you break even? Do you even know how much you’d need to make in order to do that? Or do you happen to run a non-profit the IRS considers to be a hobby?

Listen, this is not rocket science. If you feel lost, the first thing you need to do is admit it. Don’t be like the typical guy who drives around in circles because he won’t concede that he has no idea where he is. Instead, you have to determine where you are and how you got there. Only then can you start thinking of where you want to be and what path to follow. Better still: step out of your box and ask for directions! Preferably, ask someone who knows the area; listen carefully and make notes.

When asking an expert, I suggest you get down to specifics. Sure, you want things to be ‘better’, but compared to what? Do you want to make more money? Who doesn’t? Most motivational speakers would give you a nickel and tell you: “See, you just made more money!” You probably want to make more than you’re making right now, but how are you going to determine that, if you don’t know how much you need to earn? You have to be as detailed as you can. Vague ideas lead to vague results. The only people ever to make money off vague ideas were impressionist painters. But by the time their paintings were worth millions, they were long gone.

MORE TO COME
This was just the first course.  In the next installment, we’ll continue our Kitchen Nightmare, and I will tell you about creating a wholesome crisis, as well as the devastating effect of ‘premature closure’. And no…. this has nothing to do with shutting your business down too early. Bon apetit!

Paul Strikwerda © 2010

www.nethervoice.com

PS Start the year the right way and subscribe to Double Dutch! Click here, or the “subscribe-button” on the right, or the RSS logo on top. That way, you’ll never miss another blog post!

PPS did you check out Taji’s new-and-improved Voice Emporium yet?

Active Bottoms. Buy one. Get one free.

“What kind of sign is that?” asked my friend Kees, who was on a visit from Holland. “Active bottoms… If I take 50 percent off my active bottom, I won’t be able to sit straight.”

“You’re right”, I replied. “But the world would be a quieter place!” Kees laughed. “By the way, I think TJ Maxx really means sweat pants.” “Really?” said Kees. People wear pants in a sauna?” “Well, you can take half off”, I said. This conversation was going downhill fast.

“Only in America,” said Kees. “Only in America.”

“Alright, my friend. Let’s go to the store next door”, I said as I was heading over to the parking lot. Kees didn’t understand. “Wait a minute….. That store is no more than twenty steps away. Where do you think you’re going?”

I quickly hid my car keys and remembered that I had responded exactly the same way, when I first came to the States. “No wonder you gained some weight, man! You’ve gotten lazy. Getting any exercise lately?” “Lots”, I said. “That Wii thing is absolutely amazing. It’s unreal.” “You’re right about that”, Kees mumbled.

We entered the bookstore. “Is that coffee I smell?” asked my Dutch friend. “Coffee, in a bookstore?” “You’re right,” Kees. “But it gets even better. You can pick a couple of magazines, buy a calorie infused mocha-java shake with lava cake, grab a chair and trash whatever you’re reading. And when you’re done, you just leave your mess on the table.”

“No way,” said Kees. “Don’t you have to pay for that copy of ‘Good Housekeeping’ and the ‘Parenting Magazine’?” “Are you kidding me, Kees? Of course not. People even leave their kids here while they go visit the rest of the Mall. In fact, I just heard one of those hockey moms tell her daughter: ‘Here’s twenty bucks. Now get lost.’ Yes, Kees”, I smiled, “This country is big on family values. No child left behind.”

An elderly gentleman walked up to us in the music department. “Can I help you find something?,” he asked for the two hundred and forty fourth time that day. “Well,” said Kees, “If you tell me what you are looking for, perhaps I can find it for you. That way, you sir, can take a seat and rest your legs a little.”

“Oh no, I can’t do that,” said the man nervously. “I work here.” “He must be in his late sixties,” whispered Kees in my ear.”Don’t people retire?”

Meanwhile, I looked around. Something was missing. “What happened to all your classical CD’s?,” I asked the music seller. “The only things I see are bargain DVD’s.”

“We have a few CD’s left,” said the clerk, pointing apologetically at two or three rows of ‘Music for the Millions’. “I used to be a music professor,” he sighed.”My wife and I loved coming here. There was Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok. Look at it now.

We have Andrea Boccelli and that Dutch fiddler, Andre Rieu. People don’t know what they’re missing. I just had a customer ask for the theme of ‘The Lone Ranger’. I said to her: ‘I can order the William Tell overture for you.’ ‘No’, she said. ‘I want ‘The Lone Ranger’. Didn’t you hear me the first time?’”

“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” I said to the seller. “You have to order a CD of popular overtures, but you can sell me the unrated set of ‘Saw’ on brilliant Blue Ray?”

“That’s right,” answered the clerk. “Teenagers love it. Saw, Hostel 1, 2 and 3, and that Twilight stuff. And it’s not exactly cheap either.”

Two high school kids walked in, drinks in hand. “Hey Pops,” shouted one of them. “Any good deals on Black Friday?”

“What’s Black Friday? Something African-American?,” Kees wanted to know. He was puzzled because there’s no such thing in Holland. “It’s the day after Thanksgiving,” I explained. “The busiest shopping day of the year. People get up at the crack of dawn. They wait in line in front of their local Wal-Mart, and when the doors finally open, they crush the doorman to death so they can be the first one to walk away with a flat screen TV. That’s all. No White Christmas without a Black Friday. Only in America. The land of the killer deal.”

“You’ve become quite the cynic, after you became a citizen,” observed Kees. “And stop sorting those CD’s”. “I can’t help myself,” I said. “I used to work here a few years ago. It’s the curse of retail. But let me tell you something. Most people who work at this chain, have two things in common. They’re overqualified and underpaid.”

“So, why do they do it? It can’t be fun to stand on your feet for eight hours selling rap, rock and horror when you’re nearly seventy,” Kees asked. “Benefits, my friend. Benefits,” I replied. “This country suffers from a major preexisting condition. There’s no such thing as universal health care over here. Not yet. But on a more positive note: we just discovered that there’s definitely water on the moon!”

We walked out empty-handed. “And you know what?,” I continued, “More than a third of what they call the ‘working poor’ have jobs in retail. When I used to work here, most of my colleagues had a second job to make ends meet.

The average department store “associate” only makes about 18 thousand dollars per year. So, single moms were counting on their parents to take care of the kids, while they worked another shift at the International House of Fruitcakes. And the next day, they would do it all over again. Not exactly the American dream, is it?

They used to say: if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything. Well, these people are doing just that and they’re going absolutely nowhere.”

“Let’s change the subject,” said Kees. “This stuff is depressing. What do people like to do for fun over here? Do they ever take a break?”

“I hate generalizations,” I said, “but some say that most Europeans work to live and that most Americans live to work.

My neighbors still don’t believe that I used to take at least four weeks off during the summer.” “So what does the average American like to do or see while on vacation?,” asked Kees. “The Grand Canyon? The National Mall? MoMA?”

“Funny you should ask,” I replied. “I just finished reading a book by Ellen Ruppel Shell. She’s a professor of journalism at Boston University. It’s called CHEAP, and according to her research, America’s number-one tourist destination is… the factory outlet.

Not only are factory outlets the fastest-growing segment of the retail industry, but also of the travel industry. But as you can tell, even ordinary shopping centers are immensely popular. I read in the New York Times that the Mall of America in Minneapolis attracts more visitors per year than Disney World, Graceland and the Grand Canyon combined.”

“I thought you guys were in a recession,” said Kees. He continued, “I must admit one thing though…. Things like clothes are dirt cheap over here. I mean… take those active bottoms. Perhaps we should go back and get a pair.”

I had to interrupt, “Believe it or not Kees, I am convinced that there’s a link between the price of those sweat pants, the sweat shops where they were made, and the recession we’re in. This whole bargain basement outlet culture is one of the reasons why people aren’t earning wages that would enable them to keep their heads above water without maxing out their credit cards.

Speaking of credit cards… before we go home, I need to hit one more store today. My wife needs a new bra for her car and we’re not going to find it at Victoria’s Secret.”

Kees’ mouth fell open. “A bra. For a car? You must be joking!” “Haven’t you ever heard of a Car Bra?,” I asked. “It protects the paint on the front of your car from things like bugs, flying rocks, and suicidal retail associates.”

“Only in America,” said Kees. “Only in America.”

Paul Strikwerda © 2009

www.nethervoice.com

“It will look so good on your resume”
“This might lead to regular work”
“We’re a start-up business”
“It’s such a small project”
“This is an Indie film”
“It will only take a few minutes”
“You’re new and we want to give you a chance”
“Even if you don’t get the job, it’s still great practice”
“You’d be perfect for this… I wish we could afford you”

If you’ve been an active job-seeking member of the voice-over community for… about two weeks, I’m pretty sure these ‘teasers’ have been thrown out at you a few times. They’re getting old quickly, don’t you think? Or are you still falling for them? Be honest!

These days, clients are getting even more efficient by leaving these phrases out. Now it’s just:

“Manhattan-based attorney’s office in need of a male voice for their website. Budget $100.”

Are you kidding me? These attorneys won’t even pick up the phone for 100 bucks. So, why do they expect us to work for a hand-out? Is it perhaps because many of us call ourselves voice-over ARTISTS?

MISCONCEPTION ONE: Artists don’t work. They just enjoy their hobby.

My wife, a phenomenal professional flutist, had just finished an exhausting wedding gig: a ninety minute Mass followed by a two-hour cocktail party. All in all she had had two breaks: one to rush from the church to the banquet hall, and a ten minute bathroom break during the reception.

When she came back to get a refreshment, some guests looked at her as if she was stealing from the buffet. One of them even walked up to her and whispered: “Aren’t you supposed to be playing?”

At the end of the engagement, the mother of the groom walked her out and said it had been “lovely”. She sighed: “I used to play the flute. It must be wonderful…. being able to play music all day long.” When my wife discretely asked for the paycheck that should have been handed to her at the beginning of the day, the groom’s mother looked shocked. She said: “Are you telling me you’re actually getting paid for this?”

Some people just don’t get it, do they? Whether we’re musicians, writers, web designers or voice-over artists, the opportunity to do the things we’re passionate about, should be enough, don’t you think? Well, why don’t we ask Alex Rodriguez about that? Perhaps he’d be satisfied with getting the keys to the Big Apple and a fat World Series ring.

MISCONCEPTION TWO: All you need in this profession is a computer, a microphone and an Internet connection, and you’re in voice-over business. Small investment. Huge ROI (and you can even do it in your PJ’s!).

Well, well…haven’t we heard that one before? If it were that easy, tell me who is paying for your:

• marketing
• advertising
• bookkeeping
• hours spent finding work
• taxes
• overhead
• continued education
• attorney
• sick days
• paid holidays
• vacation
• union dues
• health insurance
• dental insurance
• disability insurance
• life insurance
• business insurance
• unemployment
• retirement
• invoices that never get paid
• … and all other joys that come with running your own business?

BREAKING EVEN
Remember, all of the above (and more) has to come out of that job that you almost accepted for $125. Do you even know how much money you need to make in a year, just to break even? How about in a month? How much per week… per day? That’s just to cover costs. How about making a profit? How about saving a little for a rainy day or for college?

If all of this is a little overwhelming and intimidating, let me reassure you. This does not have to be your life! If you don’t have the drive now, do not waste any more time. If you’re not prepared to run your career as a for-profit business, you still have plenty of options… to name a few:

1. Stop posing as a pro and leave the market place to those who are willing to be professional. Stay an amateur instead. No pressure.
2. Get a ‘regular’ job with benefits

GET REAL
However, should you decide to become a professional solopreneur, start acting like one! Don’t do anything else before you take the next step: figure out what your basic minimum hourly rate must be, based on cost, billable hours and the profit you’re comfortable with. Depending on your input, this could take 5 to 20 minutes of your time. How do you do it? By using this simple on-line rate calculator, developed by one of my favorite websites: www.freelanceswitch.com.

RUNNING THE NUMBERS
Of course it would be a little presumptuous to tell you what to do. Some people just don’t want to spoil their hopes and dreams by facing reality. These are the folks that purchased a house they can’t afford because they thought they could swing it. And now they’re paying for it. Some people are more comfortable playing the victim or playing the blame-game. Others use excuses such as: “I was never any good with numbers”.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it! First off, this rate calculator is so easy, even I can use it. Secondly, you can always ask a friend to help you out; find a mentor, hire a pro… There are business coaches out there who’d love to have your voice on their AVR in exchange for their advice. It’s often better to have an impartial opinion from someone who is not in love with your dream. Have a business lunch with them and bring your calculator and a note pad.

Third, make a small investment and get “The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed” by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan. This was the first book about money matters that I actually enjoyed reading. It felt like I was getting advice from friends who knew exactly what situation I was in. Joe and Denise offer very practical, down-to-earth strategies in a language anyone can understand, and they’re actually very funny too!

FINE DINING
So…. next time a voice-seeker holds up one of those carrots I started this article with, imagine yourself walking into a restaurant and telling the waiter:

“I can’t really pay you full-price, but if your food is any good, I’ll be sure to spread the word about this place.”

Please let me know how that worked out for you.

And if that did not go over so well, try going into Home Depot, hoping to get 75% off that professional pneumatic drill. 

“And why would we do that?” asks the manager.

And then you utter the magic words: 

“Well, it’s only for a small project….”

Last but not least… Would you be willing to do me one last favor, please? Once you’ve figured out your desired and minimum hourly rate, look at that $100 voice-over project again, that you were just considering. You know, the one that “will give you great exposure”.

Now look at your hourly rate again.

Get it?!

Paul Strikwerda ©2009

www.nethervoice.com

PS Many thanks to artist N.C. Winters for the comic strips. Find out more about the work of N.C. at the artist’s site and at Freelance Freedom.

PPS A Dutchman visiting the US offers some refreshing insights as he holds up the mirror: Only in America.