Double Dutch

What do the Vatican, the United Nations, the German Parliament, the BBC and my company Nethervoice have in common?

We all use top of the line microphones from a family-owned business in the small German town of Gefell.

If you’ve never heard of Gefell and you enjoy European history, let’s travel back in time for a moment.

In 1943, Georg Neumann‘s main microphone laboratory in Berlin was hit by bombs and caught fire. To avoid more damage, Neumann and his technical director Erich Kühnast moved the entire company to Gefell where they continued their work in an old textile mill.

After Germany’s surrender, Gefell was occupied by the Americans and then handed over to the Soviet Union. In 1946 a number of Gefell employees returned to Berlin to establish a small workshop. This workshop eventually became Georg Neumann GmbH, the second Neumann company.

Kühnast and most of the original staff stayed in Gefell and continued to develop and build microphones. Neumann made Kühnast manager of the limited partnership Georg Neumann & Co. which was later nationalized by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Despite the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the management of the two companies stayed in touch with one another.

In 1972, the GDR prohibited use of the Neumann trademark, and the East-German company was renamed VEB Mikrofontechnik Gefell.

After the Wall came down in 1989, Georg Neumann’s heirs reclaimed their share in the company and a new period of cooperation began. Here’s what’s remarkable. When the Neumann engineers took a closer look at the Gefell products that had been developed behind the Iron Curtain, they discovered microphone technology that was more sophisticated than some of that in the West.

After Sennheiser took over Neumann in 1991, Microtech Gefell -as it is now called- became an independent, privately owned company, known for hand-made, high-end microphones. (this overview is in part based on an article in Sound on Sound and on information on the Gefell website).

MY NEW BABY
Fast forward to Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, the day I became the first person in America to own a Gefell M 930 Ts studio condenser microphone.

Out of thousands of microphones on the market, why did I pick this particular make and model? I have to be honest with you: I didn’t pick this mic. It picked me. Or rather: I got lucky. Very, very lucky!

In my radio days I never paid any attention to the equipment I was using, but since I became master and commander of my own studio, things have changed. As a professional, I think it’s important to get to know the tools of the trade. I don’t consider myself to be a gearhead, but I do enjoy reading up on the latest audio equipment.

Before I’m ready to make any type of investment in my business, I spend months doing research, reading reviews and talking to colleagues in the know. Mark Magdich, my Sales Engineer at Sweetwater, is another excellent resource. He makes sure I don’t fall for the latest fad, and that when I finally decide on a new purchase, I invest in quality that will last for many years to come.

Any professional chef, musician or mechanic can tell you that well-made, reliable tools make the job a lot easier because they work with you instead of against you. Good tools can’t make an artist more creative, but they can inspire. Without them, he’s less able to realize his dreams. A great set of tools can take you to that proverbial next level.

It’s a cliché, but quality never goes out of style. It is remembered long after the price is forgotten.

RISING FROM THE PACK
As home studios are becoming the norm and more people are having a go at voice-overs, it’s increasingly important to distinguish oneself. It all starts with the way the voice is captured.

The quality of your sound is your signature.

Clients are sick and tired of having to put up with hiss, rumble, interference and echoes coming from inferior equipment recorded in so-called ‘professional’ booths set up in someone’s boudoir. By the sound of it, these spaces aren’t studios. They sound more like shacks. Radio shacks.

If you can’t provide clean, crystal clear audio, you should start a website where amateur VO’s can go forth, multiply and make a lot of noise. Why not call it VoiceRabbit (after the rabid growth I predict it will undergo)?

Alternatively, you could consult men like Dan Lenard, Dan Friedman, George Whittam or Mel Allen. They will set you up with the right gear and help you fine-tune your sound in less time than it will take you to learn the ropes through trial and error.

Although it never paints a complete picture, quality equipment does make a statement. When a client or agent sees you are using professional grade gear, they know you mean business and they have one less thing to worry about.

Imagine going to a wedding photographer to find out if he’s going to be a good fit for your big day, and the man pulls out a cheap point-and-shoot camera. Would you hire him? I don’t think so. Now, owning a Hasselblad 503CW does not make one a brilliant photographer, but that’s a different story. My colleague Rick Lance knows all about that.

RECORDINGHACKS
In my quest for the best equipment, I spent many hours on Matt Mcglyn’s creation: www.recordinghacks.com. It’s an online magazine as well as the world’s most extensive database of a 1000+ microphones.

If you happen to be looking for a good podcasting mic for $200, recordinghacks has put them to the test. If you need the specs of the Manley Reference Gold tube condenser, look no further. Interested in a $60,000 ribbon mic shootout? You know where to go!

Last year, recordinghacks gave away a new mic every month: a Cascade Fathead II, a Blue Yeti Pro, a Lauten Horizon etcetera. December’s prize topped it all: a brand new Microtech Gefell 930 Ts. This small, large diaphragm condenser was made with broadcasting and voice-over applications in mind.

AND THE WINNER IS…
In the first week of January, Matt Mcglyn said he had some good news for me: I was the lucky winner of the giveaway! It was unbelievable. What a start to the new year!

I want to thank Microtech Gefell GmbH for such a generous gift, and for their ongoing, uncompromising dedication to quality.

Matt Mcglyn deserves a big ‘thank you’ for creating such an excellent database and magazine, and for magically pulling my name out of his recordinghacks-hat.

As for the rest of you, I’m sure you’d like to know how my new mic sounds, and how it stacks up against other voice-over microphones. Well, it just so happens that I’ll be writing a review for recordinghacks, and you’ll find out for yourself why the Vatican has given its blessing to a small German company.

If there ever was one brand that has earned the right to capture the voice of G-d, it has to be Microtech Gefell!

Paul Strikwerda ©2012
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet.

Technorati Tags: Dan Friedman, Dan Lenard, Double Dutch Blog, Erich Kühnast, Gefell, Gefell M 930 Ts, Georg Neumann, George Whittam, home studio, Matt Mcglyn, Mel Allen, microphone giveaway winner, Microtech Gefell GmbH, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, recordinghacks, Rick Lance, Sound on Sound, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers

Etymology is the study of the origin of words. If you love language the way I do, you probably love looking into its history. Delving into the deeper meaning of the things that come out of our mouths is as revealing as it is rewarding.

Take the word competition. To most people it is synonymous with rivalry or a fight to outdo another; a race that can only have one winner and lots of losers. It’s Darwin’s theory in a nutshell.

It wasn’t always understood like that.

The word competition comes from the latin verb competere. Com meaning ‘together’ and petere ‘to strive or seek’. Hundreds of years ago, competition actually meant ‘to strive or come together’ or even ‘to agree’.

Whenever people tell me that the voice-over business is getting more and more competitive, I prefer to think of it in terms of the original meaning of the word.

Ideally, it should be about amicable cooperation and not about bitter confrontation. We shouldn’t be at each others’ throats. Instead, we have to strive together…. but for what exactly?

To me the answer is simple: to further our field and make this a profession we’re proud to be part of. The way to do that is to set and live by the highest standards, both professionally and ethically.

In a world where the lowest (and cheapest) common denominator often seems to win the day, this is not a popular message. Our culture promotes and rewards passive consumption, and it excels in upholding minimum standards. Take a look around you. Everywhere, highly skilled craftsmen have been replaced by robots and cheesy prefab.

Quality calls for experience, dedication, patience and passion. It’s so much easier to be average. Mediocrity can be phoned in. It doesn’t require effort, enthusiasm or attention to detail. It doesn’t ask for sacrifice, continued education or for high-end equipment.

Perhaps I’m prejudiced, but I see no pride in delivering a perfunctory performance or an ordinary product. There’s absolutely no value in that.

Some will say that today’s culture of coasting is a result of people playing it safe. If you ask me, it’s based on laziness, carelessness and fear.

If you never stick your neck out, you won’t get hurt, but you won’t rise above the rest either.

Do you know anyone who has ever reached the top of his or her game by playing it safe?

It’s only good for preventing two things: accidents and unwanted pregnancies.

ADDING VALUE
Two weeks ago, I promised to get back to the topic of adding value in voice-overs. At this point you might expect a top 10 of the best tips on how to increase your worth as a voice-over artist. Any blogger will tell you that readers love numbered lists. But without the right frame of mind, these tips could easily turn into tricks. Tricks are for circus animals and con artists.

When discussing value, we need to talk about your motivation first. So, let me ask you this:

What drives you to be in this business?

Fame? Fun? Fortune? Fulfillment?

I’m sure you can come up with some other f-words.

Please don’t just read on, but take a few moments to really answer the question. But think of it, not so much in terms of what you hope to get out of it, but in terms of what you’re willing to put into it.

You don’t need Dr. Phil to tell you that the more you’re prepared to give, the more you’re likely to get.

Eventually.

Back to the question.

What drives you to be in this business?

Write down five to seven things that immediately come to mind. Don’t censor or analyze them. Just jot them down.

Now, let’s go one level deeper and ask ourselves:

What determines what people are willing to give (and give up), in order to get something that’s valuable to them?

That -of course- depends on what’s important to them, how important it is to them and why. Ultimately, this is determined by their values.

Values are the intangible things we really care about; they are the fundamental principles we live by, and they’re often compressed into abstract words such as honesty, integrity, health, love or liberty. Most of us take these notions for granted and never really think about what drives us deep down inside.

We’re motivated by things that matter to us most.

If I were to use some psycho-babble I’d say: Values provide an upfront motivation and an after-the-fact evaluation of the things we do and the choices we make in any context of our life.

Take the value of being truthful. As with all values, it can mean different things to different people. To my friend Fred it primarily means being truthful to himself. He’s a Democrat and he’d never do a voice-over for a campaign ad for a Republican candidate, no matter how much it would pay. Principles are more important than money.

To my friend Julie, being truthful means being truthful to her art, which she translates to being as convincing as possible when reading copy, whether it’s written by a Democrat, a Republican or a Libertarian.

Julie loves taking on challenging projects, and she has no problem putting her own political persuasions aside. As long as she can sound as if she totally means what she says, she’ll happily take the money. After all, she’s just playing a role. She doesn’t have to vote Republican.

NO RESPECT
Fred and Julie have noticed something else. Every time they felt uncomfortable or uncertain about a job or their performance, it usually had to do with their values.

Julie wasn’t at all happy with the condescending way a director had treated her in one of her last sessions. She made good money but it came at a hefty price. Afterwards she told me: “I’ll never work with that man again, no matter how much he’d pay me.”

Not so long ago, Fred was offered a project that seemed to be made for him, and the client agreed. “Finally, there’s someone who recognizes what I’m capable of,” Fred said to me, right after his audition. But as soon as he saw what the client was willing to offer for his services, he felt offended.

It turned out that for both Julie and Fred, the value of respect was very important. Julie felt disrespected by the rude director, and Fred felt insulted by the rate they offered him.

When core values are violated, people draw the line.

Now, how does all this digging into our psyche relate to adding value in voice-overs? I’ll tell you.

Before considering the additional benefits you think you can offer your clients, you have to value what you bring to the table first (and I don’t necessarily mean in a monetary way).

It works a bit like self-esteem. You will never be able to convince others that you believe in yourself, if that timid voice inside of you doesn’t believe a word of it. At best, you’d be sending mixed signals. Here’s an example.

The worst salespeople are those who don’t believe that their product is worth the asking price. They start apologizing right off the bat, and most of them don’t even realize they’re doing it. They give themselves away by using innocent words like usually or normally, when discussing their rate or price. Here’s what they might say:

“I usually charge….” or “Normally, this would sell for…”

What’s the not so hidden message here, and how would you respond?

How about this: “So, you’d normally charge $350, right? Well, what can you do for me today?”

And so the salesman steps into the hole that he just dug for himself by using one revealing word.

As long as he isn’t convinced of the value of what he has to offer, you can forget about teaching this old dog new tricks.

In the past, colleagues have come up to me and said: “Interesting concept, Paul, but this doesn’t really apply to me. I’m a voice-over actor. Not a sales person.”

To them I say: “Believe it or not, you ARE in sales. It is your job as an independent contractor to negotiate the best terms and the best price for your services.

Secondly, as an actor it is your job to sell your character to me as convincingly as you can. If you don’t believe you can pull that role off, don’t waste your time. I’ll be able to tell within a matter of seconds.”

Your actions and your results start with what you value. It all begins with what’s important to you and why.

People who truly value what they bring to the table state their price with conviction and then shut up. And you know what? These people are more likely to get what they’re asking for. They know that quality knows no shortcuts or compromises.

If you’re committed to furthering the field and make this a profession you’re proud to be part of, I hereby challenge you to raise your standards and increase your value in the year to come.

Let the competition begin!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet!

Technorati Tags: competition, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice over, finding value, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, voiceover, voiceover blog, voiceovers

“Those who can’t build value, have nothing left but to compete on price.” Paul Strikwerda

By the end of December, Alex Rodriguez will have earned $39,000,000. That’s 33 million in salary and winnings from the New York Yankees, and 6 million in endorsements. Not bad for a year’s work.

Do you think he’s worth it?

In 2006, entertainment tycoon David Geffen sold Jackson Pollock’s painting No. 5, 1948 for 140 million dollars. Assuming you had that kind of spare change, would you spend it on a painting described by some as “stunning drip”?

Can you tell me why 15-year old actress Abigail Breslin reportedly made $65K for 5 hours of voice-over work for the animated film “Zambezia”? Yes, that’s $13,000 per hour!

Let’s be honest: what did these people really do?

Mmm… let’s see. Rodriguez is pretty good at hitting a ball with some sort of stick; Pollock simply threw some paint on engineered wood, and all Breslin did was talk into a microphone. Why is that worth so much money?

Two words: PERCEIVED VALUE

Before I deal with the notion of perception, let’s first talk about the connection between cost, price and value.

Unless you are selling something that is basic and interchangeable (such as a commodity), there’s often no direct correlation between the cost to produce a certain article, the price the article sells for and the value people attribute to it. Art is an extreme example.

“No. 5, 1948” is currently the most expensive painting ever sold. Did you ever wonder how much Pollock spent on paints, brushes and the 8′ × 4′ sheet of fiberboard he drizzled on? Does it even matter?

What does matter is the subjective value of the painting and not the cost of the materials. In fact, to the new owner, the subjective value of Pollock’s masterpiece might very well be more than 140 million dollars.

Warren Buffet summed it up nicely:

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

That’s why people who only compete on price (those darn lowballers), are making a huge mistake. By doing so, they are devaluing what they have to offer, even before the client has had a chance to respond.

As soon as you start competing on price, you treat your valuable service or product as a dime-a-dozen commodity.

Peter Drucker was right when he said: “In a commodity market, you can only be as good as your dumbest competitor.”

Perceived value is in the eye of the beholder. It’s intangible. It’s a reaction to the assumed benefits you receive from owning and using a certain product or service. It’s an emotional response, based on a belief (and I define a belief as “a feeling of certainty”).

BELIEVING = SEEING?
A belief can be very powerful in overriding logical reasoning:

• as long as we believe that these dirty pieces of paper with the faces of dead people on it represent a certain value, we will continue to use them as money.

• people who were given two identical red wines to drink, said they got much more pleasure from the one they were told had cost more. Brain scans confirmed that their pleasure centers were activated far more by the higher-priced wine. (source)

• at least a third of the population consists of so-called placebo reactors. This means that if they feel that something is doing them good, it will indeed do them good.

Do you believe that?

Now, I’m not saying that “the market” has nothing to do with the way we put a price on goods and services. But economics is not always about numbers. It’s just as much about psychology. Let me give you two examples.

The law of scarcity states that if what you desire is in (seemingly) limited supply, its perceived value increases. This, in turn, increases the urge for people to want it and want it now. That’s why marketers love to create the perception of scarcity by saying things like “for a limited time only,” or “while supplies last.” Don’t miss out, people!

WALL STREET WISDOM
How about the stock market? What causes stock prices to change? Well, the idea is that the price movement of a stock indicates what investors feel a company is worth. For that, they look at things like earnings. Without profit, no company can survive.

However, during the dotcom bubble, some internet companies were valued at billions of dollars without ever making a profit. Their value was based on the perception of Wall Street, a strong feeling that these companies would do well in the future.

Feelings overruled facts.

Whoever said “Feelings don’t lie,” was in for a rude awakening!

For one last blast about the power of perception, let’s look at politics.

Why did republican hopeful Herman Cain suspend his bid for the White House? Did it really matter whether or not he had had extramarital affairs? If anything, his campaign was killed by allegations.

What mattered was that Cain was not able to change the perception of the public. Where there’s smoke, there must be fire, right?

BACK TO YOU
Now, let’s move away from politics, placebos, wine and the stock market, and talk about how all of this relates to your pricing strategy. Let’s summarize:

The price people are willing to pay greatly depends on how people evaluate what you have to offer. Value is a matter of perception. Perception is personal and therefore subjective. Perceptions influence a client’s expectations upfront, and the level of satisfaction after the purchase has been made.

Here’s the good news: because perceptions are subjective, they can be changed. That’s what branding, marketing and advertising are for. A successful campaign can turn simple pants made of rugged blue cloth into desirable designer denim.

True Religion’s top-selling jeans, the Super T, cost about $50 to make and sell wholesale to retailers for $152 a pair. The average price in stores is $335. (source) Gucci Low-rise flared jeans sell for $720. Talk about perceived value…

Most solopreneurs don’t have the funds to hire Saatchi & Saatchi and have them create a campaign to convince customers. Luckily, there are other -much cheaper- ways to position yourself in the market and sell your services at a higher price. This has to start with one question:

Do YOU believe you’re worth it?

Alex does. Abigail does, and so do their agents.

And guess what? The New York Yankees and Triggerfish Animation Studios agree!

They know that the added value A-rod and Abigail bring to their game, is much, much higher than their salaries.

You and I see price. They see value.

The pricing of art is an example of the art of pricing.

I can guarantee you that since 2006, the price of Pollock’s painting has gone up considerably.

Have you raised your rates lately? Are you selling yourself based on price or on value?

In the next installment, I’ll look at ways you can add value to what you have to offer, so you can stop selling yourself as a commodity, and start positioning yourself as a premium service.

Are you sold yet??

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

P.S. Be sweet. Please retweet!

Technorati Tags: Abigail Breslin, Alex Rodriguez, David Geffen, dot com bubble, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice over, Herman Cain, Jackson Pollock, law of scarcity, Nethervoice, New York Yankees, Paul Strikwerda, perceived value, Peter Drucker, placebo reactors, Saatchi & Saatchi, Triggerfish Animation Studios, value added pricing, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers, Warren Buffet, Zambezia

“It’s not the crook we fear in modern business; rather, it’s the honest guy who doesn’t know what he is doing.” Owen Young

The lines have been drawn.The time to mince words is over. Every day, our community seems to get more polarized around the issue of low rates. Listen to the buzz. Look at the chatter. Do you think this bubble is about to burst?

Some people are past being polite. They’re frustrated and angry. I like that. If you’re pissed off at something, it means you give a damn and you want things to change.

Some of my voice-over friends are a bit more diplomatic. Recently, I asked a few Facebook buddies a loaded question:

“Is charging low rates a sign of fear and lack of confidence, or just a smart strategy to attract more business?”

Here are some of the responses:

“You left out “ignorance” – some don’t know what they’re worth …” Joe J. Thomas

“It’s not a smart strategy because sooner or later, you will be up to your eyeballs with a multitude of low-ball clients and you’ll be working 15 hours a days, just to make ends meet. If you have to do this to survive, I respect that but you’ll never reach the next level working like this.

For every low rate I have to turn down, it’s usually made up a few days later when I get a new client who gets it. I would rather work with five good paying clients a week as opposed to fifteen who have $50 for their budget.” Terry Daniel ”

I believe it’s mostly be the influx of part timers and hobbyists to VO that drive down rates. They simply don’t depend upon the income to pay their bills. Anyone who has to depend on this work to feed, house and clothe themselves (not to mention a family) could never survive charging such low rates. To them, it’s pocket money. And in some part of the country the cost of living is much lower than in others, so those fewer dollars go further.” Diane Havens

Not everyone agrees. Of course most colleagues would rather do a well-paid job than a low-budget project, but they say there’s no shame in accepting work in the first place. Peter Sandon:

“Many of us are low volume workers, for a variety of reasons, and do not see the need or value in becoming union members. denigrating comments like “bottom feeders” are not only irrelevant but wrong and rude.

For many of us a low paid job is better than no job at all, and there is the chance that someone will hear our voices and offer us a well paid job. Did the “top feeders” start up there? I doubt it, most worked their way up, leaving low paid jobs for new arrivals, and maybe they don’t like the competition coming up behind them, because they may just be better – perish the thought!”

Here’s what Phil Sayer had to say:

“Do low rates ruin it for the rest of us? No, they don’t. They really, really don’t. They mop up low-budget work that others don’t want. If they didn’t provide that service, the money would simply be spent elsewhere, such as print.”

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, or if you’ve read my last article on lowballing, you know where I stand. Today I’ll give you my take on some of the arguments that are being used to defend, excuse or justify low rates. Even though we’re talking about voice-over services, you’ll find the same type of reasoning when other freelance rates are discussed. Here we go!

1. There will always be a high end and a low end of the market. Accept it and move on. 

That’s a given and it’s not addressing the real issue. We all know that there’s a market for KIA and Roll-Royce. The point is: how low is the KIA dealer willing to go to make a sale? Is he prepared to sell his cars at a loss, just to get his business going? How long can he keep that up before he goes bankrupt? It’s not a way to get loyal customers either. Next time, they’ll just buy from someone who’s willing to go even lower.

Bottom line: You need to cover your costs and then factor in a profit. But once you get clients hooked on cheap prices, they will never pay full price again.

2. You may lose money on every sale, but you’ll make it up in volume!

That’s like buying melons for a dollar each, and then selling 12 for 10 bucks. Does that make any sense? No matter how many KIA’s a dealer sells, if he sells them below cost, he’s not making any money. A small business owner once said: “Sales numbers feed egos, profits feed families.”

It’s not how much you sell, but how much you keep that matters. Business is a game of margins, not volume. Bargain airlines tried making money on volume. Guess what? They’re gone! To paraphrase Terry Daniel: would you rather do less for more, or more for less?

3. Purchase decisions are primarily based on price.

If that were the case, Mr. client, I will send you your order in two years, okay? I’ll also make sure that it will fall apart in two weeks, and you won’t be getting your money back. Don’t bother calling me, because I just closed our customer service department.

Most people do not buy on price alone. They will talk about price, but what they really mean is that you haven’t offered enough value to justify paying the price you’re asking.

There’s this cartoon with a picture of a brother and sister each with their own lemonade stand side by side. The brother’s lemonade stand reads “Lemonade 25 cents”. The sister’s lemonade stand reads “Lemonade 50 cents (clean water)”.

Do you want your service to be known for being the cheapest on the market, or for high quality? Competing on price is a losing battle.

Lawrence Steinmetz and William Brooks are the authors of “How to sell at margins higher than your competitors. Winning every sale at full price, rate or fee.” They say:

“If you want to earn a solid living in sales, you need to remember that you are going to face a consistent challenge to hang on to a higher price, because you will always find yourself competing with a fool who is going broke cutting prices.”

The key is adding value. If you don’t offer exceptional value, then your product or service becomes just another commodity. People buy commodities on price. If you’re just another web designer, voice-over artist or a car dealership, you’re in trouble. Value means offering more for a higher price.

4. Price does not influence the perception of a product.

If that were the case, why are people prepared to pay thousands of dollars for a Rolex, instead of buying a $50 Seiko? Most watchmakers agree that the Seiko is the better time piece.

Let’s talk about brain surgery. Why don’t people go to the cheapest surgeon in the area? Because low prices make people think he isn’t any good.

Price makes a statement. Cheap = cheap. What does your rate tell the world about what you think you’re worth?

5. Some clients just can’t afford paying higher rates. I can’t change that.

How do you know they can’t pay you a better rate? Buyers lie in order to get you to lower your price. It’s the oldest trick in the book. If they could get it from someone else at a better price, why are they still talking to you?

Stop making excuses for those who don’t respect you enough to pay you a decent fee. Unless you’ve seen their balance sheet, you don’t know what they can or cannot afford. Know your bottom line. Add value.

Don’t compromise so easily. Negotiate. Dare to say NO to a bad deal. Study the art of making the sale. It’s part of being a pro.

6. I don’t set the rates. The market does.

So, what you’re saying is that you don’t take responsibility for your prices? They are forced upon you at gunpoint? You’re just a helpless leaf in the wind?

Let me put it bluntly: The market doesn’t determine your price. Your client doesn’t set your fee. YOU do. It’s just very convenient to tell the world that you don’t have any influence over your rate. If you can’t control it, you can’t change it. You’re a victim of circumstance. End of story. Now go feel sorry for yourself.

Price-cutting is a self-inflicted wound. Should you decide that $10 for an 8 paragraph voice-over script is fair compensation, so be it. Contract law states that parties must agree to enter into a contract freely and must be of sound mind.

I’m not saying that you should ignore the competition or forget about the rate cards that are floating in cyberspace. It’s up to you if you want to look at Odesk, freelancer.com or the $100 voices.com minimum rate, and decide that that’s what “the market” is willing to pay. After all, all the client cares about is price, right? Or you could decide to look at union rates and make those the basis of your pricing structure.

Why not talk to an agent? If you’re any good, she might want to represent you. She’ll fight for a decent rate because if you do well, she will do well.

7. I’m not a sales person. I’m an artist. I don’t know how to negotiate.

No, you’re a wimp and you need a firm kick in the pants! Nobody is forcing you to be a full-time freelancer. But if you tell the world you are doing this to make a living, it automatically means that you’re the head of the sales department, whether you like it or not. Lawrence Steinmetz has this to add:

“The first thing you have to understand is that the selling price is a function of your ability to sell and nothing else.”

Any idiot can cave in at the first sign of buyer resistance and offer a price cut. That’s not selling. That’s being lazy and fearful. It’s a sign that you don’t believe in the value of your product or service. Clients always pick up on that and it will cost you dearly.

Being extraordinary talented in what you do, doesn’t guarantee instant success. Life might have dealt you a pretty good hand, but if you don’t know how to play the game, even the best cards are useless. We all know starving geniuses.

The way I see it, you have two choices. You either learn the rules and become good at playing the game, or you stay out of it. Remember: experience is the slowest teacher.

8. Low end rates do not affect high end rates.

If that were the case, why aren’t rates going up, instead of down? Why have so many auditions turned into a bidding war? Actor, writer and producer J.S. Gilbert:

“While it’s not being broadcast, I’m seeing people I know who have made six figure+ incomes at voice-over for years now, looking at incomes that are fractions of what they were a few years ago.”

I understand that we’ll never get back to the golden days of Don LaFontaine and his limo. Thanks to the internet, the rise in home studios and online job boards, clients no longer have to book union talent at union rates through an agent. Talk has become a lot cheaper.

As Gilbert points out in response to my previous post, a job that used to cost the client $1000, is now offered at $250. But why pay $250 if some fool is willing to do it for $25?

As I said before, once clients are taught they can get it for less, why should they pay a penny more? Give me one reason why this trend does not impact today’s prices, and has never done so in the past.

9. But I’m just getting started. I can’t possibly ask full price. 

Some beginners admitted to me that they’ve offered their services for free, just to be able to build a portfolio. Mind you: they were not talking about doing stuff for charity.

I think a freebie only makes sense if you have something else to sell. That’s why a baker hands out samples, and that’s why my custom demos are free of charge. But if you’re giving 500 dollars worth of services away for free, you’re not only creating expectations, you’re in fact saying: this is what I think my work is worth. Meanwhile, you’re robbing a colleague of the chance to make five hundred bucks.

Jason Fried is the co-founder and President of software solution provider 37signals. He recommends you practice charging a reasonable rate from day one. But what he said next was a real eye-opener to me:

“It’s very safe to charge low rates, because you don’t have to prove anything. But as soon as you charge a customer a good price, it gives them the power to demand something from you, such as good quality and great service. Those are the types of pressures you want on you as a small business owner. You want to be forced to be good. Charging for something forces you to be good.”

10. I don’t need to make a full-time income. It’s only a hobby.

If it’s only a hobby, why are you advertising yourself as a voice-over professional? I play the piano, but I don’t market myself as a concert pianist.

If you enjoy reading to other people, go volunteer at your local children’s hospital or elder care facility. You will probably get more appreciation for doing this, than for anything you’ve ever done before.

Most talent I know are only freelancing part-time, because they’re still building what they hope will become a full-time business. A part-time teacher only gets paid less because she puts in fewer hours. Does a part-time cab driver fix the meter so he can drive you around at half-price? So, why should you offer your services at bottom dollar?

Oh… I see. Your partner has a steady job, and the money you make doing the occasional voice-over doesn’t have to pay the mortgage, right?

Guess what? In this economy there’s no such thing as a steady job anymore. What would happen if your partner gets laid off and you become the sole breadwinner? Can your beer money pay the bills? Do you really think you could raise your rates to make ends meet?

Price buyers are the first to look elsewhere. They don’t care about your personal situation. They care about cutting costs. But stop thinking about your own situation for a moment.

There are people who depend on doing this for a living right now, and they think your price dumping is nothing but unfair competition.I admit: you’re quite talented, and by charging these low rates, you are making it harder and harder for them to justify their fees.

I think it’s time for you to think about the bigger picture.

This is not about shameless greed or about becoming filthy rich and famous. This is about being able to provide for your family; being able to send your kids to college and save some money for a rainy day.

Your voice could help sell millions of dollars worth of product. It can introduce people to brilliant books that enrich their lives. Your voice can be the voice of a mentor, teaching valuable skills to e-learners across the globe. Your voice can inform, entertain, sell and assist. Surely, that must be worth something?

However… Those who can’t build value, have nothing left but to compete on price.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com
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Technorati Tags: 37signals, bottom feeder, cheap voiceover, Diane Havens, Double Dutch Blog, J.S. Gilbert, Jason Fried, Joe J. Thomas, Lawrence Steinmetz, lowballing, Nethervoice, Owen Young, Paul Strikwerda, Peter Sandon, Phil Sayer, Terry Daniel, voice-over, voice-over rate, voiceover, voiceover rate card, William Brooks

You’ve probably heard the story of the priest who preached the same sermon every Sunday.

After a few weeks, some of the parishioners got tired of it and demanded an explanation.

“Do you really want to know why I’m repeating myself at every service?” asked the priest. The crowd nodded.

“I will continue to tell you the same thing over and over again, until you take it to heart and do something with it.

If you don’t change your behavior, I don’t see any reason for me to change my sermon.”

Well, I may be the son of a minister, but as a blogger, I can certainly relate to this priest. When it comes to setting rates, I sometimes feel I’m talking to a sea of people with frighteningly short memories and no backbone.

Watch me as I go to my pulpit and address the crowd:

FELLOW FREELANCERS, do you know how much you’re worth?

Do you have a good sense of how much to charge when a client asks you for a quote? Do you have an idea of how much your full-time colleagues are charging… nationally and internationally?

If you don’t, you shouldn’t even think of responding to that online job offer. Don’t you dare come up with an estimate. You have no business being in business until you’ve figured out a basic fee structure.

Imagine going to a photographer to get your headshot taken. Of course you want to know ho much it is going to cost. “Well, let me get back to you on that,” is not the answer you expect to hear from a pro, is it?

How on earth are you going to determine your basic rate?

Let me get one thing out of the way first. It’s not the responsibility of your clients to offer you a good rate. It would be the decent thing to do, but it’s your job to negotiate a fair fee.

That fee is determined by how much you need to make in order to survive and by how much you want to make in order to thrive (today and 30 years from now).

In my experience, most freelancers aren’t capable of giving a clear answer to both questions. Can you? If not, you’re running your business based on guesswork and you’re setting yourself up to be taken advantage of.

Your rate should be high enough for clients to take you seriously, and reasonable enough to still attract business in your segment of the market.

As a beginner, here’s the worst thing you could do: trying to break into the business by working for stupendously low rates. If you don’t know what I mean by a low rate, it’s time you do your homework. Don’t you know that low rates flag you as an amateur?

If you want to be a pro, grow up and act like it!

It is self-evident that as a beginner you’re not yet in a position to command top-dollar, top-euro or whatever currency you prefer. But that doesn’t mean that you should sell yourself short and become a predatory pricer.

Predatory Pricing is the practice of selling a product or service at a very low price, intending to drive competitors out of the market. It is a strategy for losers and I’ll tell you why.

• Bargain prices attract bargain shoppers. Low paying customers are usually high maintenance customers. Now, you can either believe me, or find it out the hard way. Your choice.

• Secondly, people tend to not value things that don’t cost them much, and they’re much more likely to be dissatisfied with it – regardless of the quality of the product.

• Third: you will attract clients that expect a gourmet meal at a fast food price (and at drive-through speed). 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.

• Fourth: predatory pricing is unfair competition. I work as a voice-over professional. A lot of people are complaining that there’s no money in voice-overs these days. I know I’m not the only game in town. Anyone with a mic and a computer can enter this business. While the cost of living is going up, rates are steadily going down.

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.

• Last but not least: show some self-respect! If you don’t value your own work, why should I? You have a unique talent. You have invested so much time and money in making it this far. Why would you want to put yourself up for sale in the bargain basement? Don’t you deserve better than that?

Now here’s a question for you:

Would you charge the same fee for the same type of work to a client in Europe and let’s say India?

If you don’t know the answer, that’s okay. Just stop reading and think about it for a moment. The internet has turned every business into a global business. Sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with this issue.

Have you ever heard of the Big Mac index, the Tall Latte index or the iPod index? Clever economists came up with these lists after a lot of hands-on research to illustrate the idea that identical goods have different prices in different markets.

Prices are based on a local standard of living, the price of raw materials, transportation, labor, taxes and frankly, on what companies feel they can get away with. That’s why pharmaceutical companies sell the same drugs at different prices in different countries.

Economically speaking, the product or service you provide is no different than a burger, a cup of coffee or an iPod, iPad or an eye-liner. That means that your client in India is likely to have a different budget than your client in Denmark.

Whether or not you want to work for that budget, is up to you.

You know what you’re worth.

If you’re okay with an Indian salary as a US-based freelancer, just tell me how you intend to make ends meet in the States. I don’t think your local gas station has started accepting rupees yet. But let’s make a deal. Once you’ve chosen to accept a low rate, stop contaminating social media with complaints that it’s so hard to earn a living.

By the way, I don’t blame a Chinese company for trying to hire talent at the lowest possible price. They’re probably working for a US-based firm that has outsourced certain activities because labor is cheap. After all, we all want our Black Friday bargains, so we’re driving that demand for cheap products and services.

I do blame North American or European clients that are trying to make us work for rates that would be only be acceptable in countries like India. I also blame online job boards that enable those clients to set these bargain basement rates. And lastly, I blame so-called colleagues who willingly devalue our business by accepting jobs at these rates.

So, how do you determine your fee in an international context?

Let’s recap. First you have to know what your bottom line is before you do anything else. In other words: how much would you minimally need to charge to turn a profit? You are running a for-profit business, aren’t you?

Once your bottom line is covered, find out how much this particular job would be worth in the country of the client. If you can live with that rate, that’s where you want your quote to be… minimally!

Don’t quote that German client 250 US dollars if the going rate in Germany is 250 Euro. Why should you leave any money on the table?

If you start working for less, don’t be surprised that this same client will post his next project for 180 Euro. After all: we teach people how to treat us, and this is how rates go down. Clients aren’t stupid.

And remember: just because a client needs you, doesn’t mean they can afford you, or that you can afford to work for them.

If you would charge $1000 for a project, and they’re willing to pay $800, it’s totally worthwhile to see if you can meet in the middle. But don’t spend any time trying to sell champagne to someone on a beer budget, no matter where they live.

These would-be customers don’t care that you’re using the latest equipment or that you recently completed a project for a prestigious brand.

They just want to know how low you’re willing to go.

Got it?

Thus endeth my sermon.

Go in peace, and may you lead a prolific and prosperous life!

(and don’t make me post the same story next week, okay?)

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

PS Be sweet. Please retweet.

Technorati Tags: big mac index, Double Dutch Blog, freelance rates, freelancer, Freelancing, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, setting voice-over rates, voice-over, voiceover, voiceover rates

Should every (freelance) business have a blog? 

How do you become a successful blogger?

What should you write about? 

How much time does it take? 

Can blogging really increase business? 

Many readers have asked me these questions. That’s why I have written a 33-page guide to blogging.

I’ll take you behind the scenes of Double Dutch, to share my  very best blogging secrets with you.

Download your copy at Scribd.com today.

Part of the proceeds will go to www.kiva.org, changing the world, one micro-loan at a time!

You can preview and buy the guide on Scribd. International readers can purchase a download of this guide for $3.49 using this PayPal-link. Once your payment clears you will receive the PDF-file via email.

Happy blogging!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Be sweet: please retweet!

Technorati Tags: blogging secrets, blogging tips, boosting business with a blog, content marketing, Dutch voiceover, Paul Strikwerda, search engine optimization, SEO, should every business have a blog, Social Media, twitter, voice-over, voiceover, voiceovers, writing a successful blog

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass”

 

One sunny day, a fishmonger put up the following sign:

TODAY: FRESH FISH

One of his first customers said to him: “What’s this sign I see? You only have fresh fish today?”

“Of course not,” said the fishmonger. “I have fresh fish every day. You’ve been coming here for the past eight years. You know that.”

“Then why did you write: Today: Fresh Fish? That’s confusing,” said the customer.

So the fishmonger erased the word TODAY.

An hour later another customer questioned him about the sign:

“Why does it say ‘Fresh Fish’? Isn’t your fish always fresh? Or have you been selling me unfresh fish all these years?”

“Of course not,” answered the fishmonger a bit annoyed. “Each day I go to the harbor at the crack of dawn and buy my fish straight from the men who caught it. It can’t get any fresher than that.”

“Then why did you write: Fresh Fish? That’s confusing,” said the customer.

So the fishmonger erased the word FRESH. “I don’t get these people,” he mumbled. “Wasn’t it obvious what I was trying to say?”

ASSUMPTIONS
Our life is filled with unspoken assumptions. The obvious does not need to be stated, does it? If we hold that to be true, we’re forgetting one thing:

What’s obvious to one person might not be obvious to another person.

Language in and of itself is vague, inadequate and ambiguous, and therefore up for interpretation. If you have any doubts about that, talk to theologians or lawyers. In both cases you often need divine intervention to get them to agree on anything, even if they speak the same language.

Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski (1879–1950) is the developer of what he called “General Semantics”. Simply put, this refers to the study of how you and I react to our environment or an event, and how we derive meaning from it.

Korzybski coined the phrase “The map is not the territory,” meaning that a word is not what it defines (the territory), but merely a symbolic representation of it (the map). That’s why we don’t get wet from the word water. Here’s the problem: if we don’t know what the territory looks like, how on earth can we know what the map refers to?

Take Nike’s famous trademark “Just do it”.

Without knowing anything about it, would you have any idea what these three words stand for? For instance: what is “it”? And if we don’t know what “it” is, how are we supposed to know how to “do” “it”? It could mean a million things, and we’re supposed to “just” do them? Forget it!

Let’s move away from fishy advertising and “just do” a little experiment. Take this simple sentence:

“We only have a small budget.”

That’s plain English, isn’t it? But what does it really mean? Do we have enough information to know what the writer intended it to mean?

If you say “yes” to the question, please tell me what you think it means and what you are basing it on. If you say “no,” tell me what is missing.

I have a feeling that you’ve seen this sentence before. I will also go as far as to imagine that every day, freelancers like you and me allow these six words to influence the bids they put in, to win a project. Am I right?

In order to truly know what the client means by “We only have a small budget,” a lot of blanks need to be filled in. First of all: who is “we”? Is it a client? And if so, who is this client? Donald Trump? I bet you anything that what “the Donald,” considers to be small, will forever redefine your meaning of the word!

My voiceover agent sometimes sends me five hundred-dollar jobs and apologizes for the “small budget”. To some, five hundred dollars might be a huge step up from the hundred-dollar jobs they’ve been auditioning for, just to break into the business. But considering the fact that this client is a key retailer and that the job involves all major markets and a six-year buyout, five hundred bucks is very low pay.

It’s all relative, relatively speaking.

DEFINING MEANING
By giving you these examples, what did I just do?

I provided you with some context.

The meaning of words is not only determined by what you find in the dictionary. It is defined by the setting and circumstances in which they are used. In fact, dictionary editors define the meaning of words by studying the context in which they appear. They even come up with sentences in which a word is used to illustrate its meaning.

But let’s assume that little or no context is provided. What do we usually do to attempt to understand the words we read or hear?

We start making things up. Believe it or not, there’s a mindreader in all of us! To me, this is where things get really interesting. On what exactly do we base our uninformed guesses?

I remember the first time I drove on an American highway and saw a sign that said RAMP. I must confess that I had no idea what it meant (for first-time readers: I’m originally from The Netherlands).

In an attempt to understand its meaning, my mind started making associations based on my personal frame of reference. In Dutch, the word RAMP means DISASTER! Till this very day, I get uncomfortable whenever I see that sign.

Without a clear context and without the ability to ask any questions, we generally base our understanding on speculation, which in turn is based on our subjective experience. In other words: the way you interpret “we only have a small budget,” will tell us a lot about you and next to nothing about the person who wrote it. This gets us into trouble all the time.

As a service provider it is not supposed to be about us. It’s about what the client wants to see and needs to hear. But clients typically hand out maps and leave it to us to second-guess what their territory is supposed to look or sound like.

They’ll tell you:

“I don’t know how to describe to you what I want, but I know it when I hear it. As long as you try to sound warm but professional…. If you know what I mean.”

No I don’t know what you mean. How could I? We don’t even know each other. Sometimes I don’t even understand my wife, and I think that I know her better than most people.

MISUNDERSTANDING
Now, do you still wonder why you didn’t land that ‘warm and professional’ gig?

Could it be, because you were led by your own assumptions? Did you forget to ask critical questions, or were you unable or not allowed to contact the client and get some context?

Beginners often wonder: “If only I could get some feedback after the fact. That would give me some idea as to why my audition was rejected.”

I think it would be much more helpful to get some perspective before the fact; some sense of direction. Dump the vague and ambiguous verbiage. If you don’t tell us what you want, how are we supposed to give it to you? I know that words are inadequate ways of describing an experience, but can you at least try a little harder?

Meanwhile, we have a new debate in voiceover land. Following last year’s National Voice Over Appreciation Month, my colleague Dave Courvoisier has dedicated this September to “Voice Over Awareness Today”. There’s a logo. There’s a website. And each week there’s a new question. Those who answer it, could win a prize.

I applaud Dave’s ingenuity and creativity, but already questions have been raised about the meaning and purpose of a month devoted to “Voice Over Awareness”.

Dave writes that he wants to “celebrate the business of Voice Overs, and to find some collective wisdom.” (…) VOAToday seeks to elicit simple information easily shared, and makes it available for all to see.”

Voice talent John Bigl told me:

“The word ‘Awareness’ kinda puts me off … makes voice acting sound like some kind of disease or dysfunction…”

Diane Havens commented:

“I think Dave’s purpose, one of them anyway, is to shed some light on how much goes into VO, that it’s not as simple as it looks, uh, sounds.”

Mike Harrison’s response:

“I’m aware of who I am and what I do, and most other people couldn’t care less.”

Jody Silvers said:

“I think good VO is probably a lot like good acting: If you’re aware that someone is doing it, then they’re probably not doing it very well. Whether or not acknowledgment comes from a job well done SHOULD be irrelevant – as long as the check clears.”

As you can see, the map is not the territory. I’m sure you’re aware of that by now.

How would you define “Voice Over Awareness” and why would we need it Today?

Isn’t Dave in a way a bit like the fishmonger and his sign? Speaking of which, let’s go back to the story.

TODAY: FRESH FISH

After erasing the first two words, the fishmonger stared at the sign that now read “FISH”.

That should do it, he thought.

No one can argue with that.

He was ready to go inside when a boy walked up to him. He had a ten-dollar bill in his hand.

“Sir, sir…” the boy said, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” said the fishmonger. “What can I help you with, young man?”

The boy looked at him with big, hopeful eyes.

“Sir, I just saw your sign and I was wondering: do you sell goldfish?”

The fishmonger made a gesture of utter exasperation.

People are completely clueless, he thought.

Then he took a damp sponge and erased the word FISH.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Alfred Korzybski, Dave Courvoisier, Diane Havens, Donald Trump, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voiceover, General Semantics, Jody Silvers, John Bigl, Mike Harrison, National Voice Over Appreciation Month, Nike Inc., Paul Strikwerda, The map is not the territory, Voice Over Awareness Today, voice-over, voiceover, voiceover blog, voiceovers

“I will give you my personal prediction on what will implode first: Blogs containing information that serves no one but the writer, and his/her inner circle without fact-checking.”
Steven Lowell

The dust has finally settled.

Give it a few months, and last week’s discussion will rise out of the ashes and begin a new life somewhere else.

Same topic. Different voices, perhaps.

Steven’s remark about self-serving blogs and bloggers did make me think about my vision for Double Dutch. Believe it or not: I have one, and you can find it on the About & Contact page that no one ever reads. I know, because my analytics tell me exactly which pages attract most traffic. Here are the opening words:

DOUBLE DUTCH is a platform and playground for ideas, dialogue and discourse about things personal and professional related but not limited to voice-overs and freelancing.

That covers pretty much everything, doesn’t it? Now, let me also tell you what it is not.

This blog is not some grand podium built to glorify my personal accomplishments or to sell Mr. Strikwerda’s amazing pipes. Why would anyone want to read about that? Not me!

If you’re interested in the technical side of voiceovers, you have to look elsewhere too. Although I’m fascinated with the tools of the trade, I am not a gearhead or audio specialist. I don’t receive free products from companies, take them out of the box, dangle them in front of a camera and post it as a “review”.

It’s true, I did write a series about building my voice-over booth on a budget, but I did not seek or receive any compensation for mentioning products, manufacturers or stores.

This blog is not a source of fair and unbiased industry news either.

In essence, Double Dutch is nothing but a blog revolving around one man and his ideas and experiences, and a bunch of friends who like to chime in, every once in a while. If you’re looking for objective, investigative journalism, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Just like a lot of other stuff you’ll read online or in the papers, my articles are usually a mix of subjective opinion based on personal selection and interpretation of data. If you’d like to fact-check my sources, all you need to do is click on a few links, embedded in the articles.

Nobody has to agree with anything I write. My readers are intelligent enough to understand that it would be foolish to generalize my personal stories and turn them into an overall verdict on the issue at hand.

I don’t consider myself to be an authority or expert. My opinion is one of many, and one quick look at Bob Souer’s blog roll will tell you that I’m certainly not the only blogger in this voiceover town. Of course I’m tickled to see that some people seem to care about what I have to say, but that’s as far as it goes.

I strive to inform, I attempt to entertain and yes… I also like to rock the boat every once in a while. As a voiceover professional, it is my job to be outspoken. I don’t feel comfortable standing on the sidelines.

Unlike Steven Lowell, I am not a paid spokesperson for a company. I don’t pretend to proclaim and promote an objective, universal truth. This is my personal platform and I can be as passionate and opinionated as I want. I represent no one but myself.

So, why do I take a day out of every week to write this blog?

The short answer: Because I feel like it.

The moment it becomes just another chore, I will stop and take up billiards or Bingo.

Here’s another reason: I love to write and I think I have something to say that  -at times- is moderately insightful and interesting. At least, that’s what my readers keep on telling me.

As you may know, most of my stories start out as simple Notes to Self. The series about building a voice-over studio is a perfect example.

It took me many months before I was ready to start building my own studio. During that time, I had compiled a wealth of information and I thought it might be useful to share it with you. Now it’s available as a booklet and most of the proceeds go to a very good cause. Sharing is important to me.

Over the years, I have benefited so much from the kindness, knowledge and insights of friends and colleagues. I wouldn’t be where I am today, had it not been for their advice and encouragement. In a way, I am repaying my debt to them by publishing this blog.

Thanks to Double Dutch, I’ve also made countless new friends from all corners of this planet. Many of them won’t publicly comment on my articles, but each and every week they email me with questions and observations.

As far as the future goes, I’m branching out. Most of you already know that I write on all things international for Internet Voice Coach. I also conduct interviews with colleagues across the globe.

Recently, I started recording three-minute vignettes for the International Freelancers Academy on building your business. There’s also a book on the way.

I’m not telling you this to impress you. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn if you think this is impressive or not. The fact is, I love my work and I love writing about it.

As long as I still have music in me, I will continue to sing my songs.

And if people think it’s just a bunch of blah-blah, they’ll find other blogs to read, and Double Dutch will eventually implode.

Perhaps that wouldn’t be too bad.

It’s always better to end with a bang.

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Bob Souer, Building a vocal booth on a budget, Double Dutch, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voiceover, international freelancers academy, Internet Voice Coach, Paul Strikwerda, Steven Lowell, voice-over, voiceover, voiceover blog, voiceovers

It all started with a short article on his company blog entitled:

“A Quick Guide To Selecting The Right Voice Talent”.

The author, Chris Johnson, is co-Founder of Simplifilm, a young company specializing in “Hollywood-style Explanation videos”. They’ll have to make a video to explain what that means, but Simplifilm says it uses animation and storytelling to demo software applications.

This does not come cheap. Back in July, the company was running a “Grand Opening Sale” offering “3 minutes of broadcast quality demo movie work for $20,000. That’s 40% off the going rate.” You do the math.

Before he became a filmmaker, Chris was Finance Director at Robert Owens for Ohio Attorney General 2008, and he worked as a loan specialist at First Ohio Home Finance.

Thanks to his financial background, Chris seems to know the value of a voiceover, and he’s not basing it on anecdotal evidence. This is how he starts his blog:

“Did you know that the right voice can make a 35% difference in conversion rate? We replaced a voice track in a video – and made no other changes, and the conversion rate went from 2.5% to 3.8% on cold traffic. (Cold traffic is people that are mostly strangers that are coming in via search engines and social media).”

I’m not sure how “2.5% to 3.8% on cold traffic” leads to a “35% percent difference,” but Johnson is definitely on to something.

VOICEOVER CONVERSION
This is not the first time a video company noticed a correlation between the choice of voice and website conversion.

The conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors taking a desired action. It often refers to the number of shoppers turning into buyers. Depending on the size of a company, even a small increase in conversion could mean a significant rise in profits.

San Diego-based Fireclick monitors conversion rates. If you want to get a better idea of industry averages, the Fireclick index will provide some insight.

For software, it averages about 2% per year, with a cart abandonment rate of 75%. That means that three quarters of online software shoppers never become buyers! Could selecting the right voice really change that?

In 2009, Ginger software asked video optimization firm EyeView to develop an introductory video for their homepage to increase the number of visitors that would actually download their software.

EyeView ran a test: 50% of the global audience saw the video with a British voice-over, and 50% saw it with an American voice. Globally, the British voice-over was 4% more effective. For US audiences, the conversion rate for the British accent was 5.5% higher than the American one.

Eyeview:

“The Brits didn’t have it all their own way. In India, the American accent was 12% more effective at converting visitors. But the most surprising statistic of all came when we looked at the comparative performance of the two accents in the UK.

For audiences watching the video in the UK, the voiceover with the American accent was 8% more effective at making visitors download Ginger’s software than the British accent, representing a significant swing away from the global trend.”

Simplifilm’s Chris Johnson confirms:

“The right voice is key to converting video watchers into new customers. When you get the right voice, it breathes life into your video productions, and you should take the time it takes to select and respect your voice talent.”

Please remember that, next time you’re tempted to low-ball yet another voiceover project!

With voice talent having such a tremendous impact on conversion, how much does Simplifilm pay per production? Bear in mind that they charge about $33,000 for a 3-minute video. Johnson:

“Generally, productions are around a couple hundred dollars. We’re not going to lord over them or dangle money like some jerk, we want to do business, be respectful and move on.”

FINDING THE PERFECT PIPES
Now, wouldn’t it be interesting to know where Chris finds the right voices? According to his article, two talents work for him on a regular basis and he tells his readers:

“If -for some reason – you need to find someone outside of your network (…) you can start with Voice123.”

Voice Coach and talent Mark Avery read the blog and responded:

“Unfortunately, many producers and end-users of voice talent have gone to the “discount superstore” mentality of hiring voices for their projects, and the results often show themselves in low conversion rates.”

Of course I had to put my two cents in. Thinking back to my interview with Bodalgo’s Armin Hierstetter, I wrote:

“Chris, most online voice casting services will accept anyone with a credit card, talent not required. It’s not unusual for voice-seekers to receive over 100 auditions for a simple project. Imagine how long it will take you to listen to all these mediocre submissions…”

These turned out to be prophetic words. That same week, Chris joined the Voice Over Professionals group on LinkedIn, and this is how he introduced himself:

“Howdy, guys, I’m new to the group. I’m a production company doing software stories. We’re looking for a stable of 4-6 males and 4-6 females for future work.”

OPEN THE FLOODGATES
You can imagine what happened next. I’ll let Chris tell the story:

“So, when I asked for submissions here – and other places – they started trickling in. Then the floodgates opened.

Last count was 400+ and I have seen no slowdown… both here, from another couple of sources.
I’m surprised because I (hopefully) didn’t represent myself as being too “giant.” I caused 400+ auditions for what will amount to $5,000 or so in fees annually – at most.

Now, how do I read through ‘em all? I put everyone in a spreadsheet, but what’s next? How do I sort people out? I need say 8 voices. If I take 5 minutes per x 500 voices, that’s 2500 minutes.

Or 42 hours JUST listening to voices. I’m not doing that.”

At this point I started to jump for joy, thanking Simplifilm’s founder for the perfect example. This is exactly why most Pay to Plays will eventually implode. Do you get my drift?

Some of my clients have worked with voice casting sites for a while, and they’re starting to realize how expensive “going cheap” can be. Think about it!

How long does it take to find a quality needle in a huge haystack made of scrap metal?

Let’s look at the numbers.

Of course it’s unusual to get 500 auditions for one job, so why not assume that Chris Johnson has to weed through (only!) 100 demos. If he spends 5 minutes on each talent (as he just wrote), this will still take him eight and a half hours!

Imagine being in Chris’s shoes. Should he hire someone to do the dirty work for him and weed through hours and hours of audio? That person needs to be paid too.

If Chris is lucky, his hired help might find the perfect voice among the first 20 contenders. However, my clients concur with Armin Hierstetter that the overall level of entries is usually way below the mark. They’re forced to listen to a deluge of demos before they finally spot the right voice at the right price. What an expensive way to find cheap talent!

Critics might say that I am exaggerating the situation just to make a point. Voice seekers don’t listen to that many demos. Or do they?

In their Client Experience Report Winter 2011, Voices.com states:

“(…) it often surprises talent that the majority of clients review all their auditions. I say majority as that includes those who reviewed “all of the auditions” (45%) plus those who reviewed “50-100 auditions” (8%).”

A while ago I noticed that so many voices.com projects were still listed as open after many, many months. Could one of the reasons be that the client simply gave up after listening to 30 mediocre auditions?

Fortunately, there is an easy solution.

Some of my clients find it much more cost-effective and less time-consuming to hand their project to an agent and let him or her select four or five voices that can all deliver the goods. Clients might end up paying union rates and agent fees, but in the end they’re saving time, trouble and money.

Bye-bye Pay to Play, and thanks for the memories!

THE BABBLE BUBBLE
Online casting services have grown exponentially in the past five years. Fast growing companies often fall victim to their own success. Quality and customer service are compromised and sacrificed in favor of rapid expansion as they’re chasing after the big bucks.

It is no secret that more and more (pseudo)voice actors are joining Pay to Plays. That means that more dogs are fighting over the same bare bones. The chances of landing a decent job at a decent rate decline rapidly.

Here’s my prediction. At some point in the near future, there is no point in joining such a service anymore. It’s not worth it.

Saturation leads to annihilation. Bubbles burst. Cheaply made balloons will pop first.

What’s left is just hot air.

Try fitting that in a 3-minute video demo!

Chris Johnson, here’s a word to the wise:

If you need new talent, call an agent.

Don’t ask for any names of agencies, though.

You might get a list of … about 500!

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Armin Hierstetter, Bodalgo, Chris Johnson, conversion rate, Double Dutch, Double Dutch Blog, Dutch voice actor, explanation videos, EyeView, Fireclick, Fireclick index, Ginger Software, LinkedIn, Mark Avery, Nethervoice, Paul Strikwerda, Pay to Plays, Pay-to-Play, Simplifilm, voice over professionals, voice-over, voice123.com, voiceover, voiceover agent, voices.com, voices.com client experience report

If you’ve been around the voice-over block a couple of times, you know that Steven Lowell doesn’t always mince his words when defending the company he works for as Community Manager: voice123.com.

At times he can be rather undiplomatic, to put it mildly. Some appreciate his candor. Others not so much.

I know Steven to be extremely helpful, knowledgeable and a downright good sport when I poke fun at him in my blog. The picture he sent me of him in a tiny red bikini still haunts me in my dreams. Thanks a bunch!

This week, Lowell published “The Voice Over Guide,” consisting of ten well-written chapters packed with practical information for newcomers and seasoned pros alike.

After reading this free guide, I have gained a renewed appreciation and respect for Steven. This is a very comprehensive and helpful overview of what it takes to become successful as a voice-over artist and solopreneur.

It’s by no means a “Get Rich Quick” guide. It’s a “Build a Solid Career Slowly” resource that does not dumb down what it takes to make it in this competitive business.

This guide should be required reading for anyone who is contemplating the idea of launching a serious voice-over career. If you’ve already taken the plunge and you are wondering why your business hasn’t taken off yet, you need to start reading this guide now.

Not only that, you must take Lowell’s advice to heart and put it into practice, practice, practice.

Lowell’s Voice Over Guide zooms in on using the unlimited online possibilities of building a lucrative career as a voice talent. He takes a close look at marketing, making demos, making sure you get paid, and he busts a couple of myths along the way.

He makes no secret of the fact that online casting service voice123.com has been his bread, butter and jelly since 2007. Chapter Six of his guide is entirely devoted to his professional home, and that’s where Lowell demonstrates that he still is His Master’s Loyal Voice.

To me, that’s the weakest link in this guide. We all know that there are more Pay-to-Plays on the planet, and conveniently ignoring the competition does the uninformed readers a disservice.

Even after reading his exposé about the perceived advantages of the infamous SmartCast system, I am still as dumbfounded as before, at its “heuristic algorithm” that’s supposed to create a level playing field.

If we are to believe Steve,

“60% of auditioning voice talent book at least one job a month using voice123. Between 10% – 13% book at least five jobs a month.”

This is apparently based on

“Current averages in surveys”.

As a born skeptic I’d like to see independent verification of these numbers. Secondly, I’m not so sure a survey of a limited sample by the company itself can be taken at face value.

If -based on these numbers- voice123 is indeed confident that you and I will have a more than 50% chance of landing one gig a month using their service, I’d like to propose the following no cure, no pay system:

• Keep the tax-deductible membership at $295 per year, but don’t charge talent a penny until they start making money on the site;

• As soon as a talent lands a job and payment comes in, this money is applied toward the membership fee until it is fully paid off. In other words: the site makes money as soon as the talent makes money. Fair is fair.

This Play-to-Pay system creates the perfect win-win situation and acts as an incentive for the voice casting service to keep on providing quality leads at reasonable rates.

Anyone in favor say “Aye”!

Steven, are you with me, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Paul Strikwerda ©2011
www.nethervoice.com

Technorati Tags: Double Dutch Blog, Nethervoice, online casting, Paul Strikwerda, Pay-to-Play, SmartCast system, Steven Lowell, The Voice Over Guide, voice-over, voice123, voiceover, voiceovers