I was in a rush. I wasn’t thinking.
And it almost cost me ten thousand dollars.
The lesson I learned that day has been one of the cornerstones of my success as a voice talent. Before I share that lesson with you, let me ask you this:
Have you heard of the Calimero complex?
It is named after an Italian/Japanese cartoon character named Calimero, and many freelancers seem to suffer from it.
Calimero is the only black chick in a family of yellow chickens, and he still wears half of his eggshell on his head. It is as if he never really made it out of the nest.
Calimero is the archetypical underdog. He often gets in trouble and believes the whole world is out to get him. When the show reaches a dramatic climax, Calimero usually utters the following catch phrase:
Another wonderful article Paul. Standing out from the pack is certainly key in our industry and you did it marvellously with this client. The extra time you invested to impress won out in the end. Congrats on that!
I agree with your comment on the importance of building relationships with our customers though it can be very challenging sometimes working in a virtual world with limited interaction with our clients outside of email or the phone. Maybe a topic for a future blog. Thanks again for sharing this with us Paul.
My pleasure, Patrick. If I may brag for a moment… that same publisher approached me this week for two more books. Once again, he told me that I owe it all to my custom demo. It’s a gift that keeps on giving!
Some colleagues rush to be the first in line as they send a generic demo to an online casting site. Fast and furious will never win a client over. It’s the quality of a customized demo that will get you the job.
You hit it on head again neighbor. So many talented people, so much undeveloped business savvy.
This business requires a large set of individual disciplines and understanding and implimenting relationship building is one of the most important.
As much as I hated it (for all the corporate mentality stuff you mentioned) selling life insurance thought me these lessons. It’s not about quick geldt. It’s about serving your clients needs above and beyond. Not knowing or mastering some of the many disciplines involved is what leads to the intimidation. As
Tony Robbins says; “Act. And if you don’t know how, act as if.”
Robbins’ teachings often revolve around “the critical difference that makes the difference”. Even small changes can result in a huge payoff. I too have learned valuable lessons in a corporate environment. I spent almost a year as a customer service trainer at a big American bank before it merged and became even bigger. Since the merger, customers are complaining left and right about the level of service. I moved my money to a small and friendly Credit Union.
My comment on the article:
Bada Bing! (the expression; *not* the once-popular cable TV show location)
My comment on the author:
The Seth Godin of voice over.
That’s a great compliment, Mike. Thank you so much!
Shall I shave my noggin now?
Small is big! And more agile… and I didn’t know “The Calimero Complex” had a name, but I know people who have it. I always prefer custom demos, but have used examples of previous jobs to show my talent in the genre. Recently, I was asked to read an excerpt of a story mainly for girls “The Frog Prince”. The author had imagined a mainly girl market and was thinking a woman reader. By highlighting my storytelling ability and by having a friendly and engaged male voice, it also brings boys into the equation. She loved it, I got the job. Then, since this is a new area, I helped her customize the audio to her project.
So who will answer questions about my customer service? Well, she will… I won’t have to. She will post in her blog about the process and since it’s a new genre, the people who want that service will all know how to get in touch with me.
Your blog always helps me…Thanks for sharing your wisdom. It is invaluable.
As the saying goes: “You have to kiss many frogs to find a prince.” It sounds like your client found hers in an instant. Congratulations! Some clients don’t know what they want until they hear it. That’s why that first impression is vital.
Your last observation confirmed what I wrote in “Want more Clients? Go undercover!” “Once you start creating amazing experiences for your clients, something unexpected and delightful will happen. You can stop marketing. Your clients will do it for you. You just keep on wowing them!”
Solid Gold Paul! Thank you!! This is an article worth saving for a very long time!!
Thank you so much, David. One day, I’ll organize them and turn them into a book.
Nuevamente te felicito Paul!: Tus palabras son alentadoras y necesarias en un mundo tan homogeneo. Que gran idea la de hacer una demo persalizada para cada cliente.
Normalmente, tenemos unas demos editadas y preparadas para salir de la bandeja de entrada directamente al correo del posible cliente.
Pero hacerla “especialmente” para él, eso es LA GRAN DIFERENCIA.
Gracias de nuevo, estoy deseando volver a tu blog.
Por cierto, si sabes español, visita el mio y dame tu opinion: http://www.alavozdeya.com!
Saludos desde España!
Thank you so much, Conxi! I wish I could speak Spanish, but unfortunately it’s not one of the languages I have mastered over the years. I’d love to read your blog and I guess I’m going to have to rely on Google Translate…
Another important tip Paul … and proof that it pays to go the extra mile!
Or kilometer, if you’re on the continent! By the way: everybody should check out Helen’s blog right now. She’s started a new series: “Vocal Essentials A to Z” and I highly recommend it.
One BIG brand that isn’t bland: Apple.
Another: Cadbury’s.
Another: Ferrari.
Another: Marks & Spencer.
Another: Neumann.
All the above are about as big as they get in their own respective markets.
There is a reason these brands are not bland – and that could be another post altogether.
There are always exceptions that prove the rule. Thanks for pointing those out, Karl. Apple has to be careful, though. Their trademark design style is being copied by other brands and as a result it stands out less and less. Not that I mind. Our Macbook Air is a work of art!
Another GREAT point you’ve made here Paul!
We all get tired of auditioning, however, “customization” is a good word to use to show a potential client what you can uniquely bring to a project.
I had an acting coach who used to say, “Think of an audition as another chance to act!” She was right! When I get an inquiry about a project now, and I know they’ve already heard me on a demo or a job I voiced, I always ask if they’d like a sample read (I prefer the words “sample read” instead of audition) for their ears or to play for their client. If they’ve been listening to a bunch of generic demos my “custom” sample read often wins them over.
Thank you, Rick. It’s the difference between getting a generic suit at a department store or going to the taylor for a custom fit. Yes, a taylor-made suit is more expensive but you’re bound to make a great first impression.
I think big can be beautiful, sometimes. Well-led talent of any kind can be more productive than the sum of its parts. You do need a NASA to achieve a moon landing. It’s unfortunate when a business does not understand the difference between management and leadership. The creatives run a mile and set up on their own.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or in the case of big business: the eye of the share holder). I prefer to see myself as the Ninja against a Sumo wrestler. I’m lean, flexible and fast. I’m invested in my business because I have invested in my business. Most days, I reach for the stars and I feel over the moon because of it!
Great advice. Thank you.
Thank you, Michael. It’s nice to see someone close to my neck of the woods (the greater Philadelphia area) on this blog!
A great introduction to your wealth of articles!
Thanks for visiting, Ernie!
You are the Guru, dear Paul! My salutes!!
Thank you so much, Ashok. Teachers can only open a door. It’s up to the students to walk in and use the resources that were presented to them.
Thank you, Paul, for sharing yet another one of your insights! From now on, I will not submit a generic demo anymore, but as you suggest, do my home-work and submit a sample related to the subject and/or company.
That’s terrific, Silvia. I’m pretty sure this approach will pay off!
Great stuff, Paul! We don’t do any voice work, but this is excellent advice that we also give on the translation side: don’t send a law firm your company presentation that focuses on your technical translation specialization. Don’t send out anything that’s generic. Cater to what the customer needs and customize, customize. I completely agree with you: go beyond selling and ask yourself what you can do for the client!
Before I became a full-time voice-over I was a translator, and the main reason clients hired me was because of my specialties. Big new clients often asked me to do a test translation to see if I could handle the job. Although it’s unwise to put too many eggs in one basket, specialization makes one stand out.
A customized demo is like a carefully crafted cover letter. You might not always get the job, but it does increase your chances.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage?
My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and my users would certainly benefit from a
lot of the information you provide here. Please let
me know if this okay with you. Many thanks!
Thanks for your request. I don’t see a blog on your singing lessons website, and the author is listed as Keith Hillyer. Before we discuss permission to quote, could you clear that up for me, please?