MAKING CLIENTS BUY WHAT YOU ARE SELLING

If there’s one thing we need to be as voice overs, it is this:

We need to be convincing.

We have to be believable so people will trust the message we’re being paid to communicate.

Believability is one of the main things I am listening for as a voice over coach and as a judge at voice over competitions. If I’m not buying what a VO talent is saying, chances are that other listeners won’t be buying it either.

Part of being a professional speaker also means that we are running a for-profit business. In that capacity we need to convince clients to hire and pay us and not another colleague who may be offering the same for less. And increasingly, we’re competing against machines that never sleep, that never call in sick, and that cost a fraction of what we are charging.

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

In this sales process we also have to do another thing: overcome resistance from the buyer, and that’s where things get interesting. For every argument in our favor, the buyer will have an objection, and if you want to make the sale, you better be prepared to counter those objections.

Now, when you pick any book about doing well in voice overs, you won’t read anything useful about selling your services. As I’ve said many times in the past, voice over is almost always treated as some mysterious art and special talent. “The cream will always rise to the top,” they say, and people assume it will automatically command top dollar.

Well, especially in the age of Ai that is no longer the case. Clients will do anything to get more for less and if we don’t learn to negotiate and sell ourselves, we’ll all end up on freakin’ Fiverr.

FINDING INSPIRATION

When I need new insights into becoming better at running my business, I will often look outside of my VO bubble for inspiration. When it comes to overcoming objections, my inspiration is 25-year-old David Guerrero. David is a photographer from Texas with millions of followers on social media. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen some of his short videos.

David stops people in the street, and convinces them to pose for him. 99% of the people he encounters have no idea who he is, and they’re just minding their own business until he interrupts them.

This means he begins with a disadvantage: he’s a total stranger who is bothering people. Even though he takes amazing photographs, no one has seen his portfolio. To the man or woman in the street, he’s just a guy with a camera (just like you are only one of many talents with a microphone).

Now, some folks are willing to give hime a chance, but many have other things to do and don’t want to talk to someone they don’t know.

How does David overcome their resistance, and how does he get them to cooperate? That’s what I want to know! 

I’ve studied hundreds of his videos, so let’s unpack what David is doing that makes him so good at overcoming resistance and convincing people to “buy what he is selling.”

First, let’s look at an example of David’s work. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER MOST

Lesson number one: The non-verbal always overrides the verbal. Non-verbal includes tone of voice. 

No one wants to work with a jerk, or help an overly pushy person. David comes across as an unintimidating, unassuming nice guy who wears clean clothes and is well groomed. He doesn’t look like a homeless drug addict who’s about to ask for money.

If you want to play the part, you’ll have to look the part. 

The first objection he is likely to get is: “Why are you interrupting me? I don’t even know who you are. Mind your own business!”

How does David counter it?

He doesn’t even wait for people to blow him off. He apologizes in advance. His first words usually are:

“Hey, excuse me. Sorry to bother you.”

But before he opens his mouth, his body language and appearance tells people he’s a nice, clean guy they can trust.

In psychological terms, David meets people where they are by anticipating a negative reaction and delivering a disarming response.

A big mistake many sales people make is to be too focused on themselves. They care more about the sale (and the commission) than about the relationship. But if you want to make the sale, you have to build the relationship first. So, what’s David’s next move?

BE NICE AND LIKABLE

He wins people over by introducing himself by name (so he’s no longer a stranger) and by telling them that’s he’s a photographer. Once he has their attention, he takes away some of the (assumed) resistance by paying them a compliment. He says things like:

“I think you look lovely,” or “You look really cool.”

Girls will often get “compliments” from strange men when they’re walking down the street, and these cat calls are usually sexist and disrespectful. David’s words are nice enough to be flattering, but never rude and insulting. He knows you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Appealing to people’s vanity will often work, if you do it the right way and you are sincere. 

Once again, David is anticipating and defying people’s expectations. This is not some random creep who is hitting on you. This is a guy who likes your looks in a professional way. And you can see he’s a professional by looking at his expensive gear. This is not some weirdo trying to take a few candids on his mobile.

KEEP IT MOVING

Now, when you give people too much time to think, they’ll come up with a few objections and David knows this. So he doesn’t give them any time to object. He continues:

“My name is David, I’m a photographer. I take pictures of people. I want to see if I can get you a quick photo.”

or

“I want to see if I can give you a free photo.”

When he’s saying these words, he does two more things. Listen carefully to his intonation when he talks to Breanna, the girl you just saw. Even though he asks a question, he’s not using a questioning tonality where the voice goes up at the end of the sentence. Asking a question in a questioning way creates uncertainty and increases the chance people won’t comply. It sounds unconvincing.

David’s question is more of a statement. He’s not begging his intended model for anything, but he doesn’t give them a choice either. Below is an example of David quickly overcoming an initial objection by basically ignoring it, and moving on quickly:

The first objection clients come up with is usually to test the waters, to see how quickly you will cave. Be like David and pretend you didn’t hear it. The only relevant objections will come once you have established value and once you’ve developed a working relationship with the buyer. 

TIME AND MONEY

Secondly, the two oldest objections in the history of sales are… time and money:

“I don’t have time for you,” or “I can’t afford what you are selling. You are too expensive.”

Once again, David expects what’s coming and disarms the “I have no time” objection by telling it’s going to be “a quick photo.” He nullifies the money argument by stressing the photo is free. In fact, it’s his GIFT to you. 

By this time you can usually see that his intended models are weighing their options. They can simply go on with their day, or give this nice young man what he’s asking for. So… what happens next?

RAPPORT

David has two more tricks up his sleeve. Number one: he deepens the rapport. Rapport is simply a connection of trust between people. It’s a sign of a harmonious relationship characterized by being on the same wavelength. People who are “in rapport” are more open to suggestions and are less likely to put up a fight.

To create more rapport, David asks an innocent but very personal question:

“What’s your name?”

Doing so, he demonstrates that he is interested in more than just taking a picture for his popular Instagram account. He is interested in the person behind the (intended) model.

When the person gives his or her name, David makes physical contact either through a fist bump or a hand shake while he states his name again. What he’s saying is: “I am like you. I’m more than a man with a camera. I’m a real person with a real name.” This deepens the connection verbally and physically.

This may convince some people to be his model, but the last part of David’s sales tactic (if we could call it that), is what I call the “reassurance strategy.”

ADDITIONAL PROOF

So far he has given off a good first and second impression, but can the guy really deliver, or will this be a waste of time? Just like with a microphone, anyone can buy an expensive camera, but not everyone knows how to use it. Plus, where will these personal street portraits end up?

David knows this may be an issue, and he’s got an answer for that too. He looks at the person who he senses is still not completely sold, and asks:

“Can I show you my work?”

They say a picture paints a thousand words, and when people look at David’s photos, two things happen. They can tell he’s for real because his pictures are extraordinary. They also notice how many followers he has (1.1 million on Instagram alone). Hard facts provide verifiable legitimacy.

Showing proof also means David doesn’t have to brag about himself which could put people off. When people are too full of themselves, there’s usually little room for others.

NORMALIZING THE EXPERIENCE

Now, when David shows his work, he usually says something like:

“This is my work. I go up to strangers, ask for a picture, and post the results.”

Why would he do that? I think he does this to normalize and reinforce what is usually perceived as an unusual experience. “See, it’s not weird. I do this all the time and look how great it turned out!”

Secondly, he subtly uses social pressure to create compliance. What he’s saying is:

“Look at all these people who trusted me before you and I met. If they could trust me, you can do it too!” It’s what psychologists call the “lemming effect.” If a majority of people do something, your brain tells you it’s okay for you to do it too.

EQUAL EXCHANGE

Now, once David has overcome all resistance, he takes charge to make sure he gets what he wants using a lot of humor and more compliments. Not because he’s this master manipulator, but to ensure his model will be relaxed and look his or her very best. It’s part of the unwritten contract:

“You do something nice for me, and I do something nice for you.” In this way it becomes an equal exchange.

If people feel the price they pay exceeds what they’re getting in return, they’ll feel ripped off and they get buyer’s remorse.

Now, you may argue: “These people David finds on the street didn’t pay a penny. They didn’t have to make an investment.”

I’d say you’re wrong about that.

They were minding their own business going about their day, until they were interrupted by a stranger. Some of David’s amateur models are on their way to an appointment, or are doing their jobs as he approaches them. The price they pay is that someone is taking up their precious time, and for what? To make a young, unknown photographer look good on Instagram?

Does that seem like a good deal to you? There’s a reason we call it “taking pictures.” We take something from someone. In certain cultures that’s considered stealing!

The way I see it, David’s models are making an investment. What are they getting in return? Before I get to that, there’s something I’d like to stress.

Notice that once there’s rapport between the photographer and his model, the model will be a lot more willing to do what he asks. This means the objections have been dealt with effectively. 

THE BIG REVEAL

To show his models that their cooperation was worth their time, David keeps the best part of his videos for last: the big reveal. During the reveal you see the people react when David shows the result. Most of them are blown away and leave happy. It’s an additional reassurance that they were right to trust him.

This approach has given David Guerrero amazing exposure to millions of followers. What better way to showcase your work? It’s one of the best examples of content marketing I have ever seen!

To me, the big takeaway is that, if you wish to overcome resistance and convince clients, you need to firmly believe in what you’re selling, and invest in creating a relationship of trust first. And you need to offer an exceptional service or product. Otherwise people feel cheated and used.

Secondly, this whole process can happen in a matter of minutes. You don’t have to spend hours massaging a prospect. It takes me longer to unpack his methods than it takes David to work his magic. 

Lastly, David Guerrero sets himself up for success. I’m pretty sure his strategy is the result of many failed attempts. All those rejections have helped him refine his “technique.” And the real trick is to not make it look and sound like a technique, but like a spontaneous event.

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER

I don’t know David personally, but I have watched hundreds of his videos, and he seems like a genuine person I could see myself being friends with. You can’t fake things like talent, kindness, and integrity. And without those three elements he would not be the success he is today.

Just like there are thousands of professional photographers in the world, there must be thousands of professional voice overs. We can all learn from each other.

I wonder…

What is it about David’s approach that you could use in connecting with clients and drumming up more business?

And here’s one last thought.

This isn’t just about selling, or about street photography, or about running a profitable voice over business.

In how many other life situations do you need to overcome resistance and deal with objections?