I had an interesting conversation with a fellow voice actor recently. It seems they were quite perturbed with my voice over turnaround times.
It’s no secret I always try and deliver in 24 hours or less, but in most cases same day within a few hours.
Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, like when a client requires a 5,000 word eLearning voice over, as an example. But when we’re talking about a 60 or 90 second explainer video script, why wouldn’t I be able to get it done quick?
Setting Precedence
As this fellow VO explained, by offering such speedy delivery I was creating an unrealistic expectation. Setting a precedence that couldn’t be maintained. They argued that I should NEVER deliver a voice over in any less than 48 hours in order to sustain a successful business.
If a client sends me a script a 90 second script at 1pm and I’m not doing anything, they’ll likely have their voice over delivered by 2pm.
Why in the world would I make them wait 48 hours?
What if, instead, I finished their voice over immediately, and then set out marketing, prospecting, auditioning and tracking down the next job? Seems to me like that’s a pretty good strategy for sustaining a successful business.
Why I Deliver Voice Overs Fast
I have a saying I live by in my business. Happy clients are repeat clients. Roughly 85 – 90% of my clients, for the record, are repeat clients.
One of the reasons they keep coming back is because they love that I don’t make them wait for their voice over if there’s no need. Keep in mind, almost every job comes with a request for delivery in 24-48 hours. But if I can turn it around in an hour, or two or four, I’m going to turn it around in an hour or two or four.
Every time.
I’m a full-time voice actor. This is what I do all day every day. And sometimes all night too, depending on the circumstance. 🙂 I like to get jobs done and out the door as quickly as possible. I like to help my clients beat their deadlines. I like to keep them happy. It’s part of my commitment to exceptional service.
My business model may not work for every one. Obviously it doesn’t work for the VO who took me to task over it. But it works for me. Hence it being MY business model.
However, I’ll tell you this… the faster you can finish one job, the sooner you can find and book the next.
