This month on the Such A Voice blog, we’ve been talking about accountability partners and social media. Both topics have to do with communication. Nowadays, there are many ways in which you can converse with others. I’d like to focus on using email as a way to reach out to potential voice-over clients and agencies.
I think about emailing from a marketing perspective. Marketing is a valuable skill to have as a working voice actor. Knowing your niche and brand makes marketing yourself that much easier. Think about how natural it feels to talk about something you love, like your favorite movie. You can easily reenact scenes or rehearse lines, or talk to your friends about it non-stop.
Use that same energy to show off what you love about yourself as a voice actor. Be proud of your voice and don’t shy away from expressing how awesome you are to voice-over clients and agencies. When introducing yourself, you don’t need to tell the client every commercial or audiobook you’ve ever voiced. Instead, place a stronger emphasis on what the client wants. Think about what you can do for them. Your confidence in your abilities is evident to potential voice-over clients and agencies. If anything, it makes them confident in their decision to cast you in a role.
Confidence is only part of the email outreach equation. I have some other great tips that can make email communication smooth and easy for you.
Cue the G.R.E.A.T formula!
Greet voice-over clients with enthusiasm and professionalism. And no, that doesn’t mean including several exclamation points at the end of every sentence. There are plenty of other ways to show your excitement over email. Research the client on LinkedIn and see if you have a mutual connection, someone who you personally know. That’s something exciting to include in your introduction and may serve as an icebreaker. Also, double check your email before sending it out. Make sure you have the correct spelling of their first and last name, and their exact job title when addressing them.
Respond in a timely manner. When a client gets back to you, I can imagine your immediate reaction would be excitement. This isn’t the time to let it sit in your inbox for days. It also doesn’t mean that you respond so fast that you don’t even give yourself the time to think your thoughts through. Read through the email and try to respond as soon as possible. The voice-over industry is fast moving, so if you wait too long to reply, you could miss out on an opportunity. However, make sure you don’t haphazardly rush through it either, taking your time to construct a well thought-out email is always best.
Edit subject lines. Think about how the subject line is the first thing that your client sees in their inbox.
Would you be more likely to open up subject line #1 or subject line #2?
Subject line #1: Check this out now!
Subject line #2: Check out my BRAND NEW home studio!
Subject line #1 is vague, which may leave you to wonder, “What exactly do I need to check out now?” Meanwhile, subject line #2 is specific. You know that information about a brand new home studio is included in the email you’re about to open, but there’s also some mystery behind that too, as you may wonder what the person used for soundproofing or what microphone he/she uses.
You won’t know which one performs better until you test it. Play around with different ways to catch the attention of a client by switching up your subject line and see which gets more responses.
Address your message clearly. Be succinct with what you say, and avoid using a passive voice. Be direct in your emails about what you’re looking for in your next gig and why you’d be a good fit for the role.
Take note of when you send out each email and set a date to follow-up with the client if you don’t hear back. Your follow-up time all depends on how urgent the matter is. Read through each online job posting thoroughly and keep an eye out for anything mentioned about when the client is looking to cast the role. Always assume to reply as soon as possible to a job posting. Remember, a deadline for the client is also a deadline for you, so mark your calendars and keep track of important dates!
What’s your great email outreach strategy? I’d love to hear what works well for you. Leave your comments below and let’s discuss!
