In the world of voiceover, if you want to look like a beginner and stand out like a sore thumb, there are a multitude of ways to do that. So in today's video, I'm going to give you four ways to look like a newbie so that you can understand them and avoid them while possible.

And make sure you hang with me until the end because I actually am going to answer the most common question I get: “So how do you get into voiceover?”

First, let's be clear. It's okay to be a beginner.

In fact, having a beginner's mindset is an absolute advantage and one you should seek to hold on to forever. If you ever get to the point in voiceover or in life where you think you've got nothing left to learn, you're about to get your clock cleaned.

The elites in any field stay elite by keeping a beginner’s mind.

That means that you're curious. It means that you're open to growth. In fact, that you seek out growth. It means that you not only are okay with making mistakes, but you understand that mistakes are essential to growth.

And while it's absolutely okay to be a beginner, every one of us was at one time. There are some common mistakes that newer voice actors make that are needless and avoidable. And those are the ones that we're going to talk about here today.

#4. Using the term, “aspire.”

Look, if you're curious enough about voiceover and you've done a little bit of research and you've decided that this is something that you might want to try in some way shape or form and you've taken the step to start training as a voice actor, then guess what, you're not an aspiring voice actor you're a voice actor.

You might be an amateur, a hobbyist, and you might not even know right now whether you would ever want to take it beyond that but if you've taken the step to seek out a reputable coach and to start training to start learning how to do the art of voice acting then you are a voice actor.

Are there aspiring voice actors? Yeah absolutely these are folks that are dreaming of one day taking that action one day taking steps to become a voice actor but for whatever reason, haven't done it yet and that's okay too.

Maybe life doesn't allow it right now. Maybe there are circumstances, maybe you have a physical condition or an injury that keeps you from chasing your dreams. That's okay. There's no shame in that.

The only difference between an aspiring voice actor and a voice actor is that a voice actor has started their journey, and they're still on it.

Thinking about it is not doing it. Talking about it is not doing it. Hanging out with other people that are doing it is not doing it. Reading about it isn't doing it. Listening to podcasts or watching YouTube videos about doing it is not doing it.

If you're doing it, you're not aspiring to do it.

#3. A bad demo.

Now the most common category of bad demos are the infamous DIY demos.

I've said this before and it's true. I've been producing broadcast quality audio since the days of razor blades and tape, and I still don't produce my own demos.

Let me be pellucidly clear: Do not do your own demos.

Why? For a detailed explanation, watch this video right here.

And the second category, or the second biggest cause of a bad demo is simply the fact that the voice actor in question is not demo ready yet.

What does it mean to be demo ready? Okay, it means that you can artistically, and technically produce a professional product consistently. And as such, you're in need of a means to demonstrate demo that capability to potential clients.

It means that you have enough baseline training that you are competent and competitive.

Well, okay, how much training is that? It varies from person to person, but in general terms, I'd say it's six to 12 months of consistent training. It's not a weekend webinar with a professional demo at the end. It's not eight classes, two of which are demo prep.

It takes months of focused practice with a coach to become demo ready.

When you're a beginner, when you're getting your initial baseline training, do not focus on the demo. Focus on getting really good. The demo will come in time.

Train with a reputable coach. Take acting classes, take improv classes. The demo is not your goal. Your goal is to get good enough to serve a professional product to your clients.

When you can do that consistently, then you're ready for a demo.

And the third category of bad demos is actually just the opposite. It's a demo that you can't live up to. It's a demo that's so well produced and so technically slick that quite frankly, it masks a shitty performance.

Now this serves exactly no one, except for maybe the demo producer who pocketed your money. It doesn't serve you because if you book off that demo and you can't deliver the good, the client's going to be like, Hey, where's the dude? Where's the chick on the demo? That certainly doesn't serve your clients.

In order for a demo to be effective, the whole demo team, that includes the copywriter, the engineer, the director, and yes, the voice talent… all those people have to be really good at their jobs. And if you're the weak link as the voice actor, it's going to show in the performance.

And finally, if you ever intend to submit that demo to agents, you better be able to deliver. They'll know in the first five seconds whether you're somebody they want to work with or not.

#2. Complaining about the lack of feedback on auditions.

I see this often in Facebook groups, especially that cater to newer voice actors. “Well, I do all these auditions. I just never hear back.”

That's correct. You don't. That's the way it works.

You think the producer is being rude. They are not. Get over yourself.

When a producer puts out an audition, they may get dozens, even hundreds of auditions. That's right, I said hundreds. They do not have the time to get back to each little precious flower and tell you how good you were and how you nailed the nuance of the read, and that it was a really difficult decision to make the casting.

Auditions are not the place for feedback period. Send them and forget them. Once you hit send, they're gone. They're dead. They don't exist until and if you book the job.

Feedback is what your coach is for. Not the auditions, not other voice actors, not your bros.

The entire purpose of getting good performance coaching is to get direct.

qualified actionable feedback that you can then apply through purposeful practice both in the coaching session and in addition to the coaching session.

It's not the job of the client to get back to you to thank you for auditioning or to give you any feedback whatsoever.

Now, will it happen? Occasionally, rarely, yes, it happens, but do not expect it. That's not the way it works.

And #1. Lazy questions.

Now look, I try to never turn down people who have questions. I am here to help.

Now that said, when you're asking a professional to set aside time in their busy day, then do them the common courtesy of having done your homework.

One dude recently wrote me a 134-word email asking me how to send an invoice. When he could have Googled “how to send an invoice.”

There are no dumb questions, but there are lazy questions.

Don't ask questions you could have easily Googled. You literally have the most advanced research tool known to man literally at your fingertips.

Also, I can't tell you how many people have asked to pick my brain and we sit for coffee for an hour. And I explained to them that building a voiceover business is not easy. It's not quick. It takes coaching. It takes years of practice. It takes dedication and grit and resilience and I never hear from them again.

Another example, don't ask questions in Facebook until you search the group for possible answers.

Another example is don't ask, “Which mic should I use?” Because, first of all, if you're a beginner, it's really not gonna matter. You're just practicing and learning. When you get more advanced in your career, there is no one answer because the answer is gonna depend on your voice, on your recording space and on your budget. So you're gonna have to figure it out.

Never ever, not once have I ever regretted helping someone or answering questions or taking time out for somebody who is truly curious and has done their homework. That's how I know you're serious. And by serious, I don't mean I need you to have decided that you want to do this professionally. I just need you to have enough self -respect to know that nobody in this life or in this business is going to hold your hand.

It is absolutely essential to a growth mindset that you be curious and I love that about beginners but act on your curiosity. Take initiative. Be proactive.

There are Facebook groups and podcasts and free seminars and webinars and blogs and pros like me who are literally tripping over ourselves to provide proactively helpful information for you for free. Take advantage of that.

Don't show up to coffee with a pro and go, “So how do I get in voiceover?”

All that said, if you are a beginner, if you're new to the business and your main question is, so how do I get into voiceover?

I will actually answer that question for you now: My Seven Steps To Starting And Developing A Career In Voiceover. It's absolutely free. My best answers are all in there, including recommendations for coaching, how to lay out your plan, what to do, where to go, et cetera.

When you sign up for that, you'll also get my Move, Touch, Inspire newsletter for voice actors that comes out every Thursday.

And if you found this video helpful, if you think it will help other voice actors on their journey, then please share it with them so that you can help them.

And lastly, thank you for your comments here on YouTube, in the VO Pro community, in the VO community at large, the more we talk, the more we exchange information, the more we exchange ideas, the stronger, better industry we'll have for everybody.

Thanks so much, and we'll see you again here next week. Take care.