8 Strategies To Vet Reputable Coaching & Demo Production
Well, now we've got a problem. At the time we're filming this, there are allegations against a specific coach and demo producer that are not pretty.
Now, the concerning part about these allegations is that they're being made against someone who formerly had a sterling reputation in this business, a very highly accomplished voice actor and a trusted coach and demo producer.
That's scary and quite frankly, sad stuff. And it's nightmare fuel for new or newer voice actors who are trying to figure out who in the hell can I trust in this business?
How do I know? How do I go about finding out?
So today I'm going to attempt to give you eight strategies and a process to vet coaches, to vet demo producers, to vet really any service providers so that you minimize the chances of being taken down the road by someone who is dishonest or sheisty.
First, let's be clear about one thing. Stories like this are pretty rare, when someone is accused by multiple, multiple voice actors of dishonesty on a contractual level. I can't remember hearing about any stories like this in the last maybe even 5 to 10 years, apparently it's happening now.
Most often there's dishonesty in the form of, you know, at a marketing level where people will make promises like, “make six figures in your PJ's,” or “become a successful voice actor in 90 days with no experience necessary.”
But still, it's on you to make sure that the person you're going to be working with has a solid track record, has a proven reputation, and can deliver the goods.
But the problem is, if you're a new or newer talent, just how do you go about doing all that?
Here are eight strategies and a process you can use.
Number one: listen, lurk, and linger
If you're brand new to voice over, even if you've been around for a little while, you probably still don't know what you don't know.
My recommendation is to join several of the more reputable Facebook groups and take part and participate in those communities. So, how do you know which Facebook groups are reputable?
Well, I'm going to help you. I'm going to put a starter list of reputable Facebook groups below.
Join those groups, maybe even a few others. Introduce yourself, participate, take part. And when it comes to learning about coaches or demo producers, listen, lurk, and linger.
Over time, you will begin, by sheer repetition, to start to learn who the more reputable people in the business are and to a lesser extent who they are not. Keep notes, compile information. Don't make any judgments just yet. Right now you're just collecting information.
And here's a pro tip as you're learning about these folks and you come across names, go back into the groups and search those names. This will save you a ton of time in collecting your research information and will save you the drag of asking for information that already exists in those groups.
Number two: compile a long list
From your notes that you've collected, compile a list, and that list is going to have two columns in it: on the left, positive and on the right, negative. Put the names and all the positive mentions of that person in the left column and the names and all the negative mentions of that person in the right column.
Now, the right column will be shorter, no doubt, but no less valuable.
And the more data you have that is, the longer you spend collecting data to a point, the better off you will be when it comes to decision time. Now, I spoke with a voice actor about, well, maybe a few months ago, who has taken eight years and still does not have his first demo done yet. That's ridiculous.
As a rule of thumb, I'd say spend a good two to maybe four months researching and compiling your long list.
Speaking of research…
Number three: do your research
Go to their websites, take notes on the information there. Start to get a feel for who that person is, how they like to work. Research their pricing. Any packages they may offer and do your due diligence.
Number four: be wary of bad promises
Be skeptical of any promises that include the following:
Number one, how much money you'll make.
Two, how fast you can get there.
Three, how easy it will be.
Four, “no experience necessary.”
And number five, any guarantees other than your money back If you're not satisfied.
Becoming a voice actor means starting a business. And starting a business is a difficult thing to do. There are no guarantees in business or in life.
Actually, I take that back. I can guarantee you that if you get into voiceover, it will not be fast, it will not be easy and it will require ample experience. No coach, no demo producer, not even Morgan Freeman himself, while he's playing God can guarantee you success, income or results.
When you see bad promises, don't walk. Run. Put those people on the negative side of the list in bold letters.
Number five: ask around
So now, with all this information that you've found in the communities, you can then begin to start to ask around to people to get some feedback on these coaches that you've taken notes on. The idea here is to add to the information that you already collected in a general way and get some specific feedback from people who have actually worked with these coaches or producers.
It doesn't need to be anything complicated. Just a quick post to the effect of, “Hey all, I'm considering working with. Joe Blow was wondering if anybody has any personal experience with them and if so, if you could DME or if you'd like to jump on a Zoom call to discuss that would be great.”
Why do it that way? Well, people will make kind, wonderful comments about reputable coaches and they will do that all publicly. But if you really want to get a sense if anything is sideways with a particular coach, then giving people the freedom to talk to you privately will give them the space to be able to be candid. And that in the end is what you want.
And don't forget to thank these folks that reach out and agree to talk to you profusely. They are providing you a valuable, valuable service and they're being generous with their time.
Number six: cut down to your shortlist
Now, based on the information that you've collected in a general way from the communities and in a specific way from the folks that you've talked to, you can now cut your list down to maybe a handful, maybe 5 to 7 folks that you're seriously considering working with
This is the point where you weed out the negatives and the bad promise people and maybe even the people on the positive side who may not align right now. In other words, you might be looking for an animation coaching and you're going to want to weed out the commercial and eLearning coaches, etc.
Another example, if you are new, you're going to want to make sure that you weed out any coaches that may only work with advanced voice actors.
Get that tight handful of people that you're seriously considering working with. Get that all whittled down and then take the next step.
Number seven: interview them
Then and only then, reach out to all the coaches, demo producers, whatever you're vetting on your list and arrange a specific time with that person to chat about working with them.
Now, this is where the rubber meets the road, because this is where you're going to get a much, much deeper sense of fit. I believe that coaching is 80% fit. For example, you can work with a great coach, but if they don't speak your language, if if you don't have a vibe with them, if you don't understand each other almost in an intuitive way, the chances are they're not going to be a great fit.
Yes, they have to be qualified. Yes, they have to have a proven track record. But if you too don't click, chances are the results are not going to be good.
And as an aside, you know the best coaches out there, they're vetting you as much as you're vetting them. They want to make sure that the folks that they work with are going to be committed, that they're going to do what's asked of them and that they're going to be a good student.
And lastly, number eight: decide!
Don't make the mistake of overthinking. If you've followed the process, trust the process and act, pull the trigger, make a decision and go. Give yourself a week maximum to make that decision.
Then reach out to the person that you've chosen to work with and start that engagement. In the meantime, reach out to the folks that you've decided not to work with for now. Remember, you might want to work with these folks down the road, so you're going to want to make sure that you personally let them know that you're not going to go in their direction right now, and thank them for their time because they gave you a free hour or so to try and get to know you, too.
Be kind, be professional.
Now, I don't work with beginners because if you are a beginner, and I mean no disrespect, you're just not ready to market yet. But if you are a pro and you're ready to market your business, I do offer a free interview called a Strategy Call. We get to know each other a little bit. And if you want more information on that, you can click the link for the VO Freedom Master Plan and book a Strategy Call.
And if you'd like to start receiving my Move Touch Inspire newsletter that comes out free every week for voice actors and audiobook narrators, click that link as well.
If this post provided you some value or if you think it might help someone else vet for coaches, for demo producers or other service providers, share it with them, send it to them by email, social media, text, whatever it might be, and help us get the word out and help other voice actors as well.
Thank you so much for your support. Thank you for the conversations that we have on YouTube, in the VO Pro community and in the voiceover community at large.
We’ll see you again next week.