How To Handle Lowball Budgets – 2 Real World Examples

I’ve said several times, if you’re not walking away from work on a semi-regular basis, then you’re not paying attention.

What I mean by that is that it’s not uncommon for prospects to reach out with rates that are well below industry standards. That doesn’t mean you have to take the work.

Just because they’re a lowballer, doesn’t mean you have a license to treat them in a disrespectful or condescending way, even if you think they know better.

I book within standard North American non-union GVAA rates. That said, I custom-quote each job, give discounts for appropriate volume, and can in some cases offer a subscription-style arrangement. The more I know about the job (usage, duration, etc.) the more accurate quote I can provide. The GVAA provides an objective 3rd-party standard that protects both voice talent and buyers.

It can be very confusing trying to figure out how to handle casting notices that come in that are well below the going rates.

This week, I thought it might be useful to show two real-world examples I’ve received very recently as well as my actual responses so that you can see how to handle these less than ideal requests.

Example #1

(From a production studio)

Hi Paul,

Attached is a script sample for reference. Our client asked if you could audition. There are specs directly on the script.

I believe we will have somewhere between 15-21 total scripts. They are all market-specific based on brand.

The brands are: [9 brands redacted - a mix of local, regional, and national brands]

The rate for the first script is $500 and each additional script is $200.

Usage: Radio/Buyout

Would you be able to audition right away today and email back so client can hear your voice?

Thanks!

Best,

[Prospect name redacted]

Here’s how I responded:

Thanks so much, [Prospect name redacted]. I appreciate you sending this over.

I book within standard non-union GVAA rates.

1. The usage is vague - local/regional/national?

2. I do not ever do buyouts on paid placement ads because this creates perpetual conflicts.

If you/your client are willing to put a term (1 year, 5 years, etc.) and can clearly define the usage, I'd be happy to discuss.

Thanks a million for keeping me in mind. Have a great week.

Best,

Paul

Let me make this point pellucidly clear: buyouts for paid-placement ads are bad news.

You may be saying, "But Paul, you just passed up on $3,300 - $4,700 of dollars of work! Whataya, nuts?"

True (and it depends on whom you ask about my mental status 😜).

“Why would anyone do that,” you ask. Here’s why.

If I do this work now and let’s say one of the brands is an ice cream, and let's say 2 years from now Ben and Jerry's wants me to be their national voice, I can't even audition (well I could, but it would be unprofessional of me) because of the perpetual conflict. Not because this client wants exclusivity (they don't that I know of), but because I'll have a perpetual conflict in the ice cream category, Ben and Jerry's won't use me. Period.

I could be locking myself out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for each category in perpetuity and there are 15-21 scripts across multiple categories. All for a few grand? Nah.

Not to mention that an in-perpetuity deal would command a rate at least an order of magnitude more than what they offered.

Hard pass.

Example #2

(from an advertising agency in business for 30 years)

Hi, Paul –

I need VO demos very quickly for a :30 TV edit this [day and date redacted].

Demo script attached.

SPOTS:

• :30

• 2 tags and/or one-liners

• :15 OTT [“over the top” or digital tv – YouTube, Hulu, CBS digital, Social Media, etc.]

MKT: [local market redacted]

RUN: 2 weeks

CLIENT: [redacted] VO is for A/B testing.

TYPE: 30-35-ish year old male, fun, upbeat, guy-next-door.

Please let me know if you cannot audition. Call my office or cell if you have questions.

Thanks,

[Prospect name redacted]

What's missing? The budget. Not a good sign. Usually, that’s an indicator that they know it’s low. So, I asked.

$225 total. Just as I thought.

Here was my response:

Thanks so much, [prospect name]. I appreciate you getting back to me.

I book within standard professional non-union GVAA rates.

In this case, my rates for ....

• A :30 local broadcast TV spot ($450)

• A :15 OTT spot ($450), and

• 2 local TV tags ($300 x2)

...total $1550.

While I try to be flexible, I don't work for 15 cents on the dollar.

Thanks a million for keeping me in mind. If anything in the future comes up that might be a fit, I'd be happy to audition.

Have a great week.

Best,

Paul

I try to always give people the benefit of the doubt. There very well could be a reasonable explanation for why they’re offering about 15% of the going rate. Either way, I pass on these requests because there’s no good that can come of them.

To take a gig like this would be simply training this client, for whom it would be the first I’ve worked with them, that I’m easily negotiated down and don’t know my worth.

I’m not, and I do.

You’re never turning a 15-cents-on-the-dollar client into a 100-cents-on-the-dollar client.

And just because they’re a lowballer, doesn’t mean you have a license to treat them in a disrespectful or condescending way, even if you think they know better. Maybe their client is the lowballer and maybe they have other clients who aren’t.

Be a pro. Give them the benefit of the doubt, politely decline, and move on with your day.

Don’t waste a ton of time chasing bad business. Every lowball deal you spend more time on robs you of time pursuing pro clients who value pro voice actors.

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