I know we’re in a pandemic. I know times are as hard as they’ve ever been. I know people are struggling. People are hurting. Many are desperate. And afraid.

Freelancers and voice actors are no exception. Many in our business have been hit hard. Some have had to stop doing what they love to put everything they’ve got into putting food on the table.

I acknowledge all of that. It sucks right now and getting work in the door and feeding our families is everyone’s top priority.

But there’s a phenomenon that was well in place long before the pandemic, which seems to have accelerated since:

The public, online asking/begging for work.

It often happens in LinkedIn comments and Twitter replies, Instagram bios and posts. With often total disregard for the content of the original post, some chucklehead will pipe in with one of the following…

“Hey, if you ever need a voice talent to [blickey blakety blip]…”

“Can I get a few minutes of your time to talk about your voiceover needs?”

“Are you guys looking for VOs?”

“Are you hiring?”

“Are you accepting demos?”

And my personal favorite, the compliment-in-exchange-for-the-beg: “Great work, Shanté! If you’re looking for a voice talent [blah blah blah…]”

I saw it again on LinkedIn last weekend. A well-known and respected talent agent posted a press release about the signing of several new high-level talent. It took 5 seconds for a voice actor to publicly, inappropriately, and lazily ask the agent if they could submit.

They didn’t research the agency, the agent, the submission policy, or the roster to see if they’re a fit. They just fired off a beg.

They didn’t even acknowledge the content of the original post! The same conversation, summarized:

Prospect: “We’re really excited about this great thing that happened.”

Talent: “Whatever. Can I have a job?”

When you publicly, reactively ask/beg for work you’re showing your prospect and the world that…

• You’re lazy.

• You’re reactive.

• You don’t do your homework and research.

• You have no qualms about putting your prospect on the spot publicly.

• You’re unprofessional and inappropriate.

• You don’t respect your prospect.

So how do you react to content posted by your prospects?

You react thoughtfully and adding value to the content posted by your prospects. And don’t mail it in. The world doesn’t need one more “Agreed!” “Spot-on!” “Great work!” “So cool!” etc. If their content truly engaged you, let them know WHY and HOW and what value that brought you. It’s not about you, it’s about them, their content, and why you think it’s valuable.

Then, do your homework. Research them. Who are they? What do they do? Who do they work for? What’s their role?

Then, if (and only if) they’re a good target, privately and personally approach them in a brief, professional, friendly way, introduce yourself, what you do, and what value you can provide them.

Any approach to a prospective client should be…

• Personal - Always one-on-one. Always with a personal touch.

• Private - Never ask publicly. There are rare exceptions.

• Targeted - Make damn sure they’re likely to use your services, even if they don’t use you.

• Value-Adding - Always bring value to them in every communication.

You’re in the business of building relationships. Be intentional. Be proactive. Be empathetic. Be respectful.