Hope you had a grand Thanksgiving! I know I did.
Today’s blog actually is the unexpected outcome of totally abandoning technology for several food-filled, device-free days, and the clarity it can give you, examining from a distance.
As I prepare for the grand re-opening of my voiceover business in the new year, it’s time for total honesty. What is working, and what’s NOT working.
I’ve played for 10 years in this industry, never really able to reach escape velocity because I was feeding the 10-hour-a-day time-suck monster of my TV news-anchoring job.
In three weeks, that goes away.
That means it’s time to take stock of all the successes and failures of 10 years, and filter it through a brutally-honest cheesecloth. Where’s my Achille’s heel? What’s my downfall, my soft spot, my black hole in which time disappears?
Maybe you can benefit from this analysis, because I suspect a number of you out there suffer from a similar malady that proves to be my greatest fault: the love of technology.
Bright and shiny new toys – be they virtual or sitting on your desk – are at once the jumbo joy, and humongous hindrance you never saw coming.
Therefore, considering The 5 Ways Technology Can Hamstring Your Voiceover Business will doubtless resonate with your examination of ROI.
Toys are not Always Tools
Adobe Lightroom is useful, well-made, and innovative. So is Techsmith’s Snagit, WinZip, and Dragon Naturally Speaking. They’re also bloated, unnecessary and expensive virtual toys. Yes, they work fine, and they may save you a few minutes here ‘n’ there, but 10-to-1 there’s a freeware or low-cost alternative available in the crowded marketplace that works just as well for your needs. Did you buy it because you really needed it, or because you convinced yourself you MIGHT need it someday, and the slick interface or the “one-time 2-day sale” sealed the deal?
Buying Doesn’t Make it Better
Capitalistic cultures are predicated on consumerism. It’s designed to remind you of what you DON’T have rather than all you DO have. So before taking out a personal loan to buy that fancy new pre-amp, better check the specs on your existing device, or your DAW’s available software plug-ins first. Greed, avarice, covetousness, and envy are powerful and budget-busting emotions.
Technology Makes Procrastinators of Us All
CRM’s are a great example. I’ve spent countless hours fiddling with 10 to 15 of ’em, and still can’t get ’em to work the way I expect. In the meantime, I used the EXCUSE that once I got it all configured the way I wanted, I’d have a tool to beat all tools! It was easier to play with CRM set-up than actually USE it. I thought I was using my time wisely, but I was just procrastinating. Don’t be seduced by the easy technology distraction rather than face the harder and largely proven solutions.
Niche Beats Nebulous
There’s nothing wrong with being a modern-day Rennaissance man/woman. 21st Century da Vinci’s are needed. But in a practical business-driven sense, focusing or mastering one skill at a time in a world filled with distraction can be a blessing. Whatever technique, device, or software you REALLY like — go with THAT as your solution. Get to know THAT ‘thing’ better than anyone, forsaking all other temptations that are similar, and it will be a blessing for your business. Your mastered niche will bring more return than broad-based and nebulous generalities.
Enduring Beats Ephemeral
These days, attention spans are short. No…worse. They’re non-existent. Vendors, software companies, and hardware icons take advantage of that. New! Better! Latest Upgrade! Version 6.7 is so YESTERDAY! Analogies sometimes fail, but witness the lowly stopwatch. This humble 20th-century invention is STILL not substantially improved-upon with the latest digital competitor. Will all the gee-gaws available to your voiceover business today prove to be enduring or gone-with-the-wind?
There, I feel better now that I can concentrate on Cyber-Monday deals with a clear conscience.
😉
CourVO