'Getting Your Clients to Pay You on Time'

This article was requested to be written via a twitter post I sent out @Voice123dotcom. I never really have the chance to discuss this topic, so I thank @andrewsusay for requesting it. At Voice123, I am asked at times to help a talent retrieve payment from a voice seeker. If you did not know I did this, that is probably because payment problems rarely reach the point where I must step in.

In almost every case, the same thing happens, in which a talent believes they were not paid on time, and the voice seeker, for some reason, has been difficult to get in touch with. This task is something I am very proud to assist talent with as I once worked in a 'recovery' dept. at an insurance company, so I have the understanding that getting people to pay on time requires the following:

• Preparation ahead of time, as in, having your own business plan.
• Email etiquette. (Yes, it plays a big part.)
• Written understanding of dates and deadlines, as to when payment is due.
• Written understanding as to what was agreed upon.

I should say first, that when it comes to working with 'people', there are no guarantees because...well...'people' can be very interesting, and yes, even escrow is not a concrete solution. Keep that in mind always.

Now, let me explain each below:

Preparation ahead of time, as in, having your own business plan:

• Knowing what you will do when someone contacts you. What will you say in return?
  
• Do you have a plan as to when audio will be delivered, and when you will invoice?
• Do you have a plan on how to negotiate re-takes?
• Do you have a deadline as to when the payment is expected after audio delivery on your invoice?
• Are you saving ALL email correspondence?
• Are you making sure, no matter what you say on the phone, that you follow up with emails?
• All of the above information will help you in the future.

Email etiquette. (Yes, it plays a big part in this role.)

• I have handled matters where I watched that a person stopped replying to repeated requests for payment. When I asked why there was no reply, at times I heard responses that the voice seeker had no idea who was writing them and why.
  
• When writing emails...Keep the emotion out of it. Believe me...it works. I have seen emails go back and forth where they became so aggressive, the paying party decided not to respond, as if they felt obligated because of the way they were written.
  
• Even in million dollar insurance claims cases, my email etiquette was always business, cordial, thorough, and had deadlines with calm rationalization as to when something is expected.
  
• In short, the 'iron fisted' email does not work as well as the 'I am business. Here is some sugar and honey, now where is my money?' email.
  

Written understanding of dates and deadlines, as to when payment is due.

• This is very important because there is nothing more powerful in getting someone to pay you, than to say, 'Hello! I am reminding you, as per our recent correspondence, that I was promised payment on this date. I hope all is ok, and this can be resolved asap. Thank you.'
• Why does this work? You are stating facts, and being calm about it. That tells someone you mean business, now and forever.
  

Written understanding as to what was agreed upon.

• This is also extremely important. I have seen times where agreements on 'how' someone will be paid have been left out of discussions, such as, a person paid via paypal using the wrong email, or funds were not claimed.
• What you agree on should always be in writing, so in the future, you will have this when you have to seek extra help.
  

So, let us say, you did all of this, and the person still has not paid on time. You can try two things:

• Decide to be flexible, and wait.
• Decide to contact someone because there are people who can help. I know. I have done it.

Just today, I contacted a voice seeker as to why someone had not been paid. I was very cordial and business about it, and the talent was paid within a few hours.

So, why did it take so long for the talent to be paid?

• At some point the talent stated in an email, 'When can I expect payment?', and that was it.
  
• The voice seeker explained to me that he thought it was spam and did not understand that was the talent emailing him.
  

Why did the seeker pay so quickly after my email?

• I had correspondence from the talent, as to when payment was agreed upon.
  

I firmly believe when people work with people, you have to come to a common understanding that both you and the client are 'businesses'. There is truth to the statement, 'People will only take you as seriously, as you take yourself.' If you have everything in writing, have set deadlines for when you expect payment, and remind them when you will contact them again, you will be taken seriously.

It is not always easy being a talent and a business at the same time. When other businesses do not do as they promise, you have to be very firm, almost like a lawyer. But you have to leave the 'talent' feelings out of it, and focus on the goal...getting paid, and what you have to do to get it.

If you ever have problems, I will always be glad to help. There are always people who can help. Just make sure you are prepared to present to these helpers everything that has happened, not the emotional take on what happened.

I hope this helps,
Steven Lowell
Voice123.com
@stevennyc123

The Strange Importance of a Vacation

I may be speaking for myself here, but as long as I have been into voice overs, acting, and theatre, I noticed that professionals in that business do something no other business professionals do; they never take a vacation. I have heard some explanations for this:

• I love my work, and my life feels like a vacation.
• I do not work enough, so my vacation comes when I do not have a job to do.

I am guilty of this myself. If anyone has ever gone to Times Square, NYC at any point, you will find that the waiters are well-spoken, beautiful, friendly, charming, and easy to talk with. The reason is because they are all into performing arts of some sort. From my time working in Times Square, I remember the busiest time of the year was when the regular 9-to-5 folks were on holiday. This meant I led my life on the opposite schedule of what most of the world was operating on.

If you are just starting out in this business, and you find that you live on the opposite side of the entire world's schedule, I share with you some advice to avoid burning out:

• Make sure you take a vacation during the time that the 9-to5 people take theirs.

You may find my reasoning strange, but there valid reasons as to why this should be done.

• When you work on the opposite of everyone's schedule, you begin to feel somewhat lonely or feel that you work for the entire world, with no time to yourself. I say this because if your time is during the day time, and you only work at night, chances are you are waking up late and not getting a chance to do anything for yourself before having to go to work at night. Oddly, I know several people in broadcast news who go through this, and it has led to some of them quitting well-paying jobs.
  

• Working at night, and auditioning all day, usually means 'lost sleep'. It is now proven that 'sleep' is essential for good health as it gives your body a chance to regenerate, and yes, even burn calories! Living healthy will prolong your ability to deal with those times when you have to do entertainment work during the day, and still work at night. Many believe they can manipulate sleep, which is true, but the effects it has on your body can be life-long and very serious.
  

• The 'Vampire' syndrome, when you find yourself while others are tired from their workday. If you are trying to be in a relationship, which we all need to be whether we want to believe so or not, you will need energy. If you are tired when he/she is awake and ready to start the day, or vice versa, you will find you have repeated trouble in relationships even when the person is understanding of your career.
  

So...why a vacation?

• To give your body a break and a chance to enjoy some time to think. Many of us learn a craft, and begin to operate on cruise control after a while. Given that the world changes so quickly these days, we must allow ourselves time to reflect.

• To strengthen relationships with family and loved one's. We all need a support group in this very tough business. Family and friends are important, always.
  

• To get to know 'your audience': No one can deny that when you are in entertainment, basically everyone you meet are the people you hope will be watching your show, or listening to your voice over. Being a performer means understanding 'reality' as in 'what the 9 to 5 folks live though'. If you have no idea how the regular world behaves, it will affect your decision-making as a talent. As much as we may love our job and working all the time, we still have to know how the entire world operates for us to reach people as performers.
  

• To achieve peace of mind. Did you know that a recent survey showed that the USA is the 48th happiest country in the world? Take a look at this article. The third happiest country is Colombia, and Denmark is the happiest. Think about that...for all the people in the USA that work so hard to 'do what they love', why is it that countries making only a small fraction of the USA's per capita income indicated they were happier than so many other countries. Are we really doing what we love, or just working ridiculously hard to stay above sea level.

Basically, if you do not vacation...you will never have time to think and discover for yourself what you appreciate most. Without that downtime, after a while you will begin to lose the inspiration as to why you do what you love to begin with.

I see this to everyone, and to myself...The summer goes by quickly. Go out and enjoy life.

This time of year is slow, but after Labor Day, it will pick up again at full speed. When that happens you need to make sure you are well-rested!

Peace,
Steven
Voice123.com