Cleaning Out Your Voice Closet
Put the following ingredients together all in one place:
– Notes from all your coaches and mentors
– Goals from the previous year(s)
– Goals for this coming year
– Budget for the year
– Various unorganized files
– Calendar of events for the upcoming year
– Plotted schedule for marketing, voicing and training
In another location mix the following ingredients
– Any and all demos or voice samples
– Bio
– Contact information
– Images/Branding material
If these ingredients are combined together in just the right way, you have the perfect recipe for a successful year. While one year closes and another begins there is much time for evaluation and motivation. It’s time to put to rest all of the odds and ends that you hadn’t finished over the year. Put all your notes together in one place instead of allowing them to be scattered and eventually ignored. If you’ve not gotten to them all year, then this is the perfect time to re-read them and refresh yourself with all the skills you’ve been learning over the years.
This is also a time to clear out files and paperwork that is just taking up space. Put it together all in one binder or file folder so that you have easy access to it. Label and date it so you can easily clean house in future dates as well.
This is also a great time to reflect on previous years goals. Cross off what you’ve accomplished and put all the things you haven’t accomplished into a new goal sheet for the year. Types of things to have on your goal sheets is; expenses/budget, booking goals, branding/marketing goals, time frames, training goals, demo goals, website goals etc.
When you create a prospective budget sheet keep in mind upcoming costs; websites, demos, training, subscriptions, internet, ISDN/Recording requirements, office/business expenses and more. You should also do the same for your expected profits.
This is also where I create new templates for the year. I refresh my logos on my invoices (so the invoices look new and current), I put together an excel sheet for 2016 invoices. I create folders for audio files (for example; Jan 2016 audio etc), I create email folders in my gmail account for receipts, clients, scripts, bookings etc.
You should also be creating an upcoming calendar. Input your goals in your 2016 calendar, upcoming dates, expectations, clients birthdays, coaches birthdays, agents birthdays, suggested times to get in touch with returning clients, marketing concepts and deadlines etc. You also want to create a realistic schedule for yourself allow time for marketing, voicing, editing, training etc.
You also want to clean up your computer from the previous year. Audio files take up a ton of room. If you’re an audio hoarder like me, you go through a ton of external harddrives so it’s important you keep up to it so that you don’t burn out your computer.
It’s also time to make sure your website is working well and doesn’t need any updates. Keep it current, fresh and spruced up so that those that are returning have something new to look forward to.
This is also a great time to contact all your previous clients and let them know about your year ahead. Things they can look forward to (ex; website, rebranding, new demos, additional training, awards etc).
There is much to do at the end of the year and the beginning of a new one, so instead of procrastinating yet again, get it done and clean out your Voice closet so you can stay focused and forward thinking!
If you need any help to clean out your voice closet, don’t hesitate to contact me
Until Next time everyone
All my best
VO Chef Deb (aka Deb Munro)