Everyone has a personality. Some personalities are much more subtle than others are, but there is a personality in every single person. While working in the voiceover business, you will likely find that you work with voiceover clients that have many different types of personalities. This means that you will have to deal with these personalities. Some are easier to deal with than others are, but with these tips, you will end up mastering the ability to get along with all of them.
Personalities of Voiceover Clients
Demanding Clients
Some clients know what they want and will demand it. Even if you do not believe what they want is right, these clients won’t allow you to change their mind. Either you deliver exactly what they want, or you will not work with them.
The best way to deal with these types of clients is to get down on paper exactly what they want. You can then follow your notes as you are working. When you deliver everything these clients have demanded, you will likely be faced with more demands. Be ready to accept it and improve the delivered work. All you can do is go along with what demanding clients want and hope that you satisfy them.
Uncommunicative Clients
These clients are different from the demanders. They tell you they want something and then disappear. They may sometimes reappear to check on progress, but besides that, they are not around. Even if you ask questions while you are working on the project, they will not respond. It can be annoying, but at least you can be creative and work without feeling as though the client is right over your shoulder.
If you really need these clients to communicate with you, the best way to get them talking is to warn them that you will not be able to deliver the work on time if you do not receive a response. Usually, if clients know they are the ones holding up the progress, they will come forward with answers.
Undecided Clients
These clients are the ones that will tell you that they want one thing, and then a couple days later, call you with a different request. This can make working with them frustrating, annoying, and unpleasant. It can cause delays and even cost you money.
The best way to deal with undecided clients is to hold a meeting to confirm specifics. If clients come back afterwards with changes, you will need to let them know that it pushes the delivery date. Some voiceover artists will charge a fee for changes because of the lost time while others, just take it with a grain of salt and make the changes. This is your business, so decide what you feel is fair for you.
Overly Appreciative Clients
These clients will thank you about 500 times during the project. When you deliver, they will rave on and on about how great you were and how they want to use you repeatedly. Now, this seems like great clients, right? Well, that is because they are good clients. You always want to make clients happy, and these are the easiest to please.
Do not let the praise go to your head, though. You do a good job, and it shows. Take the kudos you get from these clients to help you get through the ones that are a bit more difficult.
The All Over the Place Clients
Some clients are all over the place. They can be demanding one minute, undecided the next, uncommunicative and then overly appreciative. This can be irritating and drive you crazy. You never know what you are going to get when you speak to him/her.
Go with the flow with these clients. When they are demanding, take down notes, but then confirm the details on a different day. If there are changes, be sure to let these clients know that it does cause delays, or they will be charged. Finally, when they are thanking you, thank them back. Take what you get and do what you have to do to keep the business relationship positive and moving forward.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you have clients with these personalities. They may just help you get through all of the crazy times you will have, so you can move on to other clients who may have completely different personalities to deal with.