Since each cartoon has a story behind it, I’ve decided to blog about them. Might as well, right? If you don’t care about my ramblings, then just enjoy the comic. My feelings won’t be hurt.
The cartoon above is a real conversation I had with a prospective client a year or so ago, though the numbers have been changed to exaggerate the point. He was appalled that my hourly rate was in excess of what someone like a doctor would make. And no, my reply to him wasn’t that snarky.
And then I realized that the comparison is ludicrous. I would certainly never say that what we as freelance voice over talent do is more important than surgeons. You can’t really put a dollar value on saving someone’s life.
And that’s the point.
If I do a national spot, I’m assuming that my voice will be heard by millions of people. And that ad will contribute XX amount of dollars to the company’s bottom line in terms of increased sales. Therefore, the value I bring can be calculated in dollars.
How do you do that with a surgeon performing a heart bypass? Or a firefighter saving a child from a burning building? The value of these types of jobs cannot be measured in dollars.
Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments!
You are always on target with your strips. ‘Love it!
Assessing the worth of what we VO talent do is complicated. Jeff, your argument is based on economics – supply and demand, opportunity costs, things like that. A perfectly legitimate way to put a price on one’s work.
Another perfectly legitimate way to assess the price of one’s work is to consider the social benefit. Your client seemed to be looking at it that way. Look, performing a voice for a national spot in order to sell more “stuff” does not make the world a better place, unlike the work of a pediatrician, school teacher, or firefighter. I sometimes feel guilty when I think of how much I make an hour vs some of my family who teach grade school kids.
But I get over it, because I price my work according to the *value it has for the client.* If the client can find someone as good or better than my performance for less money, they’ll probably not hire me. That is their right, it’s called capitalism. And it is my right to try and get as much money as possible for what I do. So if I can offer a voice-over that sounds like someone talking to YOU, that conveys the ideas in a script in an engaging way that makes people more likely to actually listen – and therefore make it more likely that the client’s precious message will get across – then the client should see the value of what I do and pay me accordingly.
This has happened SO many times to me… and I’m sure all of my colleagues !
LOVE your work Jeffrey.
It’s just so frightening how often we get asked to lower and lower our rates… because “the client can get it cheaper” or “the client just won’t pay that much”…. really ? have you asked ?
I’ve had to learn the hard way that Studio’s aren’t always working for YOU !
Another consideration is the lost opportunity cost for the performer. Assuming you won’t be voicing competitive spots, that’s no more fast food/banks/telecommunications/whatever work for you during the run. No?
This is my favorite Voice-overload so far!
Well then click that like button, Mrs. Snively! Oh, and wouldn’t a print of it look GREAT in your studio?
Jeff´s last blog ..5 Business Presentation Tips from a Professional Voice Over Artist