Pay Me or Die – A Voice Actors Thoughts

Are you tired of feeling undervalued and lowballed as a voice actor? Anthony Pica shares his thoughts on handling pricing negotiations with confidence. Gain control of your own actions and decisions when it comes to negotiating pay and keep revenue coming in.

Hey guys, it's Anthony Pica, and I'm super excited to share this interesting topic with you today about voice over pricing. If you caught the title, it's all about "Pay Me or Die." Now, I know that might sound a bit dramatic, but hey, who hasn't felt like that before? I mean, we work hard on our craft and put ourselves out there, and then someone comes along and tries to lowball us. It can be really frustrating and make us feel undervalued, am I right? 

So, the other day, someone in our Facebook group asked, "How do I get clients to pay me what I'm worth?" And that got me thinking, how can we approach this topic and feel good about it at the same time? Well, today, I'm going to share with you what I believe is the key to this whole pricing thing. 

But first, I want to give a quick shoutout to A VO's Journey Elite Academy. Right now, we're offering 50% off the first month, and trust me, it's an amazing community where you can learn, grow, and get direct access to me and other coaches. So, if you're serious about taking your voice-over business to the next level, make sure to check it out. 

The Cost of Doing Business

Alright, let's dive into "Pay Me or Die." Like I mentioned earlier, it's a phrase that really hits home for me. I remember when I first started out, I was so eager to get work, but then when it came to pricing, things got tricky. Clients would often try to negotiate me down, and I had to decide whether to take the work or stand my ground. It was tough and frustrating, but I learned a lot from those experiences.  

Many times, I decided to take the work because I didn’t want to lose the opportunity. And when I was starting out, I believed it was the right thing to do most of the time. Looking back on it, I still agree with that assessment. There might have been a few jobs I would have passed on, but overall, I wouldn’t change my journey. 

Here's what I want to share with you: your pricing is not set in stone. As you grow and gain more experience, you can adjust your rates accordingly. This realization can give you more confidence in setting your prices and asking clients to pay what you're able to get at that moment in your business. 

But here's the thing, you can't control how others value your work. You can only control your own actions and decisions. So, if a client isn't willing to pay you what you're asking for, you have the power to say no and move on to another opportunity. But you also should weigh that decision with how much work you have in your queue. If you don’t have a lot of work, it might be worth it so you can keep money flowing. It might be hard at first, especially when you're just starting out, but remember that your main job is to keep revenue coming in, not over inflate voice over rates. 

Don't Fear the Pricing

To sum it up, the key to handling the "pay me or die" dilemma is to have a clear understanding of your own worth and value but realize that it has little to do with your business. Your value is not tied to a business. Be willing to adjust your pricing as you grow and remember that you can control your own actions and decisions. With these things in mind, you can approach pricing discussions with confidence and negotiate from a position of strength.

Thanks for reading my thoughts today from A VO's Journey. Don't forget to check out A VO's Journey for awesome courses, coaching, and community support.