Clients don't want your demo. Here's why...

Every serious voice talent knows that it takes more than frequent auditions to make it in this business. So we have a marketing plan that reaches out to prospects who might want to use us in their projects. And that plan includes sending them a “demo.” Is that a good idea? I think it’s time we re-evaluated that word. Here’s why…

WHAT IS A “DEMO” ANYWAY?

Ask many people in the industry what a demo is, and they’ll assume it’s a commercial demo: a collection of commercial samples. Well, obviously, there are other categories of clients: animation, corporate, informational, etc. So, if we’re skilled in more than one category, we have other types of demos that we plan to send to clients in those categories.

EVERY PROSPECT IS DIFFERENT

But why think in terms of demos at all? If you’re smart about your marketing, you know that every prospect is different. It’s your job to learn what type of talent they might hire. If you fit that type, why not send them samples that match what they’re looking for? A generic demo, regardless of category, may not fit the client’s needs. That suggests thinking in new ways about what you call your "demo."

A COLLECTION OF SAMPLES

I recommend having a collection of voiceover samples you can select from, to create a specific demo for a specific situation. Based on what you know about the client, you can cherry-pick samples that most closely fit the client’s needs. In other words, you’ll create a new “demo” for every prospect. That way you'll never send samples that the client isn't interested in.

I’m not suggesting that this collection of samples will replace all need for demos. In particular, your agent will want to group your samples into categories, and you’ll be putting category demos on your website.

I encourage you to discuss this with your agents and your coaches. This might be a good time to re-assess what makes you desirable to a client. Review your samples, not as a collection of demos, but as a resource in animation, corporate, informational, etc.  creating a more effective marketing tool for real-world clients.