The past two days I’ve been talking about voice over negotiating. As voice talent, we often have to stand up for ourselves, either with agents, producers or anyone else who’s involved in furthering our career. I learned a lot from this experience (see April 29 and April 30 blogs).

Here are 4 tips on negotiating the deal:

1. Ask what the deal is BEFORE you do the job. For non-union we often have to be our own agent.

2. If you don’t know ahead of time and find yourself in an after-the-fact situation, let the client know what your normal rate is. This reminds them you’re a professional and sets a precedent for future jobs.

3. If they call again, ask them the particulars in that conversation. Then you can negotiate right then.

4. Don’t let your ego get between you and the client. If the rate is lower than you want and you want the job, you can always say, “Since you’re a first time client, I’m willing to work with you.” (FYI-This is a common move with business consultants)

Obviously, if you’re Union, this situation wouldn’t occur.

-Tracy Pattin