How To Get A Voiceover Agent

It's almost an obsession! Everyone wants to know HOW to get voiceover representation with a talent agency. But are you SURE you're ready to be on an agent's roster? Watch and find out.

How to get a Voiceover Agent – 5:07

Gabby: Am I ready for a voiceover agent now?

>> No

Gabby: Now am I ready for a voiceover agent?

>> No.

Gabby: OK, but like I really think I'm ready for an agent.

>> No!

Gabby: But can I just –

>> No!

Gabby: Mmm...

Gabby: Hey, everybody. Welcome to another edition of The Gift of Gab, and today we’re gonna talk about how to get a voiceover agent. So everybody wants to know the answer to this question, right? Everybody thinks that having an agent, getting an agent, getting on an agent's roster is the beginning of your voiceover career, and that's totally not the case. The question isn't, how do I get a voiceover agent?

The question is, are you ready for a voiceover agent? Way more important. Have your skills been validated by a voiceover coach? Meaning, have you taken training and had someone else in this business, who knows what the heck they’re doing, tell you that you’re ready for an agent? Are you still learning? Are you still a student? Do you know with 100% certainty that you are ready for agent representation? Are you guessing? Are you bookable? Have you been booked? Do you have any current clients? Do you offer something that an agent needs? Do you know what they need?

If you’re answering no to these questions, you’re not ready. It’s OK! We all had to start somewhere, but the reality is in today's climate, most voiceover talent do not start their career with a talent agent. Instead they start their careers by marketing their own skills and building up their own client base usually for the first couple of years before being ready to be part of a talent agent's roster. And these are the kinds of things that realistically talent agents will look for in your material. First of all, guys, you can't suck. It’s pretty straightforward, I know, and it’s always incredibly subjective. I mean, what does that really even mean? But there is a certain standard of quality of performance and skill level that all talent agents are looking for. And some will tell you in nicer terms and some not as much, but what it boils down to is, don't suck.

Don't beg. If you’re at the point where you think you’re ready for a talent agent, your approach should not be one that sounds like you’re begging or pleading or bartering for that agent to take you on. Your approach should be confident. You should know that you bring something to the table that agent can use. You can't have a crappy demo or a crappy website. It seems really fundamental, but you’d be amazed at the number of people who approach talent agents with really sub-par material. Sometimes I see people who have fantastic demos, but really, really craptacular websites. Everything you present, everything that you’re putting together to present to a talent agent has to be above par.

When you’re approaching an agent, don't state the obvious. Of course you’re available for auditions and you have a professional studio. You kind of have to. That's sort of the nature of what we do. Most importantly you have to be prepared to work or already working, because that is what signals to a talent agent that you are gonna make them money. And lastly, if you are at the point where you’re starting to approach agents, don't carpet bomb. Don't simply send your demo to every single talent agent all across the country all at one time. It’s just bad form. When talent are looking for an agent relationship, that is sort of the expectation, is that you are looking to build a relationship and create something one-on-one. So if all you’re doing is mass emailing a bunch of talent agents all at once in sort of a form letter, it’s really not gonna do what you want. It’s gonna turn a couple people off and probably the most important people on that list. If you’re still really new to the industry, and you haven't been doing along, and you’re still learning, you’re still a student, hold off on approaching talent agents. Now is not the time.

Trust me. When it is time, the industry will let you know.

Gabby: Now can I get an agent?

>> Yes.

Gabby: [laughs] Let's do one of those. Ok, now can I get one?

>> Yes.

Gabby: Oh, OK. Thanks again for watching, guys. If you want more information like this, more tips, more tricks, and more information on how to get a talent agent, then you want to check out my book How to Set up and Maintain a Better Voiceover Business with an expanded section on how to get and keep talent agents.

704-674-8294 / GabrielleNistico.com / gabby@voiceovervixen.com

Gabrielle Nistico, Gabby Nistico, The Voiceover Vixen, The Business First VO Coach, #VoiceoverVixen #VoiceOnFire #BusinessFirstVOCoach Voiceover, Charlotte, North Carolina, Demo, Voiceover Demo, Demo Mistakes, Voiceover Coaching Advice, What Not To Do, Working Actors, Los Angeles, New York, VO Agent, Talent Agent