For my part, I’m generally willing to give new domestic clients (those here in the UK) 30-day terms, unless I smell something odd in the discussion phase, but if they pay late then I insist on prepayment for the next job. Anyone who fails to pay after a reminder gets a letter by registered post, politely but firmly threatening action, and most people don’t want a County Court Judgement against their name or their business. Another useful reminder to clients is that the voiceover business is quite a close-knit community and that word of bad creditors gets around quickly via word-of-mouth and online forums.

For international clients, who are harder to chase up if they were to go into arrears, I now usually insist on prepayment via PayPal, using a figure calculated to offset my losses in the PayPal fees (there’s a handy online calculator which will do this for you which I use a lot).

Personally, I think there’s a certain amount of flexibility required: I have some large clients who pay on 30 or 45-day terms, but they pay regularly and they pay on time to their cycle – and they make up a big chunk of my regular work, so I’m not going to insist they change their cycles just for me. It’s like the clients who won’t allow you to invoice until you’ve been given a Purchase Order – larger firms often don’t seem to have the flexibility to change their procedures on-the-fly. Interestingly, though, those who use PayPal and pay using a company credit card often seem to be able to circumvent this, and I wonder if there’s a change in attitudes just around the corner.

All the best from London!

Mike

cya

D

I think I’m going to start being more stubborn about payments, and let’s see how that works.

Cheers everyone.

So to avoid all this… I stopped freelancing creative work. Less income… but more peace of mind.

and honestly… I wish you’d rant more often.
Taji

I think I also might have accidentally offended you when I mentioned that the comment was long. You might have misconstrued that as mentioned out of irritation as opposed to it just being an observation and a nudge of encouragement. Its kind of like when I am having a conversation with someone from the west and we agree that one or the other would do something specific… and I say God Willing (in arabic inshallah if-God-Wills-it) and then the Westerner looks at me in horror like I jinxed the whole endeavor. Religiously I am obliged to say that because in actuality nothing will happen without the will of God involved. So I’m not saying… welll we’ll do whatever it is we have to do unless something bad happens… but rather… if it is preordained to happen at the time we (mere mortals) wish it to happen (in other words… the best laid plans of mice and men).

So David… PLEASE write as much and as often as you like. I greatly appreciate it.

Taji

What truly lies at the heart of this is that most agents and production houses, and practically all clients, just can’t come to terms with the kind of money we get paid for what, to them, seems to be such little effort.

So there is an element of jealousy and resentment as far as the agents and production houses are concerned, as they’re often putting in long hours of hard work and seriously demeaning kowtowing for what seems to be significantly less reward. As for the client, if they’re not sheepishly intimidated be the bewildering world of ‘creatives’ their response is generally one of, well, sheer disbelief!

What’s not understood though is that our skills are not only natural-born, God-given talent but also an ability and craft honed over years, if not decades. All of that blood, sweat, tears and history wades into the voiceover booth for that 30 second recording. It has to count for something.

A little Economics 101 soon helps explain all this — supply and demand. Ours is a highly specialised skill. But that’s applicable only to the time spent recording. What about the rest of the time? What about all those empty hours of doing… nothing? Should that be considered a free-time?

No, it comes at a cost that’s factored into the equation. Why?
While production people seem more than masochistically willing to work non-stop round the clock, most clients I’ve known definitely do not want to be in a recording studio at 11pm on a Friday night because the VO has a full-time Monday to Friday gig. A professional VO is a full-time career. Making yourself available, often at short notice, is also what factors into and contributes to the cost. So the client can have his job done within an hour or two and not at midnight on the weekend.

Yet all they ever see is the easy money for little effort.

It’s also the reason why the industry is saturated with so many non-professionals and wannabes who are just looking for an easy buck. It’s a career path not unlike actor, model, filmmaker, artist, photographer and writer. Telling people you are one, while waiting for the next welfare cheque, is all that’s required.

Client perception of our profession is tainted by this. But when they hear a real pro they soon learn the difference.

Okay, I know… I’m ranting again.

Later

Sorry to chew your ear off. I promise not to carry on this time. Being able to type quickly makes such rants easier very likely to happen.

Everyone has strengths as a VO. Anyone who doesn’t better do something else or are just going to have to make do with peanuts (by undercutting those who have strengths).

A buyer will always try to get the best price. Their undervaluing a VO’s product is the easiest way for them to do that by playing to insecurities and the talent’s perceived desperation.

It’s up to the VO to not let that happen. If the VO has strengths, which they all should, then they brand themselves accordingly or, on the other hand, if they have no strengths then what they mainly have to build on is price… and by how far they can cut it down.

As for payment methods, I also work for different parts of the world and have generally found PayPal to be universal. Frankly, I hate it as I’ve been dicked around a few times by PP (a client depositing funds then PP withdrawing them and charging ME for the trouble!), and I’ve also hit a few speed bumps and snags from time to time, as you know, but ultimately that’s more often to do with the client and their inability to make their credibility clear to PP, ie. hotmail accounts, current location a different country to home address, etc. I doubt that would be any easier with anybody else.

I have, nevertheless, signed up to those other payment methods you had advised, like Moneybookers, but have yet to use them. And nobody’s asking for them. PayPal is still the simplest and easiest, for me at least.

Your story is a good read and food for thought, as always, Taj.

btw… hope this wasn’t too long. :\

More cheers

David

You make some strong points here. In my experience regarding the discounting of the total on a 30 day invoice is that once the client (or the accounting person) is given that opportunity they’ve gone ahead and taken the discount and payed me late anyway.

Damned shame. There was a time in this country when big corporations had more concern for the “little guy” business. But those days are long gone never to return.

Like you I’m stubborn about maintaining my worth. Pricing is hard enough to do without all the other BS we go through. I’ve lost many jobs over the years because I may not be negotiable with a new client. At least they know I’m committed to quality work.

Ciao,
Rick