My voice over gig...zero orders after five months

[michaelkilliany]

https://www.fiverr.com/michaelkilliany/deliver-a-quality-voice-over-tailored-to-your-needs

With a background of 20 years in radio broadcasting, and freelance writing, and having gotten a taste of recording voice overs by doing a handful on local radio and TV over the years, I decided this year to really give it a go. I have learned a lot and continue to learn, not only the craft of voice acting, but of marketing and customer service. I set up my first gig back in May of 2018 and have not yet made a sale, but I know it will come.

I have made lots of tweaks and improvements to my gigs, and I know there will be more to come, but I believe I have something of value to offer now. I’m just trying to get started, to get a little traction…something. I have had a couple of non-legit inquiries (i.e. people looking to take advantage of a newbie and get work for free.) I check buyer requests regularly but very few of them are ones I’m qualified for as the buyer is often looking for someone who speaks a foreign language and/or someone who is female. I have tried on a few that I felt I was qualified for.

I believe my story will be one of sticking with it and overcoming the odds because although it can be discouraging at times, I am not giving up, despite heading into my 6th month without an order.
I would appreciate any advice or encouragement that successful Fiverr sellers might be kind enough to share. Thanks!

[lamonthenley1]

Now I wouldn’t consider myself a “successful” Fiverr freelancer by any stretch of the word but having had a few orders here and there I can say that your day will definitely come. It is impossible to estimate how long it will take before you get your first order but if you continue to be diligent your hard work will pay off. You appear to be headed in the right direction in regards to the attitude you have in sticking this out and doing your best to succeed. There are many others here who also have yet to get their first order so you are not alone. Stay focused on your craft and I am certain that we will be reading a post from you about getting your first order. 👊

Just wanted to clarify that I am using the “facepunch” emoji as a “fist bump” emoji.

[leahemme]

there is a huge amount of competition in the VO category, and I’m by no means a top dog, but my biggest suggestion would be to put videos on your gig! When people are browsing, they can watch/LISTEN to your video without even going to your profile. It takes extra time and clicks for a buyer to hear your voice if you don’t have a video, and a picture may not be enough to bring a buyer to your profile.

Also, have a clear, enticing thumbnail, and you may even want to experiment with not having your face in it. And that isn’t a dig by the way… I’ve been thinking of doing this only because our VO search results are FULL of faces, so something that isn’t a face may in fact stick out more. maybe, who knows.

Maybe offer a first time buyer deal, like a bonus 50 words or something. Also, if you work with your own private clients, perhaps give them a small discount to bring them to fiverr and purchase a gig from you. After all, the more sales you have here, the likelihood you will be seen by new buyers, so having an initial few dozen sales might give you some momentum.

And it’s kind of a crazy suggestion, but perhaps delete your entire Fiverr and start over. It says you joined nearly a year ago and that might turn a buyer off if there is no activity to be seen yet. Furthermore, creating new gigs will hopefully give you some advantage in the search algorithm, because you’ll appear under the ‘new arrivals’ section.

Don’t loose hope, it’s tough to break in here, but it IS possible! Took me 2 months to finally get a sale and it was 300 words for $5 including everything and 24 hour delivery. not fun and soul crushing, but I did that for a while until I had enough traction to raise my prices. Best wishes.

[michaelkilliany]

Now I wouldn’t consider myself a “successful” Fiverr freelancer by any stretch of the word but having had a few orders here and there I can say that your day will definitely come. It is impossible to estimate how long it will take before you get your first order but if you continue to be diligent your hard work will pay off. You appear to be headed in the right direction in regards to the attitude you have in sticking this out and doing your best to succeed. There are many others here who also have yet to get their first order so you are not alone. Stay focused on your craft and I am certain that we will be reading a post from you about getting your first order. 👊

Just wanted to clarify that I am using the “facepunch” emoji as a “fist bump” emoji.

Thank you @lamonthenley1. Your encouraging words are much appreciated. Despite soldiering on, there are moments when self-doubt creeps in, so it is important that I take the time to hear from others, such as yourself, who are (or once were) in the same position. As you know, especially when doing voice over, there are times when you feel really alone because there is very little interaction with other people, which is why this forum is crucial. You taking the time to share some inspiring words has given me a bit of a boost and I am genuinely grateful. I wish you further success with your voice over career and when that first order comes in you will be among the first to know. 🙂

[michaelkilliany]

there is a huge amount of competition in the VO category, and I’m by no means a top dog, but my biggest suggestion would be to put videos on your gig! When people are browsing, they can watch/LISTEN to your video without even going to your profile. It takes extra time and clicks for a buyer to hear your voice if you don’t have a video, and a picture may not be enough to bring a buyer to your profile.

Also, have a clear, enticing thumbnail, and you may even want to experiment with not having your face in it. And that isn’t a dig by the way… I’ve been thinking of doing this only because our VO search results are FULL of faces, so something that isn’t a face may in fact stick out more. maybe, who knows.

Maybe offer a first time buyer deal, like a bonus 50 words or something. Also, if you work with your own private clients, perhaps give them a small discount to bring them to fiverr and purchase a gig from you. After all, the more sales you have here, the likelihood you will be seen by new buyers, so having an initial few dozen sales might give you some momentum.

And it’s kind of a crazy suggestion, but perhaps delete your entire Fiverr and start over. It says you joined nearly a year ago and that might turn a buyer off if there is no activity to be seen yet. Furthermore, creating new gigs will hopefully give you some advantage in the search algorithm, because you’ll appear under the ‘new arrivals’ section.

Don’t loose hope, it’s tough to break in here, but it IS possible! Took me 2 months to finally get a sale and it was 300 words for $5 including everything and 24 hour delivery. not fun and soul crushing, but I did that for a while until I had enough traction to raise my prices. Best wishes.

Thank you, @leahemme. You took the time to look over my gig and to provide some well thought out advice and encouragement, and I sincerely appreciate it.

As far as the video goes, I know exactly what you mean and I agree 100%. In fact, I had a video up for about three weeks until recently when I took it down for two reasons: (1) I was unable to combine it with my demo reel as it was too long per Fiverr standards, and (2) the quality was not very good. Needless to say, even with that video, I received no orders. What I have noticed is that some video intros, including yours, are simply an image with a high-quality audio introduction, which seems to serve just fine. What you said about potential buyers being able to simply click on your thumbnail to hear an introduction is key. I am going back to the drawing board to improve that aspect of my gig, which will include shortening my demo reel.

My wife took the photo, which is considerably better than what I had before which appeared as a photo of me from the mouth down with a mic and pop filter in front of me. I thought it would be better if potential buyers could see my face. Conventional wisdom is that headshots should communicate a degree of warmth and professionalism. What I did was crop one of the photos my wife took so that it would focus in my my face, but I do know what you mean about not having to use your face. As a matter of fact, I set up a recent gig that doesn’t show me at all. Some say you need to show your face, but I do think it’s good to experiment in order to stand out, as you said. I noticed at least one of your gigs has a different image, which is good, and also your headshot is of excellent quality; I do need to improve mine. Funny thing is I have noticed some top sellers with only fair or average quality headshots, and even one with just a close up of the bottom half of his face, so who knows? lol

I am currently doing some pro bono VO work for the non-profit radio station which I volunteer at just to stay fresh, but don’t yet have any clients. Through social media (Linkedin, Facebook) and also through accounts at voice123 (free, not premium) and upwork, I have been trying to market myself and my gigs and get myself out there. I will definitely keep your suggestion of offering special deals to first time buyers and repeat customers.

Yikes…I don’t know that I’m ready to reboot or restart my entire Fiverr account, but you’ve given me something to consider. Maybe I will. I see your point about my 10 month old account with no sales could appear as a negative to a potential buyer. I recently created a new gig which gave me a bit of a bump in the in the “new arrivals” but I didn’t see any results from it other than impressions and a few clicks. I do have ideas for some new gigs and will be looking to set those up in the near future.

I believe the quality of my demos are pretty good (not perfect) and certainly as good as many current voice over artists who are currently completing orders. And I do believe I have something unique and of value to offer. That’s why sometimes I am a little baffled as to why nothing has come through, but I know I have a lot to do to better market myself and spruce up my gigs. I know we all have to pay our dues to break through, and now is a time for preparing and sowing before the harvest, so to speak.

Your gigs are nicely done and everything in general looks bright and professional, so it’s no wonder you are doing well and have so many satisfied customers as evidenced by your high rating. I am sure this is a result of all of your hard work and sticking with it through the rough times, especially in the beginning. I wish you continued to success and sincere thanks for your valuable feedback. 🙂

[ranjeet2000]

don’t worry about this please have patients and you will get first order

[michaelkilliany]

don’t worry about this please have patients and you will get first order

@ranjeet2000 I am trying to be patient but 5 months is a long time without even one order. I reckon what’s needed is a combination of work in tilling the ground and planting and then patience in waiting for rain, growth, and harvest.

[cal5086]

My thoughts, I am a Top Rated Seller.

1. Profile image, change it, front view, smiling, show your face, people will believe you are a real person then.

2. Fill out every part of your gig, you have 3 image spaces and 2 PDF spaces, use all of these. If I was looking for a voice over person and I just saw a random face, this doesn’t tell me anything. Get a designer to do professional gig graphics for you.

3. Have a video, or shoot a video of you doing the voice over work from your studio, show your equipment.

4. Start at $5 when you start on here, you have to do it cheaper and offer more then other people in your category… why would someone choose you, when they can get a top rated seller for a few bucks more. Offer tons of freebies, extras, quicker turn around.

All in all you have to brand yourself on here, make yourself stand out from the crowd, I got into a VERY crowded space with book covers, but I carved out a niche doing exactly those things above 🙂
You will get there, just takes time.

good luck!
Rob

[sue_mcl]

It can be super frustrating when you first start - like @leahemme I remember my first gigs were crazy discounted - 500 words or more for $5 with all the extras, just to get a few reviews on the board - thankfully I didn’t have to do many of those.

You could also try playing with your tags - change them up to see if that helps. Video is super important, so do that - cut your demo down to fit, or even just chose a few tracks and use the other audio three audio sample slots to highlight the rest of your demo tracks.

I also recommend trying out a few different titled gigs to see what works best. I started with just one, added a couple extra, then after a month added another one just to try it out. For some reason, the one I added just to try out, went on to become my best selling gig. I never worked out why that one did better than the other ones, so maybe something like that could work - a general and some specialised gigs, see what gives you traction and then cull the others and focus on that.

Good luck! 🙂

[michaelkilliany]

My thoughts, I am a Top Rated Seller.

1. Profile image, change it, front view, smiling, show your face, people will believe you are a real person then.

2. Fill out every part of your gig, you have 3 image spaces and 2 PDF spaces, use all of these. If I was looking for a voice over person and I just saw a random face, this doesn’t tell me anything. Get a designer to do professional gig graphics for you.

3. Have a video, or shoot a video of you doing the voice over work from your studio, show your equipment.

4. Start at $5 when you start on here, you have to do it cheaper and offer more then other people in your category… why would someone choose you, when they can get a top rated seller for a few bucks more. Offer tons of freebies, extras, quicker turn around.

All in all you have to brand yourself on here, make yourself stand out from the crowd, I got into a VERY crowded space with book covers, but I carved out a niche doing exactly those things above 🙂

You will get there, just takes time.

good luck!

Rob

@cal5086 Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I have revised my gig numerous times yet nothing has produced results as of yet. I like the idea of going with a fresh profile image where the front of my face is shown, and also adding some nice graphics; those are things I haven’t tried.

I did have my gig priced at $5 for the longest until I recently changed it. Some have said that by charging $5 there is a perception to buyers that you are providing a lesser quality product/service, so I bumped it up to $10. Needless to say, that hasn’t resulted in any orders either. I can certainly move it back down to $5 along with your other suggested revisions and additions.

I had a video up for a couple of weeks but it was done with my smart phone and I was not satisfied with the quality and I thought it hurt more than helped, so I took it down. I am working on getting a better quality video, and I like your idea of showing me at work in the studio.

Overall, great advice. Also, I am happy to know you have found success, and hopefully I can as well.

Thanks for your time, help, and encouragement.

[michaelkilliany]

It can be super frustrating when you first start - like @leahemme I remember my first gigs were crazy discounted - 500 words or more for $5 with all the extras, just to get a few reviews on the board - thankfully I didn’t have to do many of those.

You could also try playing with your tags - change them up to see if that helps. Video is super important, so do that - cut your demo down to fit, or even just chose a few tracks and use the other audio three audio sample slots to highlight the rest of your demo tracks.

I also recommend trying out a few different titled gigs to see what works best. I started with just one, added a couple extra, then after a month added another one just to try it out. For some reason, the one I added just to try out, went on to become my best selling gig. I never worked out why that one did better than the other ones, so maybe something like that could work - a general and some specialised gigs, see what gives you traction and then cull the others and focus on that.

Good luck! 🙂

@sue_mcl “super frustrating”, yes! I have toyed with my gig and profile over and over again since May and nothing has worked. I’ve tried different key words, but you’re right about the video. I know that’s important, even if it’s a static image (such as done by @leahemme) with a high-quality audio personal introduction. And yes, I will need to edit my demo as well so I can merge it with the video. Getting all that done is next on my agenda.

Also, I have some ideas for other gigs, and I’m going to add more. Your experience of creating one that is unique (thus setting yourself apart) and then seeing results from that, is something I’ve been hearing from quite a few people, and it makes a lot of sense. Just setting up conventional gigs when there are SO many of those already, doesn’t do anything to make me stand out.

Thank you @sue_mcl. I’ll let you know how things go.

[estherrandell]

I think you should apply as a Pro Seller. You get more visibility and trust on Fiverr that way. The process is relatively straight forward and if you get verified, you can be assured of at least an order within the first month. Good luck.

[ranjeet2000]

My thoughts, I am a Top Rated Seller.

1. Profile image, change it, front view, smiling, show your face, people will believe you are a real person then.

2. Fill out every part of your gig, you have 3 image spaces and 2 PDF spaces, use all of these. If I was looking for a voice over person and I just saw a random face, this doesn’t tell me anything. Get a designer to do professional gig graphics for you.

3. Have a video, or shoot a video of you doing the voice over work from your studio, show your equipment.

4. Start at $5 when you start on here, you have to do it cheaper and offer more then other people in your category… why would someone choose you, when they can get a top rated seller for a few bucks more. Offer tons of freebies, extras, quicker turn around.

All in all you have to brand yourself on here, make yourself stand out from the crowd, I got into a VERY crowded space with book covers, but I carved out a niche doing exactly those things above 🙂

You will get there, just takes time.

good luck!

Rob

hey rob this thought is very helpful to me

thanks

ranjeet

[dwashingtonvo]

My thoughts, I am a Top Rated Seller.

1. Profile image, change it, front view, smiling, show your face, people will believe you are a real person then.

2. Fill out every part of your gig, you have 3 image spaces and 2 PDF spaces, use all of these. If I was looking for a voice over person and I just saw a random face, this doesn’t tell me anything. Get a designer to do professional gig graphics for you.

3. Have a video, or shoot a video of you doing the voice over work from your studio, show your equipment.

4. Start at $5 when you start on here, you have to do it cheaper and offer more then other people in your category… why would someone choose you, when they can get a top rated seller for a few bucks more. Offer tons of freebies, extras, quicker turn around.

All in all you have to brand yourself on here, make yourself stand out from the crowd, I got into a VERY crowded space with book covers, but I carved out a niche doing exactly those things above 🙂

You will get there, just takes time.

good luck!

Rob

Great Info. Thanks for Sharing.

[awbalagna]

Apologies if similar recommendations have been made here and I didn’t see them, but as a fellow VO artist, here’s what’s worked for me. Since January of this year, Fiverr VO has become a full-time job for me and then some.

The reason I originally got started on the site was because I found someone on Craigslist looking for a VO artist to read some training video scripts. I sent them a demo, they liked it, and they asked me to set up an account on Fiverr so we could work through there.

So right off the bat, I had a solid order and a good review to kick off my career on the site. I continued to try to find other VO jobs and then direct them to Fiverr to proceed.

However, over the following two years, I still only made a TOTAL of $2000. I took a lot of absurdly discounted low-budget jobs (one paid $500 for what I would now charge over $10,000 for…yikes). But, after 2 years and taking every job extremely seriously, delivering quickly, racking up a few great reviews and getting a couple of returning customers, I was suddenly boosted up in Fiverr and got tons of daily, consistent work out of nowhere.

Late January of this year I went from making next to nothing on here to over 7k per month when times were really good. Moral of the story: as unsatisfying as it is to hear, it may simply take a lot of time to be seen.

But, while you wait, I would recommend finding whatever you can elsewhere and directing them to order through your gig page. You’ve got to get some activity on there. Who knows - you may never get someone to find you to make that first order, so you may need to start by directing a few people there yourself (but DO NOT try to buy your own gig or try to cheat the system in any way…it will backfire).

You’ve got a great demo and you clearly have the talent and experience, so no worries there.

Just stick it out and do what you can to make something happen yourself - it’ll come eventually!

[best_buyer_88]

Don’t give up! your Gig looks very good!

[ilovevoiceover]

@michaelkilliany - Don’t give up hope!

You’ve got the goods, and just a little kickstart is all you need!

There have been some OUTSTANDING suggestions already provided by some AMAZING talents. And I agree with most of them.

1. Video. On. Every. Gig.

2. Make sure you don’t have the same “purpose” on your gigs. In other words, if you have three separate gigs then you have three separate purposes.

3. On the second and third demos, add a photo of yourself. Could be your headshot. Could be with your wife and your dog. Show that you are a real person. And show off those amazing vocals. Don’t leave them wanting more! Give it to them, baby! Use up all demo “spaces.”

4. Profile pic of your mug. I know it says “profile pic” but don’t take it literally! LoL! You don’t necessarily have to smile a big toothy grin, but that gorgeous face needs to be seen.

5. I don’t know, the “date of establishment” will only help you once you get going. And you WILL be getting going with number six.

6. Change one of your gig titles (and also the pricing) to $5 for 500 words.

I double dog dare you.

Shall we take a bet on how fast you get your first order?

Don’t be afraid to do this. Think of it as a lost leader. Think of it as an advertising expense.

You need an order to get a rating. The ratings will push you up in search results!

BOOM. And feel free to message me if you have any questions. Us sound makers should stick together.

Now go make the monies! 🍀
~Lisa

[michaelkilliany]

I think you should apply as a Pro Seller. You get more visibility and trust on Fiverr that way. The process is relatively straight forward and if you get verified, you can be assured of at least an order within the first month. Good luck.

Thanks @estherrandell. I figured being a Pro Seller (or Level 2, Level 1, etc.) is something I would eventually graduate to, but I honestly haven’t checked it out but I will. Sounds like your profile and gig have to be in tip-top shape. Is there a fee for becoming a Pro Seller?

[michaelkilliany]

Apologies if similar recommendations have been made here and I didn’t see them, but as a fellow VO artist, here’s what’s worked for me. Since January of this year, Fiverr VO has become a full-time job for me and then some.

The reason I originally got started on the site was because I found someone on Craigslist looking for a VO artist to read some training video scripts. I sent them a demo, they liked it, and they asked me to set up an account on Fiverr so we could work through there.

So right off the bat, I had a solid order and a good review to kick off my career on the site. I continued to try to find other VO jobs and then direct them to Fiverr to proceed.

However, over the following two years, I still only made a TOTAL of $2000. I took a lot of absurdly discounted low-budget jobs (one paid $500 for what I would now charge over $10,000 for…yikes). But, after 2 years and taking every job extremely seriously, delivering quickly, racking up a few great reviews and getting a couple of returning customers, I was suddenly boosted up in Fiverr and got tons of daily, consistent work out of nowhere.

Late January of this year I went from making next to nothing on here to over 7k per month when times were really good. Moral of the story: as unsatisfying as it is to hear, it may simply take a lot of time to be seen.

But, while you wait, I would recommend finding whatever you can elsewhere and directing them to order through your gig page. You’ve got to get some activity on there. Who knows - you may never get someone to find you to make that first order, so you may need to start by directing a few people there yourself (but DO NOT try to buy your own gig or try to cheat the system in any way…it will backfire).

You’ve got a great demo and you clearly have the talent and experience, so no worries there.

Just stick it out and do what you can to make something happen yourself - it’ll come eventually!

@awbalagna Thank you, sir! Your story of working hard and sticking with it is exactly the kind of inspiration I need…rather than give up, you persevered and pressed on. I congratulate you for the success you have earned. You have given me some really great advice and words of encouragement, and I genuinely appreciate it. I am sure it will help me. :+1:t3:

[sue_mcl]

Thanks @estherrandell. I figured being a Pro Seller (or Level 2, Level 1, etc.) is something I would eventually graduate to, but I honestly haven’t checked it out but I will. Sounds like your profile and gig have to be in tip-top shape. Is there a fee for becoming a Pro Seller?

Is there a fee for becoming a Pro Seller?

@michaelkilliany There is no fee to become a pro seller, however you do need to go through an application process. Pro currently isn’t available for voiceover, so watch out for any notification of that changing 🙂

[estherrandell]

Thanks @estherrandell. I figured being a Pro Seller (or Level 2, Level 1, etc.) is something I would eventually graduate to, but I honestly haven’t checked it out but I will. Sounds like your profile and gig have to be in tip-top shape. Is there a fee for becoming a Pro Seller?

There is no fee for becoming a Pro Seller. Pro Sellers are sellers vetted by Fiverr so they would require a lot of details from you to be certain you are who you say you are and you can do what you say you can do.

[michaelkilliany]

@michaelkilliany - Don’t give up hope!

You’ve got the goods, and just a little kickstart is all you need!

There have been some OUTSTANDING suggestions already provided by some AMAZING talents. And I agree with most of them.

1. Video. On. Every. Gig.

2. Make sure you don’t have the same “purpose” on your gigs. In other words, if you have three separate gigs then you have three separate purposes.

3. On the second and third demos, add a photo of yourself. Could be your headshot. Could be with your wife and your dog. Show that you are a real person. And show off those amazing vocals. Don’t leave them wanting more! Give it to them, baby! Use up all demo “spaces.”

4. Profile pic of your mug. I know it says “profile pic” but don’t take it literally! LoL! You don’t necessarily have to smile a big toothy grin, but that gorgeous face needs to be seen.

5. I don’t know, the “date of establishment” will only help you once you get going. And you WILL be getting going with number six.

6. Change one of your gig titles (and also the pricing) to $5 for 500 words.

I double dog dare you.

Shall we take a bet on how fast you get your first order?

Don’t be afraid to do this. Think of it as a lost leader. Think of it as an advertising expense.

You need an order to get a rating. The ratings will push you up in search results!

BOOM. And feel free to message me if you have any questions. Us sound makers should stick together.

Now go make the monies! 🍀

~Lisa

@ilovevoiceover well if this ain’t the kick in the pants, I don’t know what is! lol

I’ll admit, I swallowed hard at 500 words for $5 but I’m willing to do it if it’ll prime the pump and get things going. Great advice and inspiring words. You could be a motivational speaker and/or writer…hey, it looks like you already are. Thanks for the offering to help me with any questions I might have.

I genuinely feel blessed by all of the advice, knowledge, and encouragement I received through this thread. I’ll be honest, I was really feeling pretty alone in my struggle when I posted this a couple of days ago, but you and many others in this discussion have really given me a boost and a brighter outlook. Thank you, Lisa!

[michaelkilliany]

Don’t give up! your Gig looks very good!

Thank you, @best_buyer_88!

[ilovevoiceover]

@ilovevoiceover well if this ain’t the kick in the pants, I don’t know what is! lol

I’ll admit, I swallowed hard at 500 words for $5 but I’m willing to do it if it’ll prime the pump and get things going. Great advice and inspiring words. You could be a motivational speaker and/or writer…hey, it looks like you already are. Thanks for the offering to help me with any questions I might have.

I genuinely feel blessed by all of the advice, knowledge, and encouragement I received through this thread. I’ll be honest, I was really feeling pretty alone in my struggle when I posted this a couple of days ago, but you and many others in this discussion have really given me a boost and a brighter outlook. Thank you, Lisa!

@michaelkilliany Ask and you shall receive. You’ve already set your sales in motion. And I’m serious – drop me a line with any questions. You got this! ~Lisa

[rshinault]

I can relate I too went through a long period of not getting work. Then one-day I got my first one band then a second and a third. I have now do over 60 voice overs in a spam of a year. But I made some changes to my gig recently to make it more attractive. I have now only recieved one order in about a month or two. Not sure why myself. Went from getting two to five jobs a week to none. Still waiting it out.