Do you cut corners?
Are you giving all that you can to make a project remarkable?
The amount of heart and soul that you infuse into each job will determine whether or not someone becomes a repeat customer.
As 2015 spreads its wings, I invite you to take inventory of your work and pit it against the high standards that Walter Elias Disney set out for his staff.
Take a leaf out of Walt’s book and apply it here and now in today’s Vox Daily.
Going Above and Beyond
In this article
How do you measure customer satisfaction? Is it word-of mouth-referrals? Getting repeat work?
Regardless of the form it takes, there is certainly a lot that goes into getting to the place where you are in a position to earn a customer’s trust and business again. Alice Davis, a costume designer for Disney – and wife of the late Disney animator, Marc Davis – once asked Walt what her budget was. The answer she received was an eye-opener, and one that has professional implications within and beyond the entertainment industry:
“Remember this: When you’re working here, you give everybody more than they expect. You give them the best you can. If you do that, they’ll always come back. If you cheat them, you’ll never see them again.”
It’s a lesson that applies whether or not you’re working for Disney. Everyone – even the legendary Walt Disney – has a limit to the amount of money they invest in a given project. But money isn’t the only currency we have to invest when we apply our professionalism to a given project or initiative. Disney’s response to Alice Davis implies that the investment of an artist’s care, enthusiasm and excellence may be more graciously given, and our own future depends less on what we’ve been given to work with and more on how we choose to make the most of what we’ve got.
What About You?
With this in mind, do you give your very best? How do you know when you have done a great job?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
Stephanie
Related links:
Frozen DVD featurette “Frozen Dfrosted” interview with Alice Davis
Comments
Great article. I think many people forget that voice over is a service business. This is especially true when the job doesn’t go as smoothly as you expected. For example when you mispronounce a name or word and have to correct it, or the “vibe” is what the customer wanted and you need to re-record the spot to give them what they want. Or if there is a time crunch you need to respond too. I’ve done jobs at 1 AM to allow a European client to direct me. And I once spent 45 minutes doing multiple takes of four words of copy. When things get challenging it your opportunity to add “something extra” to your service. And this brings the clients back.
Stephanie,
Great article! Years ago I spent about a year and a half studying and reading everything I could find on Walt Disney. After that I went through their Executive Management Program and have been a big fan of “The Disney Approach.” In all my research I found one statement I believe is incredibly powerful when applied to almost anything we do. He once explained that it was not his goal to meet people’s expectations or even to exceed their expectations. It was his goal to exceed their imagination, to not only give them more than they expect, but more than they would even imagine.
Great advice, but the photo included is not Walt Disney. That’s his brother, Roy Disney.
Hi Rob,
Thank you for pointing that out. I appreciate it and am glad you enjoyed the article. Roy played an enormous role in the business, too.
Take care,
Stephanie