I hate the word networking. I associate it with business card collecting, selfish pitching and surface level conversations.
But I am 100% for building RELATIONSHIPS. With the industry being so competitive, we have to generate opportunities for ourselves and not just rely on our representation. We have to”shrink the industry”as Brian Medovoy ( Talent Manager) puts it.
People hire people they KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST ALL THE TIME!
So how to connect with people you want to work with, who can help elevate your career and how to get on their short list?
Successful relationships have to be mutually BENEFICIAL.
There needs to a STRATEGY to make it work.
Here are 4 main components for a successful working relationship:
#1 TYPE AND BRAND CLARITY
You are the CEO of your business as an actor. You have to know WHAT YOU ARE SELLING.Your VALUE.Your SPECIFICITY. How you FIT IN. What’s UNIQUE about you. How do you expect your buyers ( casting directors, producers, directors) to be interested in your product (you) if you don’t know what you are selling and what you bring to the table.Would you invest in something without knowing what the service/product is about and the benefit of investing in it?
Get ULTRA clear on your TYPE and BRAND. Age range, physicality, voice, personality traits (vibe), job titles, economical status, celebrity hybrid, target tv shows .etc. Make sure to reflect it through all your marketing tools and social media profiles. Have brand consistency.
#2 KNOW YOUR PITCH
Whats the point of knowing your value and your product but not able to explain it, sell it and present it to the right people. Now that you are clear and specific with your type. Put together a strong, conscience, to the point PITCH that truly represents and SELLS you and your strengths. In just a few words you should be a able to summarize your body of work, primary types, strengths, personality traits & referrals.
#3 TARGET LIST CREATION
Next step is putting together a TARGET list of people that you can HELP. You want to be a solution to their casting problem. Do they primarily cast cop shows and that’s your primary type, so this could be a mutually beneficial relationship? Do they cast a lot of foreign speaking characters on their shows and you happen to speak multiple languages and that’s your primary strength? Put together a list of shows you are PERFECT FOR, find out who is casting, directing, producing and start to create a target list of contacts you want to build relationships with. Specificity is key to everything.
#4 GENUINE OUTREACH
Now it’s time to execute! You know your specific value, you know who is seeking your specific value and it’s time to connect and make an offer. Join your target contacts on social media, follow and attend their events, reach out to them directly, have you representation pitch to them. It takes time, perseverance and it’s probably not going to happen overnight, but your chances are going to be so much higher than other actors who just blindly submit and don’t even know how they fit in or how they can help.
Take control over your career! No one will work harder for it than YOU!