Building Your Network
Resolution #4 in this installment of my New Year career planning series is: Build my network. Resolve that: “I will inject myself into the Hollywood culture and actively network and build relationships with other industry professionals.”
One of the most critical keys to unlocking and managing a successful career in the entertainment industry is networking. Networking should be integrated it into your life — it’s a lifestyle!
The goal in networking is to make initial contacts with people you would like to be in business with. Your initial contact should be about opening the door, not closing the sale. Introduce yourself, ask for their contact details and then follow up with afterwards.
When you meet someone in a social setting, make a very brief initial pitch, acknowledge that you don’t want to take up all their time, but would appreciate an opportunity to speak with them at a later date.
Your intial pitch is your 30-second elevator pitch. That’s all the time you usually get so use it wisely! Sometimes you don’t even get that much time. You actually only have 10 seconds to hook someone into a conversation, and if you are successful at that, an additional 20 seconds to actually deliver your elevator pitch.
You want to make the most of your 30-seconds so be prepared with your elevator pitch — who you are, what you’re selling, why do they need it, what problem does it solve and where can they get you. Being prepared with your 30-second elevator pitch also reduces the stress and takes the pressure off of you to “perform.” It’s your self-introduction and conversation starter. Follow up with a brief statement or question about their company or them.
You should know something about the people you are talking to. If you’re going to an event and know the names of the people you might have a chance to meet, then spend time researching the, their companies, their products/projects. You can Google them, or do an imdb search.
You should also have a list of questions in mind, and have an idea of what information you want to gather. Think about what you can do for them as opposed to what they can do for you. People are always attracted to solutions.
In building your network, you want to be sure to reach out to people from different disciplines — actors, writers, directors, producers, agents, etc. Your network should be as diverse as possible so cast a wide net. The broader you cast your net, the broader your catch will be.
Here are a few quick networking tips you can incorporate into your networking:
The key to successfully building your network is to get out there, get involved, meet people and be persistent. You can’t sit by the phone waiting for it to ring. You gotta be in it, to win it!
In the next and final installment in this career planning series I’ll be discussing getting the necessary support.
Until then, here’s to your success in 2009!
All the best,
Tanya Kersey
One of the most critical keys to unlocking and managing a successful career in the entertainment industry is networking. Networking should be integrated it into your life — it’s a lifestyle!
The goal in networking is to make initial contacts with people you would like to be in business with. Your initial contact should be about opening the door, not closing the sale. Introduce yourself, ask for their contact details and then follow up with afterwards.
When you meet someone in a social setting, make a very brief initial pitch, acknowledge that you don’t want to take up all their time, but would appreciate an opportunity to speak with them at a later date.
Your intial pitch is your 30-second elevator pitch. That’s all the time you usually get so use it wisely! Sometimes you don’t even get that much time. You actually only have 10 seconds to hook someone into a conversation, and if you are successful at that, an additional 20 seconds to actually deliver your elevator pitch.
You want to make the most of your 30-seconds so be prepared with your elevator pitch — who you are, what you’re selling, why do they need it, what problem does it solve and where can they get you. Being prepared with your 30-second elevator pitch also reduces the stress and takes the pressure off of you to “perform.” It’s your self-introduction and conversation starter. Follow up with a brief statement or question about their company or them.
You should know something about the people you are talking to. If you’re going to an event and know the names of the people you might have a chance to meet, then spend time researching the, their companies, their products/projects. You can Google them, or do an imdb search.
You should also have a list of questions in mind, and have an idea of what information you want to gather. Think about what you can do for them as opposed to what they can do for you. People are always attracted to solutions.
In building your network, you want to be sure to reach out to people from different disciplines — actors, writers, directors, producers, agents, etc. Your network should be as diverse as possible so cast a wide net. The broader you cast your net, the broader your catch will be.
Here are a few quick networking tips you can incorporate into your networking:
- Find out Who’s Doing What Where and When. Take the time to find out what’s going on, where people hang out and what restaurants they go to
- If someone asks you what you do, don’t give your title, give the benefits of what you do.
- Listen and ask questions.
- Reveal something interesting about yourself.
The key to successfully building your network is to get out there, get involved, meet people and be persistent. You can’t sit by the phone waiting for it to ring. You gotta be in it, to win it!
In the next and final installment in this career planning series I’ll be discussing getting the necessary support.
Until then, here’s to your success in 2009!
All the best,
Tanya Kersey
