By Bruce Edwin
Tell others that you want to work with, what you can and will do
for them that they want. In the book ‘How to Win Friends
and Influence People,’ by Dale Carnegie, which is a must
read, the author states that ‘the only way on Earth to
influence other people is to talk about what they want and show
them how to get it.’ If you intend to go to the top of your
field in the entertainment industry, you need to do this, and be
sure to follow through. If you are dealing with the rich, famous,
or powerful, chances are, they will already know how to get what
they want, and therefore, may not need you. Your challenge then
is to show them why you will be more qualified to more quickly
help them, with more gain and less hassle, rather than some one
else. Don’t ask any one you want to work with to do for you
what you can do for yourself. If for example, you need directions
to a meeting and you already have the address, don’t tie up
the office of the person you are seeing with trying to explain to
you how to get there. You can just as easily do it yourself
online or with a map. Instead of bothering some one you want to
work with, with something little, build up the relationship with
them and instead go after something big with them, that only they
can make happen for you.
Present yourself well physically. I recently did a meeting with
an actress, and she showed up to the office with bags under her
eyes, and admitted she had not gotten much sleep the night
before. Another talent that also showed up, looked fresh and well
rested, and she walked out with directions to an audition for a
commercial that the first talent could have had, if she had only
thought to take care of her physical appearance.
If you intend to be on stage, screen, or in print, it is your
duty to take the best care of your self and your appearance as
possible. If you show up looking like a horrible mess in this
business, you would be better off staying in bed and calling in
sick. Never walk out of your door without looking your best. Even
at the gym or on that errand out to pick up some food, you never
know who you may run in to that can help your career. Also, eat
healthy, stay in shape, and don't go under or over a healthy
weight.
Don’t be negative. I spoke with a quite talented singer
recently, and she rambled on about how horrible the market and
economy was, and how she was hardly getting any work. First of
all, if you are not getting work, do not volunteer to tell any
one. They will not want to represent some one that is failing to
land work. Secondly, if this person had bothered to do any
homework on me before calling me, which I had done on her, she
would have known that I do my best not to let the preaching of a
doom and gloom mentality, or any negativity affect me if I can
help it. If I did that, I would have curled up and gone away
along time ago.
Speak favorably, optimistically, and with a 'win at all cost'
attitude. No one will not want to work with you for being an
eternal optimist. But some will not want to work with you if you
are a pessimist, or a complainer. The media pumps enough lies,
failure mentality, and fear in to the world constantly. Look at
headlines from the 70’s, and you will see their same scare
tactics about job loss and a failing planet. Break your addiction
to bad news and pessimism, and believe against all odds, that no
matter what, if you want it, you can do it! It's funny to take a
break from the media, reading nothing but positive news,
energizing your self, and then go back to reading all the fear
and negativitely the media is obsessed with.
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The Hollywood Sentinel, © 2009.