Recently, I took a sales job. I can't release Self Harm until October due to festival obligations and I thought a little extra income might be a nice way to get rid of some credit card debt.
But surprisingly, I found a lesson.
I was listening to Jeb Blount's FANATICAL PROSPECTING and I realized that not only is the sales formula something that all working artist's must do; It is something I used to do instinctively, but recently had forgotten.
If you are an actor, you are selling your services.
The Gatekeeper is the Casting Director, The Decision Maker is the Producer or Director, and your sales pitch is your audition. "Not only will I meet your needs, but I will be easy to work with, and respond well to your customers (audience) whenever I interact with them.
Now in Blount's book he talks about sales people who get so caught up in presentations and minutiae that they stop trying to find new clients. They then hit a slump and don't realize that it was created by their negligence before.
As an actor, my career always has come in waves. "Feast of Famine" as they say. And while there is a cyclical nature to everything, I'm beginning to wonder if some of that famine might have come from me failing to apply for new projects because I was all consumed with the one's I was already working on.
And this probably applies in other ways and to other art forms: Post cards, follow up emails or calls, thank you's, connecting with interviewers, blogs, and fan sites. As artists we focus so much on creating a great product, that we often completely neglect getting people to see it.
So, I'm going to experiment. I'm going to try constantly prospecting, even when I'm engaged with work (so long as it doesn't interfere); and see if those times of drought get shorter.
Thanks for reading my midnight ramblings, and as always:
Thank you for making art.
E
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