Betsy Capes founded Capes Coaching, a New York-based career planning center for actors, artists and creative professionals, in April 2004 after six successful years casting and directing New York theatre.  Her mission is simple but ambitious: to create a new type of artist in the entertainment industry — the proactive, empowered and fulfilled creative professional.  With the creation of The Path Class, Betsy has helped over 1,000 actors, artists and creative professionals sustain successful careers in the entertainment industry.  For more information on Capes Coaching, visit www.capesco.com.

Hey Folks!

Lately, I’ve noticed that artists rarely use the words “Natural” and “Networking” in the same sentence.  Effective networking requires you to be comfortable with who you are and where you are with your career.  I’ve spent a lot of time this month thinking about how you can feel more comfortable with the “Natural Networker” inside of you.   Networking can feel risky, but compare your fear of that risk to the fear of failure in this industry… That’s a powerful motivator to develop the “courage muscle” that networking requires and, once you develop that muscle, it only gets stronger!

Ultimately, the choice isn’t between success and failure; we “fail” many times in our careers.  We then must ask ourselves, “How do I choose to fail?” If you risk nothing, you choose to die a slow death in this business. Failure gives us character!  And if you’ve done your homework, you bounce back.  Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler captured it best when he said at our Guest Artist Lecture Series years back, “You get to the place where it’s just downright sexy how you keep bouncing back.”

This holiday season, we are dedicated to providing you with some ideas for developing your networking “courage muscle” in a way that feels authentic, natural and downright sexy for you!

1)     PARTY SMART – Holiday parties are a great opportunity to celebrate the season – but not all parties are created equal – The Professional Party is very different from a house party that your friend may be throwing.  Choose to view professional commitments as opportunities – not to network like your career depends on it, but to make authentic connections with interesting new people.

Before committing to the party, make sure you’re clear on what the party is and what your intentions are for going.  For example, if it is a professional party, you may want to consider who might be there and have a sound bite prepared for that ever so popular question, “What have you been up to lately?”  Remember, it’s not about being perfect, but the more prepared you are for questions like that, the more likely you are to feel comfortable and more like yourself, and that will allow you to communicate from a genuine, authentic and natural place.

Need some help?  Here’s a quick way to create an effective sound bite:

• Make a list of all your recent activities, starting with what you feel is your “best” credit, regardless of its proximity to the latest activity — these items don’t have to just be about booking work, they can also be callbacks and meetings.

Be sure to pick one thing outside of your artistic career that you are involved in or excited about… something that reveals a truth about you.  This is not about you trying to impress anyone, but more about you sharing what are passionate about – a genuine interest.  People are attracted to passion. You could be talking about your pet rock, but if you are really passionate about it, it would sound interesting (well maybe not a pet rock, but you get the pointJ). Consider a favorite movie, a piece of art, a book – remember, you are not trying to impress anyone, just talk about something that excites you so others can get a glimpse of what makes you tick.

• Circle two or three activities from your list that feel the most natural to talk about (don’t be afraid to include some personal tidbits).
• Tell the little story of each item at its best (ie, without bragging, let the exciting details be present); feel at ease and confident in what you have to say.
• Practice!  Do a few role-playing sessions with friends to practice your new sound bite!

Here’s one more tip that could come in handy for holiday parties: I heard a great story from monologue and cold reading coach Karen Kohlhaas about a student of hers who would do a Google image search for industry people that she wanted to meet – that way, when she saw them at an industry party or show, she could reference them and introduce herself if the opportunity presented itself.  Now that’s what I call being prepared!

2)     BE GENEROUS — Networking with the Industry can be quite intimidating.  Remember that networking is about generosity—not what you can GET, but what you can GIVE.  And what better time to practice generosity and giving than the holiday season?  Simply write down what you bring to your interaction with people who are NOT necessarily Industry.  Identifying what you give when you interact with others allows you to bring your natural strengths to your industry networking.  This will enhance rapport and foster long term relationships.

I remember a few years ago, back when I was working in casting, I was chatting with one of the girls we called in and she asked how I was doing and I responded that I was great, I had just moved to Brooklyn and was so excited to get to know the area.  She then went on to tell me that she used to live in that area and, two weeks later, I received a thank you note for the audition with recommendations of places to eat where I lived.  It was a simple gesture, but it meant a lot to me at the time and you can bet that I remembered her in a positive light the next time she came and auditioned for me.

3)     BE PREPARED – One of the best things you can do for your career is to be prepared – you never know when an opportunity will present itself!  Most actors shy away from networking opportunities because they don’t feel prepared with their marketing materials.  This is an area of your career that is 100% in your control and therefore an opportunity for excellence! 

One of my favorite stories when it comes to being prepared was when I was working on casting a Cambodian opera (yep, you heard me right, a Cambodian opera).  We were having a lot of trouble finding a tenor who had the voice that met the demands of the role and yet had the look that part required.  I was walking down the street one evening after seeing a show and ran into an old friend of mine.  He happened to be with an Asian American actor who was the exact type that we were looking for.  I asked if he could sing and he said yes and then I asked him if he had his headshot/resume on him and he handed it to me.  I called him in for the audition the next day and the director loved him and offered him a different role in that show. It just goes to show that opportunities can come up anywhere in this business and it’s your responsibility to be ready for them.

So, this holiday season, consider approaching networking the same way you approach acting with your scene partner – it’s not just about you saying your lines, it’s about making a genuine connection with who you are talking to.  Networking is really no different.  When you are PREPARED and invested in making a genuine connection with whoever you are talking to (don’t forget to sprinkle in a little bit of GENEROSITY), before you know it, you will be naturally networking with the best of them!

Wishing you health, happiness and peace this holiday season,

Betsy and The Capes Coaching Team