You Must Remember This; A 'Thanks' is just a 'Thanks'...

 A SIIIIIGH is just a sigh...

(Isn't it *impossible* to stop singing that song?)

Let's talk THANK YOU CARDS! You're all sending them when appropriate, right? After being called in for someone, after a great workshop, after your rep. is particularly awesome, after finishing a project...etc.

Okay. So let's review the standard thank-you message: 

"Dear So-and-So,

Thanks so much for that great _____, it was so lovely to meet you. What an excellent actor workout! Would love to come in for you again--maybe next time for [insert project here]! Hope to hear from you soon.  

Love and Snuggles, YOUR NAME."

That's good, right? Nnnnnnnope. But not because of your way-too-intimate signoff. Here's why:

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY SAYING? Are you THANKING them, or are you begging them to call you back in again? See, you can't do both.

Imagine if you got a note from a friend: 

"Heyyyyy girl! So great to have coffee with you last week. It was so nice catching up with you, and you look amazing. [Hey, we're feeling good, right? We all want to be loved and appreciated, and Friendy-friend here is doing that. YAY! Warm fuzzies!]

By the way, when you mentioned your brother's a mechanic, I just realized I needed a quick oil change--any way that you can work something out with him for me? Thanxxxxxx LOL!"

Doesn't that last part just HURT YOUR FEELINGS? (I totally just hurt my own feelings by typing it.) 

See, now you don't know if your friend was just buttering you up for a favor, or if those were 2 legitimate thoughts combined.

Why wouldn't a director or CD feel the same way? You DON'T want to dilute what I KNOW is a legitimate, heartfelt expression of gratitude by asking for a favor at the end. You can always ask for favors, but keep it Kosher--don't mix the two. And just imagine the swell of happiness that YOU bring them by just sharing your feelings!

Let's re-write that Thank-You, shall we?

"Dear So-and-So,

Thanks so much for that great ______, it was so lovely to finally meet you. I've always heard that you were a generous/creative/awesome XYZ, and it was so true. I loved your thoughtful direction/specific feedback/funky scarf, and it really made me feel comfortable in the room. Thank you again for a truly wonderful _______!

 

Love & Snuggles, YOUR NAME."

WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY better, yes?! This is how ANYONE wants to be thanked. With no strings attached. That doesn't mean you can't ask for a favor--you can! We all do, and they're not BAD. You just want to make that a seperate outreach. :)

Aahhhhhhh. Doesn't it feel great to be off the hook, never having to worry about making tactful requests in a thank-you note again?

The fundamental things apply...as tiiiiimes gooooes by....!

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

The Importance of Consistency

Okay--as per the last few blogs, we a.) know what ships are, and b.) know that they work. 

Awesome! So how do YOU make magic happen?

Consistency.

Yeah, I'm not one for mysterious blog titles. I know we've ALL done the ginormous mass mailing to everyone who worked in our market EVER--hundred(s) of 8x10 headshots and resumes, hundreds of cover letters trying not to sound lame. Ugh, those are dark days, my friends. And you expend ALL that energy to reach out to ALL those people, and...nothing. You sure as heck aren't going to do a mass mailing like THAT again, especially if you hear nothing back!

So I defer to the zen mantra of career guru Dallas Travers: Do less, more often.

Why choose ALL the casting directors? Start with, like, 15. MAYBE 15. Your list will grow on its own--but for now? Start small, and keep your mailings manageable! That way it will be easy to hit the Rule of Seven.

("Oh, hey Jen, what's that?")

SOVERYGLADYOUASKED! The Rule of Seven is a huge marketing tool which, in a nutshell, says that any 'consumer' of your product needs to see/be exposed to you between seven and twelve times to remember you and 'absorb your message.'

That means *7-12* touches per 'consumer,' and THIS is why a number of ship styles is important, useful and interesting. One month you can send a headshot; the next month, a one-sheet; the following month, meet them at a workshop! (Yup, workshops sure are ships.)

You can make the most magical ships in the world with the best credits and swankiest headshots, but without consistency, you'll be dead in the water (ba DUM bum!).

For a SUPERBLY inspiring and in-depth look at Consistency, The Rule of Seven, & Doing Less More Often, here's a great PDF by Dallas Travers!

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

The Captain's Mindset

We all want the captain of our cruise ship or yacht or schooner to be in a good headspace, right? This ain't a booze cruise--we need a capitano who's clear-headed, confident and steering us in the right direction so we don't get lost out at sea. 

As the captain of your own ships (yo ho ho), ideally you, too, are sober, confident, and boldly moving in the direction of your dreams!

What do YOU need to do to get there?

All captains need a map--where are you headed? Are the people you're shipping to on that course, or are they in uncharted waters? Try to keep your ship-cipients IN YOUR LINE of travel. If you want to be in indie films, ship to the casting directors who consistently cast indie films! The same goes for the other mediums. Also, directors usually LOVE working with the same casting directors over and over again. Love Scorcese? Ellen Lewis is his casting director of choice. We're not the only people who like working with our friends. :)

All captains also sail with the DESTINATION in sight. They may enjoy the Bahamas as they pass through, but they know that Morocco is their endgame. When you make your ships, are you thinking of your endgame, or are you seeing yourself as a starving actor? Envision the pinnacle of your career--maybe it's hosting a talk show, or starring in action films, or having a successful sitcom--and create your ships with those thoughts and feelings fueling the work.

Not to mention, we ALL work better when we're feeling positive and confident. Captains included. Confidence in your path and your message and your voyage is EVERYTHING; only when you 'sell it' to yourself can you sell it to someone else. 

 Make sure you're comfortable--play your music of choice, get a good drink or a snack, sit down and create those ships. Feeling good and knowing your path EXCUDES confidence, and your ship-cipients will feel that as they open your treasures!

You're all set, Captain--set sail!

Ahoy, Mateys!

Jen

But How Do You Know Ships WORK, Jen?

An EXCELLENT  question!

Rarely are we given the opportunity to measure just one factor of our marketing and its impact on our success--usually, we just see the sum of all parts, and hopefully all those parts are moving us along nicely.

For instance: Here in New York, I'm a working, represented actor. My manager submits me on breakdowns, I have auditions with casting directors, I meet them at workshops, AND I mail to them. Their familiarity with me (and my success with them) is a lovely stew of all those crucial ingredients. 

However, one region that can be used as a 'control' (I'm gonna geek out a bit, here) is Los Angeles.

1.) I have never been to Los Angeles.
2.) My manager is not bicoastal, and does not have the ability to submit to LA breakdowns.
3.) LA Casting Directors have never met me before.
4.) However, I DO mail to a select group of LA CDs. Consistently.

So, how do I know that ships alone can work? Because, dear friends, I have been called in by *2* LA offices for projects for which I couldn't have been submitted; they contacted my manager directly asking for me to come in.

There is only one explanation--from getting my consistent, on-brand, authentic ships, these offices now KNOW me and my type. So much so that *I* popped up in *THEIR* heads as they were poring over their breakdowns, and they Googled me and contacted my rep!

So, guys, your mailings are important. Probably a bigger piece of the puzzle than you'd thought, huh? ;) Throw away your self-sabotaging thoughts of 'oh, these never get opened anyway, who will read them?' Because SOMEONE is. Promise. :) 

Ahoy Mateys!
Jen 

Why are they Called 'Ships'?

Here's the scoop directly from career guru Dallas Travers herself (and it's originally by Chellie Campbell): 

'In the nineteenth century, the merchants in London built grand, tall-masted sailing ships. It would take many months, sometimes years, to build them. Then they would hire a crew, outfit the ship, and store provisions for the long sea voyage. One fine day, the ship would weigh anchor, hoist its sails, and sail out of London harbor, on its way to visit foreign ports, and trade for gold, spices, silks and jewels. The trip would take many months--often years--with no communication lines open to speak with people back home.

Once the ship had sailed, the merchant could do nothing more; only wait for that future day when the ship would return, sailing into London harbor laden with treasure. On that day, the merchant's fortune was made. And that's where the expression, "Waiting for my ship to come in," comes from.

Some people are going down to the dock, waiting for their ship to come in but they haven't sent any out! If you want the fortune, your responsibility each day is to send out some ships. And you had better send out more than one, because stuff happens to ships. One runs aground just outside of the harbor while another sinks in a hurricane. Pirates commandeer a few, the whirlpool gets one, and on the next one, there's a mutiny. Then, of course, there's the one that hits the iceberg.

Once you send the ship out, it's out of your control. You are only in charge of sending it out, not when it comes in.

When you get into the habit of sending ships out on a daily basis, even if you know some ships aren't going to make it back home, you are still confident and optimistic because you know you've got a whole fleet sailing out there.

Send those ships out everyday. Then prepare to unload your treasures.'

Ahoy Mateys!

Jen