where she quoted Ivan Misner, June 2010
"It's not what you know or who you know- its how well you know them that really counts"
I decided to look more closely at how I am maintaining, nuturing and developing my professional network.Here are two of the things that I have built in. The first is an
'Industry Hangout',
I got together with another actress-friend of mine and we decided to gather together a fist full of our close friends who are in the entertainment industry..singers about to launch albums, fashion designers, magazine editors/ writers, choreographers, actors and presenters. Some people I knew better than others and others were close friends of hers. We thought it important to invite people who we could trust, the objective being to 'hangout' once a month-ish to encourage one another and extend our networks.Sounds like quite an eclectic mix of people, doesnt it? However the outcome was brilliant. Choreographers connecting with artists.. Editors arranging interviews for their magazine and I connected with a girl who has a friend who works for MTV and another girl who has a friend working for Sky Sports who are willing to pass on my showreel.
The second idea was to keep my own 'Contacts' book. Keeping a log of significant people I meet, the date i met them and their all important contact details. In the hope that this will help me develop and maintain new professional friendships!
Has anyone got any other practical ways to extend and nuture our professional networks?
As I have been trying to develop my professional network, I considered the importance of my previous music tutors. They are a fundamental link to many other people within the music industry. This then led to me thinking of one particular tutor and an ex student of theirs. As I am venturing towards a new career direction, I really wanted to be put in contact with this ex-student as he is now a tremendously successful Big Band singer, touring the world with many famous orchestras. I would have loved to 'pick his brains' and the ultimate outcome would be to sing with him and his orchestra.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to my old teacher, I didn't want to 'use' her in a sense as she has been good to me in the past by writing references to support various applications, one of which being the BAPP course. Instead, I decided to buy her and her husband tickets to see me sing at one of my gigs, where they enjoyed a lovely meal and entertainment for the night. I felt that it was important 'give before I get.'
Naturally, after I had performed, I joined their table and subtly revealed how I would love to sing with her old student. As it happens, my old teacher was going to watch him in concert a couple of days later and mentioned in a very positive way what I had said. She subsequently phoned me. He had said to email him and we could arrange something. I have since emailed him and he was amazing with the information he sent back... a really long, informative reply. We are yet to arrange a date to perform together, but I am sure it will happen. There is another contact formed.
I know it may seem extreme to pay such a lot of money to gain one contact, but for me, the situation was ideal and the prospects far outweigh the cost.
Thanks Joanna today I am going to make a 'Contacts book' in one of the unused address books from past christmas presents!
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your comment Alana I think it was nice way to get back in contact with somone who hads helped you in the past, it's nothing to do with buying them, like you said give before you get' which relatres back to Axelrods's theory "TIT for TAT".
I mentioned in one of my blogs that a friend of mine makes a note of everyone she meets professionally, where she met and what they talked about etc. Now you've mentioned it too I am really starting to think It is something I am going to start doing. So much is about being proactive and that's something you are clearly very good at. The 'industry hangout' is a case in point and sounds like so much fun too. I think it's great that it's an eclectic group of people because you never know what you might learn. A few people have mentioned that with all the networking that happens on the internet people forget about doing things face to face, but that it is here that we really make lasting impressions. I think it's great that you're taking things back to their roots.
ReplyDelete