THE PERSONAL PITCH—LEARNING HOW TO SELL YOURSELF

If you’re going to be in this business, you’ll have to learn how to sell (“pitch”) yourself. When you meet someone at an industry-event or at an interview, and that person looks you in the eyes and says, “Tell me about yourself,” you need to be prepared. Just like you have to know what you’re going to say when calling to set-up a meeting with an industry professional, and you get a busy receptionist or assistant on the phone who has little patience for someone on the other end of the phone who can’t quite get the words out to explain who she is and why she’s calling. Once you figure out how to pitch/introduce yourself, and get some practice in—it’ll eventually become much easier. An effective personal pitch is just as valuable as a great pitch created to sell a project and has to be done with just as much passion and conviction. Knowing how to successfully pitch yourself will be one of those indispensible tools you’ll carry around with you throughout your entire career.

Suzanne Lyons is a producer, author, keynote/guest speaker and educator. She also co-founded Flash Forward Institute, a wonderful organization that for many years helped people jumpstart their careers. When she lectures, she tells her audience they have to think of themselves as the CEOs of their own companies—the premise being that the product your company is selling is you, and if you’re not successful at selling your product and aren’t out there giving it all you’ve got, your product won’t sell and your company won’t survive. So the trick is to learn how to best sell your most prized product— yourself.

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from Suzanne is how to develop a personal pitch, and it all starts by you having to figure out exactly who you are, what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, what makes you unique and what your goals are. Whether it’s at a job interview or general information meeting; whether you’re trying to set up a meeting or are interacting with people at a networking function, seminar or social event, you’ll find numerous occasions to sell yourself. Sometimes you’ll get 30 seconds to pitch, sometimes a minute or two; so it’s good to have a couple of different versions. Regardless of the length—let me jump back to the being-the-CEO-of-your-own-company metaphor—because it’s certain that the better your pitch, the more successful you’ll be at selling your product.

It’s not uncommon for students and newcomers to the industry to tell me they have nothing to say about themselves, because they haven’t yet had any work experience. If that’s what you think about yourself—you’re so wrong! You may not have had any professional work experience yet, but you may have had part-time jobs while going to school (and have interacted with the public), you may have traveled extensively, been on sports teams, made your own film(s), won awards, speak more than one language, have an interesting hobby and abilities you probably haven’t even considered. So while you may not have already landed your first industry job, you undoubtedly already know if you’re organized or not, able to get along well with others, have terrific computer skills and function well as part of a team.

You can start developing your personal pitch by defining who you are. What are your strengths and abilities? What are your accomplishments? What are your goals? What makes you interesting? What are you passionate about? What makes you special? Who are you as a person: do you have a terrific personality, a great sense of humor, a willingness to go the distance, a strong work ethic? What is it about your past experiences that can attest to the fact that you’re creative, clever, a fast-thinker, a team player, a problem-solver, a risk taker? The trick is to be able to capture your essence— who you are and what you’re about in a very concise manner. Once you’ve developed your pitch and start using it, it’ll become more natural and get easier to recite.

If this will help, use the following exercise to start defining yourself:

#1. List your three top goals.

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#2. List three unique things about yourself that most other people don’t know.

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#3. List three of your biggest accomplishments (personal or professional).

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#4. List three special skills—things you’re good at (i.e., organization, problem-solving, other languages, getting along with difficult people, leadership, team building).

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#5. List three things that excite you and make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

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#6. List three hobbies or interests.

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#7. List three of your strongest qualities (i.e., patience, creativity, sense of humor).

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Now pull strands of your answers to build a pitch for yourself. You can have different versions, depending on who you’re pitching to, the circumstances (is this for a job interview or are you talking to someone you met at a seminar or networking event) and how much time you have to talk. You don’t have to use all of the information on the worksheet in each version. Create different pitches for different occasions.

The key to a good personal pitch is being memorable. I know if I’m interviewing 10 or 12 people for a job, after a while, they all tend to blend together in my mind unless one or two have said something that stays with me. Oh, right . . . he’s the one who gave up a football scholarship to study film. She’s the one who passed two bar exams in one day, so now she can work as an attorney or a bartender. He’s the French chef who’s going for a second career. She’s the one who lived and worked in China for five years. You want to be the person who (fill in the blank).

A former student of mine named Chris is a skydiver. When he was developing his pitch, I suggested that he add something like, “I’ve heard how tough this business can be, but it doesn’t scare me. I jump out of airplanes for fun.” Make your pitch memorable, so you’re memorable.

If you’re interviewing for a specific job, you’ll want to present specific experience and skills you have to offer that you know this employer will be looking for. But for people new to the industry who don’t have much on their resumes yet, they’re going to want to know what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, what your goals are . . . and they’ll remember you if you tell them something interesting about yourself—something memorable.

Here are some examples of personal pitches:

The examples are all a little different, but as you can see, they all convey something interesting and unique about each of these fictitious individuals as well as their skills, accomplishments, passions and goals. And hopefully you’ll find something memorable about each of them.

I like to suggest that you create a 30-second pitch, a one-minute pitch and a two-minute pitch for yourself. And practice reading your pitches to friends, to classmates, to the mirror, to your dog. Just keep practicing until you don’t need to read the pitch anymore—it just becomes conversational and you start feeling comfortable talking about yourself.

YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

Now let’s take the analogy about you being the CEO of your own company a step further, and imagine that your duties have just increased. You’re now also the Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Manager of your company. And as such—you need a slogan or tag line for your product—a brand.

Personal branding is another way to sell yourself and to convey what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, what your goals are and what you have to offer. Think of it as a shorter version of your pitch.

Your personal brand is who you are and what you want to be known for. It’s how you want other people to see you, what you want to be known for— it’s your tag line. It’s what differentiates you.

Jessica Spinks of JosephineJane, boutique career and brand strategists and the creators of Career Cardio (careercardio.com) tells her clients that the most important part of building your brand is consistency. The way you brand yourself must remain consistent online, in person and on paper. The elements that comprise your personal pitch should be the same elements you use to represent yourself in online profiles, on your professional blog, on your business card and on your resume and bio. Jessica suggests that your brand be professional but not stuffy. She has her clients write 150-word bios of themselves that encompass what they’re currently doing, what they’ve done in the past and what their goals are for the future—ultimately defining what they’re pursuing in one sentence. She urges them to add their LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram handles to their resume and business card and to use their 150-word bios as their LinkedIn summary statements. She suggests that they stay active on their social media accounts—regularly scheduling posts, that they be contactable in less than one minute, create professional websites to profile their portfolios and maintain active blogs.

These days personal branding statements should be included on your resume, on your personal portal (website and weblog), on your LinkedIn summary statement and on any other social media sites you’re on. If your profile/brand isn’t unique, it won’t stand out. When potential employers cyber-vet you (and they will), you want them to see who you are and what you have to offer. You want to be memorable.

Emily Grace, an actor who teaches other actors how to market themselves, has a terrific branding statement. It’s: “Think like a producer, act for a living.” Career coach, Vivian VanLier also has a short, concise, effective branding statement: “Clarity . . . Confidence . . . Empowerment.” They both convey exactly what these women have to offer their clients.

The organization I started in 2000—Film Industry Network (FIN for short), had for its logo an analogous shark fin with sprocket holes running down the sides of the fin, and a branding slogan that read: “Learn to swim with the sharks . . . but not as bait.”

Then there are the business cards my friend Robbie made for me about six years ago. Since one card couldn’t convey all my qualifications as a production professional, instructor and author—in a great font, the card simply reads: “All About Eve” and under that was my web address. At the time, using the title of the 1950 Bette Davis classic movie couldn’t have been a more perfect brand for me.

In experimenting with some more substantial personal branding statements for myself, I realized they weren’t going to be quite as concise, but nor do they all have to be.

There are various ways to create your personal brand as well as an array of consultants, career coaches and services that will create one for you. One way that had been suggested to me is as simple as completing this sentence: I am a [fill in the blank] who [fill in the blank]. Using this model, here are two I created for myself:

1. I am a long-time film industry professional, author and teacher who is passionate about motivating others to break into the business and grow their careers.

2. I am the Deputy Director of the California Film Commission and get to use my many years of film production experience and love of the industry to solve problems for filmmakers, promote filming in California and assist a network of over 50 film commissioners from across the state.

Not bad, but not terribly exciting either, so I decided to try an exercise Vivian VanLier suggested. She suggests contacting a group of friends, family members and co-workers (people who know you fairly well)—at least six people, and ask them to send you six adjectives that describe you. When you receive the same adjectives from several different people, you’ll know how you’re perceived—what you’re known for. You can build upon that or change the message in order to manage the perception.

I asked more than six people, and these are the adjectives I received multiple times: hardworking, collaborative, generous, thoughtful, organized, dedicated, personable, effective, determined, passionate, motivating, knowledgeable. Another adjective I received was “modest,” and being so, this exercise made me a little uncomfortable, but I can’t say I wasn’t pleased with the results. What do you think of my two new examples? Do you get a better sense of my brand?

1. I am a hardworking, knowledgeable and personable film industry professional known for my keen organizational skills, efficiency and collaborative work style.

2. I am passionate about motivating others to break into the film industry, proud to be known as a thoughtful and generous educator and mentor, determined to help my students start and build their careers and dedicated to their success.

You may not be able to use all the adjectives you’d like or to list all of your accomplishments in one statement, so choose the words that will best define your brand.

Side note about Vivian: I met her years ago when I was looking for an expert in resume-writing to appear on a Film Industry Network panel. I found Viv online listed as The Resume Goddess. Talk about branding! I called her, we spoke, and she gladly participated in the panel. As time went on, we got to know each other, and I spoke at one of her career events. She gave me some good advice for this book (the last edition as well as the new one), and she’s still skilfully helping people navigate their careers. If you’re looking for a terrific career coach, Vivian can be found at: careerempowermentcoach.com.

CREATING A COMPANY NAME

Many industry professionals create their own corporations and LLCs (limited liability companies) for various business purposes, but some merely create a company name and logo for themselves in order to further their brand. For that you’re going to need a DBA (allowing you to “do business as”).

If this is something you’d like to pursue, think of a company name you’d like to use, and see if it’s available by going to your search engine and typing in “Fictitious Business Name Search” and “County Clerk” in the county and state where you live. Once you get to the right page, you’ll be guided through the process of filing for a DBA. Beware, when you do the search, you’ll notice services that will do the filing for you. You can use them, but they’re more expensive, and the process is fairly simple to do yourself.

Once the DBA has been finalized, the next step in the branding process is to have a logo designed for your new company. There are a few ways to accomplish this. If you have a friend or relative who’s a graphic designer, you can ask him/her to design it for you. You can also go online and search for “logo design.” You’ll see a plethora of companies that offer original logo designs for a reasonable price. There’s also software available that will guide you through creating your own custom logo.

Next, you’ll want to get an email domain name. While you probably already have an email address, having your own domain creates a more professional impression. There are a zillion places to research and register domains online. The pricing options vary, as do the services each provides, so check around on the Internet before choosing one. Either way, you’ll want a domain that has your business name in it. With most of the registration services, when you type in your name, if it’s not available, they’ll offer you other options. For example, say the name of your company is XYZ Productions. If XYZProductions.com isn’t available, possibly XYZProductions.net or XYZProductions.tv might be or even XYZProd.com—you get the idea.

The best way to go about this is to have one company both register and host the name. Registering a domain is sort of like buying a mobile home. You can buy it from a dealer, but they won’t let you live there. Hosting is more like the place where you get to park your home. So once you register your domain, you now have an email address that includes the name of your company. Say your name is Luke and your company is (still) XYZ Productions—your email address would then be [email protected]. Owning your domain also means you have a website address, and using this same example, your website address would be www.xyzproductions.com. Whether or not you use it, it’s registered, and no one else can take it. If you want a website but aren’t a web designer, there’s a myriad of resources for easy online designs. For instance, wix.com offers an easy web set-up service that walks you through the process.

Coming up with a clever name and logo can be challenging to say the least, but once you do, you’ve got one more tool to use to help other people remember who you are. The ultimate goal here is to create a memorable name or image that will cause someone you’ve previously met to be able to say, “Oh yeah, you’re the guy who . . .” It’ll also allow you to be able to say, “Hi. I’m the guy who . . .”

HAVING AN ONLINE PRESENCE

If you’re in today’s job market, there’s no doubt that you should have an online presence, if you don’t already. If done right, it’s a great sales tool— a perfect forum for your resume and bio, your demo reel, your photographs, your blog, your movie reviews—whatever it is you want people to know about you. The Internet is a perfect vehicle in which to brand yourself, define who you are, build a following, make connections and develop an image of yourself that you want the world to see.

I had a student a few years ago who wanted to be a talent manager. She watched almost every new movie that came out as well as TV pilots and at least one or two episodes of every new TV and online series. She was also well-versed in classic films and TV shows. She wrote a weekly blog that not only expressed her in-depth and thought-provoking views of the shows and the talent in them, but also brilliantly showcased her keen knowledge and love of the business. All any potential employer had to do was read a few of her blog posts to know what he’d be getting. On the other end of the spectrum, I had another student who wanted to become a movie reviewer, but she had never written one single movie review that lived on the Internet. Which one of the two do you think was more successful?

Before you even think about using the Internet to your advantage, I’d like to offer a word or two of warning, and that is: make sure the impressions of you that live on the Internet are positive ones, because chances are, potential employers will be checking you out. Google yourself, and realistically see how you present yourself to the world. Once you’re in the job market, you want to present yourself as professional (even if you’re just in the market for a PA or mailroom job).

Social media is the place where lapses in judgment, juvenile behavior, bad taste and off-color or insensitive comments are magnified when viewed by prospective employers. So if you have older Facebook posts (possibly from your wild and crazy college days) that illustrate images of you partaking in what could be construed as inappropriate or over-the-top behavior— remove them from your timeline (if not from your page all together).

If you don’t know how to remove a Facebook post, go to: facebook.com/help/252986458110193. The same holds true for blog posts containing topics or words others might find offensive and anything else that might be considered overly controversial. To remove old tweets from your Twitter feed, go to: support.twitter.com/articles/18906. There’s also tweetdelete.net and tweetdeleter.com. There’s also a tool you can use to monitor and clean up your online social presence called Social Sweepster (socialsweepster.com).

Take note that while the online tools and apps I’ve just suggested may be here today, they may just as easily be gone tomorrow. So if and when you’re ready to clean-up your online image, be sure to do your own research to locate the latest and most effective resources.

Besides having appropriate social media posts, where should your background, skills, demo reel, thoughts, photos, movie reviews live online?

•Have an online portal (such as Tumblr, which encompasses a website and “weblog”). This is a great way to showcase your brand as well as your work (directing, writing, acting, cinematography, etc.), list any awards or competitions you’ve won, reviews of your work, articles you’ve written, etc. A personal portal is like the center of a wheel (where social media profiles are the spokes). And there are free tools such as aboutme.com that allow you to create a quick portal where you can consolidate your branding statement, all of your social media feeds and basic bio info on a single page.

    The better your site looks, the more content it contains, the more it reflects you and your abilities—the more it’ll become an invaluable way for others to get to know who you are and what you have to offer. If you’re just starting out and have little to post, create a site that looks amazing and post your branding statement, a resume and bio. Add useful information, links to helpful industry sites, any interesting content you’d care to share. The weblog portion of your portal can be used to showcase your writing skills, reviews, comments on show biz happenings and opinions. I took a social media class a few years ago, and the biggest message I walked away with is that having a blog is the best way for potential employers and/or clients to find and to get to know you. And having your own portal is one of the best ways you can invest in your career and your brand.

    Where can you make new connections, look for jobs, create a following? Chances are you know a lot more about social media than I do (almost everyone does), but let me just point out a few things about the ways it can help your career.

•Anyone entering the job market today should be on LinkedIn. You should have an effective profile, and your branding statement should be incorporated into your summary statement. Make sure to add a photo of yourself—one where you’re dressed nicely and have a smile on your face. You should join groups, participate in discussions taking place within these groups, share information, make new connections, congratulate people on their new jobs and promotions, search for jobs (posted under the “Jobs” tab). In addition to looking at the jobs that are posted, you can let your LinkedIn connections know when you’re looking for a job and also connect with recruiters and hiring managers. Spend time on LinkedIn every day building and strengthening your online network.

•Twitter is also a great place to connect, to build a following, to let people know who you are, what you’re good at, what you’re thinking about and to find jobs. You can follow target companies, retweet their posts and follow recruiters.

I’d like to give you an example of how beneficial having a Twitter account can be. This is something that happened recently to a young co-worker who’s been helping out at the film commission on a temporary basis while at the same time looking for a job that will take her closer to her goal of becoming a writer’s assistant. Gillian started following the showrunners and writers of shows she liked, and one day while on a break, she just happened to be on Twitter when one of the writers posted that the first person who responded to his tweet would be invited to a table read. Gillian responded immediately, got to attend the table read, was invited back several times, has used being there to make a few connections and will soon be having a general information meeting with the head writer. What a great way to connect with the people you want to meet. Had Gillian called this writer’s office, he may not have even taken her call. But this way, there was already a connection. Twitter is useful for following industry professionals, for catching tweets about job openings, new projects, new opportunities and more.

Erik Deutsch is the head of ExcelPR Group, teaches a UCLA extension class on social media (that focuses on social media best practices for communications pros) and is a past president of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)—L.A. He explains that you can forge a relationship with someone you want to meet in ways you never could have imagined before. He gets excited as he explains how powerful this form of networking can be. One of Erik’s suggestions is to re-post tweets, Facebook or LinkedIn messages being posted by the people you’re following—people you’d like to connect with. By helping them promote their messages and stories, they become familiar with who you are, making it much easier for you to eventually connect with them. He adds that it’s important to understand that social media enables you to get on someone’s radar and to build some familiarity before it’s time for you to hit that person up with a request. Also, it’s vital to exercise restraint and to be genuine. Building a relationship via social media takes time. Another good tip from Erik is a cocktail party analogy he uses to describe social media etiquette. He says when forging new online connections, no one wants to hang with someone (online or off) who only talks about themselves. Besides LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, you might consider establishing a presence on Pinterest and Instagram. Check them all out, see what they have to offer and if any of them are a good fit.

If you’re a director or actor, comedian/comedienne, cinematographer, production designer/art director, editor, costume designer, makeup artist— samples of your visual art should live online—whether it’s on YouTube, Vimeo or another video-sharing platform (with the code embedded on your portal/site). And once your work is posted online, you’ll need to post links throughout social mediadom—drawing people to your art. Also get others to review and “like” your work in order to build a following.

I recently became aware that for actors just starting out—if they don’t have enough followers on Instagram, some agents won’t consider representing them. They have to already have an audience. A writer-friend mentioned that some literary agents want potential clients to have sizable numbers of blog and Twitter followers before they’ll be considered. And a social media expert-friend mentioned that people who work in his field should have 30,000 followers before applying for editorial positions. My friend Robbie Szelei who teaches a social media class in New York claims that social media empowers people to be stars in their own little bubble, and I’ve come to believe that.

BUSINESS CARDS

Whether you have your own company name and/or have a registered domain name—or not, you should definitely have business cards—even if you’re just starting out in the biz. You don’t need a job or a title, but you do need a card to be able to exchange contact information with the people you’re going to be meeting. And if you can add a bit of creativity to your business card, it’ll be another opportunity for you to make a memorable impression. It’s like the card I mentioned (above) that Robbie made for me that merely read “All About Eve” and included my web address.

Even if you don’t have a company logo, you can still create a logo for your business card, as an imaginative logo will make your card more distinctive. It’s also something you could use on stationery and note cards (if you use stationery and note cards).

Becoming more popular are business cards that include branding slogans, two-sided cards and cards with photos on them (which are not just for actors anymore). Sales reps and media types often brandish their photos on their business cards. I’ve received cards with photo montages from still photographers, celebrity photographers and makeup artists; cards with images of sets created by art directors. My friend Stephen is a UPM and line producer, and he created a killer card for himself. The front of the card is a picture of him sitting in a director’s chair, on the phone, surrounded by equipment. It appears to be a candid shot someone took on the set one day; and it’s just a shot of him at work, but it’s so him.

I’ve received cards with colorful graphic designs from animators and one with an image of an old typewriter from a writer. Becoming more common are odd-shaped cards, and while definitely distinctive, they’re more difficult to scan. Our California Film Commission cards have a small cut-out on the side, so the shape is like that of a movie ticket, but they’re traditionally sized.

Here are some business card dos and don’ts:

•As for the information to put on your card, it could be as simple as your name, cell phone number, email address and social media handles. If you’re just starting out and don’t have a title (or don’t want to use a title)—a title isn’t essential. People just need to know where to find you and possibly, some information about you. If you have a logo and/or branding statement, by all means, use what you’ve got. The more distinctive, the better. And if appropriate, list any web address where your work, your opinions and/or profile can be found (your personal website, blog, YouTube/Vimeo videos, Twitter handle, etc.).

•Personal mailing addresses are not necessary, unless people are mailing materials to you (scripts, proposals, etc.). In that case, you might want to consider renting a mail box instead of giving out your home address.

•Two-sided cards are growing in popularity. There’s usually a photo on one side and name and contact info on the other side. If you create a two-sided card for yourself, leave enough blank space on one of the sides for someone to write a short note. The people you hand it to might want to write when and where they met you, possibly jot something down about what you have in common or how they want to follow-up with you.

•Also keep in mind that if the color of the card is too dark, it’ll be difficult for anyone to add a hand-written note to it.

•An interesting design is going to be more memorable than a plain card. If you don’t have a design of your own, here’s a company that produces business cards with filmmaking motifs: zazzle.com/filmmaker+business cards. There’s also some amazing clip art and stock images out there— much of it available at no cost.

Moo.com is another good source for cards: moo.com/us. Also check out Vista Print at: vistaprint.com. Both companies can also print up stationery, envelopes and postcards. They have predesigned cards, or you can upload your logo. You can also go to your local print shop, as most specialize in letterhead, envelopes and business cards. I don’t suggest using the business card sheets you run through your inkjet printer. You may have this great logo, but homemade business cards just don’t look as professional (although when in a pinch, they’re better than nothing).

Now excuse me while I climb upon my soapbox and explain my biggest pet peeve when it comes to business cards. It’s the use of tiny fonts. Please, please, please do not use text with a tiny font. It may be the latest style, and you may think it looks cool—but unless you’re young and/or happen to possess 20/20 eyesight, the rest of us will have trouble reading your cards. It’s a fact that people over 40 lose their near vision, and for others like me, who have never had perfect vision—reading text with small fonts is a problem. If I’m not inclined to pull out a magnifying glass, I’d just as soon toss a business card into the recycle bin than to struggle trying to read it. And that is something you don’t want to take the chance of happening with a potential new connection or would-be employer. I’ve come across young graphic designers who don’t take this into consideration when designing a logo and business card for a client. Don’t make the same mistake. And remember—not everyone has young, perfect eyesight—so use at least a nine-point font for contact information, with your name in a larger font.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON SELLING YOURSELF

There are so many more ways to sell yourself, stand out among the crowd and be memorable than ever before. You need to keep these tools in your arsenal while establishing and building your career, and after a while, they’ll become second nature. I’ve known too many people who didn’t feel it was necessary to market themselves or just didn’t put in the effort, and it either slowed down their momentum or, in some instances, totally diminished their potential. Don’t let that happen to you!