The Actor's Success
the online eZine for Actors
who want thriving careers
from Robin Jones
Volume I, issue 4
November 2004
The bad news is that you, the professional actor, are a
business owner and the product you must sell is you. I say
this is bad news because most actors I know shudder at the
thought of selling something. "Can't I just work on my
craft and leave the selling up to my agent?" I hear that a
lot.
The answer is "no," not if you want to have a successful
career. Don't believe me? John Lloyd Young is an actor in
NYC, working with such folks as Chazz Palminteri, Aaron
Posner, and Chaim Potok, and appearing on Law & Order.
Young says, "...it is your absolute obligation as a business
person selling a product to make it as easy as possible for
someone to learn about that product. You can't complain that
you're not getting opportunities if you're not making
yourself as available as possible."
Most people hate "selling" because they feel they're
manipulating someone into buying something they don't want
or need. They're pushing a product they don't believe in.
That's not selling. That's coercion.
It's also a lousy way to treat yourself; you should never
ask yourself to compromise your integrity, so knock that off
right now.
The good news is that selling your product can actually be
thrilling and deeply affirming - when you believe in your
product.
It's something I've learned as a director, acting teacher,
and again as a actor's career coach. Helping people create
their own success is the most deeply fulfilling work I've
ever done.
I believe deep in my heart that people need what I have to
offer. Knowing that, it's actually a joy to market myself
and my business. I'm doing it right now, as I write this,
knowing that many people are going to get benefit from what
I write.
So, do you believe in yourself?
I'm not talking about self-esteem, but rather a magnificence
in the soul of your being. I know you have it, because I've
never met a person that doesn't.
I'm not talking about new age spirituality. I'm talking
about Dustin Hoffman's ability to make you love him in an
instant. Or Anthony Hopkins' ability to horrify you as
Hannibal Lecter. Or Vanessa Redgrave's ability to bring
tears to your eyes with only a smile.
Your magnificence is what drives you to get on the stage and
in front of the camera. Those are the places where you are
asked, in fact required to release that magnificence.
Casting directors, actors who act opposite you, and
especially audiences will stand for nothing less.
Try playing Hamlet or Blanche Dubois without exploring your
own insanity. Try playing Romeo or Juliet without allowing
your own deep desire for first love to take you over. Try
playing Willy Loman without knowing your own ability to make
incredible sacrifice in the face of despair.
These are the things that make us human - the things that
reveal our magnificence. They already exist in you, roaring
like a fierce lion to get out.
If you are not prepared to allow that magnificence to shine,
I recommend that you get out of this business until you are.
I know a marketing expert who urges people to "sell the
sizzle, not the steak." Ford doesn't sell a convertible as
a way to get from point A to point B, they sell the freedom,
excitement, and fun.
When you audition, stop trying to convince those mean people
on the other side of the table of your talent, experience,
or your look. Instead, reach deep inside and make a
conscious choice to unleash your magnificence.
Your magnificence is what defines you as a person. To use a
sales term, it's your brand. It's what you're known for,
and the aim is to spread your brand around enough that
casting directors, agents, and everyone else in the industry
sees you as the right person to fill their needs.
And one secret to John Lloyd Young's success? He allows his
magnificence to shine all the time, not just in the 2 1/2
minutes he gets in front of a casting director. He not only
believes in himself, but he knows what he has to offer--his
product--is exactly what the people around him need all the
time.
He says, "I want to lessen the possibility that I won’t
get
called in for something that I’m right for. I want people
to
think of me and remember me as a solution for casting
problem they might have. I want wider name recognition
within the industry to increase the number of opportunities,
which mathematically would increase the chances of getting a
job."
Young has many other excellent things to say about marketing
yourself in his recent interview on
http://www.actorslife.com - a great resource for actors.
His website is a terrific example of one of his marketing
tools: http://www.johnlloydyoung.com. Take a look at both.
So take some time, look inside, and allow what is
magnificent about you to bubble to the surface. The world
is waiting for you, and all good things must come to those
who believe it.
For a free simple exercise to help get you in touch with
your own magnificence, sign up for my electronic
newsletter in the upper-right corner of this page.
(c) 2004 The Actor's Success & Robin Jones
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