Kristine Oller is a marketing and career consultant for actors. She recently shared what I think is a fantastic idea: inexpensive but not cheap thank you gifts.
A successful acting career is about building and strengthening relationships; in fact most careers are about relationships. It's just that with most careers you only have to lean on your contacts once every few years for help securing a job instead of on a daily basis as actors do. Every time someone vouches for you they are risking a part of their credibility, it's safer not to recommend someone than it is to recommend them. With that in mind, when someone does stick their neck out for you, you should acknowledge it. How?
Every time someone refers a potential employer (CD, director, producer) or employee (agent, manager, etc) to you - even if you don't book the part or sign with them, you should send your referrer a token of your thanks. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be significant.
- A hand-written card.
- A gift certificate for a scoop of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
- Pull a Famous Amos and give them freshly baked cookies.
- A gift card in the amount of the most expensive item on the menu at Starbucks.
- A small trinket that the receiver would enjoy and not perceive as junk.
Yes this is an added expense, and yes you're probably poor and don't have a gift budget. That said, giving a small gift to acknowledge a contact's efforts on your behalf is invaluable. It lets them know you appreciate what they did, it helps to reinforce your relationship, and it makes future referrals more likely. It'll also make your grandmother proud.
Please write a comment with any other ideas you have for inexpensive but good gifts.
2 comments:
Great post. Something like this just happened to me, but rather than sending anything I gave the person a call and thanked them. But I like this idea and I think I'm going to do it in the future.
You forgot "a sexual favor."
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