Should Actors PITCH Themselves?
HELL YES you should PITCH!!
YOU ARE IN BUSINESS to make money as an ACTOR, right?
Here’s the thing. Sales people pitch to me all day long. My phone rings one-hundred million times a day, and it’s always someone either trying to give me money for my business or someone who wants to fix my house. Some days I answer the phone and the person who wants to fix my house calls me at the same time I’m looking for someone to fix my house. And the fact is, if the person calling to fix my house does other creative things to capture my attention, they will probably get my business a lot faster.
ACTORS are NO DIFFERENT.
When an actor, whether they have an agent or not, calls to pitch themselves — Sales Calls — they are creating a relationship that will further their career.
The primary reason you make a sales call is to get an audition. These tips will help you when making that contact.
- Ask for the person you are calling. Act like they should know you.
- Call to pitch for a specific role, invitation to a showcase or play.
- Get the name of the person you are talking to.
- Have a script ready – For example, “Hey, it’s Valorie Hubbard. I would like to pitch myself for (a particular role) and my recent credits include…”
I’ve been an actor for 31 years and I’ve heard people say, “Oh, that’s against protocol” or “Oh, you’re not supposed to do that.” It’s as though there’s an unspoken rule book out there. But I’ve asked everyone. And there is no rulebook.
I’m not asking you to break the law. I’m just asking you to look beyond what is given to you. Take a moment and ask yourself, “Is what they’re telling me I can’t do always true?”
We are throwing a pitch fest for actors this July, where you will go from writing your pitch to actually delivering your pitch to our Industry guests. GET YOUR ticket here.