There are some lessons we learned as children that are good to remember as we fight our way into the world of television. “Don’t take what’s not yours, don’t be sassy, and it’s better to give than receive.”
As you write emails to executives you’re trying to establish relationships with you need to ask yourself an important question, “Is this email taking or giving?”
As I’ve discussed in previous blogs, you need to ask yourself what the objective is, but, you need to know if you are giving them something that makes selling you and your show easier? Or, are you just adding to their to-do list?
The bottom line is, if your email is asking them to do anything you better have a really good reason.
If you are asking any of the following questions (or anything close to it) you may want to give it some more thought before you hit send:
Is there an update since we last spoke?
Mr. Exec if you’re interested I’ll need more info so I can let my agent know.
Did you get my last email?
…or any other type of question that is based on them making you feel better about the process of selling your show…
I was reminded of this as I was writing an email to an Exec, and I realized it was more about making me feel good than helping them.
In the last few months there have been a number of Broadcasters interested in me hosting different shows, but I’m locked down to the Broadcaster I shot the demo for. Legally I cannot shoot anything with anyone else but I thought because the exec had approached me personally it might be good if he also emailed my agent.
As I was writing this email the little voice in my head asked, “What exactly is this request giving the exec?”
The answer? “Nothing.Nothing good anyways.” The only thing it gives him is an extra email to read and I’m asking him to add something else to his busy to-do list.
If you are emailing Execs you need to ensure when they see your email they’re not thinking “Oh great. What do they want now?”
You need to give. Not take. Make their days easier. So what is the solution? It’s pretty simple actually.
Rather than asking this Exec to email my agent saying he has a Broadcaster interested in me, I can email the info to my agent telling him this, and giving him the execs contact info just in case he wants to email him. Then I can email the Exec and tell him I have passed the info on to my agent.
And now I’ve done two things to help my cause without asking anyone else to do a thing.
They both get an unexpected piece of information and they didn’t have to do anything to get it, thus, I’m making their days easier, which should in turn make me and my show easier to sell.
So as you move forward building relationships with the execs and agents remember what your Mother told you, “It’s better to give than to receive.”