7 Things Agents Want
Almost every week
Someone reaches out for guidance in regards to finding a new agent
And I have noticed a pattern with my helping in regards to this crucial area:
It tends to be very focussed on the artist themselves
The artists’ values
The artists’ boundaries
The kind of relationship the artist wants to begin building
But
What about the agent?
What about what the agent wants?
There are three parts to an artist/agent relationship
1: The artist
2: The agent
3: The artist AND the agent
So
The agent (just like you) makes up two out of three of those parts
Therefore
Wouldn’t it be wise to consider what the agent is yearning for too?
Mmm
Now, I have had some interesting circumstances over the passed little while
Circumstances which I will be sharing openly over the coming months
But for now
What I can share
Is that I have had the unique privilege of some damn open an honest conversations with agents
What about you ask?
Well…
What they want!
How they want to be approached
So
I thought I would take everything I have heard
Distill it down to its essential parts
And give it over to you
Here goes
WHAT AGENTS WANT
One: Use their main email address
Hundreds of actors send through emails every week to generic office email addresses
They will most likely be given a copy-and-paste response by an assistant who won’t read them
So finding the agents’ specific email address is essential
What’s the problem here?
Well… they can be damn hard to get a hold of
You either need a trusted and respected mutual contact
Subscriptions to the top industry databases
Or simply the willingness to do some damn deep research
Some actors might say: “That’s not fair!”
Well
If an actor is going to give up on building arguably one of the most important professional relationships of their career because its “too hard to find an email address”…
Yeah
I don’t think I need to write out the obvious.
Two: Referral from an actor on their books
We are Homo sapiens
Connection is an essential part of our survival
It is deeply embedded in our biology
So if someone I love and respect says to me
“Hey Sheasby, I think it’s really worth having a cuppa with Jess about xyz, I think you guys will gel well”
That cuts out a lot of wondering about that persons character & work ethic on my end
Makes sense
Therefore
Digging through the agencies books
To find a trusted colleague & asking for a referral
Can do wonders for dispelling any doubt on the agents end
And drastically increase the chances as to whether your email will actually be read any further than the opening few lines
Three: Genuine letter
This one made me giggle
As one agent mentioned
“When I open up the email and see a four page essay
I just think…
Oh, fuck off”
Ha!
Yup
Agents are busy bees
And as all humans
They want to invest their time and energy
Into things which will create an energising return on their inputs on this earth
Four pages simply to ask to have a chat in person?
No thanks
Do the work
Writing an honest but clear & sincere paragraph
Tells the agent you have actually done the work
You’ve thought about this approach
As opposed to simply rambling and expecting someone to invest time which they could be spending with their family or things of importance
Remember
A glass of water can be bloody delicious!
Four: Link to your showreel
Quote
“Let me see your best work in under three minutes”
Clear
Five: Link to your IMDB (or equivalent site)
Social proof
Makes sense
Six: Highlights only!
List those few highlight jobs only
Highlight awards
Highlight training
and
What helps a lots…
Share what’s about to come
What are you currently working on or what’s going to be released in the coming months
Why?
This demonstrates momentum
The proof that you are still pushing that stone
The proof that you are continuing to release generous work out into the world
That you’re not sitting at home
Surrounded by cobwebs
Waiting for others to do the work for you
Seven: A follow up call
After several days
If you haven’t heard back
Give the office (or agent themselves) a call just to check in.
Done.
That’s it!
Seven things agents want
Now for the elephant in the room
Rejection
All actors sign a contract
That they are stepping into a world where they get continuously rejected
This is undeniable
Unavoidable
And not to be delusional about
To pretend you you won’t get rejected
Or worse
That you don’t care about being rejected…
Nope
Permission to feel what you’re feeling.
One day
When my agent eventually retires
After several days, weeks, or months of crying everything out into my pillow
Grieving over one of the most important relationships in my life
I will get up
Watch the sunrise
And begin the process of opening myself up to the world of building a new professional relationship
What’s the guarantee?
I’m risking rejection
And that’s damn scary
My body doesn’t like that feeling
So giving myself that little reminder
Just as I’m about to click send
That I might feel scared
I might feel nervous
To open myself up to the world
To open my arms out for a safe hug from another human
Which I might not receive...
And that that’s okay
Hope this helps
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