Before we get started, understand that this blog is dedicated to those looking for a foundation to tweak when needed. We touch on photos, resumes, building rapport and your reputation in the industry. Currently, you are thumbing through events that are being posted and you are on the outside looking in. But your potential starts before you even submit for an event because you need proper photos and your resume.
STEP ONE:
1.) Let's Start With Your Photos
Here are a few professionals who have good pictures of the events they've worked. Notice how polish they present themselves at the event. They care about how they look at the events. They are oozing with positivity and personality. These photos could almost be used for billboards because of how exciting they are. These are the types of photos you want to submit for new events.
HEAD SHOTS
Make sure you are facing towards the camera so the staffer/client can see what you look like. Look natural, happy and yourself. Make sure that your headshot is a genuine representation of how you would show up to the event if booked. Professional photos are good to have but nice and clear photos taken with your phone are good as well.
NOTE: The thing about submitting professional pictures to a staffer is that we don't know if you are able to reproduce the way you look in the photo when you show up for the event the same way. In photoshoots, someone else might have done your hair and make-up or groomed your look. If a staffer books you expecting you to show up looking how you look in your professional pictures, make sure that you can re-create that look when you show up at the event.
NOTE: A Few Head Shot No-Nos:
Wearing sunglasses, half profile poses, social media filters, avoid group pictures that you tried to crop everyone else's head out but you still see a piece of the other person's head/hair.
MAJOR TIP: If you take a quick selfie at the event, make sure to take two different types of selfies. One with the brand's logo on your shirt showing (for social media uses) and if you are thinking to yourself that you look extra awesome that day, take another selfie where the brand's logo isn't really shown if not shown at all. Why is this important? When a staffer submits your headshot to a client, it's usually not a good idea for a staffer to submit a photo to the client of someone in another brand's logo especially if it happens to be a competitor. So take two types of selfies so that you don't have to miss a really good selfie opt.
Here are some examples of good headshots from your fellow brand ambassadors. Notice how none of these photos are professional, but are fill with the energy you can feel through the photo. Again, no knock on professional photos, but not everyone has access to professional photos.
For those who have never worked an event and you are brand new meaning you don't have any event photos, don't worry. A simple headshot is absolutely fine. Notice that not all of the examples below are event photos, but they'll still acceptable.
EVENT PHOTOS
When you take these pics for the purpose of using them to submit for event, stage your photos. As you get use to being mindful as to how your pictures showcase the event, it becomes easier to stage your photos better with time or practice. Now, what I mean by "stage your photos?" I mean doing things like making sure your footprint or display is the backdrop to your photos. Think of it as if you are on the marketing team at a headquarters and you want a picture for an advertisement campaign. You want to make sure that the brand's logo isn't cut off in the picture. Position yourself well in the photo. Have the premium or product in your hands and hold it in a way that you're not covering the brand's logo if you can help. Show it off. Make sure that things like ugly boxes are not seen in your photos or if they can't be moved, make sure that they don't take away from the picture's overall appeal (if you can help it). You want the picture to show the footprint the way the consumers who are present at the event would see it and how the client intended for it to be displayed.
Notice how the pictures give you the whole picture of what the consumers at the event is seeing. Take note to the energy that is expressed through body language and facial expressions. The brand is visible in the photos as much as possible.
If you are new to the industry and don't have event photos, no worries, if you have a photo where you personality is shining, use that photo. If you were at an event like a festival or something (for example) and active in the photo in a positive and appropriate way, use that photo. Keep in mind that using these photos are temporary until you are eventually booked so you can replace the photos with event photos.
2.) HAVE AN UPDATED PROMO RESUME
This is important! Promo resumes a.k.a. experiential marketing resume a.k.a. events resume are all the same things. Make sure that it's updated. Update it once a month. When I was a promo, if I got booked for an event, I added it to my resume even though it was a future event. I'm booked for it, so it's a part of my resume.
For those who are new to the promo world, it's okay that you don't have a promo resume yet. Submit a regular, organized work resume and when you send your email, let the staffer know that you are new and express your enthusiasm to work the event. Just a head's up, you may have a disadvantage when submitting to events through a log-in because you're not given the opportunity to express your excitement about working events.
The second part that's suggested you do before you submit your resume is to make sure your promo resume is displaying your value instead of only being a document that lists your past events. For example, depending on your experience it may be better for you to list all of the positions you've filled and under each position list all the events you've work in that position. If you want your resume to be reviewed, fill out a contact us form to send in a request, here.
STEP TWO:
Now that you've gotten the 2 most important things you need to submit for events in order, let's get to the money.
3.) Find events to submit to
At this point in age, many of us are signed up with so many agencies to piece together the workflow we desire. Yet, some of us (at times) are experiencing having to go back to the drawing board to find events to submit to. I won't spend a lot of time on this, since TheRockstarPromo.com already has a few blogs written on these topics:
This a checklist you can use of sources to look for event gigs.
This is a list of basically all of the Facebook Groups I'm in on Facebook along with the list of industry groups I'm in on LinkedIn. These lists are organized by state and gig type, etc. I'll be updating this list before mid-summer.
Not all promo companies are created equally. And not all promo companies conduct business properly. So it's important to do enough diligence to ensure you're doing business with companies who are legit and upstanding. This blog covers common ways we use to vet promo companies we work with.
4.) READ THE INFORMATION AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS
The first thing you want to do is make sure that you aren't already booked for the dates and times of the event. The next thing is to make sure you are able to do what the event is expecting for you to do. Then you want to check out the location and payrate, among other things. Once you have decided if the event is something you want to move forward with make sure to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!
If the posting says to use a certain subject line ... USE THE ASSIGNED SUBJECT LINE ... I wish I could put clap emoji-s in between the previous statement. Follow the instructions. They're asking you to do these things for a reason so do it. If they ask for a headshot and two event photos and nothing else ... do exactly that! If the instructions tell you to NOT INBOX/DM/CALL them ... DON'T. And in case you have a question, ask it in the comments. Before you ask what is the pay rate, check to make sure that the pay rate wasn't listed. If the instructions is to submit or create a log-in on their portal, you taking it upon yourself to dig up an email to submit to instead is RISKY when you are trying to get booked.
If you don't follow the instructions on how to submit for an event, then how does the staffer know that you will follow the instructions given if you are booked? #rhetoricalQuestion
NOTE: If you are one of those who have a photo on your resume, STILL ATTACH A HEAD SHOT like the instructions asked for. Sometimes the headshots are being asked to create a bio or to submit to security if you are booked; and the picture on your resume becomes tooooo pixelated if cropped and now it's no longer a good picture of you to use.
5.) KEEP YOUR RESPONSE SHORT, SWEET AND DIRECT
Sometimes when you get an event alert from a portal you are already signed up with, you get to add any additional information you want to add to your submission. Or when you get an event email, you like to write a summary in the email along with your submission materials. Submission materials meaning: your photos, your resume, contracts, etc. or whatever is asked of you to submit in order to be considered for hire.
Here's a quick example of what I mean:
Hi,
My name is __, I saw your post on {list the source} for the __ event. I am available for the following days and shifts as a {position/role} on your team:
(the list the times and days you want to be booked for)
I can be reached at {your best contact number} and I hope to hear from you soon, as I am very eager to join this team! I've represented brands such as {first list the brands that are similar to the brand being represented at the event you are submitting for, then start name other brands you've represented. OR re-write this sentence to list the events you have done that are similar to the event you are currently submitting to} and others as you can see on my resume. {Add a sentence that upsells yourself ... for example: I feel that I believe I’m the perfect candidate for this position because I am a social butterfly with high energy, extensive knowledge and generate leads for the brands I represent}
Thank You,
{your name}
{your telephone number AGAIN}
((Attach your promo resume and your photos))
I have another blog that talks about building rapport with your staffers that explains why this contact is short and sweet. Here's the link to that blog
Because I believe that certain things make more sense when you have an understanding, let me break down why I wrote that response in the way that I did. PARAGRAPH ONE: The way I written this is that you want to address the matter at hand. What matter is that? If you are available or not. So handle business first. Intro, mention the event you are referring to (because some staffers are booking multiple events at one time and you want to ease the process of possibly booking you) and provide your availability for that event. PARAGRAPH TWO: Give the best way you can be reached and express your happiness. Then after all the business at hand is addressed, now upsell yourself if you want. You want to handle business first because the staffer is only concerned with booking the event at hand, first. So address that part first. Then transition into upselling yourself. I think 3 things about you is a good number to stay at when you are pointing out highlights about yourself. All in all, you don't have to use my example word for word, but that flow works.
Do not simply reply: "Available"
Available for what? Which days? Which shifts? When I'm booking for activations that have multi-shifts and/or multi-days I skip over the email replies that only say "Available" and if I still have time and the patience to circle back around to those emails, I MIGHT! But personally, I would rather repost the event again and review the submissions of those who communicate clear. The mental capacity to remember where you and I are in our conversation due to slow responses is taxing. Following through with those who follow the instructions hold higher priority for review in my book.
6.) NOW ORGANIZE YOUR EMAILS
Create an email folder for "Submissions." Put all the event notifications and email submissions you've sent in this folder. This will make it easier for you to follow up on without having to rely on your memory. If you saw the event on a post and didn't get an email or notification for it, screenshot it or copy & paste it into a new email and email it to yourself and put it in that folder. The point is to find a way to centralize your submissions.
Now create a folder for "Booked" events. You may not want to believe how many times I've gotten an email request for the confirmed booking email to be resent. If a promo company were to ask you to resend your direct deposit form again, you would likely feel some kind of way, right? It's irresponsible, right? They wouldn't sound organized, right? Exactly my point. The staffer is not your personal assistant. What you think to be a few seconds to do is actually the staffer having to stop what they are doing or add to their to-do list to send you the email again. Many staffers may not mind, but a staffer's day-to-day is not the same every day. Just be courteous and organize your emails and your booking calendar (because double booking is unprofessional).
Now that you have completed some upkeep on your promo materials ... now find another event to submit to.
...SPECIAL THANKS...
To all the professionals in the experiential industry that allowed me to use their photos for this blog. You are appreciated!
If you found this blog helpful, please feel free to share it on your social media. Your support is appreciated!
Don't forget to follow us
Comments