Promo Life 102: Getting Booked
Interviewing to be booked for events has become more normal these days and instead of giving you a generalized list of do-s and don't-s, I want to address what I think is the most important question that is commonly asked in interviews that many of you are missing the mark on. I know there will be fellow staffers who think I'm breaking the "bro-code" by giving a cheat sheet. But this isn't a cheat sheet lol. People YouTube every day for interview tips, the issue is, it's hard to find this answer for the promo world, specifically. No guilt trips over here. Not everyone interviews well and others don't know how. If that's you, you are who I wrote this blog for (even though everyone can benefit from this)!
Tell Me About Yourself.
There is plenty of content that will tell you that this question is asking about your work experience. Checkmark, got it! This is not the time to talk about where you're from, what you do in your spare time, or your hobbies. This is not a date. It's an interview. However, interviews for events take it a step further. Don't talk about your corporate job if it doesn't involve events. Don't bring up college degrees unless it has something to do with your event experience. Don't bring up your side hustle unless it ties into events. The point I'm trying to make is you should always focus the answer to be about your experience with working promo events. For most of your gigs, you are an independent contractor and the promo company is hiring you for a service. For instance, if you were contracting a plumber for a job on behalf of your boss, you don't necessarily want to hear the plumber talk about their notary business if you're interviewing for a maintenance issue, right? The same can go for staffers, tell them about your promo work experiences, and be excited when you tell them.
This inquiry sets the tone of your interview in most cases. As a staffer, when I interview, this is the most important question because this is the focus of the interview, your promo event experience. This is your time to present you, the brand ambassador or you, the event manager, or you, the product specialist, or whatever the role is, SHINE BRIGHT! BRING YOUR ENERGY, YOUR PERSONALITY AND CHARM.
Make it easy for the staffer to say yes to booking you.
"I've been working events for [insert #] years now and I've been booked as a [list the roles you've been booked for]. I've represented [name a brand], at that activation I [insert what you did during that activation]. At my last event, I did [insert what you did at that activation] for [insert brand]..." and so forth. Tell them your story. "I got into events because [fill in the blank]..." Add some sprinkles on top, "But my favorite event was for [insert brand] where I [insert role] and I loved that event because [insert reason]..." This is the time to make your resume make sense. Mental Note: I'm not saying to use this word for word, but I want you to notice that I didn't have to mention any personal information about myself or back stories. Wait until it's relevant to give personal information about yourself.
TIPS:
If you mention an activation mention the brand the activation was for and what you did (lead generation, sampling, greeter, handler, mascot, etc.)
Rehearse what you're going to say so that when you talk about your experience you know the storyline you'll be sharing with the interviewer
Show up to the interview camera-ready and with energy.
COMMON BEHAVIORS THAT I SEE THAT I DON'T THINK YOU REALIZE YOU'RE DOING NOT DURING VIDEO CHAT INTERVIEWS THAT YOU SHOULD DO
SMILE
Remember to smile. During events, it's easier to remember to smile, but there's something about video chats that makes people to forget to smile. I get it, you're thinking and trying to remain engaged with the interviewer but if it helps, put a post-it note on the screen that says "smile" if you need to.
LOOK AT THE INTERVIEWER
We get it, we're not face-to-face and you're talking to a screen. But .. I can see you and many of you are looking around the room while you're talking. It can disconnect you from the staffer and come off as if you're nervous or unsure of yourself. Try having your screen leveled with your shoulders and tilt the camera how you need it to be, but the point is to have the laptop high enough that when you are looking off into the room while you're talking, it doesn't seem so far above and away from the camera.
CHARGE YOUR PHONE
Do yourself a favor and make sure your device is charged or plugged up. When staffers start interviewing, it's go mode. Spinning the block to give you a second interview to finish the first interview is asking a lot. Technical difficulties are one thing, but your device dying is another. Be prepared. I'm very guilty of having a low battery. This is why I keep my charger available for the interview because (I'll admit it), my trying to charge my device prior to the interview is not my personal strength.
Here are A Few Questions To Ask The Interviewer:
Will parking be reimbursed?
When will the pay for this event be processed?
What method of payment does the company use to pay workers?
If booked, how do I get booked for more events?
Do you have a cancelation fee for if the event is canceled?
When will you begin sending out booking confirmations?
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Unfortunately, not all promotional marketing companies are on the up and up, let alone legit. And with new companies popping up every year, it's hard to know how is conducting business in a trustworthy manner. Nonetheless, there are ways to try and weed out the bad apples. Either way, you must make a decision on if you want to work with the company of not.
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