Networking is a major part of being in the film industry. The saying everyone always repeats is “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and for the most part, that’s true. However, you can take it a step further than that. The best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten about networking is “it’s not who you know, but who knows you” and in this post, I’ll be showing you my general best ways to make sure everyone remembers you. This may sound similar to my “Top 5 Things that will make you stand out in Atlanta” but this is for networking with people you haven’t worked with.
Stay Professional
First impressions are everything, when you approach someone to talk, you have to look professional and act confident. No one wants to talk to someone who mumbles and looks like a mess. You have to look great and be able to communicate in the same manner. There have been countless times I’ve talked to people who just ramble on about random topics to no end. When you’re networking, you have to stay on topic. Talk about your projects, ask about theirs, and stay in the lane of film.
Be interested, not interesting
There’s nothing more important than being honest when it comes to networking. You can always tell when someone is, for lack of a better phrase, talking out of their ass. Especially, when they’re trying to make connections. So, something that can make you stand out is being genuinely interested in what others have to say. Ask questions about them like, what they enjoy working on, or how they started working in film. People love to talk about themselves, you just have to get them going.
Networking can often devolve into trying to one up others on how many projects you’ve worked on, or who you’ve worked with. The conversation flows so much easier if you let someone else talk, rather than ranting about what you’ve done thus far. Listen to what others have to say and at least appear to be interested, and they will definitely pick up on that.
Be Humble
Now that you’ve listened to what they have to say it’s their turn to listen. Try your best to keep them engaged in what you have to say, but you must stay humble. You have to ride the line of talking about what you do without sounding like you’re bragging. So for example, instead of saying “I directed a TV show for netflix starring The Rock” you could say “I had the opportunity to direct a TV show, and I was able to work with The Rock as well.” So, don’t make the information entirely focused on you. Make it about the opportunities you have, and the connections you’ve made. Just a simple change like that can make all the difference.
Above all else, be yourself:
It is unbelievably easy to notice someone who is lying about themselves. Whether it’s lying about projects they’ve worked on, their roles on set, or just about who they are, you can pick them out easily. The best thing you can do is just be yourself. That way you know you’ll be working with people you really like and who genuinely like you. I keep this perspective throughout my entire life. It helps me daily to not only make better connections, but also, to make myself a better person.
