Missed Opportunities: Are THEY Avoiding YOU?

Just over five months ago I wrote a blog about not ditching someone, saying that, with the way things are in 2024, you will get busted.  And some recent occurrences and observations have made me realize that there are some related situations playing out that you can learn from so as to avoid.

What I’m getting at here is that they’re actions you need to avoid because they’ll directly impact your reputation.  And when there are developments that reflect negatively on you, they are going to result in missed opportunities.  That, by all means, is not what you want, as you scratch and claw your way to the next level, success, and, most importantly, trying to maintain a nice paycheck so you can pay your bills.

Let’s take a look at some of what has been happening that on your list of Do’s and Don’ts in the entertainment and creator world(s), you definitely want to have in the latter column.

In no particular order, I’ll start with a performer who told me about an accompanist they were hiring for an upcoming gig.  They knew and had worked with the person before.  Yet still, there was some nervousness because this player was not known for their timeliness.  Did I mention that this was a big show that the artist was going to be doing?  You want all your shows to be great, of course, but when the stakes are a little higher, you don’t need the added anxiety of not knowing if an accompanist is going to be late or maybe even a no-show altogether.

Keep in mind as you read through these scenarios how competitive it is out there and that just like that (snaps fingers) a call can easily be made to someone else for a gig that you are casting doubt about your reliability for.

Let’s shift over to a podcast interview I had scheduled to record.  The date and time were booked to get another episode of “Now Hear This Entertainment” in place, yet I still was uneasy leading up to it.  The assets I requested (mp3s, pictures, and talking points) were not provided in anything close to a complete manner.  And, to make a long story short, the plug finally got pulled at 3:25 for an interview scheduled for 3:00 when it was clear that the guest – despite texts from their rep saying otherwise – wasn’t going to call.

It's going to be another blog another time, but I wonder why guests treat podcast interviews so much differently than a TV or radio interview.  As someone who is also a publicist and books clients into such opportunities, I can say that I never treat the podcast interviews lightly.  Yes, I know, the fact that I’ve hosted close to 900 episodes in my ten-and-a-half years of podcasting is influencing that, but the fact remains that someone’s trying to give you an opportunity.

Another recent example came from a musician who does a YouTube Live show.  They had agreed to book a client of mine for an interview.  When that became a train wreck (never happened due to the host being terribly disorganized), there is a natural tendency to attach that behavior to how they could very well be on the music side.  In other words, if someone were looking for a player and that person popped into my head, I would quickly dismiss them as a candidate due to what I observed from their lack of organization for another of the hats they wear.

Fair or not, these are the conclusions that can, will, and are being drawn.

It comes back to the old expression, “You only have one chance to make a good first impression.”  I also say all the time, as already noted above, how quickly someone with an opportunity can get another fish out of the ocean.

One more example that I’ll close with has to do with being thorough.  You have to respect people’s time and show that you are professional and aren’t going to be high maintenance.  When someone sends you an email and asks you four questions, but you write back and only answer two, now they’re going to have to reply with, “Great, but what about (two unanswered questions)?”  If you then respond and only answer one of the two, now you’re really pushing it.  Wouldn’t it frustrate you if it were the other way around?  You’re booked to perform at a venue, and you email them with four questions, and this is how it goes?  Do unto others.

For twenty years now I have been helping indie music artists, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Let’s have a ten-minute call so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.