HOW TO GET MORE PROMO WORK (Maybe)

CAN I TURN PROMO WORK INTO A CAREER? This question seems to be asked in one form or another on a lot of message boards, and is timeless. How do I get more promo work? While this article can’t grant you riches overnight (there’s no ‘get rich quick’ formula in promo-world), maybe you can glean a few insights from one agency owner’s opinion, or give those starting out a pointer or two. Hopefully it will better everyone’s relationships with agencies you choose to go after, and therefore get more work in your promo career.

1. SIGN UP DIRECTLY with multiple agencies. Every event staffing or marketing agency has a website and some form of talent submission page to get you into the agency’s database and be notified of work in your area. There are many directories available of promotional staffing agencies, and all of them are free: www.eventspeak.com, www.stuckforstaff.us, www.eventmarketer.com, www.narms.com and www.promomagizine.com will give you a great start. It takes work, but time well spent.
2. BID ON JOB POSTS. If you’d like to do a particular job, then say so, but keep in mind that there are likely many other brand ambassadors bidding on the same job. At this initial stage, it’s good to keep your opportunities open and flexible so you can build up a variety of work experience out in the field.
3. HAVE A PLANNER to schedule and keep handy the when/where/who/what/how of all your commitments. Use the system that works best for you; Outlook Calendar, IPhone calendar, Excel spreadsheet or even an old fashioned paper calendar. Whatever works for you, just make sure it works. After all, you are in business for yourself and you need to treat it as such.
4. PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD ON YOUR PRODUCT. Think of the agency as your prospective customer, rather than your employer. Your product is you, and you want to earn business. Give the agency your best photos (smiles!!) and your most relevant experience to the job you’re bidding on at the top of your email. If I’m looking for an emcee, I may care less that you can drive an 18 wheel tour vehicle, and vice-versa. Booking agents can get (literally) hundreds of resumes/emails daily, and they need to quickly find the best in who they’re looking for. So be brief and to the point.. Say why you’re the best, then show it.
5. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED too quickly if you’re responding to many booking opportunities and only receiving a few (or none) responses. At the beginning stage it’s a numbers game, and many booking agents are fielding multiple staff positions, client requests, and other details to ensure the event goes off supremely. Think of this as a career marathon, not a sprint. Your aim is to build a client base of agencies and brands that respect your work because you’ve earned their respect and can count on you. Which leads to….
6. ONCE YOU MAKE AN AGREENT with a company to complete a job, live up to that agreement. Nothing will burn bridges faster with a booking agent than saying, “Yes I will.” Only to later say, “Oh, sorry turns out I can’t.” It’s better to say no before the deal is made, than after the “handshake.”
7. AT THE EVENT SITE, Know the client’s objectives for what your event. First and foremost, we are in the people business. Respect the hierarchy that is already established long before you got there. Respect your peers, your agency and the client. Help boost morale. Cultivate a reputation as both a ‘problem solver’ and a ‘team player’ in the field. By being kind, considerate and enthusiastic at your events (even when things aren’t going perfect), you will go a long way in getting repeat bookings from agencies and brands you choose to work with again.
8. FOLLOW UP after the event by submitting your paperwork, photos, videos, web reports, returns – whatever else is required of you swiftly. Clients can’t wait to see the results of all their hard spent dollars and there is a whole lot of recap work that must get done before the client knows how the event concluded. Don’t be the guy/girl that bogs down that process. It might leave a bad aftertaste.
9. GO THE EXTRA YARD – post a comment/photo before or after your event on Facebook, send in some extra photos or video footage of your event to your agency or your team leads. Network afterwards with your team members if you find a job post they might be interested in. Just doing a ‘little bit extra’ gives a good feeling to those that hired you and worked with you and deepens your relationships with them.
10. GET PAID – From reading the web boards, this topic alone could take up an entire article and probably will at some point. So all I’ll say here is it may help to understand this primary fact: everyone in this industry (brands, agencies, staffing companies, etc.) knows this is a people business, and therefore puts the utmost value on relationships. Yeah, some do it better than others, but every agency owner I’ve ever known (large and small) wants to pay you for a job well-done. It’s not naïve, it’s simply good business, and in fact, event staff are paid on-time most all of the time. However, when disputes arise, they are important to resolve. If it ever happens to you, my advice is to go directly to the company that hired you (your customer) and begin negotiating when and how you expect to be paid, and discover if there is anything (missing paperwork, time-sheets, etc. on your end) that is preventing them from paying you. Keep a record of all your communications. Only after listening to their response (or lack thereof) are you able to decide a proper course of action, and obviously whether or not to work with them again. Complaining publicly before the company has a chance to address your issue may put you in a bad light to potential customers. But again, that is a whole article unto itself.

As a promo rep, brand ambassador, demo person, guerilla team member, tour emcee or any combination that is your flavor, you are in business for yourself, and it’s a business that needs proper attention. Take care of your product (you). Promote your product (you). Deliver exceptional value with your product (you) every time you’re out there. There’s no get rich quick formula, but it certainly is fun and rewarding. One day, who knows, you may have so much work coming, clients will ask you to start your own agency someday. David Bellenoit is a ten-year newcomer to event marketing since 1999 when he began by faking bar fights to promote Bass Ale. At the request of clients, he founded an event staffing agency, and today operates several small businesses in and out of event marketing, including www.bigorangeproductions.com, www.ontherocksmodels.com, and www.samplersinc.com . He loves scuba diving (though he’s never been) and is forever a sucker for fun new ideas. His mom is proud of him, even though she has absolutely no idea what event marketing is or what David actually does during the day. davidbellenoit@msn.com