This Partying Strategy Made Me Millions—Here's Exactly What I Did...
Especially useful if networking and parties make you anxious like me
Quiz:
Let’s say you’re at an industry party and you meet an entertainment executive. How do you behave?
a. Politely.
b. All-business, so you don’t waste their valuable time.
c. Like a partying fool.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
The answer is e. None of the above.
How Can This Possibly Be the Answer?
Just like yesterday, of course you want to be polite, but “politely” is not the word I would use to describe ideal behavior for a successful showbiz party.
You most certainly don’t want to be “all business.” A party is a time to let loose and have fun.
By the same token, you don’t want to act like a partying fool, which can be off-putting.
What you want is something in the middle. Your target outcome for an industry party is for people to say you were memorable, likable, and fun to be with.
Being fun comes in many forms. A quiet, reserved person can be just as fun at a party as a loud and crazy person.
If you hover on the introverted end of the spectrum, you don’t need to talk a lot. Just try to be engaged. Pay attention to others. Be supportive, agreeable, and slip in a joke when you can.
If you’re more on the extroverted end of the spectrum, tell a lot of jokes and be extra lively, but give quieter people a chance to chime in, too.
Avoid One Major Faux pas
If you meet a successful creator or executive at a party, the last thing you want to do is ask them for a job, ask them if they need any writers, or ask them to look at your work. Only brave this third rail if they directly solicit you.
After the party, you can follow up with them with an “it was fun hanging out with you” note if you feel it’s appropriate, but without asking for anything. If you have an agent, let your agent know you met the person. You might get a general meeting out of it.
My Central Partying Hack
I’ve never been one of these Hollywood social butterflies who knows how to work a room, make connections, and play the “it’s all who you know” angle. Despite this, I’m fortunate to have a way-above-average success rate pitching, selling, and getting financing for creative projects.
When it comes to industry parties, my primary strategy is that I avoid them. Of course I’ve been to some, but I could count them on one hand. And I never stay long. For decades I was known at The Onion as the one person who never went to The Onion’s Christmas party.
Instead of going to parties, I work. And I let my work do my networking for me. By producing work and building my own platforms, I make the entertainment industry come to me so I don’t have to schmooze at parties.
This is the fruitful, long-term strategy that’s created all of my career opportunities.
Have fun, keep producing work, and good luck!
Tomorrow: How to Avoid Being Taken Advantage of in Creative Collaborations: My Top 5 Tips
That’s great news because I hate schmoozing!
There's a good option here for every type of person. Glad to know that.