So, last week’s column on Interviewing Your Bookings was one that generated a lot of gratitude (you’re welcome) and a lot of follow-up questions (here come the answers). Rather than pulling any of the specific emails into the Your Turn segment this week, let’s just get going with the themes that needed clarification.

Theatre vs. On-Camera Bookings
Major Market vs. Minor Bookings
Nonunion vs. Union Bookings
Paying vs. Non-Paying Bookings

Okay, for all of these various classifications, I recommend the following: If you have a TON of bookings, start segregating. If you only have a few, clump ’em all together for now.

See, what we’re looking for here is patterns. And you can’t track patterns with too little data. You have to have enough information to start to see where the keywords keep coming. Just like with the TV targeting and rep targeting I’ve walked you through, you’re going to have to go deep down the rabbit hole to start to see patterns, and if you have too many bookings to examine (yay, you!) you’ll need to split up the bookings so that you can track patterns in the specific area(s) you want to continue working.

For example, you’re going to have broader range on stage, both in type and age. Yay! Does that help you learn how the buyers for on-camera work see you? Nope. Not at all. So splitting those up is a great idea. If you’ve moved from a minor market to a major market, you’ll want to separate out your old home’s bookings because they only tell you how you WERE cast, not how you’ll be valued in your new home.

If you’ve recently joined the union or transitioned out of copy-credit-meals gigs into the paid ones in your market, same thing. The information about your previous tier is only helpful historically. Once you’ve made a tier-jump, your need to study the data from the old tier becomes lower priority.

Notice I didn’t say it’s not important at all! Just that it’s a measurement of something less in step with where you’re headed. And isn’t where you’re headed what you really want to focus on?

I thought so. 😉

Do the work multiple times. Make sure every booking you interview is something you could still book (or would want to book) today. Being in love with your old credits after you’ve aged out of them doesn’t help you. It’s a sentimental thing that won’t lead to your next booking, and you know I’m all about helping you get farther faster. 🙂

To wit, I’ve decided I’m just gonna GIVE Y’ALL the PDF I created as the intake form for the SMFA Brand Blitz and included in the SMFA Essentials module on Your Bullseye. Some of you have already emailed me your version of this and I’m so freakin’ pumped to see what you’re doing to “yes, and…” the columns each week. But for those who want a pre-made worksheet, here ’tis. (PDF)

Remember to do this exercise multiple times. Hit it again at every tier. Again, do not use it as a way to beat yourself up for what you didn’t book, but instead as a tool to see how the buyers value what you do, so you can walk toward that and get to the money faster. Yay!

Keep me posted on how it all goes for you!

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001638.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.