Practicing good etiquette when networking with industry professionals, especially when pitching for features, seeking out touring opportunities and show bookings, can make or break a deal. It’s important to consider the volume of emails and messages most industry professionals receive from bands and artists as well as other professionals representing them. Many are inundated, and so, good practices in pitch-writing and displaying the appropriate etiquette can help establish good working relationships.
First and foremost be polite and professional in your tone. Unprofessionalism, or the appearance of any unprofessional behavior may immediately eliminate any possibility of a good working relationship by putting off your recipient. Imagine a reversal of roles – consider the type of tone and attitude displayed through an email that would dissuade you from working with a company or individual. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to come across with a friendly tone, but be mindful of appearing overly familiar.
Be respectful of any boundaries. Many industry professionals have preferred channels for any contact, some are open to social media DMs while others strictly prefer emails. If a person’s or company’s social media clearly states “no DMs” respect this. If a contact email cannot be found for an individual or company, and no specific boundaries around DMs have been stated then it may be worth sending a concise message expressing interest and asking the best means of contacting them with inquiries.
Failing to provide full details of your pitch is another common factor that can significantly impacts the rate of success. As mentioned above, many professionals are busy and receive numerous correspondence and most likely do not have the time to follow up in order to obtain basic details. Furthermore, if it is not clear what the purpose of your email or message is, the individual may not even be certain if you can work together. Seek to make the life of the person you are contacting as easy as possible by providing clear and concise information about a) who you are b) what your pitch proposition is.
Following up with any additional messages or chasers also needs to be done so with caution. Sending multiple chasers in quick succession after the initial contact may just annoy or frustrate the recipient. However, if a week or two go by with no response to an initial inquiry then a polite chaser is not usually an issue. If after one or two chasers a response hasn’t materialized, it may be best to move on to a different contact.
Fundamentally, these basics to consider when reaching out to industry professionals, or anyone else for that matter, are easy to implement and often common sense. With such as high volume of bands operating in music, it’s essential to always put your best foot forward to ensure any small errors such as those discussed above do not impede your progress or activities.