OK. I just gotta get out something that I feel is a misconception that really bothers me as an Actor.... (sorry as I just mount this soapbox) SO my part time jobs are being in sales, whether it be serving tables or being in retail or at a front desk... Now, I am going to be very frank... Im not very good at it. like at all. and thats not saying I dont try to work on it, but Im just not a natural salesperson, I dont like it. Im very awkward and Im not a pusher. I have too much empathy. To me sales is like Luck of the draw by trying a little harder for a successful outcome. But I do sales jobs because, hey, I gotta make a lot of money somehow to survive in this city. But what I hate HATE most of all is when people/employers/coworkers say Youre an actor, its easy/its the same thing/youll be good at it. ....no... just... please stop that. Sure some actors are great at it, but just because we make our career in making an audience believe whats happening onstage does not mean we are ALL gifted as great sales people. Acting, despite popular conceptions, is not about being a good liar. like. AT ALL. Its quite the opposite. Acting is about being 100% honest and responsive with the in-the-moment circumstances. We as actors must be truthful with our emotional response based on the actions happening to us onstage or the audience wont buy it. So I apologize if I am not pushy, quick to lie or scheme just to make a sale when it comes to someone I feel in that there moment wont buy. I take pride in my intuition, and much rather be on a customers side and feel for their needs and wants than to force a sale. Yes, I have a small arsenal of tactics I use to hopefully close a sale but Im just not a great salesperson because at the end of the day its their decision... Now I WILL say my training as an actor certainly helps being in sales. I use tactics to try and get to a goal, and have improv skills, but that whole actor = good liar/salesperson is NOT necessarily always true though it certainly helps. So in conclusion: please stop saying acting and sales go hand in hand. Thank you.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 23:13:54 +0000
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