0098: On “Following Up.” Yeah. Don’t.

Raw transcript:

I’m about to hand you a gift for your schedule,
for your mind.
I’m about to cut your work maybe in half, maybe
even two thirds or three quarters.
It depends on how diligent you are about
following up.
We’re going to talk about that in this episode of
the Vo Heroes podcast.
So let me get right to the point.
Stop following up.
I know there are a lot of people out there who
are consultants and coaches and audition
whisperers, et cetera, and I love most of them
because they don’t teach you to follow up after
an audition.
You don’t need to follow up.
Nothing about the audition process requires you
to send an additional message after you’ve
submitted your audition.
I was reading a post online about somebody who
said, is it normal for you to audition?
And then message the rights holder.
This was for ACX a few days later and never hear
back from them.
And when you unpack that question, it assumes
that you should follow up with a rice holder a
couple of days after you do an audition, and you
shouldn’t.
Nothing is gained by sending any sort of note
unless you’re asked for further information, and
then that’s not a follow up, that’s a response to
an inquiry.
People think that.
Some people think it’s a good idea to form a
relationship with all the people you auditioned
for on all the different casting sites by following
up after you audition.
Please don’t.
Now look what happened.
Now you don’t have to worry about following up.
If you follow what I’m selling and telling you and
you don’t follow up, that means you can cut all of
that time out of your schedule and maybe
instead do another audition for another project.
I’ve talked here before about my little ritual.
When I’m done with an audition, even if I’ve got
the whole thing memorized for on camera, or if
it’s an online audition for voiceover, I either
literally or figuratively tear up the script into little
tiny pieces outside the view of the casting
director.
I don’t want them to think I don’t like their work
or the project they’re working on, but I do it as a
physical moment to separate that from
everything that follows that it becomes a
watershed event.
After the event, after the audition, I just don’t
think about it again.
If they want me, they know how to find me.
I’m not hard to find, either through my agent or
online.
Believe me.
If they want you, they will find you.
So take away from this.
Stop following up.
Not necessary.
It really isn’t.
There’s nothing about it that will aid your
building a relationship or them booking you.
It just doesn’t matter.
So stop following up.
You don’t need to audition more.
That’s what you really should do.
If you like what you’re hearing, smash the like
button.
We want it to be obliterated cracked.
Maybe you need a new keyboard subscribe to
the channel.
You can get notified when we have new podcast
episodes coming out.
If you want to forward this to another actor or
voice talent who might get some value out of not
following up, please feel free to do so.
Go to viewheroes.com
and just grab the link in the address bar above
and forward it.
We’d love to have that happen.
I’m David H.
Lawrence.
The 17th.
I thank you so much for watching and for
listening, and I will see you in the next episode of
The Vo Heroes Podcast.

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