Every Contact Counts

Every time I speak to someone in the entertainment business I am reminded of the words of that great philosopher Ed Norton -- no, not the actor -- Ralph Kramden's downstairs neighbor on 'The Honeymooners'. Ed, played by the great Art Carney, was a New York City sewer worker. Ed often repeated a piece of advice he heard from one of his mentors -- "Be nice to the people you work with in the sewers. You're going to meet the same people going down as you do going up."

That's good advice for you when you're trying to get your program idea heard. Every person you speak with is a potential contact. Your dry cleaner might have a cousin who works for Warner Brothers, or your son's teacher might have a friend who went to Hollywood. That's why it's important to make every interaction with people a positive one. Remember to tell them you have a great program idea. People can't help you if they don't know.

Of course we are all human and not every contact will be positive. Give yourself a break if one or two contacts don't work out. But your overall average will be better if you remember that every contact counts.

What's true in your everyday life is particularly true once you get to meet the executives at a television or film company. Be nice and positive to the security guards, receptionist, and assistants also. If they're interested in your idea, the executives may ask their employee's opinion. You want them to like you and become your advocate inside the company. And you never know; one of them may end up running the studio some day.