This has been a hot topic as of late:

“Should I send a ‘Thank You’ note/postcard to the Casting Director after my audition?”

We have heard some Agents and Managers say things to performers like:

“Don’t send Casting Directors ‘thank you’ notes, or ‘thank you’ cards or postcards after your audition … that’s their job… Why are you thanking them for just doing what they are supposed to do?”

To which we exclaim:

“YIKES!”

There are several reasons why we feel so strongly in FAVOR of sending a ‘Thank You’:

#1 - NOT Just Saying 'Thank You'

First thing’s first!

Let’s understand what we mean by a ‘Thank You’ note/postcard. A 'Thank You' note/postcard is NOT just saying ‘Thank You’ ~ it is MORE than that; it is a reinforcement of who you are and why they should forge a relationship with you.

Say ‘Thank You’, but then follow it up with 2 to 3 bullet points of what you are up to. Even include a tid bit of information you picked up while at the audition (i.e. – the Casting Director mentioned she was going surfing in Zuma Beach over the weekend).

Therefore, an appropriate ‘Thank You’ would be something along the lines of:

Hi Mark: Thank you for bringing me in for the role of “Marcy” on “Desperate Housewives”. It was a pleasure to meet you! By the way: I just wrapped a great guest star role on “CSI: New York” “Full Force”, a film I am the lead in is premiering at the Huntington Beach Film Festival on December 6th (I can get you comp tickets if you like) Also, check out my new theatrical reel at www.JaneActor.com Thanks again! Have fun surfing those waves in Zuma! Hang ten! -Jane-

In this example, Jane Performer said his ‘Thank You’ while letting the Casting Director know important information about herself… that she just finished shooting on another network show (so she can most definitely handle the Co-Star or Guest Star role she just auditioned for), that she was the lead in a film which has a screening date coming up that he is invited to, and that she has more material of her work that the Casting Director can see on her Web site!

When the water is warm Casting Directors feel more comfortable bringing you back (either for the role you auditioned for, or for a different role in the future).

The humor about surfing in the end ties it all together to show personality and to jog the Casting Director's memory about what was discussed during her specific audition.

#2 - It’s Their Job – AND It’s Your Job

Yes, we agree… a Casting Director’s job is to cast. However, it is your job to be a professional performer. This courtesy, to say ‘Thank You’ spans across all fields - of any vocation.

For example, let’s say you are NOT a performer. What if you were vying for a “VP of Marketing” job at Proctor & Gamble and you were brought in to meet the head of their human resources department. Would it be wrong to send a ‘thank you’ note because that’s their job?

Heck no!

#3 - Feeding Your ‘Inner Lazy’

Everyone has a lazy side. You, me – everyone!

We heard a performer get excited about his prospective Manager telling him NOT to send a ‘Thank You’ to the Casting Director because it was “their job”. We could hear the excitement come from his voice saying, “I never thought of it like that before! Whether you agree or disagree – she’s right!".

Ahhh – “…she’s right!” It’s funny when people tell you it’s okay NOT to do something – all of a sudden it’s like the anvil has been pulled off your chest!

Be VERY careful NOT to feed your ‘inner lazy’.  Don’t take one person’s opinion and blanket the Industry with it.  No one person is right when they tell you NOT to do something. Which leads us to the next point…

#4 - Consider The Source

Not all, but some Agents and Managers have an issue with the performer forging relationships with Casting Directors because they feel they are cut out of the process somehow when it happens.

A good agent or manager may get you in the ‘door of opportunity’ of fantastic casting directors they know. Their concern is that if you create a relationship with these individuals outside of them then you will no longer need them.

As a performer you have got to know that eventually you will move from one agent to another ~ and from one manager to the next. As your career grows your rolodex of professional relationships (i.e. – Casting Directors, Directors, Editors, etc.) has got to grow right along with it. Doing so will help you get better representation in the future.

Think about it… if you can go to a prospective agent at CAA, pull out a list of YOUR contacts and say, “These are the Casting Directors I have great relationships with and these are the ones who bring me back often.” Then your odds of being repped by them go up ten-fold.

If you are discouraged from forging relationships in this business, your career will suffer as a result.

#5 - The Consequence

What is the consequence of sending a ‘Thank You’?

Have you ever heard of a performer NOT being brought back for a callback or booking the job because they sent a ‘Thank You’?

No.

Is the consequence that you could loose 28 cents in postcard postage if you send a ‘Thank You’? Maybe – but that is a tax-deductible expense as a performer (that you would log & track with PerformerTrack).

The truth is that the consequence of NOT sending a ‘Thank You’ could be devastating for your business.

We feel so strongly about you following-up with a ‘Thank You’ and the benefits of doing so that we have on EVERY Audition Form within PerformerTrack a “Follow-Up” area at the bottom of the page.

When we speak at seminars, or when we do our private PerformerTrack Member webinars, we express how important it is to ‘follow-up’ immediately after the audition is done.

Still don't believe us when we say it is important to follow-up?

Listen to this...

One of our PerformerTrack Members contacted us with her story about sending a ‘Thank You’ after her audition. She was called in one late Friday afternoon to audition for an award-winning cable comedy show. After the audition was done she went home and realized she forgot to get the names of everyone in the room. She intended to send her ‘Thank You’ out immediately on Saturday, but now had to wait.

First thing on Monday morning she called the casting office to get the names of those she auditioned for. Once she got the names, she quickly wrote her ‘Thank You’ (which included a couple bullet points of what she was up to) and dropped it in the mail.

Later that afternoon she was called by her Agent telling her that they liked her audition but “decided to go in a different direction”.

“Oh, well,” she figured “that role just wasn’t meant for me I guess”.

Now that would be the end of the story if she DID NOT send a ‘Thank You’ postcard. But because she did, this is what happened…

Wednesday rolled around and she got a frantic call from her Agent! Apparently the Casting Directors got her ‘Thank You’ headshot postcard and saw the way her hair was styled (her hair was more curly at the audition as opposed to straight on the postcard) and said “That’s the girl we want! Have her come in directly to 2nd callbacks this afternoon with her hair straight!”

The lesson learned here is that an opportunity would have been lost if she had NOT sent a ‘Thank You’.

Well worth the 28 cents we’d say. .

In Conclusion...

If you still feel that you shouldn’t have to say ‘Thank You’ then just remember this when the holiday season rolls around…

When your performer friends mention that they are getting holiday gifts for their Agents/Managers to thank them for the hard work they did for them during the year make sure to scoff and say…

“Why are you thanking them? That’s their job!”

Then add…

“Not to mention, they take 10% of what you make!”