1. Do your research correctly, so that you know exactly who you are approaching. Approaching the wrong person, or the wrong company with your request is counterproductive because after putting all your efforts and energy out, you will never hear back from them. If you are looking for a distributor or a sales agent, make sure the person you are approaching is indeed a distributor or a sales agent.
2. You only get one chance to introduce yourself and your project. Give yourself enough time to work on your longline, synopsis and pitches before you start sending that out.
3. Be 100% certain of what you are looking for. Everyone in the industry specialises in a different field, so make sure you know exactly what you are looking for and what your current needs are: is it a representation, a sales deal, production funding, production advice?
4. Work on your online strategy. I firmly believe that being able to find supporters and fans online can only make your project more attractive for the decision-maker to say yes to.
5. You always need to deliver on your promise. So, if you tell the decision-maker that you have rights to a specific book or story, make sure you have those rights locked. If you say that your film is finished and ready for distribution, make sure it’s finished and available for distribution.
6. If you receive notes from the decision-maker, it doesn’t mean you have to follow them and change your script or your story. If the notes make no sense for the overall tone of the story, don’t use them. However, if the notes are helpful and constructive, you can surely try to implement them into your story.
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