This business has all kind of stories and views.  Some are positive however most are negative. Personally I think it has more to do with the people than the business. The agency I work for has a very positive, supportive, structured environment and I’ve never felt safer and more respected. It’s funny when I tell other women that they automatically assume it’s a women run agency and it’s not, it run by a man.

Let’s get something straight, women run agencies can be just as sleazy, negative and unsafe as any other. If you’re going to do this, whatever you do, don’t buy into the myth of sisterhood in this business. Men are simple, predictable, direct and honest about what they want. Women, we back stab while calling you “girlfriend” and giving you a hug. Just ask any one who’s spent four years living in a sorority house.

If you’re going to work with an agency man run or woman run one of the issues that will come up is should I “audition” or not “audition” ?

What’s an audition ?

It’s a test drive more commonly known as screwing the boss to show her or him what you can do.

For most of us our first reaction is Eeeewuuuu sleazy !

Yet as with all things there are two sides to this.

Side one:

I shouldn’t have to sleep with the boss to get the job. It’s degrading and it makes me look bad in their eyes. What kind of person would they think I am if I did ?  Isn’t it said you don’t mix business and pleasure anyway ? After all I’m not some cheap….. well you fill in the blank.

Does that sound familiar ? I’m sure many of you would see it this way I know I did. Of course at the same time I was in total denial about the kind of business I was applying to and technically if i was hired what that would make me.

Side two:

Assuming the Agency owner is a honestly nice person, it’s just good  business. Yes, there are Agency owners who do it because they  like screwing everything that walks though the door.  In my experience the women agency owners are just as bad if not worse than many of the men. However removing all that, here is the logic behind it.

A really good agency owner who understands marketing and is honest wont lie or deceive his/ her clients. This means, if they don’t truly know  what your true skills are they can’t effectively market you. This is why Suzy over there, who’s fucking the boss or Boss lady at the drop of a hat is getting three times as many  calls as you. Oh did I tell you she’s only half as hot as you are ?

Get over yourself it’s not “just because she’s a slut” here is the REAL REASON she’s more successful than you.

Men shop differently than us and they value the principle of “the test drive”. Here’s how this works.

Take three guys, Tom, Dick and Harry. Tom is looking at a new model car he likes so he asks Harry how well does that car handle ? Harry tells him “well from what I’ve read it’s good”.  However when he asks Dick, he gets a different story. Dick says “the car is ok, but if you want a car that will be tight in the turns and fast to the fun for your money, then this is not what you want”. So who does Tom believe ? In the  world of men, he’ll go with Dick.

Why ?

Because Dick has actually test driven the car where as Harry only read about it.

Get it ?

The reason Suzy will get more calls is because clients ask, “how is she at ‘this’ or ‘that’ or ‘overall’” ? Well the Agency owner “knows” this information first hand and can relate that. Whereas with you she / he doesn’t actually know and make NO mistake CLIENTS CAN TELL sense this on the phone.

This is the real driving force behind her success and a powerful argument why it is probably in your best interest, as Tracy an agency owner puts it, “to offer it up” and don’t wait to be asked.

Think about, in many respects to NOT audition in this business is asking the Agency to put a product they know nothing about on the shelf and sell it. If you owned a business and completely unknown sales person walk in to your store and asked you to put their product on your shelf but they had no history, no pamphlets and wouldn’t let you sample, would you ?

Knowing what I know now about this business and if I had it to do over again I personally wouldn’t have been so high and mighty starting out. In seeing only my side of the issue cost me a lot of calls, experience, money and opportunities.

Now you have the benefit of my experience and you can now make an informed choice.