The Almost Most Important Thing
We're taught in conservatory that the most important thing in our field is the voice. Well, yes, that's true. However! It runs a close tie with what I'd like to call The Almost Most Important Thing: SHOES. Hahaha no just kidding: it's COMMUNICATION SKILLS. You might have the most amazing sound in the world, but being difficult to communicate with can be a dealbreaker. Frankly, it's kind of scary that there was not one business communication course in grad school - at least I don't remember one - that detailed how to write a letter, how to accept, how to decline, how to request changes on a contract, how even to read a contract, or indeed, any of the basics of business interaction. So after developing your singing technique, an area to consider focusing on is improving your communication skills.
Now this is a pretty broad area, encompassing all of the above and also how to talk to colleagues, directors, conductors, etc., so I can't possibly cover it all here. But one particular aspect of this broad area that keeps coming up in conversations with company directors and concert organizers is email correspondence with singers. I am not kidding. Emails. Who knew ten years ago that this would be a personal brand issue? Not I. But sure enough, email correspondence is affecting singers' business relationships. I've touched upon this subject in other posts, but I think it deserves a freestanding, moment-in-the-spotlight post of its own, so I've assembled four basic guidelines of business emails for your consideration. Let's get to it, and I hope this helps!
Four Basic Guidelines of Business Emails
1) Be Responsive
Developing the habit of responding to messages promptly is a good idea. Write back to the first email. Don't make anyone hunt you down. Sure, you may be desperately busy, but so are the people organizing things, and making people ask the same question three or four times through email, Facebook, voicemail and/or smoke signal until they're practically pleading with you to answer is not only a nuisance but also a clear message about where this person/gig is on your priority list. As I've said before, be super careful with this, because you seriously never know how this could play out down the road. Through working with people on pro bono gigs, you can build experience and reputation that will graduate you to well-paying gigs, and from what I've seen, singers who establish themselves as quick to respond almost always become the go-tos. This is not to say that you have to provide info the second people request it or spend your life tethered to your smartphone. But seriously, even if you're super busy, take a second to write back:
"Thank you so much for forwarding this (offer/information/question/etc). I'll read it in detail (tonight/later this week/over the weekend/etc) and respond then. All best, Singer McSingerton"
This manages expectations about when people are going to hear back from you and also confirms that an important email didn't disappear into the dreaded spam filter abyss. It's always acceptable to ask for more time in order to triage someone to the bottom of your list, but just ignoring them until the follow-up messages reach hysteria-pitch won't reflect well on your brand. And this leads me to:
2) Use Separate Accounts
If you're having trouble tracking all your emails, like you simply get too many in a day to read much less respond to, then consider setting up separate accounts for your business(es) and personal life. You could have a teaching account, a singing gig account, an administration account, and a personal account. I have at least five that roll in to me. Separating your business emails makes triaging MUCH easier, because you can instantly see which messages are from students and which are from opera companies, and getting your personal email out of there means nothing important gets buried under a ton of spam from Macy's. If they all roll into your smartphone, then you'll see alerts on all of them.
3) Be Formal
Business format is super formal to reduce misunderstandings. If you're writing to or responding to a company you don't know, always follow business formatting and language to start out. Err on the side of saying "thank you" a lot. Be hyper-polite. Include your contact info (including the email address) often. Example:
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. ________
Thank you for (fill in the blank here). Would you have a moment to answer a question about (fill in the blank here)?
Thank you again for your time.
Best regards,
Singer
Singer McSingerton
SopMezzTenBariBass
Contact Information Block
What to avoid:
- Anything that sounds demanding
No: "I need to hear back from you this week about x."
Yes: "I'm hoping to receive a response from you this week about x. Your kind attention to this is much appreciated." - Text-Speak
No: "lol" (DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER DON'T EVER WRITE "LOL")
Yes: actual English (seriously, anything but "lol") - One word responses that could be read in a brusque tone (like an entire email that says only "ok.")
No: "ok."
Yes: "OK, thanks! Best, Singer"
4) Use Out-Of-Office Automatic Replies
If you're going to be off the grid for any length of time - like on the side of a mountain communing with nature, or simply taking a break after your busy season - then consider using out-of-office automatic responses for business emails that might come in while you're out. This is a huge courtesy for organizers and administrators who might be dealing with the details of a gig and trying to reach you waaay before it's on your priority radar. I mean, companies can't set rehearsal schedules without getting information about singer availability, programs can't be set without getting repertoire, costumes can't be pulled without getting sizes...you get my drift. I can't tell you how many emails I've received from singers after three or four panicked emails from me where they respond "oh, sorry, I was on vacation!" I know they totally meant well and didn't intend to create any gridlock, but gridlock is what was achieved. Using auto-response, just like the quick reply above, manages expectations about when people are going to hear back from you and confirms that their email isn't in the spam filter.
"Thanks for your email! I will return from Mount Everest/Atlantis/hiding in my bedroom next week and will respond to you then. In case of emergency, please text me (cell reception not guaranteed in Atlantis)."
In fact, another great thing about automatic replies is that you can set them up for your different accounts and manage people's expectations instantly. For instance, on a teaching account, you could say something like:
"Thanks so much for reaching out. All emails from students and prospective students will be answered within 48 hours/on Friday of each week/at the end of the day."
It's dealer's choice, really, so don't be afraid to use this to help you organize your correspondence.
TO SUM UP
Singers are now often our own managers and agents, so as you develop your singing business, consider paying attention to the communication patterns that mark your brand, and email is a good place to start. Hope this is good food for thought, and keep on swimming!
Angela Jajko, mezzo-soprano, is the Editor of the BSR Blog. She has been praised in such publications as the Boston Globe and the Herald for her “peaches and cream” voice and dramatic delivery. Upcoming performances include engagements with Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra and Greater Worcester Opera, and recent performances have included Prinz Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with the North End Music and Performing Arts Center Opera Project in Faneuil Hall, Miss Hannigan in Annie with Crescendo Theatre Company, The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot at Theatre at the Mount, selections from Carmen in The Greater Worcester Opera Gala in Mechanics Hall, Tessa in The Gondoliers with The Sudbury Savoyards, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with New England Light Opera, Carmen with Greater Worcester Opera, Offenbach’s Island of Tulipatan with New England Light Opera, the roles of Ruth, Buttercup, Phoebe, Katisha, and The Fairy Queen in concert with the New England Gilbert & Sullivan Society, and as a featured soloist in concerts with Opera on Tap, Masstheatrica, FIRSTMusic, Ocean Park Festival Chorus, Parish Center for the Arts and New Hampshire Opera Theatre. Her performances have also included the roles of Carmen, Theodorine, Augusta, Marcellina, Hermia, Savitri, Pirate Jenny, and La Zia Principessa. She has also performed with Odyssey Opera, PORTopera, Granite State Opera, Longwood Opera, BASOTI, Harvard University, and the International Lyric Academy in Viterbo, Italy. She has been honored by the American Prize competition and holds degrees in Vocal Performance from The New England Conservatory of Music and the University of California at Los Angeles. She is currently the Associate Executive Director of NELO, an artist coordinator for Opera on Tap Boston, a Board Member of the New England Gilbert & Sullivan Society and a Board Member of L’Académie, a critically acclaimed orchestra specializing in performances of French Baroque music in health institutions. She has served as Costumer for a number of productions with companies including Guerilla Opera, Company One, NELO, BASOTI and Longwood Opera. She has also served as a Director for NELO’s Rising Stars program and in other productions as Assistant Director, Stage Manager, and Props Master. She has extensive experience in administration, office management, and event management in a variety of industries. Visit her at http://angelajajko.com/.