How to Get a Job as a Promotional Model
A promotional model has a different role in the advertising profession than traditional high-fashion or print models. In particular, a promotional model must have a more aggressive approach to promoting the product she endorses through her appearance or presence, often at an event of some sort. Becoming a promotional model, however, requires the same tenacity, personality and unique but beautiful look as traditional models.
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Instructions
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Hire a professional photographer to take some portfolio shots of yourself. While a promotional modeling recruiter or client will gauge your look in person, he also needs to see how well you photograph. Ask for a wide range of shots, from professional to sexy to sporty and a slew of personalities in between. The more variety you have in your photos for your portfolio, the more likely it is that a potential client will see one that matches the promotional look he has in mind.
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Send comp cards to promotional modeling agencies. Comp cards are postcard-sized documents containing various pictures of you, your physical information, including height, weight, eye color and natural hair color, and contact information. These agencies focus exclusively on providing an array of promotional models to clients and help their models develop their skills accordingly. However, signing with a promotional agency can be just as challenging as finding a traditional agency to represent you. You may have to be persistent and send comp cards to a slew of different agencies until you find one that signs you.
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Network with other promotional models. They can generally be found at community events, nightclubs and adult parties. Talk with these models to find out if there is an opening on their team. Sometimes you can work directly for a company, forgoing the need to sign with an agency at least initially, by being hired onto a promotional modeling team for a specific client.
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Prepare yourself for potential interviews with agencies or clients if you plan to work independently. Research the client or agency to get an idea of the type of promotional work they offer. If it's a client, conduct background research on the product or service they offer. Prepare a list of questions to determine if the agency or client is just as good a fit with you as you are with them. Maintain an updated resume of promotional work you've done and always bring a copy of your full portfolio, which should have clear, high-resolution photos through which agents or clients can peruse.
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Express confidence in your interview. Speak clearly, ask questions and be prepared to answer questions on your experience. A good promotional model can peddle a product or service well enough to get the customer to buy. You need to showcase this ability to potential clients to get them to hire you as much for how well you can push their product as they may for your looks. When you want to communicate your knowledge of the agency's roster or the client's product offerings, wait until it is your turn to ask questions, unless you are asked what you know about the organization in the beginning of the interview. Otherwise, utilize your knowledge of the agency or client's product/service to lead into any questions you may have for your interviewer.
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Showcase your personality as well as your looks should you land a promotional gig. While a high-fashion model may be simply responsible for looking a certain way at her shoots, you, on the other hand, must be personable, friendly and approachable. Chat it up with the people to who you are serving samples, and be engaging and willing to answer questions about the product. Smile and laugh often, talk clearly and confidently and don't be afraid to approach people you don't know. People have to want to take samples from you and be enticed enough by your sales pitch to come back for more.
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Gain as much visibility as possible. The higher your profile, the more work you may get. Get involved in community events, offer to do trade-for-print gigs with local photographers and do any kind of volunteer modeling jobs you can find, such as modeling for students at a local college, to gain experience and visibility.
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References
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- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
