Reggie Jackson, MLB Hall of Fame
Five Rules for Working With Celebrities
Working with or being seen with celebrities, high profile politicians or pedigree corporations and organizations from the view of a spectator looks easy and fun. Fancy clothes, elegant dinners, designer purses, smiles lighting up all the way to the moon, perfection in hair, clothes, make up, shoes, convenient friendships and top shelf mixed drinks in particular appear everywhere and are seemingly for the taking.
You can likely imagine, that working as a consultant or agency with this special group can pose significant professional challenges. Examples could be 1) forgetting that you are actually getting paid to work while at a celebrity or client event, 2) getting too chummy, 3) drinking too much, 4) failing to cater to your client are a few of the obvious.
However, there are some not-so-obvious things to think about before you close the deal with your new celebrity client. So here are five basic rules to follow while working for celebrities or pedigree corporations:
1. Always keep a respectful and professional barrier between you and your celebrity client. They are your friend (sort of), and can be your friend (sort of), but ultimately, they have a job they want you, and only you, to do. So make sure you've been listening, show up, snap into super pro mode on demand, and deliver the job.
2. Be discreet about your work with your celebrity client. You have been granted a special place in this person's life. What happens with your client, stays with them, unless they tell you otherwise.
3. When you want to meet one of their friends to potentially expand your business, ask permission first.
4. Research and read. Make sure you are prepped with what is in the news about them, what they have published. Search their name on Google images to find a new perspective about them that you didn't know. And yes, find out all the not so good news about them too. Learning about the good and the bad (whether it is true of not) is part of your job.
5. Be available. Be ready to help them. Answer the phone and be responsive. And don't ever share their phone number or contact information without explicit permission. (This is actually true for anyone you know!) And remember, you are not their gatekeeper, that is someone else's job. You are their consultant, a creator for them, maybe even a muse, so be armed and ready with ideas and concepts--at all times.
What are your rules when working with your own celebrity customer?
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