Communication Pro Tip

I organize a lot of performances for a number of organizations. A lot. Some of the readers of this blog (hi readers! *waves*) may already know that I'm constantly communicating with awesome singers and pianists, arranging programs, asking about schedules and repertoire, and distributing logistical information. It's a constant flurry of emails, calls, texts, messages, conversations, and people always ask me how I keep up (the answer: this here iPhone and coffee). But my point is that when it comes to communication, I'm right on the front lines with an incredible vantage point for seeing in real time what's a best practice and what's an oh-my-lord-no practice for professional communications between singers and producers. And since I firmly believe it's important to share this knowledge with the community (hi community! *waves*), here's another installment of Things I'd Wish Someone Had Told Me When I First Started Out In the Business.

Although, come to think of it, this is probably something that would never have occurred to anyone until the last five years or so. Here's the situation: we have an explosion of communication technology right now that enables us to communicate through text, email, phone call, cell phone call, Facebook, messenger apps, Skype, and I don't know what the hell else. Everyone gets to pick the most convenient method in the moment, and we all do that constantly, switching back and forth between them all without really thinking about it. It's totally awesome! Except when you're trying to communicate with a lot of people about one thing, at which point this vasty field of technology options can become a hellscape. So, for your consideration, here's a COMMUNICATION PRO TIP: 

Don't change the medium in your business correspondence. 

What does this mean? It means that if a producer contacts you, keep your replies to their preferred form of communication. If someone emails you, email them back. If someone texts you, text them back. If someone calls you, call them back. If someone asks you to email them with information, don't suddenly Facebook message, phone call, or text instead. Why? Imagine that the person you're messaging is also in communication with 100 other people at the same time and whatever organization system they've chosen to track it all with is evident in the way they've contacted you and/or asked you to reply. So if you change the medium to something more convenient for you, then you've disconnected from their organization system, and it's possible that your response will get lost if it's not where the requester expects to find it. You're then relying on the other person remembering your curveball and accurately recording or transferring whatever information you gave them. "Put not your fate in another's hands," said Someone Famous, possibly Churchill, maybe Gandalf, can't remember. But as an act of basic professional self-preservation, respect the organization system the contactor chose.

Using the same communication medium is also an act of kindness, because when you disconnect someone from their organization system, it costs them time and focus. For instance, I'm scheduling concerts right now using my divided email accounts, but in addition to fielding emails between these two accounts, I'm also handling texts, Facebook messages, and requests for calls to give me the info over the phone. I <3 my singer peeps however they contact me, but my personal preference is to keep everything on email. If it's in one place, then I can triage messages and search for information easily later on. When people switch to Facebook, text, or phone call, it always throws me off and makes it impossible to triage effectively, especially when I'm in the middle of doing something else - like driving - which is often. I remember spending a ton of time last year trying to find the rep email from a tenor, only to suddenly remember after a wasted hour that he'd Facebooked me with the information. Gah!

Another scenario to consider is that sometimes the preferred communication medium may only be requested by a producer. Some of my contacts aren't on email all the time, so even though that's my preferred medium, I'll start a conversation on Facebook or text instead in order to expedite contact with them. Then I'll try to get us over to email for the formal exchange of information. For instance, I have one incredibly popular and busy singer friend who says her email is a "black hole", so I always Facebook her a heads-up that an email is on its way to her. And if someone needs to contact me fast, then whatever medium is expedient for them is fine with me. But when it comes to information I have to record, like repertoire or scheduling or costume measurements, my favorite thing is when people switch back to email. Example: I texted a singer who's a personal friend to find out if she was available for a gig. I know I can usually reach her by text immediately and this was a time-sensitive request. She said yes, so I forwarded her the formal informational email. We then texted back and forth about rep ideas. Then, guess what this singer did? She did exactly what the email requested and emailed me with her final rep choices. This was awesome. Even though she might have assumed the texting was enough, she went that extra step to make sure I had the information stored exactly where it was expected. This was SO considerate, and it's one of the reasons why she's always on my short list (hi awesome singer, you know who you are! *waves*). There's a best practice right there, because if it gave me the warm fuzzies, I bet other producers might have a similar response. So no matter how varied the communication has been, consider switching back to the producer's preferred medium to provide or recap any information that needs to be stored.

Here's another reason why not to change the communication medium: it's a method for taking control of a conversation. Seriously, start noticing when and how people do this. It happens a lot in dating when people are trying to either establish their own boundaries or knock down someone else's;

Guy, by text: "Want to go out sometime?"

Girl: "Sure, call me."

See what the girl did there?

It happens a lot in manager-employee interaction.

You, emailing the boss: "I'd like to book a vacation day."

Boss, emailing back:  "Please stop by my office to talk about this."

See what the boss did there?

Taking control of the conversation can unintentionally say "we're going to do this MY WAY." Yikes. If someone doesn't know you well, what might this inadvertently say about you? Even if the person you're communicating with doesn't consciously make this connection, it can subtly affect the tone of an interaction, so consider being mindful of this.

A final reason not to change the communication medium is technology resistance. I know a number of people who refuse (refuse!) to join the rest of us in this great ocean of chatter. Some don't have smartphones, some only check email once per week, and some regularly have their cell phone turned off and/or locked inside a safe house somewhere. So this may go without saying, but switching the medium with these folks will resign your message to the ether. And because sometimes it's not immediately clear who the technophobes among us are (hi technophobes! *waves*), it's best not to assume that someone who called you will surely get your reply by email instead because it's more convenient for you and everyone checks their email these days. Trust me, they don't. If they call you, call them back.

So consider this COMMUNICATION PRO TIP for successful professional interactions, my lovelies: stick with the communication medium a producer uses or asks for, both as a protection for yourself and your brand and also as a professional courtesy to them. It really makes a difference!

Angela

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Angela Jajko, mezzo-soprano, is the Editor of the BSR Blog. A popular performer of opera, operetta, musical theatre, and oratorio, she has been praised in such publications as the Boston Globe and the Herald for her “peaches and cream” voice and dramatic delivery. Her recent performances have included acclaimed appearances with Opera Providence in The Romany Maid, as a featured soloist with Cape Symphony in "Passport to England" in the Barnstable Performing Arts Center, as Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore with Longwood Opera and The New England Gilbert & Sullivan Society, as the alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with Maplewind Arts, as the alto soloist in Mozart's Requiem with Boston Cecilia at All Saints Brookline, and in the role of Prinz Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with the North End Music and Performing Arts Center Opera Project in Faneuil Hall. Angela is the Alto Soloist at All Saints Brookline, and has also appeared as Miss Hannigan in Annie with Crescendo Theatre Company, The Lady of the Lake inSpamalot 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’sIsland 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/.