Wallflowers need not apply

Every Monday morning, the internal staff at CMT has a meeting to gather together and discuss any questions, comments, concerns, etc. that anyone may have. Today’s meeting involved a large discussion on how to continue to ensure that our talent are the best in the industry and that we prepare them as much as possible before showing up on the client site for a tradeshow or event. On occasion, we have wallflowers that show up on site. We know you’re not wallflowers in your everyday life because your resumes show the many events and activities you have already participated in.

This discussion got me thinking. How can you be a promotional model/talent if you’re even partially a wallflower? You would think that all models and talent in this industry would be type A personalities and real go-getters. However, that isn’t the case. Maybe some of you are wallflowers because you don’t know what being a booth host/hostess or brand ambassador actually entails. Below are some tips that can hopefully help to explain what we are looking for in the epitome of a CMT talent. They may sound simple but if you combine them all together, it’s almost impossible to get a poor review!

How to not be a wallflower and blow the clients and CMT out of the water:

1. SMILE at all times. If you’re having a bad morning, day, night, or whatever, leave it at home. Why not brighten someone else’s day with something as simple as a smile?
2. LOOK professional. Now, there are different levels of professionalism depending on the job type. MAke sure you ask as many questions to your booking agent leading up to the event as needed in order to be fully prepared.
3. Be OUTGOING. This doesn’t mean you have to have a conversation with every single person that walks by, but make sure to try to at least say hello. You are acting as a representative for the brand or company, so represent them well! This not only looks good for CMT, but it will VERY likely get you booked in the future. Our clients often request talent by name if they’ve impressed them in the past.
4. Be EARLY. Notice how I didn’t suggest to be on time? Keep this philosophy in your head: “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, be prepared to accept the consequences.”
5. ASK QUESTIONS. If someone asks you a question at a tradeshow, don’t say, “I don’t know” and let that be the end of it. Respond with “I’m not sure, but let me find out for you or direct you to someone who will know.” If you are unsure of how to work something or what something means, ASK! Clients love when you ask questions because it means you’re genuinely interested in their company/product.
6. RESEARCH. Upon being confirmed for a job, research the company/product you will be representing. There will always be a website to visit even if your agent doesn’t spell it out for you. Google it on your own if you have to. No one ever came over-prepared for a job.
7. Last but not least… HAVE FUN! You can make the most boring job fun. It’s not difficult, trust me. Have you ever had a layover in the airport or maybe sat in line at the DMV? How did you pass the time? You spoke with those around you more than likely. You asked questions, maybe laughed a little, and the next thing you knew 2 hours had passed!

I’m sure you’ve probably heard our booking agents explain the above in some way, shape, or form. But guess what! We say it because we mean it. We want you to do well and we want to hear amazing feeback from the client about you because we want to be able to book you more in the future.

So for all you wallflowers out there hoping to succeed in this industry, it’s time to get off the wall and branch out beyond your comfort zone a little! You can do it!

Next generation of CMT!

Today starts the new/next generation of CMT. Not only are we beginning a blog where you can read up on all the goings-on with Convention Models & Talent, but we are also moving into a new location.

 Currently, all of us are sitting at a Caribou coffee in Midtown Atlanta awaiting the “ok” to come and begin moving into the new office.  Why the move you ask? We were in our previous location since the establishment of CMT by Shelly back in 2001. Little by little, she took over more of the basement in the Roberts Building in Buckhead Atlanta. We could have continued taking over more offices; however, the arrangement wasn’t ideal for a rapidly growing company. We needed something more professional and more fitting for the type of business we are in. Thus, began the search for a new home.

 Shelly Justice, owner and CEO of CMT, began this search last Spring. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Atlanta, there is a plethora of ideal locations for a new office. However, Shelly was looking for something that would not only be convenient but also allow us to grow as a company for years to come. After a couple of months of searching, she came across a building needing some TLC in Midtown Atlanta. Now, Shelly has the ability to see the potential in anything from people to buildings to business opportunities. That is why she is the owner and CEO of a successful company. She saw potential in the model and talent staffing industry and now 7 years later, we are one of the top companies in our industry.

 Back to the building… after we closed on the building late Summer/early Fall 2007, the planning and construction began. The building was gutted and stripped down, so that we could begin from scratch and mold it into the CMT look and feel.

What is the CMT look and feel? It is trend and simplicity. It is high quality and comforting. It is bold colors such as blue, green, and orange. It is clean lines and eye-catching. If you have ever visited our website or office or seen our talent at a tradeshow or event, you know what this means. We are not only beautiful people, but we are also intelligent, positive, and out-going. We are CMT.

As we sit here in Caribou coffee, we are all buzzing with excitement of getting into our new “home”. Some of us have been lucky enough to see the almost finished product, and it is going to be absolutely amazing once complete! Now, only if that phone would ring with Shelly on the other end letting us know it’s time to come help complete the transition from old to new… time to begin the next generation of Convention Models & Talent!