Ready, Set, Action! Your Guide to Getting Started in Acting

Who said Skills acquisition has to be Static, Boring???

What if I told you, acquiring basic ACTING skills can improve your career & personal life?

Would you listen?

IMPORTANT: Acting DOES NOT MEAN FAKING IT. It can be used as an extension, or retraction, of expressions instead. For example, when showing surprise or shock, you emphasise the expression, NOT quell it and smile!

Acting Builds Life Skills

Acting can help you in many different areas of your life. It teaches you how to be expressive, how to develop different characters, and how to become comfortable in front of a crowd.

Most importantly, acting teaches you how to deal with rejection. It's a tough business, and not everyone will be successful. But if you can learn to deal with disappointment and keep going, then you'll be prepared for anything.

No matter what your goals are, acting can help you get there. It builds self-confidence, communication skills, and resilience - all of which are essential for success. So what are you waiting for? Start your acting journey today!

Introduction to Acting

So you want to pick up acting? Great! But where do you start?

There are many things to learn, and it can be overwhelming for beginners. In this Newsletter, we’ll look at getting you started, from finding the right acting classes or skills to practice.

Define Your "Why"

Before you start, take a step back and ask yourself why you want to learn acting in the first place.

There are plenty of possible reasons. Maybe you love performing and making people laugh. Perhaps you feel like you have something important to say and want to share it with the world. Or maybe you just love the challenge of learning new things and mastering different skills.

Whatever your reason, it's important to know what it is. Defining your "why" will give you a strong foundation to build your acting career on and help keep you motivated during tough times.

Do Your Research

One of the most important is to do your research. For professionals, you need to find a good acting coach or mentor who can help guide you on your journey. For the rest of us concerned with the basics, you need to find people to emulate. Namely, actors/actresses!

Some forms of acting are also very powerful when applied in the context of relationship building potentials. For example Method Acting, where one tries to fully inhabit and assume the role of the character. You have heard of the expression “walking a mile in their shoes”. Method Acting is the equivalent of lacing up the shoes, sprinting up a mountain, doing half a day of combat training, then walking down the mountain using a handstand.

If you can pick up and use the essences of Method Acting, you would wield such a high empathic resonance with your target character (it could be a client!) that you can foresee all their potential actions, buying triggers and objections.

Find Your Muse

Remember I mentioned Method Acting as the one I would consider using? Below is a list of potential actors/actresses to look into, and learn from. Observe their movies, read their interviews, and feel them. Move like them, think like them, and you would better pick up the acting skills desired.

• Marlon Brando
• Robert De Niro
• Daniel Day-Lewis
• Christian Bale
• Jim Carey
• Forest Whitaker
• Charlize Theron

Here is an example of the thought process:

Marlon Brando was in acting class that was told to act like chickens and that a nuclear bomb was about to fall on them.

Most of the class chuckled wildly, but Brando sat calmly and pretended to lay an egg.

When Stella Adler asked why, he said "I'm a chicken, what do I know about bombs?"

Source: https://www.facebook.com/AmazingThingOfficial/posts/marlon-brando-was-in-acting-class-that-was-told-to-act-like-chickens-and-that-a-/5095991813862077/

Pro Tip:

If you PRACTICE this skill every day, for 2 weeks: I assure you that you will feel a MARKED IMPROVEMENT in your client relationships and sales ability (and also how you can deal with your bosses!)

Give it a shot: what do you have to lose?

Hone Your Craft

The best way to learn is by doing. So, once you've taken the necessary steps to set yourself up for success (i.e. studying the basics, finding the right classes and coaches, working your TikTok videos), it's time to put what you've learned into practice.

Practice:

Level 1: Mirror. Try out your expressions, amplify them, tone them down. Appear ANGRY. Appear excited!!! Appear curious??? Appear sympathetic… Appear attentive!

Level 2: Video recording of self. Try out a script that is written, a longer form than a mirror practice. Rewatch it for tells (poker players will know this!) and work on them.

Level 3: Act in front of friends/family (call it Role Play). Ask them to rate your expressions.

Level 4: Act in front of clients. See the difference in impact in closing rate!

In addition to practising your skills, be sure to take care of your body and mind. Eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and make time for self-care. These things will help you stay sharp and focused.

The bottom line: don't be afraid to start small, and always continue learning and growing. The more you put into your acting, the more you'll get out of it.

Persevere

The most important thing to remember when you're starting out in any field is to persevere. It won't be easy and it won't always be fun, but if you stick with it and keep working hard, you'll be able to achieve your goals.

It may not be easy, but convince a buddy to embark on this with you! There will then be someone you can bounce ideas, and practice, off. As you can imagine, this suggestion of “learning acting” can be considered unorthodox.

But, if you stick to norms, you get what normal people get. Why not try something CRAZY to push your envelope?

Don't give up if things don't go your way - keep trying and keep working hard, and you'll eventually reach your goals.

Acting Builds Financial Advisory Skills

In real life you have scenarios you will want to apply. You would have prepared a few pages of dialog to prepare to perform the scene (we call this, roleplay). At some point, you will likely stumble or forget a line.

When this happens, your instructor should stop the scene and ask you how you would like to handle the situation.

This is an important moment because it's an opportunity for you to learn something about yourself. Do you take charge and find a solution? Or do you crumble under pressure? This is what we call your "presence." It's what separates the good actors from the great ones.

Your presence is not only important in the acting world, but it's also important in the financial world. When you're presented with a difficult situation, do you panic or do you stay calm and figure out a solution? This is what separates successful financial advisors from those who are not as successful. Acting teaches you how to stay present in difficult situations and figure out a way to move forward.

Conclusion

Acting can be a great way to express yourself and to build new skills. If you're interested in getting started in acting, start by doing some research to find out what the best approach is for you. There are a number of ways to get started in acting, so find the one that's best for you and go for it! Remember to stay positive and to be patient; learning how to act takes time and practice.

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