How to Be Appropriately Pushy
One of the things that's often hard to know is how and when to
be pushy appropriately. In these hardscrabble times, perfectly
polite people don't stand much of a chance of getting what they
want. However, not enough can be said for making yourself known
in a decent and unobnoxious manner. The key is to use your
intuition and your brain, both at the same time, and pray for a
little luck.
When Lazaro Hernandez was a fashion student at Parson's School
of Design in New York, he had a chance encounter in an airport
with Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue Magazine. In fact,
she was getting on his airplane. Lazaro wasn't so sure he had
the nerve to approach, but one hour into the flight, he could
stand it no longer.
Lazaro wrote a humble note on an airsick bag, which explained
that he was a fashion student who would soon be looking for an
internship. He noted that she probably got requests like this
all the time, but wondered if perhaps someone had given her a
chance at the beginning of her career. He also wrote that he
knew she had the power to help him. Then, trembling, he
approached.
Lazaro stood before Ms. Wintour's seated figure, and said her
name. No answer. He repeated her name several times. No answer.
He even crossed the uncrossable boundary and touched her arm.
Still no reply. Finally, he left his plea under her martini
glass and crept back to his seat. Several months later, he
received a call from a major designer who'd gotten Lazaro's
letter from Ms. Wintour with instructions that it was not to be
ignored. A subsequent interview proved that he had talent, and
Lazaro was hired for his first internship.
Lazaro not only had great luck to get on an airplane with the
most powerful woman in the fashion industry, he had the savvy to
make use of the opportunity. He was ready when his break came
with a portfolio of samples he'd worked hard on, making it the
best it could be. Then he did the most important thing of all:
he sent Ms. Wintour a thank you note, which prompted a fax from
the woman herself saying she was glad it all worked out.
This to me is a fine example of well-handled pushiness, in that
Lazaro used the opportunity as much as he could, but then was
completely respectful and gracious. It is also evidence that a
letter works, especially when delivered under unique
circumstances. Designer Michael Kors was a store clerk, he sold
Calvin Klein a ski jacket, and stuffed his design sketches into
the sleeve as the jacket was en route to delivery. A documentary
film director I know who needed a quote from a famous director
to help her get grants pulled a similar coup. She found out
where Woody Allen lived, then had a copy of her latest film
delivered to his door with a handwritten note requesting a
favorable comment. He obliged.
Everyone has to start somewhere, even the rich and famous. So if
you can approach politely, preferably through some other means
than the front office, your efforts will probably not be seen as
pushy but as what one does to get a break.
Part of the reason this works is the honesty involved. You are
telling them what you need up front. So this is very different
than talking up a potential contact at a cocktail party with the
sole agenda of having them look at your work, or hanging out a
health club frequented by a certain star so you can add them to
your list of influential friends. Those would be considered
inappropriate