You may have heard that, in an audition, the decision-makers know if you're a contender for the role in the first 10 seconds. You may also have noticed that the first 10 seconds usually consist of greetings, where to stand, and general chitchat. So does that mean they're making up their minds about you before you do any acting?
Yep.
It feels unfair… Until you realize that we do it all the time. Imagine a first date; As soon as s/he walks in, you form a basic impression; either 'yeah, this could work' or 'um, no'. You might learn something later that alters that impression a little bit, but usually not much. Same goes for auditions; The acting only counts when it strengthens a good first impression. If they've already checked out, there's little you can do to get them back.
So what's the basis of that 10-second impression? Your attitude. The good news is that 'Attitude' falls into the category of Things You Can Control. But a lot of good actors sabotage themselves with the wrong audition attitude.
I have a coaching client who recently graduated from a prestigious conservatory, signed with one of the best agencies in town, and was going on lots of big auditions. But he wasn't booking, and his agent told him the feedback from casting was that he was "green". So I asked him to greet me like he would in an audition. He smiled very politely and said, "Thank you so much for bringing me in, it's an honor." And big red flashing lights went off in my brain.
Gratitude is good. Every audition is a miracle, because there are thousands of people who would kill to be in your place. But remember… You are there because they NEED you. If you have a busted pipe in your apartment, you do not want a plumber who's honored to be there. You want one who is confident, qualified, and prepared to solve your problem because that's what s/he does for a living.
At an audition, the decision-makers have a problem - a role on paper that must be brought to life by an actor - and just like you and your busted pipe, they want one who is confident, qualified, and prepared to solve their problem because that's what s/he does for a living. Is it cocky to think of yourself as the solution to their problem? Nope… It's professional. More importantly, it's what they want. As one of my favorite casting directors says, "if you're the solution to my problem, I get to go home!" Cocky would be believing you're the only solution, which you're obviously not, because there are other people auditioning. You're there to offer them your solution. If yours isn't the one they want, that's ok.
You can play with different ways to pep-talk yourself into this attitude. Think of yourself as a superhero, sweeping in to save the day. Think of yourself as Bryan Cranston. Or keep it simple and think, "I am here to solve your problem. You're welcome." It's ok not to get it right the first time. Keep trying. You'll know you've found it when you walk in to the audition room and feel everyone relax because they can tell they're in the presence of a pro.
Can you feel how the 'I'm here to solve your problem' attitude takes away the pressure to be 'good enough', or the loss of power that comes from thinking they're doing you a favor by seeing you? It's about knowing what you have to offer, and offering it with confidence. Settle into that, and let the bookings flow.