Let’s get straight to the point:
Until you have developed a WORKING/BUSINESS relationship, conduct yourself in a business-like manner. When I say this, I mean that you should be more polite than friendly. This means you greet with a handshake, not a hug. Laughing and smiling are fine but stay away from flirting… including with body language. Do not use your body to show interest, like you would if you were trying to make friends or stroke the male ego. Resist the temptation to make “friends” first in this male dominated business. If the meeting goes well, a polite hug at your exit would be okay. A nice smile and a handshake would be better.
There are a couple reasons for all this, the first of which is branding. If your method of networking in the music business is overly friendly, flirty, or girly… guess what… you don’t come off as a member of the industry… you come off like a groupie. Imagine being seen at an event hugging all the artists. Imagine how it looks to have pictures all over Facebook where you are with these artists/producers, but you aren’t in the studio working, you are hugging in a club. Yes, I know, you are just being friendly, creating rapport, etc. But to everyone else, you look star struck, misguided, and unprofessional. Amazing how that happens.
Sidebar: I would avoid sending random friendly tweets to celebrities you don’t know or have only met once. This puts you into the category of FAN instead of singer/writer/producer/etc… and the whole twitterverse gets to witness it.
Another reason is that if you start off trying to be friends, then you will quickly be one of the many women that complain that every male in the business wants to get in their pants. A more businesslike approach will not eliminate this completely but I believe it will help.
What are your thoughts? Hit me up.
-Steez
