This week we tap into the power of niche market networking as I continue to share the 4th step to help you turn cold calls into friendly calls.
Step 4: The Power of Niche Market Networking
If you have already discovered a unique niche market that is perfectly suited to your performance, congratulations! If you haven’t, review Chapter 8: The Art of Touring in my book, How to Be Your Own Booking Agent, for all the details on how and why you should explore niche marketing.
Now, here are 5 suggestions to put this valuable asset to use and turn cold calls into friendly calls. If your niche market is an organization with multiple chapters or offices that spread across a state, a region or is national or international, then you have hit the jackpot! Now let’s get to work utilizing all of the amazing benefits offered by your association with this niche. Get in touch with the contact at the niche organization with whom you have worked before.
- Ask them for a letter of letter of reference or a quote about the last show you did for them, if you haven’t done this already.
- Ask if they have a list of other chapters with a contact that they might share with you and if any of those on the list are personal contacts of theirs that they could refer you to directly. Don’t forget to ask if you could use their name.
- Ask if there are any chapter-wide events coming up, such as meetings or conferences where you could perform or give a workshop. This will showcase your act to a larger portion of the chapter’s membership and potential programmers for future events.
- Ask if there is an organization-wide newsletter where an article about your group’s involvement with this organization might appear.
- Inquire if the newsletter or website offers any advertising opportunities. Often these ads are much less expensive than main stream media and are a direct link to a large and enthusiastic membership if you’ve chosen the right niche.
Referrals from within a niche market have a high degree of credibility among niche members often resulting in a domino effect. Once one chapter discovers you and has a successful experience with your act, the referrals become almost automatic and spread like a virus throughout the niche market, This expands your reputation as well as the number of gig requests. Calls by referral within the niche becomes a series of pleasant conversations with people who are eager to speak with you and welcome your call—if they haven’t called you first.
Rely on all the connections you have made over the years. They can provide you with a gold mine of potential new venues to play when you turn cold calls into friendly calls. These friendly referrals pave the way to many more successful bookings.
Are you working with any specific niche markets? How have you used the power of niche market networking to help you turn cold calls into friendly calls and get some really great gigs?
Leave me a comment below or on the Performingbiz Success Strategies Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PerformingbizSuccessStrategies.
I can’t wait to hear about your success.
Thanks to Carol Ehrlich for this week’s Biz Booster graphic image, “The Power of Niche Market Networking.”
Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, “Future Dance.” Check them out at www.curfew.co.uk
And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com
