Have you ever considered how to turn your competitors into your partners? As you seek opportunities to expand your performance possibilities and grow your fan-base, why not reach out to some of your, “so called” competition and create a collaboration or a partnership for some tours. Some might look at this as a co-billing and they wouldn’t be too far off base. Why not join forces with another artist to pool your resources, introduce each other to the other’s audience and share expenses. Often this type of arrangement might start with an act’s agent, management or record label. But, it…

It's not always about the fee when you are negotiating your gig deals. I can't tell you how often I've negotiated gigs and the fee was the least important part of the negotiation. Sometimes the peripheral items you can get thrown into the deal turn out to be far more valuable than the actual fee. But first you must know what peripheral items are valuable to you before you jump into any negotiation. And remember, each negotiation is going to be unique, so the peripherals in one situation may not be the same in another. So how do you handle…

I'd like to offer you 3 tips to streamline your follow up successes and help you become pro-active around the follow-up process. You’ve made your initial contact, sent your first email, letter, or complete packet. Now the next step is crucial and often can mean the difference between throwing money or time out the door or getting what you want. Follow-up is not fun and often I hear artists say, they made the call or sent the packet so they’re done. What was sent is so often forgotten and three months later they wonder why they haven’t heard back from…

Got holes in your calendar that you are dying to fill? Have you ever stared at your calendar as if you were looking over the edge into a deep and bottomless abyss? I know I have and I know I felt as if the world was caving in and I had no prospects to remedy the situation immediately. So what do you do? What did I do after the first wave of freak-out passed? My first thought was to make frantic calls to any potential prospects thinking I could book an entire tour in the next few hours. When I…

Here is a how to approach booking agents template that you need to incorporate into your plan if you are putting together a professional team to advance your career. I hear it time and time again, "If I only had an agent, I'd have tons of gigs." Or, " I wish I had an agent so I don't have to make any of these booking calls and can then just concentrate on my craft." Or how about, "If I had an agent, I'd get better gigs." And then I am asked for a referral to an agent or a list…

It's time to focus on your challenges and do something about them. I’m often asked, “How do I decide what are the most important things to focus on with so many things needing to get done?” Let’s face it, building a successful career has many moving parts and each one needs your attention at some time. But, do you have to take them all on at once? I think not. This week, let’s focus on your challenges. Let’s identify some of your greatest challenges and make a few lists. That way you can identify some of the most important challenges…

Want to find great summer gigs to build your summer tours, open new markets and develop new audiences? Spring, summer and fall are a great time for community based and outdoor gigs. Sure there are all those large festivals, performance sheds, pavilions and state fairs. But, let’s face it; they are looking for major acts to bring in the crowds. If you are one of those acts, then you’ve got lot’s to do at this time of year. If you are not quite there yet, then you also have some great opportunities to get yourself in front of local communities…

Juggling tour dates—frustration or flexibility? When I was booking tours, I used to map out my ideal tour route and then begin to line up dates to fit into my route. At the start of the process, everything looked so neat and organized to fit my plan. And then, BAM! Someone wanted a date that threw the whole darn thing into a complete mess. Of course it was one of the important high paying dates that we really wanted to do. It was one of those anchor dates that was originally the reason for the tour in the first place.…

Booking & Touring Success Strategies & Secrets Online Course Registration Closes Today  9 pm Eastern, 6pm Pacific I hope you'll take this next step and secure your touring future with artist-tested strategies that: 1.     Increase the number of dates you book each year 2.     Find the appropriate venues and audiences for your act 3.     Raise your booking fees by 25-50% at the very least 4.     Sell more CDs and other merchandise 5.     Expand your audiences in new markets 6.     Help you get paid for all those benefits you do 7.     Add additional income streams and reduce expenses And remember all…