Negotiation

I want to talk about how to set realistic pricing for your gigs. It all starts by establishing your value in the markets you play. Whether you are an agent booking solos, duos, trios or any configuration of a group, or whether you are booking your own act, establishing the value of the act in the desired markets is the one true way in which you can begin to create realistic pricing. It is not the number of people in the group or even necessarily the night of the week that matters. How to set realistic pricing is about the value of the act that drives the negotiation. Let’s test…

Which works for you when you settle the gig cash or check? Does your contract specify your preferred method of payment when settling your gigs? Do you let the booker know your preferences if you don’t have a contract? What is the best method of payment? This might seem a small point, but depending on the type of venues you normally perform in, this may be an issue deserving your consideration. Now most artists performing at performing art centers, on college campuses, for government organizations, in schools and sometimes at festivals, most often get paid by business check government check or certified check. In some instances, money can even be…

Negotiation Technique Reduce Call Me Next Week Syndrome Here is a negotiation technique reduce Call Me Next Week Syndrome. Let’s face it, people are busy with their own agendas and are not always ready to work on your agenda—even when you think you set an appointment. It can be very frustrating to get the booking person to deal with you when you want them to and be ready to work with you to book your gig. So you have to set your own deadlines. Allow yourself 3 call opportunities to get them on board to work with you. 1st Call: Perhaps it’s the introduction, you send your stuff, you set…

Higher paying gigs are just the ticket to boost your career. Are you satisfied with the money you end up with at the end of a gig? Wouldn’t it be great to make more money each gig you book? You are worth it, right? So how do you get them to start with a higher guarantee or a higher percentage? How do you get those higher paying gigs? You need to use leverage. Leverage is something that aides you, it helps you make easy work out of something that could be much harder. As a performer, you need to assess what you’ve got going for you that might help the…

Do you get flustered when asked your fee? You're on the phone with a prospective booker and the first thing they ask is your fee. The conversation goes something like, "So what's it going to cost me?" And you get all, uh, um, well… and then blurt something out. Not your finest moment as a negotiator, eh? I'll be you would like to be less flustered when asked your fee. Why don't we re-frame this experience to be more under your control and a lot more professional. Let's show them who's got your act's best interests and their venue's best interests in mind and set yourself up for a successful…

It is not always about the fee. I've negotiated for 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 that? It's all about preparation before you negotiate any deal. Take some time to really understand each situation and what you…

Trying to close the deal too soon? Booking gigs is really like selling. That could be why so many hate to do it. Selling conjures nightmare images, scare tactics and used car lots with cigar smoking, suspender wearing salesmen. Scaaaarrry!!!! Boo! And that's why I teach the strategies I do, so you can take the scary out of the process and use the process to close more deals and get more great gigs. One thing you may be doing to thwart your efforts is to rush the process and try to get too close the deal way too soon. How often have you thought, "I'm going to book some dates…

Picture this scenario.You are finally talking fees with the booker and you stated your fee as $1500. They come back with $1000. Now I bet you are thinking that you'll just offer to split the difference and make the final fee $1250. If you do that, the deal is done and  that's what they are hoping for.So what is a better approach?First, before you even mention your fee, I hope you have made your case and established your value so when you state your fee, whatever it is, it has some leverage behind it, some weight.I also hope you have gathered all of your facts, like venue size, ticket pricing,…

Increasing your press coverage is certain to build your market recognition. In order to maximize your chances of getting your press releases inserted into various media outlets, give them something news-worthy. Here is a template that you can use to help you focus your attention on the news-worthy aspects of your projects.In the later paragraphs, you can talk more about the CD details, the musicians, the reason you recorded the CD and yes, even more, background information about you. But first, make it about the unique collaboration or item of interest.Now your press release will have an impact, create a stir and most of all, motivate the media to seek you…