Are you ready to close more booking deals? Are you ready to get to, “YES,” more often?
Let’s examine one of the main reasons you may not be closing as many booking deals as you like and how you can turn that around to get more great gigs.
The number one main thing many artists tell me they do is to try to close the deal way too soon. Sure, they may be eager and ready to nail down the date, but is the buyer ready? You may find yourself in a similar situation. You’ve spoken with the buyer a few times and you think that’s enough time to confirm the gig. However, they may not be there just yet.
How often have you thought, “I’m going to book some dates today”, or “I’m going to book the fall or spring tour this week?”
Well it just won’t happen very often. Now I have booked an entire tour in an hour, but that was under exceptional circumstances. That takes a major headliner to be the object of the tour, then it might be possible.
You know how I always talk about making “Friendly Calls” and “Referral Calls?” That is because I want you to start with the essence of an already established relationship that you can nurture and build upon without having to make that very cold call. I also have talked about understanding your prospects problems or situation and how you need to ask more questions about their concerns. This is so you can be the problem solver and offer your act as part of their programming solution. This is all process and process takes some time to move through all the steps.
When you make booking calls with the expectation of actually closing the deal or booking the gig on that first call, you are most likely setting yourself up for disappointment. I’d like you to think instead of this as a relationship-building process. Give yourself time to discover more about the person, the venue and their programming problems first. Then become the solution. You will eventually develop great long-term relationships as well as book more great gigs and close many more deals in their own good time.
So this week, examine the top five calls you were going to make and think about questions you can ask to further your understanding of their concerns and programming problems. Plan to understand them more. Nurture the already started relationship or begin your relationship with some insightful questions about them, their season, their venue. Begin by learning about them before you inject your needs upon them. Take these top five calls and make each call realizing you are not about to close the deal this week, but rather, find out what kinds of concerns they have when trying to sell out their shows.
If you want to close more booking deals, you must place relationship-building as your top priority. You’ll close more booking deals over time when you approach each individual venue booker with that first on your agenda.
Are you trying to close your booking deals too soon? Have you examined your contacts to see where they are in your relation-building process?
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, “Close More Booking Deals.”
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
