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 of potential agents.
If and when you are really ready to work with an agent, here are three important steps to take that will help you make a much better pitch and make your approach to an agent more likely to get some attention and consideration.
- Take inventory and create an overview of your career particularly the last two years.
You need to present a clear picture of your career.
Include:
- a list of all your past performance venues
- the fees you actually received
- the capacity of the venue and the number of seats you sold.
- a list of merchandise sales
If your numbers increase each time you play a venue, there is good indication you are building a following in the market. This is exactly the type of information a booking agent wants to know when determining whether they will invest their time and money to add you to their roster.
- Create a set of career goals, timelines and projections.
Most artists are looking for an agent to relieve them of work they dislike doing for themselves—making calls to book gigs.
Look for an agent to help you raise the level of your performance dates, increase the number of dates and the performance fees.
Set career goals for the types of venues you would like to play and present this to prospective agents. Determine a specific time line in which you would like to have these goals accomplished. Then based on the kind of concrete information you’ve gathered from your evaluation (step 1 above), you can make some realistic projections about what percentage of increase you foresee in the next two years. For example, based on last year’s information, you are able to determine that your bookings, fees and merchandise will increase by 20% during the next year and 20% the year after.
When you present an agent with hard numbers they can more effectively evaluate whether or not it is worth their involvement.
- Research Agencies
It doesn’t matter how well organized you are or how talented you are, if you are calling the wrong type of agent, you are wasting your time. There are many different databases or agency listings one can review. You may need to purchase some of these directories, but it will be well worth the expense when you begin calling appropriate agencies for the type of performance you present. Some resources with agency listings are:
- The Booking Agent’s Directory (created by The Indie Bible)
* The Musician’s Atlas
* Pollstar
* Association of Performing Arts Presenters
* Musical America
* Chamber Music America
Some agents book specific genres of music or styles of performance. When researching agencies, determine if the genre of music or the type of performance is compatible with your own.
Check their roster of artists to see if you recognize anyone. There may be some acts for which you might open. When finally speaking with someone at the agency, mention that.
Create a list of appropriate agencies and make sure you get the names of one or two or the head of the agency if it is a small company. If you know any acts that are working with a specific agent with whom you might be compatible, ask that act if they would mind sharing some information about their agent. You may get some insider information regarding whether or not it is a good time to make your pitch based on who the agent just signed or if they are looking for new acts to add.
Now you can confidently present yourself to appropriate agencies when you feel you are ready to make a pitch. You will present a much more professional overview of your act. How to approach booking agents takes preparation, planning and professionalism. It is not something you should begin on a whim if you are serious about landing on a really good agency roster.
To get really comprehensive info on how to work with agents, listen to my free audio class, Hot Tips About Working with Agents.
Have you made attempts to work with an agent in the past? How did that go? Did you use any of the three suggestions above to help you with your pitch?
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.
Now, Thanks to the band Curfew, for providing the Biz Booster Theme Music, “Future Dance” Check them out at http://www.curfew.co.uk
And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses visit me at Performingbiz.com
