Turn Cold Calls Into Friendly Calls
How can you turn cold calls into friendly calls that get you the great gigs you desire? I’ll start a two part series for you this week that helps you do just that.
I offer you a 4 part process. Each step is a strategy that can be used alone or in combination with any of the other steps to really maximize your booking process and reduce or eliminate cold calls completely.
Step 1: Pull New Contacts From Old Contracts:
Once a gig is played, the old contract gets filed away, hopefully. It’s likely that you will get back to that venue’s booker in a few weeks or months as you look for another date later that year or next year. Instead of waiting for too much time to slip by, why not get back to the booker within days of the recently played gig and do 4 things.
1st: Thank them for the past gig.
2nd: Mention a time frame in the future when you plan on returning to the area and see if they will put a date on hold for you or actually book the date.
3rd: Ask them if they could refer you to 3 other venues, festivals or events in the region that won’t interfere with your next gig at their venue, but that could help you build your audience in the area further increasing the turnout at their venue when you do return. Get a name and contact information and ask if you can use their name as a reference. Now, you have an in and it is no longer a cold call.
4th: While you’ve got them on the phone, ask if they can give you a quote about your recent performance—you’ll send them an email reminder to which they can easily reply.
If you’ve got contracts from years past, pull those out. Even though your original contact may have moved on, you still played that venue and you might remind the new person of that fact as your intro and mention your old contact. Once the introductions are over and you reminisce your past engagement, try to discover where your old contact is now. There may just be another venue waiting for you by making another friendly call. And now you have some history upon which to base your discussions to get another gig at the past venue and a new gig and a brand new venue with a past contact.
Step 2: Find New Performance Opportunities with Local Businesses
There are so many other performance situations in each community that are not the regular venues most artists turn to for gigs. Another great way to turn cold calls into friendly calls is to tap into your local business community. Here’s how.
Make a list of businesses you know or do business with now, or have done business with in the past. Many businesses have events for their employees that may be a possible performance opportunity for you.
Invite the other members of your group, friends and family and possibly some close fans to a brainstorming session. Come up with a creative list of potential contacts from folks they know and do business with.
Start getting in touch with these contacts using the referral method to create a working list of potential new gigs. Stop in to see your banker, your auto mechanic, your insurance agent, your realtor, your child’s teacher, your doctor, lawyer or dentist. Start with those you know.
Once you’ve created a relationship with some local businesses, ask them for a referral to some of their friends in similar businesses in nearby towns or around the region. Once you’ve actually done a gig for these businesses, referrals to their colleagues, partners, friends and associates will flow easily. They may be private events or public, with great pay and appreciative audiences.
Step 3: Turn Your Mailing List Into A Referral Gold Mine
Start by adding a column to your mailing list sign up sheet or sign up cards headed, occupation. Not only does this help you get to know your fans better, but it gives you a better idea of their socio-economic background—which can help you target your marketing more appropriately.
Use this information wisely. Perhaps some of these fans work in positions that could help you get future gigs. Perhaps some can give you names to contact at their business or organization who might be in a position to hire you for a performance event.
Once you have a new contact from your fan list, make that next referral call mentioning your fan’s name and their recommendation to call. This call has much more potential to get a positive response.
These strategies are really worth some exploration. When you begin to turn cold calls into friendly calls, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Next Week: Step 4-The Power of Niche Market Networking
Are you using any of the above steps to reduce your cold calls? Do you have another great way to make friendly calls instead of cold calls?
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, “Turn Cold Calls Into Friendly Calls.”
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
