[Dixielandjazz] Dixieland Booking

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

That's it Steve.  I used to have a yellow page ad and I got a lot of 
browsing calls.  I lost almost all of them and I shouldn't have.  I just 
hadn't figured it out yet.  I didn't do very well until I actually sat down 
and wrote scripts in big print and posted them by the telephone.  I 
practiced them until I pretty much had everything down pat and smooth.   You 
don't want to sound like a telemarketer. My wife didn't like it much but my 
batting average started to go way up.

In the last few weeks I sent out 125 post cards and booked six jobs off of 
the mailing.  That's actually a little low but I booked every call.  I was 
in the hospital for two weeks so maybe I missed some.  The best part is I 
got two new venues.

I really think that if a leader is having trouble with booking and telephone 
calls they should try it and yes price is the very last thing you need to 
discuss and if you handle it right you won't get very many balks.

Another thing that Steve said that's so important is that you have to 
control and guide the conversation.  The minute they control it you have a 
strong chance of losing the gig.  This is often a subtle thing.  You need to 
analyze every call that you don't book and figure out where it went wrong.

On price just ask them what their budget is.  One time I booked a convention 
and I would have been happy with six or seven hundred dollars.  I asked the 
question and found out that they had $1600.  I told them that it wouldn't be 
that much and booked it for $1500.  They were happy as bugs.  They were 
expecting to pay more.

BTW try to not do business by e-mail.  It's too stark.  I've only 
successfully booked one job by e-mail and lost about six.  It's just another 
version of how much do you charge? --- click.  They have all the power and 
control, not you.  Get their phone number and call them.
Larry
StL


-- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton Entertainment" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:27 PM
Subject: Re:Dixieland


>
> On Oct 11, 2011, at 5:27 PM, Larry Walton Entertainment wrote: (polite 
> snip)
>
>> I learned that it was a good idea to write scripts to answer  questions 
>> regarding this very question and others.  It increased my  booking.  The 
>> two deadly questions are what kind of music do you  play and how much do 
>> you charge?  If you answer these right off the  bat you probably won't 
>> book the job.
>>
>> I have found that you must get them talking about their party -  guests 
>> size and work in your answers as you go.
>>
>> Practice these responses until you can say it easily.  I guarantee  your 
>> jobs will increase.
>
> Good advice Larry.
>
> Forty years ago, I helped write the AAMCO transmissions phone  answering 
> script. We put it into a flip page booklet for the business  owner to 
> follow. It was designed for the business owner to take charge  of the 
> conversation. Instead of answering questions, the owner/ salesman asked 
> the questions as he flipped the pages of his script  book. I'll bet they 
> still use it.
>
> They were taught to answer the phone like this:
>
> Hello AAMCO, who is calling please?  (This is Ted Jones)
>
> How May I help you Mr. Jones?  (Well, my automatic transmission is  acting 
> up)
>
> What kind of a car do you have? (It's a 1999 Toyota)
>
> And what is the transmission doing?  (it won 't shift into Reverse gear
>
> Etc., etc., etc. So the Transmsission shop took charge and asked the 
> questions. Then after all the facts were gathered,  the guy would  agree 
> to bring the car in for a FREE check-up. Only after that checkup  could 
> the shop owner quote a price. And then, 3 levels of service we  offered at 
> 3 different prices.
>
> We did the same thing with "objections". Put them on tabbed pages. Like:
>
> Why can't you quote a price over the phone?  (I don 't know precisely 
> what needs to be fixed without diagnosis)
>
> And so on.
>
> Like the 7 P's Marine Drill Sergeants always quote: Proper Prior  Planning 
> Prevents Piss Poor Performnce. As Larry says, it is a simple  thing to 
> script out both music and price negotiations
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
> BTW, price is always the LAST thing I discuss with prospects. Must be 
> that AAMCO training. <grin> In the case of the Society Party, I had 
> previously been booked by a charity group she chaired and gave her a 
> special charity price. Slightly cheaper than our regular price and I 
> always tell charities note to quote this price to non-charities or  other 
> people. She remembered and when we got to price she said.  "Whatever you 
> charge us will be fine."
>
>
>
>
>
>