Are you struggling to book shows lately? I’ve had numerous conversations with people about pricing, discounting, negotiating fees, etc. Here are a few of my thoughts.
- Rule #1 – Never negotiate your fee, but do offer discounts. OK, the cynics are saying, “isn’t that the same thing?” No, it’s not. Discounts are temporary. They are a special offer, not guaranteed to be available in the future. Whereas, if you negotiate your fee, you’re stuck with that as your new going rate. In my contract package, I include a formal invoice. I list the performance fee, which is what it always is, then I list line item discounts that reduce the final price to whatever we agreed on. Feel free to make up discounts. One example from a recent invoice is, “Special economic stimulus discount”.
- Rule #2 – Always ask for something in exchange for a reduced rate. Do you have products to sell after the show? Maybe offer a discount to your performance fee for explicit permission to sell stuff. Are you trying to build video footage for promotional use or even a DVD? Ask for them to provide video recording services. If nothing else, at least ask them to provide you with at least 3 people whom you can contact using them as a reference.
- And here’s one last idea I’ve been using. I’ve been doing shows for retirement communities around town. Primarily I view these as a service project. I love doing them as I have a soft spot for senior citizens (I plan to be one someday.) And it’s really helpful to me in continuing my efforts to ttaallllkkkk ssslllllooooowwweeeerrrr. My deal with these groups is, “what’s your budget? OK, that’s what I’ll charge you.” Their budgets barely cover my expenses, but I’ll continue doing this as long as I am able. There are a number of caveats that go with the deal. The main one is that I reserve the right to cancel at any time if I get booked for another event.
The work is out there, folks. Go find the people who need what you have to offer. Don’t give it away, but do work with them to find creative solutions.
Posted by imnodummy
Posted by imnodummy 
Posted by imnodummy