Cold Calls

[wesg]

Hey, my Classic Rock band hasn't been working much lately. Most of our gigs came from contacts a former member had. Our front man has been trying to follow up on these, with little success.

 

Anyhow, I've decided to take the bull by the horns, and start making some calls myself, because I really would like to work with this act again. Especially since we're sounding better than ever!

 

Any advice? Should I mail off a press pack and then follow up with a "Hey, did you get my DVD" call? (DVD because we don't have good quality audio - so I am shipping okay-quality camera phone footage). Should I ditch the press pack idea entirely and just make calls? Who should I ask for? "Whoever books bands", "Entertainment Manager", etc? Any other tips? I'm good on the phone, but I have no experience with cold-call sales or anything of the sort. Except in 1989 when I worked as telephone survey person for an upcoming federal election. That was easy, though, I had a script, and I was raking in the dough hand-over-fist because I was friendly and people didn't hang up on me.

 

I'm not used to handling the booking end of bands, but you know how it goes - sometimes if you want something done, you need to do it yourself. So far, I have made a list of every bar and club within 60 miles of my house that I know of that books my type of act (regardless of pay). Next I am compiling mailing addresses, telephone numbers, contact names where I can glean them, and updating my press kit slightly, just to reflect membership changes.

 

I got some really good advice last year from guido61 with respect to making us not look quite so much like a bunch of old dudes (which we are - I am the youngest at 41) in terms of press materials but haven't really been able to act on it. It's amazing how easy it is to screw up taking photos, videos, and working a Zoom H2 is. I have already arranged to hire a photographer/videographer for our next high-profile gig. Assuming there is a next one.

 

Wes

[WynnD]

Generally, find out who makes the decisions on who gets to play, get them a press pak with no more than 6 minutes of audio. The demo should show that you can start a song, sing harmony, lead, do solos and end a song well. I usually splice about 5 songs into one audio demo. Club owners won't be listening to more than that. I would mention places that you've played and were asked back in the press kit.

 

Now for the hard part. Wait 2 days, then call and ask them what they thought about your band in their club? Is it a good fit? They probably will know if they've listened to the demo. If not ask them to give you a few minutes and if they don't get back to you in another 2 days, you call them again. Be nice, be positive and talk about how you see your band with their patrons.

 

That's my take anyway. Keep a solid log about who decides, who you dropped the demo off with and when. I always take a battery operated CD player with me and headphones in case they have time to listen while I'm there. And try to not drop in while they are swamped.

 

If your primarily a country band, start with places you know cater to country crowds. Same with Rock or Jazz. Expand after you're solid in the right clubs. Most bands actually cover a wider range of material than one type.

[SpaceNorman]

My experience has been that unless you're trying to sell a known commodity (i.e., minimally a top tier local act that's been around for awhile and has real name recognition) - it's all about being in the right place at the right time. If a bar owner has a line-up of bands that are working OK for him - it pretty much doesn't matter what you deliver in terms of a press kit or what sort of sales pitch you try to give him. If he's happy with his current stable of bands - you're pretty much pissing in the wind - because that bar owner simply isn't in the market at that juncture in time. On the flip side, let that same bar owner have a band cancel on him, screw up with a {censored}ty night - or just find himself in the "it's time to shake things up a little" frame of mind - the next band guy who gives him a pitch is going to walk out with a gig. It doesn't matter how many press kits he's got in his pile, it doesn't matter that another band guy has been in there repeatedly trying to get in the door. As a result ... if you're cold calling - you need to constantly be making contact in the hopes that the sun, the moon and the stars line up such that you happy to be there when the bar owner is in a "buying mood".

[WynnD]

The club with a comfortable stable of bands, could probably be reminded about your band every few months while making sure they have your number. Bands churn all the time. They break up, they move on and they get bored. One of my places that was like that has dropped my old band from their line up and that band was gigging once every month and had been for years. So that's an opening. The owner there usually booked for the next year in October with bands the crowd liked.

[Gordon Sound]

Clubs around here are hit and miss. the best thing is to call and find out when the person who is responsible for booking is in, and when a cool time is to stop in with a promo pack. Then go to the club when they are there.drop and talk and ask how best to contact them to follow up. ( some people now adays only respond to text or facebook.But before that Look at the clubs face book and advertising, do they do bands, do they book what you do? if your a metal band chances are they arent interested if all they do is dance bands. For casino's its usually someone in marketing department for hotels usually food and beverage and both typically have a agent they use.

 

[J.Paul]

I've thought about maintaining a booking journal here on HC about booking ~

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/LivePerformanceCategory/acapella-54/31165874-trials-and-tribulations-of-booking-journal-anyone

 

It's just ridiculous around here. I think half of what I deal with is pretty commonplace and relatable to anyone else trying to book but half of it is Nashville specific and just ridiculous (32 plus phone calls , 4 emails, 2 in person visits in a 12 month span for ONE gig …… times 47 OTHER places…. all of whom book me as "live music" or with no billing at all. I'm not exactly dealing with Live Nation here, these are friggin sportsbars).

 

~ Include in your list (or database) the times and days the point person works and is available to take calls. You'll have to call when it is convenient to them (not to you).

~ Emails are fine (and preferable for lots of people) but tend to not encourage an actual relationship and only fosters a booking in THAT venue while they are working THAT job title.

~ be aware that some places have more than one person that makes the decisions on scheduling. This not only leads to being double booked (bad thing) but can hamper you closing the deal in a timely manner.

~ sometimes you have to "create the gig" in a place that hasn't had live music before.

~ start a database of how far out each place will book out a gig (some places are 6-8 weeks, some places want you to play THAT Saturday, some places book 5 or 6 months out). There ARE occasional places that book the whole year in January.

~ Have some "availables" worked out in advance with your band so that if you are offered something you can confirm on the spot without having to "get back to the club later".

~ you'll need to have a 30 second elevator pitch (a quick and accurate description of what you do)

~ it's also ok to "play dumb" and not be so articulate. Some places (less than 10%) prefer this, I assume because it makes them feel like they're not being "worked over" or "sold something". Be prepared to not soundcheck because "the game is on" if you book these places.

[SpaceNorman]

Nice! That's some damn good advice right there J. Paul!

[David Himes]

Just in time with this thread, my next article, "The Gig Kahuna,' will drop this Friday (January 18th), dealing with this very subject.