As you try to get established as a Vent in your part of
the Country, you already know most of the basics for
performing. You know that you have to have the skills of
Ventriloquism fairly well polished, but getting your first
several bookings can be a real obstacle. The “business”
side of the art can be a real tripping hazard if you don’t
take the time and effort to market yourself and your skills.
Once you begin to get known, getting more bookings becomes
much easier because every show that you do can also become
a reference to point at. This is another reason that you
cannot afford to leave less than a good taste in EVERY
customer’s mouth. But getting those first bookings can be
a real traumatic experience. Fortunately there is not a
single “right way” to go about it. You must be prepared to
try whatever works for you. Be ready to be flexible. If
you try one thing and it does not work, be prepared to try
something different. If that does not work, switch off to
yet another avenue of effort. Do NOT get discouraged.
Keep trying. You will eventually find one or more things
that do work for you.
Here are just a couple of things to try.
In almost every community there is a local sale paper.
Some folks get those free sale papers every week and read
them religiously. In our area the paper is called “The
Nifty Nickel” want ads. Contact the paper and place an ad
for your services. No, you will not land a corporate event
from this avenue, but if this edition of the newsletter
seems to be written for you, you probably are not yet ready
for a corporate event. That is down the road a piece. Run
an ad telling that you are a Ventriloquist who does
birthday parties, Church groups or whatever your target
market is for the time being. Make sure to put a good
phone number in the ad so that people can call you, and be
ready to entertain some spoiled little rascals at several
parties. You need this experience as part of your growth.
It will give you “audience time”. This in turn will allow
you to refine your material and become more comfortable
performing in front of an audience.
Always have a stack of business cards in your pocket. If
you are waiting in line to get into a movie, don’t hesitate
to strike up a conversation with the people in line. Tell
them that you are a Ventriloquist. Give them your card.
Yes, it is hard work, but then nothing worth having in life
is going to just happen without effort on your part.
Go to a local restaurant. Ask them if they will let you
come in and entertain on nights when they have a large
family crowd. Tell them you will perform at no cost to
them.
They are thinking “free”. That’s good. You are thinking
“FREE advertising”. As you walk up to a table with small
children, do a little ad lib performance and strike up a
conversation between your puppet and the kids. Before you
move on to the next table, make sure to hand one of your
cards to the adult(s) at the table. On your card it should
say “Birthday Parties”, and whatever other types of
occasions you are looking for.
This is just a few of the tips that will help get you
introduced to your beginning market. Use your own
imagination. Think of any way that you can put that 1 cent
business card into someones hand. Always be pleasant even
if folks don’t appear interested. They may not have any
need of your services at that moment, so it may appear that
they are just blowing you off. Don’t let that bother you.
As long as they have your card, they may wake up next week
and realize that they have a child who was intrigued by
your puppet who has a birthday coming up. If you hand out
10 cards, and get even one phone call, you are on your way
on the journey of a lifetime.
That’s all for now folks, we will talk again real soon.
Steve and JET