The Agony and Ecstasy, Part 2

I promised last week to share more results of my interviews with hiring agents who book talent for their customers. These company representatives are responsible for me getting more work every year and can often fill in holes in my calendar via a phone call or an email.

If you are looking for more work in the slow “off season” months, or anytime of year, you want to connect with agents in your area and make sure they understand who you are and what you do. They need you to impress their clients, and will gladly pay you to show up and share your superpower. Best part: you don’t have to hustle to get that client on board…the client is usually booked by the time you get the call for your availability.

If you want agents and event planners as your clients, how do you enhance the partnership by meeting their needs? Delivering on their expectations?

I asked this question of agents and event planners that hire me, as well as some that don’t. Specifically, I asked:

What could entertainers do to make your life as an agent/planner easier or better?

Believe me when I say, there was no hesitation as they shared their answers. In fact, although we might think that the agent’s life is nothing but ecstasy: wining and dining clients whenever they aren’t sitting on piles and piles of cash earned on the backs of the real workers…artists and entertainers like us, the real truth is that they have agonizing wants and unmet needs which we could definitely be serving better.

So, rather than have me summarize in an article (using my own words, no matter how profound), it seemed more constructive to share the answers in direct quotes from the interviews.

TEN DIRECT QUOTES to the QUESTION:
What could entertainers do to make your life as an agent/planner easier or better?

1. “I am the paying customer, please don’t waste my time. When I call to ask if you are available, don’t share long, sad stories, or excuses. Just tell me yes, or no.”
2. “Pick up the phone. Have a professional website. Send me a short descriptive profile of who you are and what you do that I can share with my client without a rewrite [non-branded, ie. No company identification].”
3. “Be trustworthy; don’t make a play for my customers! Make sure you have my cards to distribute. If they like you and want you back, they have to contact me.”
4. “Provide an agenda, or itinerary of what you are going to do…at each stage of the event. Share with me the flow of your show, so there are no surprises. In other words, have a plan before the event even starts of how it is going to unfold for your performance.”
5. “Three things: communicate, be reliable and have an attitude of ‘do-ability.’ Be flexible to my needs, which may be constantly changing from my client.”
6. “Be courteous and leave your ego at the door. All members of the team should introduce themselves to other vendors upon arrival, and work together to clarify how to make the best event for the client and their guests. Remember that you are part of a bigger team now [which includes the agent and their staff] and you are not the only performer. Don’t be a DIVA!”
7. “Be ready on time…punctuality should be a given for all entertainers.”
8. “Have really good photos of your work, and really good descriptions of your ‘show.’ Get back to me immediately. Answer my questions quickly. Work hard.”
9. “Provide a clear added-value over what I would have if I trained my own performers from scratch. That is the least expensive, no hassle option for me…and I want to know that hiring from the ‘outside’ is worth it.”
10. “No whining, no complaints, and no cockiness.”