Your Daily Dozen

Here is a great question for storytellers and other performers:

How many marketing contacts will you make today?  ONE?  FIVE?

Let me make a recommendation and suggest you start your marketing each day by planning a "DAILY DOZEN".

Though doing a dozen pushups, pullups, squats or running a dozen blocks is great for your health, if you want to increase the number of gigs you get, try my Daily Dozen.

What is the world is My Daily Dozen?

Simple. A Daily Dozen is a dozen contacts each day to find paying gigs.

What kind of contacts?

Whatever you want them to be!  Send out a dozen postcards, letters or brochures. Make a dozen first contact or follow up phone calls, hand out a dozen business cards, or better yet, a dozen post cards. My preference is 12 postcards each day (followups are not a part of this count for me and are separate).

Mix it up. Send our six post cards and do follow up call to six places you sent post cards to. Just do something each day on a regular basis and be consistent about your marketing every day.

I know it doesn't sound like much, but 12 contacts each day means 60 each week, 240+ contacts each month.

That is 3,120 contacts in the next year.

Sure, you won't get 3,000 gigs, but what if ONE PERCENT of those contacts turned into paying gigs? 

Would your calendar look better with 31 additional gigs? 

How about your pocketbook?

How far in Advance do you Market?

How far in advance do you market?

Do you know how far in advance the venues you work with schedule programs?  Do you keep a record of when they contact you to schedule a program?  

These are valuable bits of information that can help you get more gigs and not miss out on great opportunities.

Here are some example of what I mean:

Senior Centers I have worked with seldom schedule 6 months ahead of time.  They tend to look at their calendar quarterly, so I expect their requests to be within 1-2 months of their contact.

Summer Reading Program for many libraries will be scheduled by October of this year for next year's June and July programs.  Many libraries plan their budget by October so they can submit it to a government body for approval. If you wait till next year to make contacts you may be way too late!!

Festivals often plan a year in advance!  Many times I have been asked on the last day of a festival if I will commit to performing next year.  I like those invitations!  Keeps the calendar looking good.

With that in mind, do you plan your marketing accordingly?

I am sending out festival information right now for next year.  Schools were sent an initial contact this week and last week because school is back in session.

When I do a 90 Day Mad Marketing Workshop I give everyone a calendar and we brainstorm what events/holidays might take place in a particular quarter.  We make a list of all the possible events or holidays first and then begin to list possible venues and audiences for programs specifically designed for those events or holidays.

Valentines Day is a good example.  Possible audiences would include women's groups, churches, youth groups, senior centers, libraries, coffee shops, couples retreats, Red Hat Societies and even men's groups.

I designate the first 2 weeks of February as possible dates for Valentines Day programs. I don't really market for this program prior to January 1st.  There are too many other things on folk's calendars that will be on their minds.  

However, a contact the first week or two of January can get several great gigs if you make the contacts.  These might be programs that you will schedule during a time that is often slow for storytellers.

What are your action steps?  First take a look at your 2014 calendar and think about the programs you offer and also concentrate on the seasons/events/holidays that would be a good fit.  Maybe determine to develop programs to coordinate with those times/events.

Think about when you should begin to contact venues to market the programs you select.  Plan your marketing calendar.

Now, spend a few minutes brainstorming about the audiences for those programs and that event.  Write them down, spend some time brainstorming...

Last of all, do your homework.  Develop your databases of venues.  Get addresses, contact information, if you can.  Who is the president/head honcho/scheduler for events at that venue?

If you don't know a name or can't find one, use a title; "Children's Librarian", "Activity Director" or maybe "Program Chairperson".  Build your database and plan your contact dates.  

Then make the contacts and follow up.

Dressing for Success?

Recently there was an online discussion on a list of storytellers about costumes, appropriate dress and "storyteller traditional garb".  It was interesting to say the least.  It also was informative.

It touched on the edges of marketing and developing a "brand", but it missed some important points (in my opinion).  Performers need to remember that the folks that hire them don't want negative feedback about an event.  They don't want paying customers to walk away and talk about how someone looked.  They want paying customers to be entertained.  They want a great event. 

AND YOU WANT TO BE REHIRED!!

Since this is my soapbox, I want to make mention of a few of these.

First of all to the most important point!  Storytellers and other performers do themselves NO favors by wearing wrinkled, dirty or inappropriate clothing.  Wearing jeans to perform is fine.  Just be sure to wear clean ones.  Treat them like a stage costume and set them aside from everyday wear.  Don't do your painting or garden work in them.  Tee shirts should be treated the same way if you wear them on stage.  Wrinkled or "thrice worn" and pulled out of the pile may be overlooked by college kids, but may turn off the folks who PAY you.  Remember them?  They actually have a dog in this fight (more about them later).

Ill fitting clothing is one of the horrors I see on stage for all types of performers.  I was at an event lately and a band had a musician who thought he still wore the same pant size as he did in college.  Unfortunately his waistband was significantly lower than his belly (which was pretty large and hung over his belt like an avalanche waiting to break loose).  His shirt buttons were stretched tight and his shirt tail too short to cover his hang over.  the gentleman wore no tee shirt under his shirt and eventually his hairy belly became a star attraction on stage.

Then there is the dear woman who sat on stage and kept leaning over as if to whisper secrets to her audience.  It was a great performance... but her blouse was a bit too low cut and her "have mercies" became the focus of many who wondered if they would overcome their imprisonment and escape.  Low cut is one thing, just remember this is not a night club.

Two of my most popular programs are of characters, Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill Cody.  I researched and put together costumes that fit the appearance pretty well.  Most tellers do not wear costumes, but have some type of clothing they prefer.  Most wear comfortable clothing or perhaps a piece or two that is part of their brand. (Bil Lepp in jeans, tee shirt and ball cap, or Donald Davis in bow tie and nattily dressed for example)

 As a storyteller I began my "career" telling Appalachian stories and wearing a fedora style hat.  I still do that as part of my brand.  I have lots of hats, lots and lots because I like hats.  These days when I am just me I wear a hat most of the time (not always), nice slacks, usually a white long sleeve shirt and some type of vest.

I like vests.  I wear them off stage too.  I have quite a few vests, actually and wear some type of vest most days in winter.  I don't wear sweaters much, not my preference.  So, why wear them onstage?  First of all, as I tell audiences, they are like "guy girdles".  They help a middle aged (or older) guy keep the love handles contained.  Hopefully they do make us look slimmer.  Lots of storytellers wear vests and hats.  It has almost become "traditional storyteller garb"

Several tellers noted that women storytellers often dress better than men dress for telling.  I would agree and suspect many men don't even give it a second thought.  I wonder if their careers would be better of they did?  I wonder if those who hire them care.

A couple tellers also mentioned that THE STORY is most important.  Yep, I agree.  However, distraction can take away from the story, can hurt the performance and might even be something that causes one not to be rehired in the future.

So, the take away?  Dress comfortably, do what you want, wear a kilt if appropriate to your stories for goodness sakes.  DO dress for success.  Do make sure your clothing fits well, is clean and not pulled from a pile of twice or thrice worn clothing in the corner of some dormitory room. 

As you market yourself try to remember that you are selling a product.  Companies spend millions of dollars getting just the right colors, fonts, package shape and even smell of a product.  Believe it or not shelf position has an impact on sales.

If all that is true... then do you really think what you wear for a performance DOES NOT MATTER?

Just sayin'.

Programs for Fall and Winter 2013

Plan now to book your program for this Fall and Winter with Stephen Hollen, Storyteller and Historic
Impersonator!  There are several exciting possibilities you might consider.  All are well received by groups of all ages, but are especially designed for Seniors!  

Last year Stephen traveled through 6 states and did over 130 programs!  (He is happy to provide references!) Also, ask about the Seniors Program discounts available.

What programs you ask?  Here are some great choices!

BUFFALO BILL'S WILD WEST
 New for 2013 and already hugely popular!  Buffalo Bill will bring the West alive with a bit of history, stories, tall tales and maybe even a song or two

MARK TWAIN ALIVE!
With a twinkle in his eyes, wild hair and white suit and plenty of laughter, Stephen has traveled through quite a few states in the last several years bringing Mark Twain to life!  This is his most requested program and always a crowd pleaser.  

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS  This is a great program for November and December.  Stephen performs warm Holiday Stories filled with humor and bittersweet memories and can craft the stories for groups with various holiday celebrations.  (Want a program that is fun and different?  Ask Stephen about Santa visiting and doing the "History of Santa Claus Program)



 

Summer Reading Program 2013

 Dig Into Reading
What will you find beneath the surface?

 Here are several photos you can use with Stephen's info for the summer reading program!

 What is hiding beneath the dirt?  Is there something lurking Beneath the Surface?

Join Storyteller Stephen "Doc" Hollen, Doctor of Dirtology and Itinerant Archeologist as he digs for gold and other treasures in stories from around the world and here at home!  come on in and watch as Stephen finds "gold in them there books" to steal a phrase.

He might even help children discover that there is more in the dirt than just gold or treasure... as he helps them discover that there are other riches beneath the surface of our own yards!  Hidden things that creep and crawl and help plants grow, roots and seeds and beautiful rocks just waiting to be discovered.

Stephen Hollen is an award winning storyteller and Historic Impersonator.  He holds a degree in Oral Interpretation (Storytelling) and is currently President of the Ohio Order for the Preservation of Storytelling, Past President of the Miami Valley Storytellers, a member of the National Storytelling Association and the Christian Storytelling Association.  He has been in Who's Who in America 4 times.  His blog www.mountainstories.net features stories and poems and is read by hundreds weekly from as far away as China, Israel and Ukraine.

Paradox of Choice

Ever hear of the "Paradox of Choice"?  No?  I guess it is not something most performers and storytellers sit around and talk about as they have a cup of coffee together.  I've never seen a bunch of tellers finish a great night of stories and have someone turn and say, "Hey, let;s grab a RC Cola and some Moon Pies and sit up all night talking about the Paradox of Choice!".

So what is it?  Well, to put it simply, consumers get stressed when there are too many choices and products perform better when there are fewer choices.


In other words, if you make coffee mugs and offer 21 different colors, 7 different shapes and 5 handle designs you may be doing yourself an injustice with buyers.

It is likely you would do just as well or better with two or three choices.  The same is true in a selling situation.  When I was a Sales Manager we taught Sales Reps to talk about no more than two or three products (pharmaceuticals) and to feature just one and make passing mention of the others.

Too much information clouds the decision making process and can often cause the buyer to shut down.

What does this mean for you as a storyteller?  Well, it is an old drum I have beat on before with you.  As you market don't use brochures that list every program you have ever developed.  I've done it, you have too!  We print these lovely AND expensive brochures  with lots of choices.

I EVEN HAD A "MAKE YOUR OWN PROGRAM" CHOICE IN THE LIST!

Instead I now develop programs aimed at specific markets and promote ONE program or perhaps two when I contact them.  For example, as I added Buffalo Bill Cody to my list of programs I made contact with every venue that I performed as Mark Twain.  A simple postcard to those venues brought in quite a few gigs. I've done several hundred Twain gigs over the past few years and each one is a "hot prospect".

I've successfully done the same thing with other programs at these venues.  Instead of one gig and done, I've "sold" a series of programs to them... Twain, Celtic programs, Patriotic programs and of course my favorite - Mountain stories about my Cousin Peanut and his off kilter kinfolks.

You see, if I had listed all these programs and given them a brochure they might not have contacted me and asked for any of the listings.  When I eliminate the multiple choices and offer one at a time they call quite often!

WHY?  First of all it is easier for them to see one choice and decide to contact me for that particular program.  Second, by sending out a postcard about one program and tying it to a time of year it also can give a sense of urgency.  "Better call now to schedule that Celtic program for March or I might not get on Stephen's calendar".

So what do you do now?  Plan specific campaigns for specific programs.  Plan your marketing with a calendar at hand.  Give yourself a lot of lead time so you can make multiple contacts to targeted venues.

I do a postcard first, follow up with an e-mail if I have an e-mail address and often a third contact with a phone call or another postcard, especially if I am on the road and will be in a certain area.

The second postcard in that situation often has a label on the front noting I will be in their area on a certain week and have dates and times still available.  If I am not traveling I will still do a label (often a gold label) mentioning I still have great dates available.

Yes, it takes some coordination and yes, I do overlap campaigns as I market to several types of venues at once.  But it gave me 130+ gigs each year for the past several years.

Try it... You'll like it!

UPDATE: As requested, I am sharing a postcard I did a while back that I aimed at a specific market - preschools and kindergartens.  The front of the postcard is bright with some primary colors.  The figures are simple drawings and I emphasize Princess Stories - for little girls, of course.  I think this was sent out at the time that "Tangled", Disney's Rapunzel remake was coming out.

 and the back emphasizes learning, good deeds (values and morals) listening and communications skills.  I also throw a little hook... I can dress up for the program.  That caught the attention of several teachers and helped get several gigs.

Thoughts on this day of Jubilation

It is early morning and the sun has yet to shine.  Up at 5:00 and full of thoughts, prayers and memories as I celebrate my Diamond Jubilee - the 60th anniversary of my birth.  A string of lights hang on the railing outside the window and as I sit and wait for the dawn those lights shine in the darkness and cause me to stop and reflect.  To see the gems of bright memories and blessings that are mine.

There are, of course some times of darkness, sadness and yes, even hurt and pain in any life, in my life.  Even in those dark hours just before dawn, in those coldest days when the soul cries out, "Come Sweet Spring", even on those days there is joy, comfort and blessings.

I am blessed by family.  Surrounded from my earliest days by family, Daddy and Mama, younger brother Mike and such a wonderful extended family of Grandparents, an army of Aunts, Uncles, Great Aunts and Uncles that all loved a skinny little boy with glasses and dreams and an imagination bigger than his britches.  Blessed now by a wife, Oh My Darlin', who loves me unconditionally, who told me recently as we talked, "yep, you are eccentric".  Blessed by our kids... yes, we will live through their growing up.

My blessings include dear friends, loyal and steadfast, true through the hardships, walking as yoke-fellows through the joyous days, laughing and weeping as I laugh and weep. I am blessed by you and hope you receive blessings from knowing me.

I am blessed with a wonderful home, have had great jobs and have the best job of all... I can follow my dreams and tell stories, write, sing, laugh and make folks smile.

I can share dreams, photos and memories of home and the mountains and remind you of a time and place precious to all of us.  A place just down the holler, just there, see it?  Where the hill sides are green with new growth, the sourwood trees are a-blossom and honeybees sing and buzz as they work the blooms.

A little ol' creek glugs and giggles as it wanders through and look yonder, look into the dappled waters and see minnows darting one way and another.  Your eyes blur as you watch and and almost hypnotized you realize they are spellin' your name... spellin' my name and a message to each of us in a language as old as the hills.

The mountains, ancient mountains groan and creak with age.  The rocks and rives whisper and call.  They call to me, to the ancient memories of hearth and home.  Perhaps they remind me, remind us of other mountains deep in ancestral memories, green hills and heather, peat fires and tartans.  Ancient homesteads and Celtic ancestors.

 But as I sit in the quiet darkness I smile as I know with certain knowledge that soon it will be dawn.  Soon Spring will rush in, flowers will bloom and new life will begin as it always has.  I revel in that knowledge because it reminds me again of my many blessings.

Know this, dear Cousins, I smile this quiet smile and look forward to this day.  I know, as a singer once said, that there are more days behind me than are before me.  Though most outlive their designated threescore and ten, if I should die before I wake tomorrow, I know where I am going.  I know Who I belong to.  I know I am His and He is mine.

For you see, this place, these blessings are but a shadow, a glimpse and glimmer of that place He has prepared for me.  I am a Child of the King, joint heir with Jesus, who is the Christ.  I know in my heart and am secure in that promise.  I am not one to push myself or my faith off on others to offend.  Just know on this day I need to speak, to sings of the blessings that fill my life.  I need to say this to honor and magnify Him

I know that a place is prepared for me, though I hope there are some hills and hollers in Heaven.  An old gospel song speaks of "a cabin in the corner of Glory" and I would be fine with that.

I am thankful today.  I am blessed and you bless me by taking a moment to share these thoughts.

Stephen

Know Your Customer

The last blog was pretty much a rehash of my post in early December so I could introduce the next piece of the planning puzzle.  It is an important part and needs to be well thought out if you want to have your calendar filled with gigs year round.  What is the next piece of the puzzle?

Knowledge!

As I mentioned in the last blog, when libraries plan for their Summer Reading Program they often set their programs in the fall for the next summer.  Some of their planning is probably in response to their receiving the Collaborative Summer Library Program guide in the fall.  They need to plan and submit budgets for the next year.  If your program is not part of that budget your marketing won't do much good.

So, how much lead time is needed?  Who makes the decisions? Some of that depends on the venue, but there is more to this part of your planning.  Rather than a shotgun approach, why not fine tune your prospects?  Talk to them and get an idea as to when they plan programs and events!  

In the business world this is called, "KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER". Know what types of programs a segment of the market plans, how much they pay for programs, when most of their programs take place.  Talk to other performers, to those who plan programs in that type of venue.

Build a prospect list!  Gather info on the venues and keep it handy. I'm talking about contact info including contact names, addresses, phone numbers AND the above information.  

Develop a spread sheet with this info.  Add to it dates you contacted the venue and what your did.  If you get a gig... make a note of it.

Better yet, why not use a CRM program- Customer Relationship Management program to keep the info!  You will be amazed at how efficient - and productive you can be.

Block That Calendar Now!

 I am hoping you purchased your 2013 calendar long ago and are already writing down appointments and gigs for this New Year!  I purchase an 18 month calendar every June so I can have the next year available at all times.  I know, yes, there are online, computer and even phone apps.

I use a daily/monthly calendar so I can see a whole month at a time and use the day page to make notes, write down specific info about gigs like addresses, phone numbers and contact people.  

I think it is easier,at least for me, to plan my travels and my month when I can see the whole and use it to plan.

As you look at that new calendar, let me encourage you to think with your marketing hat on and begin blocking out marketing opportunities.  I often use hi-lighters to do this.  It is a great way to not only find opportunities, but also it will help you plan when to do mailings, e-mails and phone calls.

For example,  Martin Luther King Day is on January 21.  This is a great opportunity to market stories about civil rights, equality and believing in dreams that can change the world.

February is Valentines Day and has great opportunities for stories about love, sacrifice (do you know the story of St. Valentine?), humorous stories about marriage and couples.

March could be Irish stories and Celtic stories. Passover begins March 25 and this year Easter is March 31 and an opportunity for religious stories of faith.

There are plenty of other holidays that can inspire your marketing.  don't forget the seasonal storytelling also with scary stories in October, fall stories of harvest and change.  Christmas stories!

Then last of all, gigs that happen only during certain times - Summer Reading Program around here is mostly June and July.  Many libraries have already scheduled their programs LAST FALL!

Your marketing should be 3-6 months out usually.  There are always exceptions, but if you plan well in advance and market in advance you should see that calendar filling up more in 2013.

More about that later!