Branded by Who?

In my last post I ended by the question that I will divide into two parts:  

WHO ARE YOU?        

                                    WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am not talking about an elevator speech here, though those questions are the ones always asked when you learn to put together an elevator speech.  Oh, an elevator speech is how you would answer those questions in a short period and in just a few concise sentences as your ride a couple floors up or down in an elevator.

I know, that happens so many times on elevators these days.  It is good to know how to answer those questions without making it obvious you are a storyteller who tells only epic stories and needs 15 minutes just for the intro to the story.

An important part of marketing is simply being able to define those questions.  They will help you gain focus on what you want to do as a storyteller or performer.  They help you define who you are in the storytelling world.  They are, in a sense your back story - that part of any story that the author knows but does not necessarily write into the story.  Your back story also sets boundaries for your storytelling. 

Take the "Who are you?" question;

In my case, I will answer that I am Appalachian, unashamedly Christian and a mountain boy at heart.  For those reasons I do not tell creation stories from other religions, sometimes include hunting and fishing in my stories because I grew up doing those things and they are a part of who I am.

I will not play the dumb hillbilly, as you might have heard me say at some point, "I am not Jethro or Lil Abner.  I come from a proud people.  They were not ignorant, stupid, lazy or dirty.  I will not dress as such and will not poke fun at my roots.  I will also be pretty offended if you do."

That begins to define who I am and helps me determine the types of stories that I will write or tell.  As I have mentioned before, I stopped calling myself an Appalachian Storyteller because it limited the types of stories others PERCEIVED that I told.

Asking "Who Am I?" can also help you to define your mission statement and begin to build your business and marketing plan.  How?  Simple actually because it can help you to identify groups and audiences that you have things in common with!

Define who you are and then start looking within a 30 mile radius around your home base for audiences!

Sort of makes sense, doesn't it?

Branded!

Branding is an interesting and important part of marketing for a storyteller.  Branding means many things and you need to understand what it is and is not in order to use it to your advantage.

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as:  a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."

Some examples you will be familiar with are the Nike "swoosh", McDonald's golden arches or believe it or not - Coke's vision of Santa that has actually influenced the way children and adults envision Santa Claus... which really is not at all like historical drawings and descriptions of Santa or St. Nicholas!

I hear many folks that have a little experience with marketing talk about the importance of using the same colors, fonts and pictures in marketing as if those things alone are the key to getting business.  While it is important to have a consistent image, using Times New Roman instead of Arial in the body of a brochure really is not such a big deal.

For a storyteller, branding can start when you walk into your closet or have a photograph taken.

Take costuming, for example.  I don't mean wearing some sort of outlandish costume, I mean what you wear when you perform... your costume.  

Think about Donald Davis, Baba Jamal Koram, Bil Lepp or Doc McConnell and you might think of Davis' dapper appearance and bow tie, Baba Jamal Koram's amazing African clothing, Lepp's ball cap. jeans and tee shirt or Doc's checkered vest and old hat.  Those are all part of their individual branding. 

Mark Twain is identified with a white three piece suit, even though he wore a white suit for the last years of his life.  Captain Kangaroo wore that coat with huge pockets (in which he always had carrots for Bunny Rabbit). Mr. Rogers always changed into tennis shoes and a sweater.  I can still see Ray Hicks in a pair of overalls on stage.

However, that is not all branding is about.  For you it may not be about clothing at all.  There are plenty of amazing storytellers that come to my mind and I have no idea of what they wear on stage.  It is just not important - OR PART OF THEIR BRANDING!  

It may be the types of stories you tell, like the ghost stories that Kathryn Windham told, or Ray Hicks telling Jack Tales, Brer Rabbit Stories by Lynn Ford.

You may be identified as an ethnic or cultural teller, telling Appalachian, Asian, African American, Native American, Jewish or Hawaiian stories.  You may tell stories about your religious heritage or even stories based on your geographic location.  All these can identify you, separate your from the crowd, create a niche for you.

It is all the start of your personal branding.  

Yep, there is more, but it all should start with two simple questions:

Who are you and What do you do?

What's In A Name?

I suspect one of the most misunderstood names - or titles I have ever used is "Storyteller".  Every sort of entertainment person latches on to it from movie directors to musicians.  So many folks suggest they are storytellers through their novels, music, television shows, movies and even art.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the first recorded use of the word storyteller was in 1709.  Synonyms there include: fabricator, fabulist, fibber, prevaricator and liar.  Make you feel good, right?

Thesaurus.com is a little better for synonyms:bard, fabler, minstrel and my favorite - raconteur, among others.

My friend Jackie at story-lovers.com has a whole page of names and definitions i enjoyed reading:  
http://www.story-lovers.com/listsstorytellernames.html

All that to make this point: Who are you and what do you do?

WHAT EXACTLY IS A STORYTELLER?

You better be able to articulate this and do it well if you plan on growing your business!  Answering those two questions will help you define your BRAND.

If you don't develop your Brand others will!  So, what is that?

It is simply how you define yourself, your services, the things that make you stand out from the crowd. It is your identity defined and even symbolized... like the Nike "swoosh", Coke, McDonalds.  These are all names of companies that spend a lot of time defining who they are in the marketplace.

Why is that important to you?  Because if you know who you are and what you do - you can have the same message, look and product through all your marketing!

And you might even get more gigs with a little better clarity!

Freebies Anyone?

How many times have you received a call asking you to perform for a group... for free?

How many times have you accepted?

There sometimes seem to be a stream of folks who call and tell you how wonderful their group is, how important their mission is.

How they have no money.  And then their ask: "We were wondering if you would consider doing a program for us for free?"  They might say it a little differently, but the bottom line is the same.  WILL YOU GIVE AWAY A PROGRAM?

 Now, you might end up thinking I am a scrooge, but I don't often do free events.  The ones I do I choose and offer.  I do not respond to low cost or no cost requests.  There are several reasons:

First of all, it may be free to them, but it cost me!  Just in gas alone it cost.  For example,  say the venue is 30 miles away or 60 miles total.  At 20 miles a gallon gas mileage you would use 3 gallons of gas.  right now gas is close to $4.00 a gallon - that is $12 it cost YOU!  If you figure the allowable mileage rate it comes to $33.30.

Include your time with 30 minutes drive time each way, perhaps an hour before and after the performance and one hour performance...  That is 4 hours total.

That does not include wear and tear on your vehicle

Minimum Wage is $7.25 X 4 hours = $29 if you were paid minimum wage!

Their free program actually cost you at least $41 if you made minimum wage.

KNOW YOUR NET

What?  You'll do the program for a $50 honorarium?  Cool, You net $38.  $100 nets you $88, $150 nets $138.  Know what you will net when you quote a price.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER

Take your time to know who you are talking to.  Find out if they pay other performers.  Find out what they do and if they are REALLY a poor group.  One day you will agree to do a freebie and will walk into a group and see diamonds glittering on every hand, expensive handbags, Italian suits and expensive cars in the parking lot.

Then you'll know they just weren't that poor.

Check Your Baggage!

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman at one of the venues I performed at this summer.  He had been on my website and realized we were both graduates of the same college.  We had a great conversation before and after the gig about our alma mater, professors we both had and the beauty of the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.

He then thanked me for my professionalism and shared an situation he experienced recently with a performer who unloaded their woes and personal problems on anyone who would listen when they arrived.  He spoke frankly and said he would never invite that performer back again.

The take away from that conversation?  

CHECK YOUR BAGGAGE AT THE DOOR!

Even if you consider the person who hires you for a performance a friend, it is really inappropriate and unprofessional to do a data dump of problems and issues when at a performance or even when on the phone confirming a gig.

When I was a sales manager in the pharmaceutical industry I traveled often doing sales training around the nation.  As we did training for dozens and sometimes hundreds of pharmaceutical sales reps we always included the same advice.  

You would be amazed at the number of times a doctor or nurse would call a sales manager and complain about reps who share too much of their private lives and personal issues.

Our advice to them and mine to you was simple:

Show up with a positive, upbeat attitude.  Smile, be polite and engaging.  If asked, do share about your family, hobbies, interests.  Don't unload the baggage!

Remember you are not only a guest... they HIRED you to perform.  Respect that relationship.

Gigs happen OFFLINE!

One of the things I hope storytellers and other performers do not forget is that GIGS happen OFFLINE.  

 There is so much advice flowing around right now about "online presence", "building a platform", "using social media for business" that it is easy to get caught up in the mistaken idea that you do not need to work offline to fill your calendar.

I doubt that any of the social media gurus really are saying that social media can take the place of good old common sense and hard work to build a business.  Their intent is to make you better at those aspects of building your business. You absolutely need to remember two KEYS to success:

First - PEOPLE BUY FROM PEOPLE!  You are your best marketing tool.  Prospective customers need to hear your voice, talk with you, see that you are interested and interesting.

Second - the internet is INBOUND and works only if a customer is looking for something.  You also have to do OUTBOUND marketing and go after customers.  You need to identify opportunities, make contact, have a call to action in all your marketing pieces and ASK FOR BUSINESS.

As you know, one of my favorite methods is postcard marketing.  It is not just sending out a shotgun blast of un-targeted postcards.  It takes time and a little research to find those opportunities.

So, take the time to draw a 30, 60 and 90 mile circle around your home base.  Start in the 30 mile circle and find the possible venues.  Think outside the box, make lists and make contact.

You might surprise yourself and get a gig.

Mad Marketing Rush Begins Today

Saturday was the Hard Times Marketing Workshop.  It was a great day and lots for all who participated to think about and do!  I have one more week of Summer Tour and will be in Erie, Pennsylvania, Westlake, Ohio and along the coastline of Lake Erie in a few days.

Today I begin another Mad Marketing Rush and am inviting them... and you to join me and see what happens.  ARE YOU IN?

Here is how I plan to begin and how you can do your own Mad Marketing Rush:

• Select one or two PROGRAMS to market heavily for the next 30, 60 or 90 days.  If you need time to prepare, that is fine.  Just start now getting things ready.
• If you have postcards for those programs great!  If not, go to Vistaprint.com to design and order program specific postcards.  Be sure to have a CALL TO ACTION like "Call Now To Book" or perhaps, "Ask about special Early Bird Booking Rates".
• Take his week to select venues within a 30, 60, 90 minute circle around your home base.  Begin with the venues within the 30 minute circle.  Get specific names, if possible.
• Plan on mailing 10-20 postcards weekly.
• Follow up either by e-mail or phone to each contact.

Last - Let others know about your successes!

Let me know... ARE YOU IN?

Keeping Up Appearances

On Saturday, August 4th 2012 a select group of performers and storytellers spent the day with me for the Hard Times Marketing Workshop.  It was a great day and each participant had much to offer.

Sherry, one of the participants who is a librarian and a brand new storyteller made an interesting observation about appearance and dress.  Some time ago she hired a performer to visit her library based on a brochure they had sent.  When the performer showed up she had to ask twice if they were the performer she had hired.



Why?  Because they had multiple photos in the brochure of them in a particular costume that appeared to be part of the program.  When the performer arrived they were dressed in plain clothes, not the costume.  Not only was she disappointed, but all her promotional materials she had printed had the performer in costume.

Several folks including our librarian friend offered another observation about some performers, including storytellers when they mentioned that performers AND storytellers often come to gigs dressed  poorly or inappropriately.  When I asked privately for more details several things were mentioned often...

• Dirty jeans or pants... or shirts
• Inappropriate blouses for women
• Slogans on tee shirts that were not appropriate... even political tees at an event that is not political in nature.
• Shorts when not appropriate
• See through clothing
• Pants worn WAAAYYYY to low on men or women
• Sloppy clothes

Don't forget you are a professional!  As we talked three names were mentioned more than once.  Donald Davis was the choice for a great professional appearance.  Doc McConnell was mentioned because everyone remembers Doc in that plaid vest.  Ray Hicks always stepped onto stage in his overalls, but you knew they looked new and clean.  "They were his Sunday overalls" was the comment.


Think about how you look when you go onstage.  You may not think it matters... but those who hire you do!

A Marketing Balance

There is a lot of talk these days about social networking for business and for storytellers/performers.  Books have been written, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are full of advice and salesfolks trying to sell you their latest take on how to market via the internet and social media.

I have been told by several storytellers that all their promotions and marketing is done online these days.  My response is usually the same, "That is great.  I hope it works well for you.".


My opinion I hold to myself is this:

If you do not create a balance online and offline you are missing out on opportunities.  There is a real difference in marketing and selling between active and passive marketing.


Your social media marketing depends on customers finding you and joining your circle of "friends", connecting to your social network or subscribing to your newsletter.


What if they aren't looking for you BUT would be interested if you asked them?  Are you missing many opportunities because you are not actively seeking them?


Social Media marketing is sort of like having a retail store.  Your customers have to come to you to buy.  That works fine if you are Wal-Mart.


The other model you need to look at is more like a B2B model - business to business.  Pharmaceutical Sales is a good example.  Drug companies put highly trained sales reps in the field to call on physicians and other health professionals to educate about specific drugs and ask for business.


To be a successful storyteller you need to FIND customers and market specific products/services.  DON'T EXPECT them to come looking for you.  


The first step is to know your 30, 60 and 90 minute markets.  Get a map and a compass and draw a 30 mile circle around your home.  That is your "30 Minute Market".  What possible venues are there in that circle?  do the same for your 60 and 90 minute market.

Search for venues, for likely customers and build a list of prospects.  Find out what NEEDS they may have and market to those needs!  Ask questions - what type of programs do they hire for?  If you see trends then build programs to fit those trends!


You may be passionate about the plight of myopic possums. You can have lovely stories about people who fit these short sighted critters with glasses... but will anyone pay to hear those stories?


Last of all, am I saying you don't need the online presence?  Not at all.  The point is that you need both.

Have you seen the car commercial where the young woman talks about her parents not having a life because they only have 19 Facebook friends and she has over 600?  She sits in front of a computer trying to figure out if a picture is a real puppy while her parents are out living a great life OFFLINE!


Balance your marketing - ONLINE AND OFFLINE.

My Template Change

First of all, I really liked my old template.  It was nice to look at, had a swing and a grasshopper on it.  It was NICE.  It just wasn't as readable as I would like.  Also, I don't know if search engines liked it.

So, after reading "Platform" by Michael Hyatt, I decided to make this change to something simpler and easier to read.  Michael's website is: http://michaelhyatt.com/


I highly recommend his book, his e-mails and his website.  I don't do that often or easily.

The new look will  be easier on the eyes of readers and encourage you to share the info, book gigs with me and buy my new CDs that will soon be out!