Karaoke Forums

What means do you use to contact an owner/manager for the first time regarding employment?  Do you go to an establishment without an appointment hoping that the decision maker will be around?  Is your first contact usually by phone? Does anyone use mailings?

What do you say to introduce yourself and to explain the nature of your call/visit?  What do you say that is believable that will immediatley distinguish you from the competition?

How do your respond to questions regarding your "following".  From what I have come to gather even some novice owners expect the KJ will deliver a crowd of paying customers when they come through the door for the first time.  In other words, the owner doesn't have to invest in advertising/promoting Karaoke and had no desire to invest in building up the karaoke clientele.  

How quickly do you establish a price/bid when they as about fees?

I have always worked by word of mouth. Even after that you still need to sell yourself and establish price. I've been fortunate enough not to have to spend a lot of money on advertising, but I do advertise in bar. I have never done mailings.



Usually by phone first. Then set up a meeting. I have never used contracts for bar gigs, but if it is a private party I bring one along. We usually talk on the phone first, I get a feel for what they want and if I want the job. I ask basic questions and if it peaks my interest I'll go and meet them and check out the surroundings. I use a list of my expectations and how I run a show. We go over what they expect from a show and what they provide. Then we talk price.



Calling for the first time: I would ask to talk to the person who is in charge of entertainment. When you get them on the phone don't act like a saleman, they get those all the time, try to establish a rapor with them. Something nice you heard about the bar and how they run it is very nice. I would say something like you are a karaoke host that has just become available and they are the first people you called. You know how valuable their time is so you won't keep them long. Try to set up a meeting telling them you only need a few minutes of their time. You think you'd be a perfect fit for their establishment. People are more apt to hiring you if you meet in person. That's why your objective on the phone is mainly to get a meeting with them. You never want to sell yourself over the phone. You want to save that for when you are one on one.  

When you meet with the:
Be prepared when you meet to have a professional organized appearance. Be confident and knowledgable about your craft. A booklet showing your equipment set up, business cards, list of expectations and referrals. Don't get to technical about your equipment, state your basic positives like : I have a vast amount of quality songs and use a top notch sound system. You can bring a song book with you and a picture of your set up. Personally I think most bar owners don't have a clue about equipment and what is good or bad, but if they want more detail I'll give it to them. They are more concerned about how much do you charge and what are you going to do to bring people in.


There are many variables to discuss during the meeting - start and end time, if either one of us cancels, if you go over time, are there bouncers, where they want you to set up, do they advertise, breaks (if they want them), do they expect music breaks, is there any music they don't allow (songs with profanity etc..), your rules that aren't up for question like the rotation is your decission alone, how you handle a unreasonable singer, when you expect payment and in what form you want it, who do you directly work with if you have a problem, are drinks or food, with in reason, free to the employees.



Good question. Do you have a following? If not explain it takes time to build a following. Tell them your ideas to bring people in and be very enthusiactic about it. If you don't have a following it will be one of your only resources. You'll have some slow nights at first until people find you. You can agree on a lower price for the first few months if he's hesitant to hire you. Most places have a small built in crowd, so they will get you through until you can build it up.
This is a good time to discuss how to handle a slow night also. When I first started if I had a night where no one was coming in I would wait an hour or so than he would pay me $50 just for showing up. This only happened a few times the first year.



If it is the first question out of their mouth I say it depends on many variables. Let me come in and sit down with you, this way I can make sure to give you the best price quote possible.  
I personally base my decission on travel time, if I can leave my equipment there, how many nights a week, and how many hours a night. If they need someone 3 nights a week, I can leave my equipment there and it is less than 10 miles from my house. You bet I'll charge less.  :dancin:

Oh man that was a mouth full. I gave you a bunch of basics - I hope it helps  :hug: I have had a lot of experience in sales, so even though I haven't had to look for gigs I wrote a little blurb on cold calling.  :D

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Babs, thanks.  Simply wonderful.  And, yes, you are a salesperson!

One other thing I have done is give cards to people who frequent a bar I want to get into. If you know a person who goes to a bar you want to do a gig at, have them give the owner your card...then I follow up a few days later with a phone call. It lets the bar owner know you have someone who want you there.

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It's always time to sing!

Babs, I have been in sales as my day job for too long, and that has to be some of the best advice I have seen on this board in a long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been struggling with balancing time to look for a new gig with family and day job, and the gig has lost out... All the shows I had before were by word of mouth and refferral. Finding a place by cold calling has been very difficult. You can't go into a bar that has someone, because then it looks like you are stealing their show, and if you go into a place that has never had it, there may be a reason!

Personally, I find this to be my biggest problem too, and always appreciate another perspective.

PS- I would love a copy of that cold call script- put my wife to work!


PPS- This could be interesting if Eric and I call on the same bars.....

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

We run ads in the paper....We dont' call people....People call us!!!!  :D

If your ad is big enough and well designed and gets the point across, It works!!  :D

But thats in our area....Im sure it won't work every where

expect to fork out $150 to $200 for a decent ad and for it to run for one week or less.
Depends on your area.....all I can relate is how it is where I am.  :)

Word of mouth brings in even more gigs from customers telling others after being at one of our events.  :D

I totally agree word of mouth is the best way to get a new show, but in my case, I have not had a steady gig in over a  year. In Erics case, he is just starting out and looking for his 1st show. Like anything, it is hard to get rollilng, but once it's going it's easier to maintain....

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

Are there any bars ikn your area that do karaoke regularly with several different KJ's? I understand not weanting to step on toes...if there is a bar without a "house" DJ I would start there. Some bars like to have a variety. If they have regular karaoke they have their own singers, so you won't have to worry about a following and there will bee no stepping on toes because they have already established they like a variety.

Ans since Babs has already given good ways to talk to an owner i will refer you to her post when heading to the bar!!

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It's always time to sing!

I luckily have always gotten my gigs off of word of mouth as well, with the bar owners seeking me out.

BUT I used to play in a band, and the best advise I could give for someone looking for a first gig or new gig (karaoke or otherwise) would be to make up a basic media pack.

Think of the media pack as your resume. The pack should only be a few pages so you can fit it in a standard envelope. Include a spec sheet on your equipment, your standard pricing, everything you offer, etc. on a few of the pages. Write a cover letter that is a bit more personal, offering your background in the industry and what you think you have to offer your potential employer. If you have had karaoke jobs before, list some favorable references. Make sure your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address are on each page. You should also offer to do a sample show at a reduced price or even free.

Then, visit the local bars where you would like to play, dress nicely, and personally introduce yourself to the bar owners/managers. Tell them what you are about and leave them with your media packet.

Karaoke is a business in which YOU work for the BAR to make them more money than they would WITHOUT YOU!! You should treat it like you would every other job and be as professional as possible, even when "applying" for the job. That attitude will get you a good gig with a respectable bar owner who appreciates your professionalism!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

For me, getting BAR gigs requires "pounding the pavement"  When I am looking for an additionl bar gig, I will visit the establishment on the nights I might want to gig there.  If they have a current DJ/KJ I will check them out.  (I have NO qualms in going after my competion)  Basically get a feel for the place.  If it is some place I would want to gig at, I then find out when the desicion maker is around, hopefully duting the day shift.  I then walk in cold, introduce my self and we start catting.

One thing that I am uo front about, is it is up to the bar owner to get people in the door.  Wether it is print/radio ads, flyers, drink specials, or prizes, they must make an effort to get people in the door.  IF they do decide to go with a print ad, I will assist them, or if it is flyers, I got some templates from other gigs.  I do hang Posters in the bar announcing the show as soon as I can get them up.

Now since the bar got the people there, I will GUARANTEE if they are they to have a good time, I WILL keep them there.  If I can't I will be on my way.



AS for PRIVATE gigs, that is totaly different.  That is usualy from from referal/word of mouth, or from the internet.  I don't activily seek private gigs, as I have too many of them already.  I tried newspaper adds, but found that to be a WASTE of money in  my area.  THe circulations was too small, and the adss too expensive.  Buth When you live in BFE what should you do.  

I do offer discounts on ptricing if the owner/manger is kinda iffy on hiring me.  Usualy 1/2 off the first 2 shows.  But after they they klnow what my full price is, and they know they will have to pay it.

That stuff was off the top of my head at 2:30 in the morning last night.  
You asked such great questions I had to respond.

Just as a side note. If you do end up agreeing to a lower price the first few months for any reason get it in writing when your increase in pay starts. Even if it is just hand written on a piece of paper. Most bar owners don't like contracts. I'd shy away from the cut in pay if you can. Bars are very reluctant to pay more after they have paid less. But when you are new and building a following you may have no choice.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Babs, I have already begun to consider what a written agreement would look like if appropriate to the circumstances.  And yes, bar owners and no one else like to sign "contracts".  Most people, however, understand the need to sign "written agreements".

Okay DBK1009, the gaunlet has been thrown.  By the way, why are you only 1009?

So everyone can remember my birthday- 10/09!!

Same day as John Lennon and his son Sean (I was even the same year as Sean- just born on the Island instead of Manhattan).

So now if I see ya in one of my shows, am I gonna have to put a watchdog on ya to keep ya from management, huh?

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

I thought you invited me to the Innfield for your show?

Absolutely.....can't I give ya a hard time?

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

My Newbies just landed another steady new job.   They went into a place that has karaoke.   They were just having a drink and checking out the bar.   The bartender was complaining about the KJ.  How much he sucked, (Big A**hole) and they wanted to get someone else.   BINGO.    The bar owner fired the KJ, they start this week.    Walk in Monday, have the job Tuesday.  Start Friday.    

The $5,000 KJ training really works.      "Hackie" could use it.


How he lost the job.  

He thinks he's a STAR.    Wants to sing his slow songs all night.   Just to show everyone he can sing.   He's not that good either.    The bar owner told him several times to pep it up, because people were leaving.    He just gave them a STUPID look and kept singing his slow songs.  What a STAR.  :asleep:

There is a moral to the story.

You are not the star.  You are the KJ, that has to entertain everyone in the bar.   You are not there to prove you can put people to sleep with your amazing slow song singing ability.

Couldn't/wouldn't entertain the non singers.   I think he just lost his only job.  LMAO  LMAO  LMAO  LMAO

I know him well and he is an A**hole, weasel, undercutting, job stealing, backstabbing, magot.

Maggot Is Spelled With Two G's. Welcome Back ALPOBREATH!

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Man Must Know His Limitations -Clint Eastwood

What was that comment about $5000?  This thread was how does one  introduce himself/herself to prospective employer; NOT how does one get lucky and overhear someone's comments (not directed towards oneself)?

Of course, I'd rather be lucky than good!

That's the whole point.   They went in and checked out the bar.    They started a conversation with the bartender who told them about the hack and how they were looking for someone new.   NOW how doesn't that pertain to introducing yourself to a new bar owner and getting a job?????

No wonder nobody works.


The $5,000 is what they paid me to train them how to do karaoke.   It seems to be working pretty well.   They now have 5 steady jobs a week.   Who knows how to get work????????

Quit yacking and start listening.

I think this is very BAD business practice!!  

The inference is that it is OKAY to "take" a show from someone, and I simply wouldn't want to be associated with a business person who does this type of practice.  

I am NOT saying that you can't be "competitive" ... if a bar or club is looking around for a karaoke show.  Definately ...... meeting and talking with the management is the thing to do in that case....... explain your show, how you operate, name your price ... and hope for the best!  

But to take advantage of someone DURING their show .....    :no:  :no:

In my opinion.... ithat s very bad business..... and will likely bite ya right where the sun don't shine, someday!!!  :yes:

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