Karaoke Forums

since this got little to no response in the KJ forum, i thought i'd repost it here.  there seem to be alot of folks with KJ background.
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ok, this may sound strange, but i've never had to actually solicit for a gig.  i've always been approached to do them.  so now i'm thinking of branching out and doing more than one gig a week.

how did y'all go about finding gigs?  did you hit up new businesses?  did you talk to established places that didn't have karaoke?  did you go to places that already have karaoke?  if so, how did you convince the owner/manager to let you do karaoke instead of the person who was already there?  did you tell them you'd do it on a different night than the person who was already there?  did you tell the new business that they could try you out for half price for a week?  i'm not into stepping on toes of other KJ's around town, especially since it may be their livelihood and it's just hobby/passtime for me.  i'm really clueless as to how i should approach this!

thanks in advance for any advice!
steve

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All work and no play make Homer something something

Around here if a new place opens it's like flies on a fresh turd.   KJ's swarm the place.     It's very competative and cut throat.    Bar owners are idiots.   It's a tough sell.    They only think about what it will cost, they never seem to think about what it will bring in.   You have to be a salesman.   Now think about other salesmen you have dealt with in the past.  Think about how the used psychology and used and read body language.  The phrases they used.   You need to get them saying yes to everything you throw at them.    Put them in a "Yes" mood.    I only ever did one Free job, to get hired.   It was worth it.    But that said you could get screwed by a bar owner that never intended to hire you in the first place.    I do offer a reduced rate for at least the first four weeks.   It takes a long time to build up a steady loyal crowd.    Hard to people to go to a new place to sing once they have established themselves at a singing gig.   I personally don't like to "split" gigs with other KJs.    If they suck it could drag you down.    People will talk about the bad karaoke at So & So's.   You get caught up in the generalization.    I quit a job when they brought someone else in on a different night for that very reason.     I don't need someone else screwing up my reputaion because they suck.  

I have a promotional package that I put together.   Includes a magnetic business card, copy of my current calender, my business/equipment fact sheet, examples of the color table tents ads for on the tables, full page color, laminated posters I'll make to hang around the bar, full page color ads I use in my song books for each bar. (these include a map to their business, weekly specials, menu specials, drink specials, when I'm there and other nightly entertainment.)    I tell them anything goes it's their ad.   All designed to help build their business.     When I leave there will be little doubt about how I run my business and what they can expect me to do for their business.   It's like trying to sell them a used car they don't think they need.   Uphill battle.    

I'm working with a guy right now that isn't happy because his Friday night isn't as big as the Saturday night I have been doing for him for eight years.   Gas prices and new night.    He's telling me & the bartender two different money figures about how much he's doing.    Told me $500 a night, bartender says it's more.    Even at $500 a night, that's $24,000 a year gross.     Wouldn't you like to work one night a week for $24,000 a year?    And He stays home on Fridays.    I'm trying to tell him it will only get better.    I don't know what he's thinking.    But I heard last night the bar might be for sale.   When you start a new night, even if it's at a place you already do, it's like they never ever had karaoke.   You are starting out fresh.  You have to find a room full of people that want to change where they go now, to come to your place.  People get set in their ways, it's a comfortablity thing.  They don't like change.    I used to send the wife out in a short skirt.   Shave your legs, it couldn't hurt.    :dancin:

Steve, you have a job already.  Is it going good, with a nice steady crowd?   If so, you could talk to prospective bar owners and tell them to stop in to see the crowd.   Seeing is believing.   You need to show them the money.   Tell them with a little time and advertising on their part, it could happen for them.    Build off of every successful  job.   A short skirt wouldn't hurt.     It gets a little tricky because most of them don't want to go into another bar that they consider their competition.   A guy I used to work for has been stopping in at a bar I started down the road from him after he quit having me.   He said the only people making any money were me and the bartender.   Meaning he wasn't.   $6 glass of wine.?????   (He woke up to the fact that he really screwed up by stopping karaoke.   He came right in and asked me if I wanted to come back.   He wanted me to quit this one and go back to him.   It didn't matter to him that the owner was there.   $$$$ talks.)     Anyway I moved down the street.    When he gave me a 2 week notice (which is highly unusual) I called the lady that owns the bar I now play in.   I told her she had an excellent oportunity to have a ready made crowd.   But she had to decide fast.   I told her everyone was already geared up to coming to this town, on this night and a few blocks shouldn't make a difference to them.   Well everyone has come to the new place.   Many nights the first rotation is 1 1/2 - 2 hours.   She 's real happy.   It's like fishing.   You can't catch anything if you don't have the line in the water.   Get your stuff out there.

Band Manager's.  I never had much say

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I would suggest focusing on bars that do not have karaoke and see if they want to give it a try.  Check them out for awhile beforehand.  Bring a book in , talk to the owner, give them a intro price.  Get your own deal going.  Network with local KJs, but respect their gigs.  My $.02.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

I sit and wait.

When you go out looking for work it makes you seem desperate.

When they come to you you can name your own price.

I wouyld stay away from any print ads.  For me they have never worked.

Whay I would do (and have done) is go to a venue and offer a 1 time only free gig, and  see what happens.  Make sure to spread the word, posters/flyers/word-of-mouth to get a crowd.  Use common sense too, don't chose a VFW hall to give a free gig if there are only 70+ y.o. members and no jukebox in the place.

I have probably give away a dozen or so free gigs, costing me (if I would have charged em) about $2000 to $3000.  For that "investment" I got a few regular bookings, and it has made me over $30,000(gross), and still continues to make money.  In all reality, the free gig only cost me the gas to drive to the place, since I was not doing anything else.  I did ask for free sodas at the places I did free gigs, and they all agreeded.

The only 2 cents I would like to add is - I don't think you should try to
get gigs that already have a KJ. I think this puts a bad taste in patrons minds.
Most patrons get attached to their KJs and are offended when someone tries to take away their buddy. If you want these people coming to your shows you don't want to turn them off.

I have been approached by a bar owner to replace his KJ, I know this Kj personally, I would never take his gig. If they are going to replace him they'll have to do it with someone else. Now if I didn't know the guy I might have taken the gig. I don't know if this is right or wrong. I just know it feels right.

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

thanks y'all.  

i don't really want to go soliciting gigs away from other KJs, so i'm glad that not the best way to go about it in your opinions.

babs,
       that's actually how i got my gig now.  i was singing at this place when the KJ kinda got a big head and told the manager he wanted more money or he wasn't going to play there anymore.  the manager said "ok, don't play here anymore".  that plus this kj's wife was always drunk ad obnoxious during the show.  the manager knew i use to run a show and asked me if i'd be willing to do it.  i made her give me her word that she would keep me for at least 4 months so i could recoup the money i was going to spend on a system and she agreed.  i actually called the guy and asked him if it would upset him if i took the gig.  he told me that  he didn't like the idea, but  he would get over it.  well, he did get over it and he even comes in once in awhile now.  

again, thanks for the advice from everyone.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I agree with advertising in the local Entertainment paper being unproductive....at least here in this area. We have one locally here that features all live entertainment. About 1/2 live bands and 1/2 karaoke. I advertised in this paper about 3 times all about 90 days each. The ads came with a 1/3 page feature article about one of my venues and my business.  The cost for the ads was reasonable but I got absolutely no new business from them and no new karaoke customers at my gigs as well. I advertised the places where I played and on which night, along with being available for additional bookings. One result I was not looking for was ASCAP/BMI showed up within a week of the first ad appeared and they hit up the bar for fees, of course the owners were thrilled about that. The bar owners actually asked me to not include their venue in my ads after that....which kinda defeats the purpose of the ads.

Each time I featured a different venue to see if that was somehow responsible. Anyway my results were zilch.

I have never gone out and promoted my business other than the Ads. However I did start golfing with a local bar owners association a couple of years ago and met about 20 to 30 bar owners from that once a week outing. I tried to get paired up with new owners each week....in the course of 18 holes you will get to know them and they will ask what you do for a living.....results from this have been fantastic I have booked about 4 bars over the past 3 years as a result of this.

The rest of my business comes from word of mouth advertising. My customers are always looking for opportunities to help me in this area, especially with private parties.

I do agree lyquiddye  when the gigs come to you...you can basically name your price and get it. A referral is very powerful.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Flipper made me think of how I've gotten some great paying jobs.
I don't know if you all have them in your area, but in the suburbs
we have Chambers. Our chamber is comprised of all the local businesses.
I am a member because of my other job and still have booked for my
karaoke business. Most of the local bars belong to the chamber, so I know
the owners. It is a nice way to network.

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

that's a great idea.  my wife is a chamber meber becasue she is a photographer.  she's always asking me if i want to go to the meetings.  maybe i will go!

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I'm going to move to Pittsburgh.  I REALLY like the idea of life dropping into my lap while I sit around here yacking online !      Must be something wrong with my roof    

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".