Karaoke Forums

When you go out to interview for a new gig what does your presentation include? What I do is I have  a portfolio book/binder that I let the new employer look at. What I do is go through it with them explaining each item as we go. I also bring along an updated CLEAN songbook and my Big Chrome Old-School Mic in its case to show them. Within the binder are several sections:

1. Intro and mission statement

2. Background/resume/experience

3.  What you get with my service

4. Equipment

5. Music assortment

6. Dance music assortment

7. Type of show or event
(Theme party, theme night, etc)

8. Type of advertsing support for the venue and show
(Banners, signs, flyers, sandwich signs, print advertising)

9. Internet advertising
(Local city club listings, my own karaoke website, links to other karaoke websites-including KS)

10. Video camera in-house advertising of events, specials, promotions up on the video monitors between singers.

11. Photos of my disc collection, DJ gear, the silver mic, actual signage I have,

12. Photos of me actually DJ/KJ'ing at packed shows. Running the gear. Singing. In action.

13. Photos of people singing on the silver mic, full dance floor, full room.

14. Print outs of photos of me at my show from the KS photo gallery. demonstrating the coverage/exposure KS provides.

15. Copies of print media storys;
(Newspaper/magazine articles)

16. The pages are layed out in sequential order to take the client thourgh the entire program. Pages layed out in easy to read large type and bullet fromat-(Talking Points)

17. The front cover of the book has a very professional photo and logo featuring the company name, catch phrase(CELEBRATION KARAOKE--WHERE EVERY SONG IS A CELEBRATION) and a large photo of the silver mic all printed on Hi-Gloss photo paper.

18. I dress as I would at a show--clean, well groomed in flashy DJ shirt, nice slacks, shiny shoes-(interviewing for a DJ job after all!)

This approach has worked well for me and closed several gigs for me.

What does everyone else do?

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I rely on my reputation as the world's gretaest KJ.     Works everytime.  

What's with the emphasis on the shiny silver mic?

Anyway, I'm willing to bet that after all that the first words out of their mouths are, "What do you charge?"

When I'm talking to a new venue I take one of my brochure with me detailing reasons why karaoke can give their business a boost,  I also take a nice clean songbook along so they can see what my book looks like compared to others they may have seen.  

Finally I give them the gospel according to Big Mike.  If you want a successful karaoke show you've got to have just three things:

1) Good sound
2) Good song selection
3) A fair rotation

Then I let them know what I have in each of those departments.  I feel it is important to let them know that while my show might be a little more expensive than joe blow down the street, I still provide a better value because I will have singers coming back week after week and Joe won't.

_________________
Spreading the karaoke gospel

Talking to bar owners is worse than getting a kid to behave and listen.    They hear all about the crappy karaoke companies.  They never seem to know about any of the good ones.     Too many hacks playing for food.    So they think that is the normal price.  You come in high and they think you're nuts.  Doesn't matter that the hack can kill their business in a month.   Try to prove you won't.  

Stupid bar owners make me want to kill myself.  


Your presentation can look like a $1,000,000.    He remembers the last guy saying he'll do it for $50 less.    :yes:    

Everyone knows that cheap, is the best way to make money.

Stick that big microphone.     You look like you're out dated.


Been down the same road so many times.   Give the best presentaion of your life and they go with the hack.     He's cheaper.    Doesn't help the bars reputation, but he's cheaper.

HACKS HACKS HACKS !!! I HATE 'EM ! STUPID BAR OWNERS WHO WOULDNT KNOW QUAILITY IF IT BIT THEM IN THE A** I HATE 'EM WORSE !!!

Just found out our last gig has karaoke there again. Someone lower priced than us that burned over half their music from a KJ friend so doesnt have invested what we do system just ok . We were going to go sing this last week on the night they were to be there & they dont show up dont even call or anything...I asked the bartender if they had any problems like that out of their old karaoke company (us) all she said was a simple "no". Sweet poetic justice !! HA "YA GET WHAT CHA PAY FOR !!!"

Anyways... I wish I could tell you what all we do for a perspective gig but thats a company secret Not that it would help anyways we dont have a gig to our name right now Actually weve been doing a few parties & the studio will be out alot more soon, festival season around here...But nothing steady or weekly YET Still pluggin along although quite discouraged at times. Anyone else get to that point that ya feel like just hangin it all up sometimes?

_________________
Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

And of course his modesty helps as well  LOL

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Well I have to admit that I came about my jobs pretty easily. All the jobs that I've gotten have been from folks that have come out to my original venue.
The rest has been word of mouth, and then those folks coming out to the shows.
But yes, I am also working on putting together a promo package.

James
Maninablack

_________________
I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Of course you do Bigdog. We would expect no less from you.

Topher, Great list.

personally, I HATE those mics... give me a shure or AS-990 ANY day.
Yeah, but kurt... you can sprinkle goodies on a turd, and still have a dressed-up turd! !

Just kiddin'.

I do like your presentation. A lot of times, I go in with my songbook, a printout of my webpage with advertising, the forum, etc...

and then I try to talk to them about what their needs are VS what I can deliver for them. Many bar owners want to know about what a FOLLOWING you can deliver... when what you're doing with a new show is you're CREATING something from scratch. Do you have people that will show? Sure! But not every darned night you're working there!

It's that kind of education that you have to drive into the bar owners. They're looking for a quick fix. Quick fixes don't work, otherwise the $50 a night KJs would be driving out ALL the higher priced hosts. But that's who many bar venues will try to use, and then blame karaoke for NOT working... that's the point I try to drive down their heads... unfortunately, most venue managers/owners just don't want to listen!

That's very helpful to know. I never expected to learn about marketing a KJ business here but I am very glad to see this.

I think that is an excellent presentation.  :worship:
I just work by word of mouth, but if I needed to do a presentation
yours is a great example.

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

_________________
Kelley
Star Sounds Karaoke & Mobile Recording Studio


[shadow=black][scroll]You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself....KD Lang[/scroll][/shadow]

While soliciting a new venue it's good to do some research first
Do they currently have a KJ / if Yes why are they looking to replace?
Did they ever have Karaoke ?  / If yes Why did they stop?  

Doing some background work will enable you to "work" the manager and be better prepared for some of the  questions to come.

Yes you must be dressed appropriately . have a clean songbook , request slips and any other promo items.  If you have a webpage --bring your laptop and let them browse your site.  Bring referals from other gigs (important)
Last thing YOU should ever talk about is PRICE, even if asked ...talk about all your services and what you can offer ...THEN talk price

While soliciting a new venue it's good to do some research first
Do they currently have a KJ / if Yes why are they looking to replace?
Did they ever have Karaoke ?  / If yes Why did they stop?  

Doing some background work will enable you to "work" the manager and be better prepared for some of the  questions to come.

Yes you must be dressed appropriately . have a clean songbook , request slips and any other promo items.  If you have a webpage --bring your laptop and let them browse your site.  Bring referals from other gigs (important)
Last thing YOU should ever talk about is PRICE, even if asked ...talk about all your services and what you can offer ...THEN talk price

Like otheres have said, you "presentation" can look like $1,000,000 In the end it is all lip service.  

All a bar owner cares about is $$$$$$ and that is it.  You can have a gazillion songs, be neat and tiddy, best sound around, and run the best damn show ever, but if someone comes in and make the bar owner more $$$$ (either by undercharging, or bringing in more sales) you are out the door.

IMHO, and I will probably get basshed for this, is to SHOW THEM, not tell them.  If that rtequires giving them a free gig or 2 as a try out, I am willing to do it.  I could give away 2 gigs loosing $600-$800, and in the hopes I book there regulary and make a hell of a lot more.

Basically it is advertising.  I have spent too much on radio and print adds, to get nothing in return.  The free gigs I have given out have made me a lot of the green$$$$.  Yeah some tured into nothing, but the ones that did work out, have made me WAY MORE $$$$ than any $$$ I have made from print/radio adds, and made up for the $$$ I "lost" from giving free gigs as a try out.

FREE
FREE
FREE

It is a BUZZ WORD that works with bar owners, and just about anyone else.

When you finally get a presentable show going, you of course have a set price in mind.
Now of course there will be the ones that want to get you down even lower and my response is, 'nope, sorry, this is the same price that everyone else pays(whether it is or not) and I think I'm making a very reasonable offer, if I let you cut the price, then everyone else will want the same thing, and I end up cheating myself and cheapening the merchandise. I'm like you, it's a business, nothing personal, but it's a business.' And I don't say it with arrogance, I say it with confidence, there is a difference.

Can you guarantee? Yes I can guarantee that I will do a quality show each night I play here. I can guarantee that your folks will have a good time. But no, I can't promise that you'll have a packed house each night. Look at me as your investment, I'm the entertainment, you are the bar. Whether I'm here or not, you still need to advertise, whether it be inhouse or in the newspaper. If you advertise that you now have Karaoke, it's to both of our mutual benefit, but I can't help you unless you help me. Put the name on the marquee, let me put up flyers in the bar. Make it a point to talk it up with the customers when you have other things going on. Create a buzz. Make sure your staff is aware, so they can tell the customers. Together we can make it a win win for both of us. If you want to give it a test, let me come in and set up one night, if you like what you see and hear, then cool deal, if you don't like it, then I tell my story walking. Again, spoken not with arrogance, but with confidence.

As I always say my situation is a bit different. Living in such a small town, I know these folks talk to one another. If I cut a deal with one and not with all, I could end up losing all my jobs. At this point, everyone's happy and I'm making some good extra cash.
In fact I got a lead on another gig. The city mayor came up to talk with me about doing their annual fall festival. Now of course, part of the deal is that I play host to some other folks who will be bringing their own backup disc to sing along with.
We usually get some kid whose an up and comer in the country scene and is having to pay his/her dues by doing county gigs, while they polishes his/her stage skills.
Good thing is, that one gig would pay me more than what I make all week on my regular shows, so I'm hoping it works out. Word of mouth is what brought the mayor to me. So living in a small town definitely has it's benefits along with it's drawbacks.

But enough about me. Sorry didn't mean to hog the thread or be selfpromoting dork, just thought I'd share what's been working for me.
James
Maninblack

_________________
I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Twansenne -
I don't understand why people are against the freebie idea. I think it
is smart business. You'll get no argument from me.

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

James,
You are just stating the service industry version of "loss leader".  Take a loss on an item to get the customer (bar owner) to buy (hire) more goods (gigs).

I would consider the "Free" show as a "Demo" show---demonstrate your skills and value . Show them the goods in action. Sound marketing approach. I have no problem with it.

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I'd give them a free two hours... nothing more!

I have no problem working out a special, though, with say half my normal price for two gigs, then 3/4 my price for two more, and then full price after that.

It's no different than the free thing... just another way of looking at it.