New Book

MAKING REAL MONEY AS AN
ARTIST OR ENTERTAINER

AT SPECIAL EVENTS

LORI HURLEY

How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

“…This is exactly what I needed for my business! You have a way of making things

easy to understand. Thank you!” C. Walgren Calgary, Alberta, Canada

“I just had to write and tell you that I took your challenge and raised my rates! I was

afraid, but I doubled my bookings last month, all at the higher fees! If I keep going at this
rate, I‟ll have to raise my rates again, just to slow down.”

M. Bauer Houston, TX

“I took your class and bought the book and it has made all the difference in the world.

Your words ring true of someone who has been there and done that, and I appreciate your

generosity. I learned more in those two hours than I learned in the last 5 conventions I

attended.” R. Robinson Lake Elmo, MN

© Copyright 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 by Lori M. Hurley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the Author. The
contents are intended for you to use to promote and grow your own business, but may not
be included as a part of any instructional program.

ISBN # 978-1-881099-95-6

Please note: The ideas in this book are based on years of experience and trial & error.
This book is not a substitute for advice you may need from a tax or legal professional, nor
does it take into consideration any regulations for the entertainment industry in your state.

2

Preface

In an unstable world, in an unstable economy, people are searching for a solid foundation for

building financial freedom. Most people will abandon their dreams to work a “stable” job during the
best, most productive years of their lives, hoping to amass enough wealth so that they can someday
retire and finally do that thing they always said they wanted to do, even though their bodies will be
far from able to do that thing, and their children will be too busy raising their own families to notice
that their parents are finally available…

How to Make a Living as a Full-time Entertainer is written for the entertainer who is ready to take
life by the horns and create the kind of success and freedom that others are waiting for retirement to
have. I am not opposed to having a great retirement, but I am even more committed that the
entertainers who read this book begin to recognize that they can have a life worth living right now,
while they are young enough, healthy enough, vibrant enough and still skilled enough to have that
life!

If you are reading this book, I am making certain assumptions about you:
 I assume that you have a marketable talent in the entertainment industry, targeting any or all
of the following: companies, schools, churches/synagogues, fairs/festivals, private events,
restaurants, fundraisers, etc...
 I assume that you live in or near a community large enough to have multiple entertainers, or
that you‟re willing to do some traveling. (In other words, if you live in a small town, and
you‟re the only entertainer in town, this book probably isn‟t for you.)
 I assume that you have a desire to share that talent.
 I assume that you continue to grow and develop and invest in yourself.
 I assume that you are realistic in your financial goals. This book will not make you rich.
 I assume that you are ready to push yourself beyond what you already know, because you‟re
ready to achieve results you never knew were possible, or you simply did not know how to
obtain.

If these statements are true about you, then this book is written for YOU and about YOU.
Throughout the book, I may reference artist, entertainer and performer. These are all euphemisms or
synonyms for YOU. Whether you are a magician, clown, balloon artist, face/body painter, henna
artist, caricature artist, hypnotist, storyteller, stilt walker or other variety artist, this book is written
for YOU!

I have taught the principles in this book around the country and Canada over the last twenty years,
and after having numerous people request that I videotape my workshop and sell it, I opted to write
a book instead.  I started teaching this material because I noticed that some of the best artists and
entertainers around were completely broke, for no other reason than they simply didn‟t know how to
run a business. Talent is not enough! If you want to run a successful business, you need to have the
tools of the trade and organize yourself into a professional business. People regularly report that
many of these ideas are so simple, yet filled with common sense, that they didn‟t know why they

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

didn‟t incorporate these ideas sooner. I can‟t answer that. All I can say is that many of the keys to
the success of my business, and the success of countless others around the country are compiled
here. These tools have come from my own trial and error, and some from other successful
entertainers who have shared their ideas in my classes over the years.
If these give your business the jumpstart you‟re looking for (without having to make some of the
mistakes I‟ve made) then it will all have been worthwhile!

My goal is to raise the bar in entertainment and improve the success for those who go out of their
way to get trained. I only share this information with people who have high standards, high
commitment to their art, and who are interested in transforming their businesses. Since you are here,
you are one of those people. I have saved these ideas for the people who are dedicated enough to use
them to better our industry. I don‟t want this information in the hands of people who will undercut
our market and drive our prices into the ground, or who do such dreadful jobs that people no longer
want to hire entertainment. You are welcome to use this information to benefit your own business;
however, you may not re-print it or re-use it for sale, educational or other purposes. Thank you for
your integrity. LH

About the Author:
Lori is an accomplished speaker and performer who has been a
successful entrepreneur, delighting audiences of all ages since
1986 with clowning, physical comedy, stage hypnosis,
face/body art, balloon sculptures, magic, holiday characters,
singing and general silliness. She has an extensive background
in sales, communication, facilitation and the healing arts and has
been bringing her entertaining and insightful programs to
audiences around the globe. Lori has been seen on television
and stages in Finland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Japan, Canada
and across the United States. She regularly receives rave
reviews on her ability to empower participants to produce
results beyond their wildest dreams.

4

Contents 6
7
Introduction 14
17
Chapter 1: Having Cash Flow Year Round 21
Deposits
Increasing Gross Sales 34
39
Chapter 2: Improving your Market
Redefining Competition
Creating a Community

Chapter 3: Getting Organized
Tracking Customers
Retaining Clients

Chapter 4: Using a Successful Phone Script
GET THE GIGS acronym
Cold Calling
Email Responses
Communicating Value
Charitable Events and Discount Prices

Chapter 5: Generating Contracts and Handling Payment

Conclusion

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

Introduction

My husband and I are family entertainers. I started my own business in 1986, and it operated in the

background, struggling to help support me in the other activities of my life. When my husband and I
decided to make the leap and run our entertainment business full time, eleven years later, people laughed at
us. In fact, the only reason I hadn‟t done it sooner was that I kept hearing entertainers complain that work
is scarce. Long before 9/11, I was hearing things such as “You can‟t make a living as a _________ (fill in
the blank with your area of entertainment expertise: clown, face painter, balloon artist, magician, hypnotist,
etc.). There aren‟t enough bookings” or “People just don‟t want to pay good money for their entertainment”
or “There are so many _________ (again, fill in the blanks…clowns, magicians, face painters, etc.) in this
area that the market is saturated”. And, of course, after 9/11 (which was a challenge), and now recently,
with the current recession, everyone is complaining, “No one is spending money on entertainment
anymore”, and other believable, but untrue assertions.

When I moved to the Twin Cities (a major metropolitan area in Minnesota), I was working full time for a
professional children‟s theatre company and running my business part-time. Basically, the business paid
for itself and allowed me some nice tax deductions, thanks to the Schedule C. I had years of evidence that
there wasn‟t enough entertainment income to make a living. I had an ad in our yellow pages, but each day,
when I got home from work, there were only one or two messages. By the time I returned the calls, these
customers had already made arrangements with another company, making me believe that business was
scarce. And then I had my first child and my paradigm shifted forever…

While home on my maternity leave, I was available to answer my phone. This was before caller id was
common, so I had no idea just how many calls I was receiving while I was at work until that time. I was
good on the phone, and booked most customers in that very first call. I made more money on my
maternity leave than I was in my full-time job! It was then that I took responsibility for the fact that I
wasn‟t making more money as an entertainer. There was nothing wrong with my market, only with my
ability to tap into that market. My husband stayed home with our daughter for a year and started “running
the business” during the day. Again, our bookings increased.

By the time I had my second child 3 years later, I knew that I was done working for others and that I
needed the freedom and independence of being in business for myself. My husband and I prayerfully
decided to let entertainment support us full time. What a ride! It wasn‟t easy, and we certainly made
mistakes along the way, but we have been blessed to create a lifestyle where our three children have 2
stay-at-home parents sharing a part-time job and earning a full-time income. This book is designed to
help you achieve your goals in improving how you sell your services and receive your rewards. While this
is a subject which could take thousands of pages, I will focus on the 5 most important and easily impacted
items in living as a full-time entertainment provider.

1) Having cash flow year round
2) Improving your market (and dealing with competition)
3) Getting Organized (Tracking & retaining customers)
4) Using a successful phone script
5) Generating contracts and receiving payment

6

Chapter One

Having Cash Flow Year Round

One of the common issues I have seen with entertainers in North America is that there tends to

be a „feast or famine‟ experience, which leaves most entertainers feeling like there aren‟t enough
gigs, so money is scarce, particularly in the lean months. During
the busy seasons, they have events galore and money to burn.
But during less busy seasons, they find themselves panicking and
scraping by, often questioning their decision to work in this
industry. If you are one of those entertainers, it is worthwhile to
point out that having a scarcity mentality is counter-productive
to achieving financial freedom.

Before you employ any techniques to improve your business, it is
first necessary to improve your attitude, by altering your
perspective. Believe it or not, customers can pick up on your
desperation, and if you are in a lean month and feeling scarce,
chances are, it will infiltrate your conversation and give off bad
vibes to the client. And here‟s an even greater irony… The
entertainers who have the biggest concerns about money always
report that their prospective customers complain that their prices
are too high, so they get afraid and start to lower their prices to
get the gig (and then complain that they don‟t have enough
money). Is that vicious cycle a coincidence? Absolutely not!
Scarcity breeds fear, and fear causes us to act in ways which are not always good for our
businesses. We‟ll talk more about pricing later, but I‟d like you to consider that if you have
issues about money, your customers will too.

You need to adopt an abundance mentality which allows you to approach life with the notion that
“there is enough”. This is beyond simply having a positive attitude. Obviously, the opposite of
scarcity (“there isn‟t enough”), feeling abundant has nothing to do with what you actually have. It
has only to do with your relationship to what you have. I know wealthy people who complain
that they‟d be happy if they had more money. I also know individuals who earn a modest income,
and who have joy in their lives (and I have been one of those people!). From whatever source
you draw strength (God, the Universe, your Higher Power…whom/whatever), consider that you
were not put on this earth to fail. Faith and fear cannot exist at the same time. Have faith that
there will be enough; take the actions necessary as evidence of that faith and you will produce the
miraculous results you are seeking. Don‟t be surprised if, while reading this, the little voice in
your head is saying “yeah but…”, trying to argue for the justifications you‟ve been using all these
years. Just turn down the volume on that little voice, and let‟s get to work.

7

Deposits

Let‟s begin by addressing the reality of the money coming to you. Bills have to be paid on a monthly
basis, so you need to be able to generate income on a monthly basis, even if your events are seasonal.
If your cash flow is dramatically different from month to month, there is an easy solution. You need

to collect 50% deposits from your clients, and adjust the due dates to correspond with the times of
the month when you need it the most. Some people collect a smaller amount, but I recommend 50%
for two reasons.

1) 50% puts something at stake for your clients, ensuring

that they will value their entertainment as much as they

are valuing their caterer or other high-dollar

expenditure. I know some performers who only ask for

10%-25%, but when those clients flake out, those
performers feel jilted. 10%-25% won‟t make up for the

lost income in not being able to re-book that date. Also
10%-25% is a „drop in the bucket‟ for many clients,
and doesn‟t put you high on their list of priorities to

call if the event changes or gets canceled.

2) 50% levels out the money you are receiving. Using
this “deposit” system enables us to have year-round

income.

In Minnesota, our peak season is June-July-August and December. May, September, October
and January are okay, but not as lucrative. February, March, April and November are pretty
slow; however, those are the months when our call volume is the highest, so I manipulate the
deposit due dates to have our cash flow look like this:

Month Money received
January Deposits for Feb-Mar events 30% and balances from January Events 70%
February Deposits for May/June events 80% and balances from Feb/Jan Events 20%
March Deposits for May-July events 80% and balances from March events 20%
April Deposits for May-July events 70% and balances from April events 30%
May Deposits for July/Aug. events 60% and balances from May events 40%
June Deposits for Aug/Sept events 50% and balances from June events 50%
July Deposits for Sept-Oct events 50% and balances from July events 50%
August Deposits for Oct./Nov. events 50% and balances from August events 50%
September Deposits for Dec. events 40% and balances from Aug-Sept events 60%
October Deposits for Dec/Jan. events 40% and balances from October 60% (lots of
last minute bookings)
November Deposits for Dec/Jan events 70% and balances from November events 30%
December Deposits for Jan/Feb events 40% and balances from December events 60%

Obviously, this isn‟t an exact science, but this is a true representation of our year round income. Of

course, when we have events in the slow months, those balances are paid in those months. And, we
might receive a deposit in February for an August event… but, still, this is a good model for seeing

that year round income is available.

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Lori Hurley

Some entertainers will argue, “Yeah, but…I have always asked for 10% (or whatever), and my
clients will never go for it…” There‟s that little voice again! If you have clients who are used to
paying a 10% deposit, it‟s up to you if you want to change it for your “preferred clients”, or if you
want to grandfather them in. But for the rest of your clients, it‟s 50% from now on! Remember, if
you have a positive attitude about it, they will too. If you feel sheepish or scared about asking for
50% up front, they‟ll pick up on it and they will challenge you.

Increasing gross sales

If you are already accepting 50% deposits and you still aren‟t having enough money to support
yourself as an entertainer year round, you need to look at the following areas:

1. How is your advertising? Where do most of your clients find you? Have you

utilized the internet? Don‟t just buy advertising. Buy the right advertising for your
market. We spent the last 20 years in the yellow pages, only to discover over the last 3
years, that most of our new business is coming to us from the internet. We have a system
of tracking each new lead, and one of the first questions is “Most people hear about us
from their satisfied friends and colleagues. Is that how you found us?” (In other words,
“where did you hear about us?”) Imagine my shock to learn that our yellow pages ads
were only bringing in 5-10 calls a month…maybe! Fear kept me in the yellow pages
(which was costing me $12,000-15,000/year!!), but we reduced our ads in that book
dramatically and have never looked back. I am not suggesting that you suddenly cancel
your own paper ads. But I do recommend that before you sign your renewal contract,
you start tracking the effectiveness of your advertising.

The intent of this book is not to suggest all of the great ways to market your business.
There are already some really great books on that topic, and I recommend that you read
them. But don‟t allow your fear to prevent you from making the necessary changes to
grow your business. (I did, and it cost me 2-3 years of effective advertising, because I
was “afraid” to remove a particular ad from the yellow pages, even though it wasn‟t
generating enough income to warrant keeping it!!!). At all times, particularly when things
aren‟t going as well as you‟d like, you need to evaluate every aspect of your business.
And advertising is a biggie! Just because your competition is advertising somewhere,
doesn‟t mean you need to advertise there too. Before you purchase any more
advertising, determine what your target market is. Rather than trying to advertise to reach
all of the potential clients and spreading your advertising dollar too thin, consider finding
a niche market where you can invest and then reap the rewards. For example, if you want
to perform at family events, your local parenting publication might have great rates on
their ads and might be filled with the ads of your competitors, but if you aren‟t interested
in doing birthday parties, then you can see it isn‟t a market you‟ll want to target. (For
additional thoughts on Internet advertising, see the end of Chapter 3, Getting Organized).

2. How are your prices? Having the lowest prices in town may get you a lot of events,

but then you‟re working harder, not smarter, and you‟re missing the clientele who want
to pay top-dollar for their entertainment in order to get the best there is. Remember the

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

commentary regarding scarcity? This is the main area where I see the impact of that
scarcity upon entertainers. People are afraid that if they charge too much (whatever “too
much” is), people won‟t hire them. To a certain degree, that is true, however, they are
basing their determination of what “too much” is on a feeling, and not on the facts. If
you have been in business for a while, you probably know how your rates compare to
those in your market. If you don‟t know, then it‟s time to do a little market research.
There are 2 ways to find out what others are charging.
 Develop a relationship with those other entertainers and ask them what they charge. It

is in everyone‟s best interest to know what the market value of the entertainment is.
 Perform “shop calls” by contacting the local entertainers to find out what they charge.

(No, this isn‟t illegal or unethical…you have been shop-called or emailed several
times and just didn‟t know it!) 

Hopefully, you have a realistic idea of how you compare to those around you, and you
should price yourself accordingly. If you do the proper research, you will quickly learn
that every market has entertainers who fall into one of these four categories:

1) Egotists (those who are the most expensive entertainers in town, regardless of
talent)

2) Top Notch (those who are the most talented and often at the medium to high end
of the price range for your area)

3) Good-but-scarce (those who are talented who should charge more but don‟t)
4) Bottom-feeders (those who aren‟t very good, who often are the cheapest in

town, such that everyone will hire them once…they aren‟t good enough to
compete with quality, so they compete with price).

It is my hope that you are talented enough to be in the Top Notch category, and that this
book will inspire you to price yourself accordingly. If you find that you have more
bookings than you can handle, you aren‟t charging enough! Some performers worry that
if they raise their rates, they will lose business. (Recognize that little voice? That‟s
scarcity talking!) Would you believe that I have never found this to be true? Actually the
opposite is what happens nearly every time! People in scarcity believe they have to book
every gig. People with an abundant attitude don‟t want every gig… only the best gigs!

If you still aren‟t convinced, here are some other things to consider:
a. People who are trying to save money on their entertainment also cut corners in

other areas, and there are often many breakdowns in those events. The worst events
I have ever attended were those when I agreed to lower the price for one reason or
another. My highest maintenance customers are the bargain shoppers.

b. People value what they pay for. Period. Years ago, my husband and I (in the Top-
Notch category in our market…expensive, but not overpriced) were performing at a
company picnic. When we arrived, our contact met us at the car with chilled water
bottles and offered to help carry our things. On our way to the pavilion, we passed a
face painter from a bottom-feeder company in our area who was sitting in the middle
of the grass on a small, broken picnic table, away from the attendees, balancing her

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Lori Hurley

face painting kit on the rickety table, surrounded by kids who were reaching into her
things, while she baked in the hot, July sun. Our contact paid good money for us, and
she was going to make sure to get her money‟s worth by treating us well. Her face
painter, while still an expenditure, wasn‟t even on her radar.

c. People who call around shopping for entertainment will not always be able to
tell the difference between you and the bottom feeders, particularly if you
charge the same price. We‟ll talk about this later during the phone script section,
but if you sound too much like the bottom feeders, people will go with the lowest
price, without knowing that you‟re any better. If, however, you charge dramatically
more than the bottom feeders, it will cause the client to ask why! And you won‟t have
to justify why. People will understand that “you get what you pay for”, and will go
with you, simply because they don‘t want the cheapest entertainment.

d. Most clients say, ―We don‘t have much of a budget‖. Those words don‘t mean
anything!!! Don‟t let them hook you! Your prices are your prices. Period! A person
who comments on their budget might mean “I only have $50”. That same person
might also mean “Last year we had $10,000 to spend, and this year, it‟s only $9,000.
Same words—different meaning entirely! I have experienced multiple entertainers
who lower their prices in the first 2 minutes of the sales call, because they were told
that someone didn‟t have much to spend, without even knowing what that meant! In
the 20+ years I have been in this business, I have never, ever had a client say, “Money
is no object, give me the best you‟ve got!” Everyone is watching the bottom line, but
that doesn‟t mean they can‟t afford you. In reality, what it means is that you have to
do a better job in selling your strengths, so that they don‘t settle for the bottom-
feeders!

e. There are actually people in your market who will only hire you if you‘re
expensive! They won‟t tell you that, but we (and countless others whom we‟ve
coached) have discovered that when we raised our rates, we entered into a whole new
market…a market of clients who are accustomed to paying more for the better things
in life. And, would you believe that a person who is used to paying more lets go of
their money more easily than the person who has scraped together the money to make
a purchase? Yes, if you raise your rates, you will lose some customers…but you‟ll
gain access to a whole new community who is ready to hire you. (If you are working
in a small rural community without any competition, this probably doesn‟t apply to
you).

f. With the exception of charitable events, which we‘ll discuss later, people who
cannot or will not pay for you do not deserve to have you, and you don‘t need
them. I promise. Let them go.

3. What is your booking rate? If you don‟t know, start tracking it. How many

customers book you in the first call? (I‟m assuming that if you get emails and website
inquiries, that you also pick up the phone to have a human interaction.) How many shop
around and then call you or email you back to book? If you find you are never able to

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

close the deal in the first call, and/or if you find people aren‟t calling you back after that
first call, there is something missing in your sales pitch. By tracking how you‟re doing,
you‟ll know when you are improving. Use this information to improve your skills. Don‟t
beat yourself up over every event you don‟t get. Consider it on-the-job-training.

4. How are your phone skills? I‟ve said it

before, and I‟ll repeat it here…Shop around.
Call your competition and see what they
offer. Not only will you get prices, but you
will get an idea of what the customer is
experiencing before they make their decision.
I developed my script after hearing how
poorly my competition sold its services.

Create a “spiel” which magnifies who you are
and what you do well, and then practice it.
You practice your artistry, right? Why not practice your selling routines as well?
Through tracking, I have discovered that I book over 70% of the people who contact us,
and of those 70%+, over 90% of them book in that first live interaction. It means that
something I have said, or the way I have been perceived over the phone, has indicated
that we are exactly what they are looking for, such that they have no desire to shop
around! And it is worthy to note that these successes even include people who began
their call by saying, “I don‟t have much to spend….” Yeah, right!

5. How much do you want the gig? I want customers to choose us, not because I

need the money, but because I know that if they do, their experience will be magical. I am
ready to walk away from any gig. This puts me in an extremely powerful position.
Clients can sense neediness, and it‘s not a quality which sells. My unspoken position
is “I would love your business, but if you don‟t book, that‟s fine; someone else will”. My
customer‟s unspoken response is “Wow. They are good. I had better not let this one get
away.” My competition‟s unspoken position is “Please hire us. Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaze! We‟ll
do anything to get your business.” Their customer‟s unspoken response is “This sounds a
little too good to be true. If they are so good, why are they so desperate?”

6. Consider hiring others. While I earn enough with my own performances to support

myself and my family, I have become an “agent” over the years. I didn‟t intend to, but our
most loyal customers demanded it. After being continually frustrated with bad
entertainment, (entertainers arriving late, smelly, drunk or who were simply not good) our
customers started asking us where they could find entertainers with the same commitment
as ours. Eventually they asked if I would just take care of it for them, so I did. (It also
prevented me from showing up to events with bad entertainment, where the attendees
didn‟t realize we weren‟t from the same company.) Plus, we also got to the point where
we were getting multiple requests for the same date, and I didn‟t have the heart to send
our loyal customers who booked too late to have us back to the yellow pages, where they
might settle for bottom feeders.

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Lori Hurley

I decided that I would further serve my customer, not only by providing my own services,
but helping her to locate all of her entertainment through one source. I have surrounded
myself by the most talented artists and entertainers in my market, and I love the
opportunity to give them work, while ensuring that my client will have a worry-free
experience. I won‟t go into great length on running the agency side of the business, and I
recognize that it isn‟t for everyone, but it is another tool for an ambitious, organized
entertainer who is ready to branch out, or whose list of satisfied customers keeps growing
to the point that you simply cannot do all of the work yourself.

One final thought about having cash-flow year round… I know a number of entertainers who begin
to feel fearful about money, who will then feel the need to take on a part-time job to support
themselves, while they wait for their business to grow. There is a saying which goes, ―if you chase
two rabbits, both will escape‖. Obviously, it isn‟t worth it to go bankrupt to build your business,
but if you are trying to build your business, rather than giving up and getting a part-time job,
consider using that time you would spend on that part-time job to make calls or do research or get
more training. Your business will not run itself, so you have to be there to take the calls and answer
the emails. Remember my story about maternity leave? I never knew all of the business I was
missing, because I wasn‟t around to run that business.
Don‟t let fear dominate your decision making. If you find yourself in a position of needing to
generate instant income, you can always have a “sale” and offer dramatic discounts to have
immediate income. But be clear that it is a temporary promotion, and not your permanent prices,
which will give you the freedom and power to restore your prices at will.

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

Chapter Two

Improving your Market

For a successful business, you have to be prepared to out-sell your competition. But, what is

competition? Many people think that competition means racing against all of the other entertainers
in town, and they approach their business with that
in mind. Trying to outsell everyone will only drive
you nuts. It would be like being a used car
salesperson and driving down the road, feeling jilted
at every car you didn‟t sell.

Redefining Competition

Consider this alternate description: Competition is
any entity which causes you to earn less money.
Who causes you to earn less money? Performers in
your market who…

1) Are so desperate or insecure that they price themselves below the market value. This
lowers the value of our industry. This causes you to earn less money, because you have to
sell people on the value of what you do, and they think we‟re all the same.

2) Stink. Yes, entertainers who are dreadful cause you to earn less money, because, even if a
client saves money by hiring them, they regret spending any money on their entertainment,
and then they are glad that they didn‟t spend more, because many people think we‟re all the
same.

3) Are unreliable. Entertainers who are late, who cancel at the last minute or who don‟t show
up create anxiety and worry on the part of the customer. Customers are more than willing to
share their horror stories with their friends. This makes for a paranoid client, and a paranoid
client has a harder time letting go of his money! And many people think we‟re all the same.
(See a pattern?) 

4) Give lousy customer service. We do hundreds of events each year, but most of our clients
are only planning 1 event every couple of years. The entertainers who treat their phone
customers like they are a waste of time decrease the value of our services. When a party
planner is treated poorly, she isn‟t going to be motivated to hire entertainment any time in the
near future. (Although, for people who shop around, I have to admit that I‟m glad my
competition has lousy phone service… It makes me look great!) When I know the caller is
shopping around, I sometimes mention that the entertainment is never better than the person
selling it. ―If you don‘t like how the person on the phone treats you, you probably don‘t

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want to hire the entertainers who have to work for that person‖, and that‟s how they
begin to see that we‟re not the same.

If your goal is to earn money, your competition is made up of the entertainers in town who cause
you to earn less money. Good entertainers, on the other hand, actually help your business, and
therefore, help you to earn more money. This is an example of an abundance mentality.

I absolutely want you to outsell your competition. In order to do that effectively and to improve your
market, you need to diminish the impact that your competition has on your bottom line.

Creating a Community

While you may be competing for business with other quality performers and artists, building
relationships with these individuals and recognizing their value can improve your own business.
Here‟s how:

1) Good entertainers know the value of their services. When you and the other good
entertainers are charging prices within 5-10% of each other, (assuming you‟re well above the
bottom feeders) customers begin to see that it‟s the “going rate”. Then, they will
automatically be leery of the “cheap” companies.

2) The more successful your fellow good entertainers are, the more successful you‘ll be! As
long as customers are being treated well, being charged a reasonable price (I didn‟t say
cheap; I said reasonable!) and are receiving top quality services, the more likely they are to
tell their friends and hire entertainment again. Remember, quality bookings only breed more
bookings (and at higher fees).

3) Good entertainers have an abundance mentality. Some clients will try to haggle and get
you to bid against other entertainers. They might say, “XYZ Company will do it for $100.
Will you match that?” When it‟s a dreadful company they are mentioning, I simply say “We
are a different kind of company (notice, I didn‟t say “better”) and our services cost more.
I don‘t recommend letting money make your decision, but if $100 is all you can afford,
and if you are certain you are getting the best entertainment for your event, then I
would recommend that you hire them.” You‟d be surprised how many customers say
“Well, actually, you‟re the one I really want. I just don‟t want to spend that much.”

When it‟s someone who is reputable and good, I say: ―Wow, that‘s a great price. If you
can get ―so-and-so‖ for that amount, I‘d say book now!! S/he is giving you a really
good deal.‖ Customers aren‟t used to hearing that kind of response. I let them know that I
just want them to have a great event, whether with us or someone else. Having said that,
please know that it‟s not that I refuse to lower my prices. I just won‟t lower my prices to
compete with the dregs of my market or to take away an event from a quality performer. If I
had a scarcity mentality, I would not only make less money, I would be working too hard,
and eventually burn out or start to resent the clients, because I would feel underpaid (another
quality of my competition!).

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

4) Good entertainers recommend other good entertainers. If you aren‟t available, and you
can recommend another performer who‟s good, you have served the customer, saving them
phone calls and preventing them from experiencing the bad entertainment in your market.
Chances are, the favor will be returned. In the years I‟ve been in Minnesota, I have made
some quality friends out of the people with whom I am competing. We trust each other. We
recognize that there is enough to go around. We treat each other with respect and dignity.
We help each other grow our businesses. There is a spirit of generosity amongst us, and,
interestingly, we all dominate our market because of it! It has been said that if you help others
to get what they want, you will ultimately get what you want. Now, that‟s abundance!

Having said all that, let me add that I am thankful for the “competition”. I don‟t like the negative
impact they have on my market, but I am glad they are there to absorb all of the bottom-of-the-barrel
gigs that I don‟t want to do. This frees me up to pursue better paying clients at better events
under better circumstances. Remember my example of the face painter on the broken table in the
hot sun? On a regular basis, I show up at events where I am being given food & beverage, a place to
relax, an ideal location in a climate-controlled tent, while my competition at the same event is off to
one side, under an awning (maybe) and ignored. The more they pay for you, the better they treat
you…it‟s just how it works. For more information on money and treatment, refer to the end of the
phone script.

Recognizing the good apples in your entertainment community will increase everyone‟s business, and
that‟s just good business. Keep all the good stuff to yourself, and, well, you‟ll find yourself in
scarcity before you know it! Be patient if your community isn‟t ready to embrace your generosity. I
had to wade through a lot of scarce performers (most of whom are no longer in business), before I
located the ones who were trusting and trustworthy enough to share. But these relationships have
blessed each and every one of us, not only in our finances, but in our personal lives as well. When
my then-2-year-old son was diagnosed with Leukemia in December, 2003, it was this community
which rallied around us to help fill our events and who then organized themselves into a non-profit
called “Entertainers for Miracles”, planning an amazing fundraising benefit for my family. Sure, we
“compete” for events, but our friendship and professional respect breeds abundance, and helps us to
transcend any primitive feelings of competitiveness (and scarcity).

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Chapter Three

Getting Organized

In the „olden days‟, I kept mini-legal pads by each phone and wrote

down information for each client as the call came in. When the client
booked, I would note the time and party package in my calendar. On
the day of the event, I would run around frantically trying to find the
page on which I had written the customer‟s information. Did I
mention that I had several of these pads? It wasn‟t pretty. Being
organized is one of the best ways not only to give exemplary service,
but to keep your customers buying what you‟re selling!

I‟ve come a long way, and hopefully, you are already ahead of where
I was so many years ago!

Tracking customers

I do all of my work on computer now. The program I use is ACT!, which is an integrated calendar
and contact manager. There are others out there (such as Outlook and Entourage), but this is the
one I use, only because it was the best available back in 1997, and it still works for me. Find the
program which has the features you want. At minimum, you want a program which will do the
following:

 Allow you to customize the fields
 Have an integrated calendar which allows you to leap back and forth, with a single click,

between items on the calendar, to-do list and contact‟s file
 Include a merge option for creating contracts and letters, so that you don‟t have to re-type

anything
 Allow you to group and categorize clients for target marketing. (For example, if you work a

variety of venues, you might have a specific mailing/emailing for daycares, a different one for
picnic clients and another for festivals. Having them grouped allows you to generate a mailing
list with the press of a button, saving you time and energy.)
 A place to write notes, preferably with a date and time stamp, so that you can document each
interaction. Don‟t rely on your memory. Being able to reference a particular conversation and
a date and time in the past can give you a lot of leverage with a client who insists that you
said your price was $150, when you know you quoted $185.

If the program you use can also track your sales and create reports, that‟s even better! Many
programs also have integrated email, so that you can email the client from within their file, and that
email becomes a permanent attachment, allowing you to track e-conversations effortlessly.

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

Here‟s how it works in my office: When the phone rings, I am at my
computer, wearing my headset, opening a new file in my database. I
have set up the system so that each question I ask is the next field in
that database. When you get to the phone script, you‟ll understand.
This ensures a smooth flow to my questions, and it prevents me from
forgetting to ask important questions. Having an integrated calendar
and contact database also enables me to enter items onto my to-do list
and calendar. When a client books an event, it shows up in that
client‟s file, as well as on my calendar. I can look at any date in the
future and see what events I have as well as what calls I need to make
and paperwork I need to do, in a systematic, logical way. Through
this system, I am able to organize all of the information required to
run a successful business. I have customized it to meet my own needs:

Contact information
Notes from our conversation including packages I‟ve recommended along with prices
Payment information
The ability to generate a customized contract with a click of a button
Items for my to-do list (in the calendar on the date they need to be done, enabling me to prioritize all
of my work activities). Here are examples of how certain items show up on my list. Obviously, not
all items are needed for every client:

o Return call from 1/15 re: B‟day (or picnic or church or whatever!) (This shows up for
every client. By noting when the call came in as well as what they want on the line, it
helps me to prioritize the return calls)

o Send client contract for 4/18 by 1/30
o Did contract/deposit come back? If not, call. Due 2/15
o Did payment arrive? If not, call. Due 4/8 (for contract clients)
o Confirm booking
o Send ______ (promo packet, video, email…whatever I need to sell this client) by

1/12
o Follow up on promo sent 1/12 by 1/20 (There is no point in sending out my materials

unless I follow up with the client in a timely fashion. This keeps me on task.)
o Did they book? If not, call by 1/25 (When I put a courtesy hold on the calendar, this

reminds me to call them back if they haven‟t called me to confirm, and it prevents me
from tying up my calendar unnecessarily)
o Do we have $$$ (This goes in the client file, for private events, when it is booked. It
is how I make sure that the money makes it from my pocket into my deposit file.)
o Hot Lead-‟09-Call in Oct. for Community Festival in June (This is what I do for
customers who don‟t hire me this year, but whom I‟d like to court for the future—
This doubles the effectiveness of my advertising. Every person who doesn‟t hire me
this year is simply a prospective client for next year.)
o Past Client-‟08-$1200-Call in September for Fundraiser (or church event or picnic,
etc.) (This is what I do to remind me to call current clients for future events. The
year and dollar amount reflects the year & last amount they paid. When I am faced
with a list of 40 calls, at a glance I will call the bigger dollar customers first. In this

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case I will put it on September 1st, and then spread out my to-do list once September
arrives)

Before I remove an event from my calendar, I make a few notes in the file about how the event went
(including feedback from any artist who was at this event as well). I note what we did, how many
people were there, how we were received and anything I might suggest to our contact for the future.
When I call them back next year, I am prepared, and they are always thankful for my feedback.

Entertainers are a dime a dozen in Minnesota, yet, my husband and I are in a very small community
of entertainers who believe we can make a living at it. This is good news for us, of course. We are
happy to have all of the jobs that we do, while the others wish they could do the same. (We have
tried to share our secrets with other good entertainers in the area and convince others that they could
do it too, but what‟s the saying?? You‟re never a prophet in your own country!!) Again, it‟s good
news for us.

Most of our bookings occur 5-9 months in advance, and most of them are generated by the calls we
make, not the calls we receive. Our re-booking rate is extremely high, and of the 300+ events we do
annually, over 200 of them are for repeat clients!

Our way is not the only way. But it sure is a good one, and it has stood the test of time with some
remarkable results.

Retaining clients

I am a believer in the age-old notion that it is easier to keep a customer happy than it is to earn a new
customer‟s business. If you do nothing else after reading this book, at least try this…after your next
event, put an item in next year‘s calendar to call this client again! Schedule this call to take place
a couple of weeks before they called you this year, and your clients will thank you!! Most event
planners, unless this is their actual job, are given the task of planning the event on top of their
already-too-busy-workload. Your call or email is likely the little nudge he needs to get moving on a
project, long before it hits crisis mode, and that makes him an eager, grateful buyer! Plus, contacting
the client before he has met with his committee means that you can influence the budget that will be
determined, since the planning may not yet have begun.

With a fluctuating economy, employee turnover is almost certain, and the chances that the person
who hired you last year left behind good notes for his replacement are slim. Many satisfied corporate
clients don‟t re-hire entertainment because the right hand doesn‟t talk to the left hand. Your call will
also help you to determine if you have to re-introduce yourself to the new party planner, using the
past as leverage for the future. If the client hired you for the first time on short notice this year, I
recommend that you call her 6 months before the event, suggesting that you were able to pull it
together at the last minute last year, but that you‟d like to help her in the early stages of planning, so
that she can have a worry-free experience. That‟s good service, and it is service worth paying for!

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

If you‟re really ambitious, schedule two calls during the year. I figure that every company picnic
client is probably a holiday party client too (and vice versa). They just don‟t know it. Let them
know that you are versatile enough to handle all of their special events.

Other ideas to help retain clients:
 Send a thank you note
 Send a thank you gift at the end of the year
for your top-dollar clients (but keep in mind
that larger corporations often cannot accept
gifts).
 Send a brief e-newsletter once a quarter to
keep yourself on peoples‟ radar. Brief is the
key here! Leave out celebrity trivia,
horoscopes and other worthless information.
People get a lot of information coming at
them 24/7. Chances are, they won‟t even
read what you send, but they‟ll remember that you sent something. And we want them to
remember YOU.
 Send a postcard highlighting upcoming performances or awards received or new offerings
 If you anticipate a lean month (and hopefully, after reading this, there will be no such thing),
you can send a communication (email or postcard) offering a discount on events taking place
within a certain period of time, booked by a particular date. Make sure the offer is deadline
specific and that it doesn‟t conflict with your prime time, where you can charge full price.
 Invite them to be fans/friends on Social and Professional Networking websites
 Invite them to recommend their friends, and offer a thank you gift when the event has
completed.
 Request their feedback after events. If they didn‟t love it, call and make it right, and offer
them a discount toward their next event.

Web-generated leads

It appears that every year, 2-3 more lead-generating websites show up on the Internet. People ask
me about them all the time. By the time you are reading this, there is a chance that there will be 50
new websites courting you, looking for a portion of your advertising dollar. Here are my thoughts…
The best lead-generating websites have the following qualities and are worth your money:

1. The ability to show samples of your work
2. A rating system, used by customers, with feedback untouchable by the artists
3. Have you pay to subscribe, versus paying per lead.
The secret to success with any of these websites is to remember that, in the end, it‟s the live human
interaction which sells, and not verbiage on a web site. Some of these websites have you submit a
“bid”, which perpetuates the low-price mentality. No matter what… Never give a bid. Respond to
the leads in such a way that it leads you to the call, where you can ask your questions (see Chapter
4), answer theirs, and show how great you are!

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Chapter Four

Using a Successful Phone Script
One of the most often repeated requests we get with our training is related to what we say when

we are dealing with a live customer on the phone. Rather than describe and paraphrase, I am
including the actual phone script we use (with coaching and notes). Please keep in mind that this
phone script was developed based on my Minnesota market. Your script will look different based on
the type of gigs you pursue and the nature of the other people/companies competing for those gigs.
Plus, your script will reflect your style of speaking, but this is, verbatim, what we say! Please see
―Tracking Customers‖ for useful suggestions on collecting and managing this information). In the
script, the actual spoken text is in bold, and my notes are not. You‟ll also see some variance from
when we‟re addressing a parent handling a birthday party or a corporate client.

For the best bookings here is an acronym we developed to help you

GET THE GIGS

Gain Control of the conversation:

Most customers will begin their call by asking for your price. But, no matter what they say when
they call, take the reins,

―Let me ask you a few questions about your event. Then I
can tell you who we are, what we do and what we charge,
and I can also check availability.‖

This is one of the most important things you‟ll say in this call, which will ensure that you get the
business you want. You now have permission to get all of the information you need to serve this
customer, because they know their questions will get answered, they are willing to answer yours.
Make sure you have an organized way to collect the following information, either through multiple
copies of a form or into a database in your computer (my preferred method).

Extract Information:

―My name is _______; what is your name‖
―Most people hear about us from their satisfied friends and colleagues. Is that how you found
us, or was it the internet or phone book?‖ (If they say “yellow pages” or “phone book”), ask for
the page number; this tells you exactly which book they used! If they say “on line”, try to determine
what their search was, but don‟t spend too long on it. Most people don‟t really know, but it‟s good
information for you)

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

―What type of event are you planning?‖ (If it‟s a birthday, keep going. If it‟s not a birthday, skip

to below the *****)
―What is the birthday child‘s name, so I know whom we‘re talking about?‖
―How old is s/he going to be?‖
―Have you set a date for the party?‖ (If you just ask for a date, they‟ll often give you the birthday

itself, not the party date)
―In what city is your party taking place?‖
―How many children are you planning for, including _______ (b‟day child), siblings, friends
and cousins?‖ (Parents usually forget to count their own kids)
―Are they mostly ______‘s (b‟day child) age, or are they older and younger?‖
―Of those children, how many are under age 3?‖
**MUY IMPORTANTE**: ―And what kind of budget have you set aside for your
entertainment, so that I don‘t recommend anything out of reach?‖ (Most people don‟t know,

but those who do are on either end of the spectrum, looking for a $25 clown or they have an
unlimited budget.) It‟s okay if they don‟t know.

**** For non private parties:
―What date did you have in mind?‖
―In what city is your event taking place?‖
―Is this for children, adults or an intergenerational group?‖
―How many people are you anticipating?‖
―Approximately what percentage are adults versus children?‖
Optional: ―Of those children, would you say that most of them are under age 7 or over age
7?‖
―What kind of budget are you working with, so that I don‘t recommend anything out of
reach?‖ (Most party planners know… write down the information, but don‟t let it influence you in
any way! They usually have more than they say they do, but they are worried you‟ll try to gauge
them if they are honest…)
―What else is happening at your event?‖
―What kind of entertainment have you had in the past?‖
―Were you pleased?‖

Train the Customer

People may think all they want to know when they call is what you charge and how long you‟ll be
there. Your job is to teach them to be wise consumers. Once they know that not all entertainers
are alike, they will know that you are really worth their money!

After your inquiry (for private or non-private events) we say:
―Thank you for answering all of those questions. The reason we ask so many questions is that

we like to make sure that the entertainment we‘re recommending is a good match for the

group getting it. We don‘t recommend the same entertainment for every party.‖

For birthdays, we add: ―We know that what it takes to entertain a 2-3 year old is

dramatically different than a 5-6 year old and a 9-10 year old, and we want the
entertainment to be a good match for the age and the size of the group.‖

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―I‘d like to begin by telling you a little about WHO we are, because I have been told in the
past that after calling around from the yellow pages (or wherever they found you), we all begin
to sound alike after a while (they usually laugh here, and so do I). Has this been your
experience too? (This lets you know how tired they are of calls like these, and how much “selling”
you‟ll have to do). Basically, we all offer similar things, and we‘re within the same price
range, so it would SEEM that we are exactly the same, but there ARE some distinct
differences which can make or break an entertainment experience. So, if you aren‘t already
taking notes, I highly recommend that you do that.

Tell how you are different…

―One thing to note is that on the internet (or wherever they said they heard about you)
entertainment providers primarily fall into three categories. There are agencies that hire
people, teach them a skill then send them out to do parties. The second type are individuals
who used to work for those agencies who have branched out on their own, and the third type
is made up of Professional Entertainers, in business for themselves, networking with other
entertainers. WE fall into that third category. So, we are not an agency which hires people;
we actually are the entertainers ourselves, making a living as entertainers. This is all we do.
(Obviously, you‟ll customize this section to be true about you and your “competition”)

Help them desire quality…

―The difference this means for you is that anybody WE provide is going to be someone who is
trained, talented, insured, experienced, loves what they do and is good enough at what they
do to make a living doing it. It‘s the difference between having someone who has made a
career out of entertainment, versus the person who is simply doing this for a little extra cash
on weekends. (Suddenly, they will begin to question the professionalism of the bottom-feeders
they‟ve called. And by the time you get to your price, you won‟t have to sell or convince. They‟ll
get it. If you are a part-time entertainer, you‟ll leave this part out and replace it with something
equally compelling about you). 

―Now, I am one of the entertainers here. I have been entertaining for over 20 years, and my
husband has been doing it for over15 years. Each of the entertainers we work with brings the
same attention to quality and service as we do. So, you can see that I am completely biased
towards this type of entertainment provider, (said humorously). But, the feedback we get over
and over again, and what has people hire us year after year for their private and corporate
events, (planting a seed for the future) is that in terms of training, experience and talent, they
really CAN tell the difference between the professional entertainer and the part time
employee.

―Soooooo….with that in the background, everything I say from this moment on might sound
like what you‘ve heard, (said humorously). Aren‘t you glad you‘re taking notes?‖

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Explain your Packages

For corporate, community or church (basically non-private) events, find out what they want and
make recommendations based on the size of the group and your skills. Many times I will qualify the
lead and then offer to email or send them a proposal with different options within their budget. Yes,
I can simply give them prices, but that encourages price shopping. With a proposal, I can control
their entertainment and make sure that they aren‟t hiring one clown to do balloons for an hour for
200 kids. Most event planners don‟t think of those things, and my competition doesn‟t think of
those things, so I have to. You are the expert. Let your client receive value from your expertise.

For Birthdays I tell them what they want based on the age and size of their group: ―The package I
would most recommend for your group is…‖ They may have thought that they wanted a magic
show for their 1 year old (since “Johnny just loved the magician at my husband‟s company picnic
this year”—yeah, RIGHT!), but YOU are the professional! In spite of the 1970‟s sales training
tactics, the customer isn‘t always right. Just because they want it doesn‟t mean it‟s a good match
for their event. Mostly, they just haven‟t been told what else is available by someone who cares
about their event and not simply the sale. Do you really want to be the entertainer at that party,
saying to the toddler, “Okay, Johnny, find the Ace of Hearts!” When the children are restless
because the activity was inappropriate for the age of the group, or because they are tired of waiting
in line for face painting being the 39th child at the birthday party with nothing else to do, the parents
won‟t realize it‟s because they asked for the wrong thing. They‘ll just think YOU weren‘t very
good…

And then you launch into describing the packages you recommend for their event, including prices,
travel, age restrictions and length, and take notes while you talk! Make sure you are referencing the
birthday child by name. Keep in mind that „packaging‟ is important. If all you give is a list of the
things you‟ll do at the party, this list and price is what will be used to make the decision. Instead,
create a colorful description of each package.

For example, instead of ―For $XXX I will play a game, do magic and make balloons, and it will
last an hour‖, consider this ―The package I would most recommend for your group is one that
we developed for this age group. It‘s called ―whatever creative name you give it‖. This
package begins with (1st activity), and then we‘ll take the children on an adventure with (2nd
activity, if you have one). And finally, your group will enjoy (3rd activity…you get the idea).
From entrance to exit, this package lasts (however long) for an average party of (number)
children. For fewer children it might take a little bit less, and for more children it might take
a bit longer. But (however long) minutes is the average, and of that time, no more than
(length of time) requires an attention span, so it‘s perfect for that age group. (Again, you‟d
customize this to be true for your packages.)

What is the difference between the store-brand Mac & Cheese and the name-brand Mac & Cheese?
Packaging! Invest some time and energy into packaging your services, and you will hear your

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clients drooling over the phone. Oh, and did I mention that when they are drooling, no price is too
high? (Well, almost…)

Give prices

The price for the ―Name of Package‖ is $_________ for the 1st ten children and $___ for each
child after ten. The only other thing which would affect your cost would be the zone fee to
cover time and travel to your area. The zone fee to name of city they gave you earlier is
$_________. There is no sales tax on this type of service, and of course, gratuities are up to
you. (We are in a service industry. People will tip you generously for a job well done, once they
know they can)
If I know that they‟ve spoken with my competition, I‟ll add ―Some places will tell you that in an
hour they‘ll do everything, games, magic, balloons, face painting, juggling… but often, they
don‘t know enough about your party to know if they can do all of those things well. That‘s
why we don‘t do it by the hour; we do it by the package. I will never look at my watch and
say ―Time‘s up. Gotta Go!‖ I won‘t leave until everyone has been served. (Yes, my
competition does!)

Remember how you asked their budget before? If price isn‟t an issue, that‟s great. Offer add-ons to
your packages to increase value (but PLEASE don‟t ever raise your prices for a client, simply
because you know you can! It‟s unethical and it will ultimately burn you…)

If, during your inquiry, your prospective client‟s budget was way under what you offer (and many
times their budget gets set after talking to the cheaper companies, because they think we‟re all the
same), you may not want to invest any time with this client. Sometimes I will say, “It doesn‘t
sound like your budget will allow for a quality entertainer.” (Yes, it‟s bold, and yes, I say
it…compassionately.) Or… “With your limited budget, I don‘t know how many options we‘ll
be able to offer you. Do you have any flexibility? If not, I might be able to recommend you to
a cheap (notice, I didn‟t say bad… just “cheap”) company, but whose standards aren‘t as high
as ours, or perhaps we could try and talk again next year.‖ Would you believe that they
ALWAYS insist that I continue? People only think they want cheap entertainment. What they
really want is affordable and GOOD entertainment. It‟s not until they talk to you that they
understand the difference!

I cannot emphasize enough the power and freedom which comes from being willing to walk away
from any client, particularly those who don‟t think enough of entertainment to set good money aside
to pay for it! I have noticed over the years that corporate clients often determine their entertainment
budget after the rest of their money has been spent, and then they try to find entertainment to fit
their budget. It was an arbitrary figure to begin with! Sometimes that figure comes from what they
spent in the past, but if they aren‟t using last year‟s entertainment again this year, there is a reason,
and that reason becomes your leverage! Many entertainers (and you can test this in your shop calls,
if you don‟t believe me), when you say that your budget is $X will hem and haw and say, “well,
normally I charge $X, but I suppose I could do it for that. Don‘t ever match what they spent last
year, especially when you find out they weren‘t satisfied. How else will they learn that good

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

entertainment is worth paying for, if they get good entertainment at the same price they got bad
entertainment?

Sometimes the client will say, “Oh, we don‟t need much. We just want a clown to stroll and make a
couple of balloons.” Yeah, right! I doubt these companies are saying to their caterer, “Oh, we don‟t
need much. We just need a few hot dogs and hamburgers!” Or, “My budget has been cut. Can you
use a lower grade beef for the hamburgers and day-old buns instead?

Still not convinced? Don‟t worry. We‟ll address it in the section on “Communicating Value”. 

Invite them to buy

―Would you like me to check availability on that date?‖ If you have done a good job, then the
answer is yes. Look at your calendar and ask if they want morning, afternoon or evening. If you
already have events on the calendar, suggest starting times for them. If your calendar is clear that
day, ask for their preference, but never give the impression that your schedule is wide open, even if
it is. If they indicate that they still want to shop around, let them know that you think it‟s a great
idea. (If you‟ve been good in this call, their shopping around will only make you look better!). If
they want to talk to a spouse, also let them know that it‟s a good idea. If they never say yes, this is
an area for growth for you.

If they don‟t book right now, offer them a courtesy hold: ―If you‘d like, I would be happy to
place a 24-hour (48, 72—whatever you want, but something which suggests urgency) no-
obligation hold on our calendar. What this means is that I will pencil you in while you‘re
deciding. If you end up not needing the reservation, no harm is done. But at least, with it on
the calendar, when (not if) someone else calls wanting that same date and time, we will give
you the first right of refusal. There is nothing worse than getting your heart set on
entertainment, only to find that by the time you‘re ready to book it, it‘s no longer available.‖
If they don‟t at least do the hold, your chances of booking this event are under 25%. That‟s okay. If
you‟ve been brilliant and service oriented on the phone and they still don‟t want you, you probably
didn‟t want this customer anyway. Exhale, then bless and release. There will be another, I promise.

Get their money and succeed at the gig!

You did it! They want you. Now it‟s time to complete the booking. This part is just as important
as everything you have done up to this point, even more so, as it will determine how the party
goes. Make sure your booking conversation includes the following exchange of information
(assuming you already have the answers to the questions from the inquiry):
***Note: these next items are related to private parties without contracts. If you don‟t do private
parties, feel free to skip this section (although most people tell us it is valuable).***

1) What else is happening at the party (do you really want to walk in during the piñata, while a
blindfolded child is swinging a stick and aiming for the Paper Machè clown, while kids chant “kill
the clown-kill the clown”?—Yes, this really happened to me. ) Here is another opportunity to
share your expertise and make suggestions which will complement her other activities. It might

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Lori Hurley

sound like this: ―What time are you telling your guests to arrive? I recommend that you have
your entertainment arrive 15-30 minutes after that. This will give (birthday child‘s name)
time to greet her guests, and it minimizes the number of latecomers interrupting the show.
After the show portion, before I go into balloons, I will say ‗Okay, Mom! It‘s that time‘.
That‘s your cue to get the cake and candles ready. When you‘re ready, let me know and I
will help lead the kids to the table for cake.

Once there, I will be available for singing happy birthday and pictures. After that, I will
finish making their balloons while you are cutting the cake. With two things distracting the
kids, they won‘t have to feel like they waited for either. After cake, you can engage them in
an activity or open presents, and then send them home! Keep in mind that the presents are
the highlight of the party, so open them last.‖ There are exceptions to this formula, but we have
found that it‟s nice to keep momentum in the party. It‟s much easier to keep their attention than it is
to lose it and have to get it back.

2) When they can expect to receive a confirmation call from you (I recommend 2-3 days before
the party). This puts them at ease and prevents a panicked mother from calling you two weeks
before your party, worried that she hasn‟t heard from you.

3) A day and evening phone number for your contact at the party, as well as the phone number
of the location, plus a cell phone number. (It‟s Murphy‟s law… you‟ll only need them if you don‟t
have them!)

4) What time the party is starting (distinct from when the entertainment is starting). This is
another chance to share your expertise. For example, if they are having you at the end of the party,
after cake and presents, forget it! Once those presents are opened, that‟s the high point, and they
are far more interested in the new toys than they are in the stranger who‟s trying to take their
attention away from the toys. Parents don‟t think of these things, but you do, and they will be
thankful for your suggestions.

5) The maximum number of children to be invited. Some parents tell you they are planning on
10 kids based on the notion that only 50-75% will come. My prices vary based on the size of the
group (since that is the best way to plan for time), so I will quote them the price assuming ALL
children show up. If they want a $3 break since only 11 kids came instead of 14, no problem. But I
want to know how many kids might be there, and if my client knows that I‟m charging per child
(after 10), they are less likely to open their whole party to the whole neighborhood or apartment
complex without your knowledge.

6) A more specific age breakdown. I already know rough ages by this time. Mostly I use this
point to determine how many toddlers there will be and how many possible hecklers there will be.
a. Toddlers: My policy is that I never give a balloon to a child under 3, not even to their
parents, so here is my opportunity to educate my client about balloon safety and to let her know that
I will be bringing substitute parties for her guests under the legal age. (I know, it‟s probably not a
„legal‟ issue, but I really take safety seriously, and if I don‟t make my position known in advance,
some parent will try to persuade me to give their gifted, advanced 2 year old a balloon.)

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

b. Hecklers: If there is an age spread of more than 5 years between guests, it‟s good to know.
A 10 year old at a 3 year old‟s party can become a problem. You may just wish to remind the
parent that the entertainment is designed for the younger group, and not to be surprised if the older
child isn‟t as engaged. Likewise, a 2 year old at an 8 year old‟s party can also become a problem.
Giving the parent a head‟s up will make sure that you look good, even if all ages aren‟t enthralled
with what you do.

7) Where the party is taking place (inside, outside, by the pool, by a grove of trees). I charge
extra for outdoors and try to encourage the entertainment take place inside, even if everything else
is outside (mostly to avoid having 5 parties on a July Saturday in 85 degree heat with 90%
humidity). Just because they want your show outside doesn‟t mean you have to perform outside.
Once the parent is made aware of the increase in popped balloons and the chance that her neighbor
will mow his lawn at the very moment the show is starting and the sun in the children‟s eyes, blah,
blah, blah, (you get the idea), it‟s usually not hard to be indoors, or at least, in the shade.

8) How you wish to be paid. If you are sending a contract, let them know what‟s on it. If not,
advise them on how to pay. Make sure you let them know it is okay to tip. Don‟t do what my
competition does: “The price of your party is $X plus travel, sales tax and a 5% gratuity”. First of
all, there is no sales tax in Minnesota on this type of service, so I think they are pocketing that
money. Second of all, if you tell your customer it‟s a 5% gratuity, then, to me, it isn‟t a gratuity at
all. It‟s more like a service charge.

At this point in the call I say “If you want to get your credit card handy, I will be able to take
that from you in just a moment”. I wait. “Your total including the price for ― Name of
Package‖ for no more than X number of children and travel to name of city is $XXX.00.
There is no sales tax on this type of service, and gratuities are up to you. You can pay by
cash or by check. If you pay by check, make it payable to name of your company. All we ask
is that you not let the children see the transaction or tip. It spoils the magic to see an
entertainer taking money”. Then I get their credit card information and inform them that I am
using the card to guarantee their reservation, but that they can pay in full at the party. Yes, you can
just charge it to their card as well, but I don‟t like the credit card fees.

9) Your cancellation policy!!!!! I cannot emphasize enough how important this is! It‟s the last
thing I do in every private party call, and it alone saves grief and frustration. Once we‟ve gone over
everything and completed the booking, I say, ―Do you have any other questions for me?‖ I
answer any questions they have and keep asking that question until there are no more questions.

―Good, then let me end by telling you our cancellation policy. This is a non-cancelable, non-
refundable reservation, since you are holding a time slot which no one else can have. If
however, you wake up that morning, and poor Melissa has the chicken-pox or something
which causes you to have to postpone your party, just make sure that we are one of the first
calls you make. We‘re parents too, and we know that those things never happen when it‘s
convenient. As long as you have notified us first thing in the morning, we can re-schedule
your party without penalty. Of course, if we show up and there simply is no party, then you
are stuck paying for the whole thing. Do you have any questions about that?‖ Usually, they
don‟t.

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Lori Hurley

At the end of reviewing my cancellation policy, I ask them for a piece of personal information such
as ―In what city were you born?‖ (I am careful not to use the kind of information that banks use,
such as mother‟s maiden name. I just want something unchangeable and obscure.) Once they
answer, I explain that ―It is the last thing I have to ask to close out my computer screen from
completing this booking, because it documents for me and for the credit card company that I
remembered to cover our cancellation policy.‖

If they weren‟t paying attention before, they are now, since there is evidence that you have covered
all of your bases. I used to get cancellations without any remorse from the client. They would say,
“It‟s not like I signed a contract or anything”, or “Oh, I wasn‟t really booking you, I was just
inquiring” or “I didn‟t know the deposit was non-refundable.” In the 15+ years I have been
employing this technique, I have only had 3 cancellations, and two of clients said “I know that I will
be charged for the party”. In both of those circumstances, it was a family emergency, so of course, I
didn‟t charge them, but it was nice to know that I had been thorough enough that I could.

The 3rd client was a flake and tried to act like she didn‟t know it was a booking. (She had actually
double booked entertainers, and was really slimy about it). I reminded her that we had reviewed the
cancellation policy with her, but she said she changed her mind. It was a prime Saturday and we had
turned away other business, so I did charge her. When she disputed the charge, I won the dispute
and avoided a “chargeback”, because I had documented evidence that I had covered the policy with
her (a MUST if you are going to work with credit cards!)

Suggest future contact

This is for non-private events. Whether or not they hire you this time, find out what other types of
events they plan throughout the year. Then make a note in your calendar to call them at the strategic
times. By the time you call them, even if they didn‟t hire you this time, they will be thrilled to hear
from you…especially if they didn‟t like your competition at the last event! If this is your first time
working with them, and if they only do this single event each year, notice when they called you for
it, and make a note in your calendar to call them 3 weeks earlier next year. You could just call them
in exactly a year, but I have great success being the call which reminds them that it‟s time to start
planning the event which always sneaks up on them. Then my company is on their minds from the
beginning! Of the 300+ events we do each year, over 70% of them are for repeat clients!! This
means less selling, greater customer satisfaction and less need for advertising, and that equals more
money in my pocket. See “Tracking Clients” for useful information on managing future customers.

Cold Calling

If your phone isn‟t ringing off the hooks (and assuming it‟s ringing a little), keeping these techniques
(and documenting the information you receive in a quality software program), will give you great
access to getting the gig next time, if they don‟t book you this time. When you call a prospective
client (from last year) about this year‟s event, it‟s not a cold call; you already have a relationship with
her. It sounds like this… ―Hi Mary, this is Lori from A Touch of Magic, and I wanted to touch
base with you about your upcoming picnic. I am so sorry we weren’t available for your picnic
last year, which is why I am calling you a little earlier. What date are you looking at for this

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

year‘s event?‖ Notice that I said, “I‟m sorry we weren‟t available for you last year.” This sends a
subtle message that they wanted us but WE were too busy for them. I have never had anyone
respond with, “No, I went with someone else because I didn‟t want you.” They don‟t remember why
they made the choice that they did. And if money fueled her decision, you have all the power,
because you can say, “Whom did you end up with last year?” And, “were you pleased?” These
questions give you the kind of information to help you sell your strengths. But, if you run out of
“hot leads”, you can always cold call, and the best opening line I‟ve ever used is, “It was
recommended that I call you, because I understand you have had mixed experiences with your
entertainment.” You are not implying that someone she knows said to call, nor are you suggesting
they had a bad experience. Everyone has “mixed” experiences, everyone! If hers were bad, she‟ll feel
like you are an answer to a prayer. If hers have been good, the comment will be ignored, but you‟ll
have some sort of credibility, and it is an opening for a conversation which begins with, ―Let me ask
you a few questions about your event, and then I can tell you who we are, what we do and
what we charge!‖ Now you‟ve gone from telemarketer to someone who has a gift to give. If they
ask you who recommended that you call, you can say with full integrity, “Lori Hurley”. 

Email Responses

Most of the initial contact I have with customers these days comes through the internet, but the same
principles above apply. My goal in responding through email is to eventually get to the live
conversation where I will employ the script. The customer who only wants to contact you through
email is one you don‟t need. She is price shopping and isn‟t interested in value (until you get her on
the phone, of course).

Make sure any online forms you have include a required field for phone. Even if the customer says
“respond by email only”, you can send an email to him which says, “I am happy to communicate via
email, but I do need to call you to ask you a few questions about your event, so that my email is
appropriate to your needs.” You can wait for a response, or you can just send an email with your
questions. But remember, the goal is to qualify the lead so that you‟re ready for the telephone call.

If the client has somehow slipped through the cracks without a phone number, you can either let him
go, or send a compelling email thanking him for his interest and inviting him to call (or provide his
number) where you can ask a few questions in order to give him the best service and recommend the
right entertainment.

Even if you think you have all of the questions answered in email, such that you can make a
recommendation in writing, don‟t do it!* Many who sell cars know that the longer the you spend on
the lot, the greater the odds are that you‟ll buy. (Ever notice when that person disappears to talk to
her manager to see about getting you a special deal?? That‟s just a tactic to increase your investment
of time, which endears you to the car.) Don‟t let your customer make a decision without spending
time with you on the phone.

If you cannot reach the client by phone, there are 2 reasons… 1. It isn‟t a real client, but likely
competition who knows you‟ll figure it out or 2. It isn‟t a serious shopper. If I have verified that it‟s
a real human being and not my competition, I will often send my samples and demos via email
(without prices) Once she sees my materials, she will call back for price, but by then, she (and
possibly her whole committee) has experienced quality. This is better than having the client hear your

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price and then decide if she still wants to see your materials. If you have nothing to send, you can
make your email response so inviting and so vague, that they have to call you to get the specifics
(like including a price range of $85-$850!) 

*There is an exception… if you have a fixed service to sell with set pricing and an online calendar
and your own store on your website, you are in a position to let your automated emails and website
do your selling. I know very few people who do this well. Websites don‟t sell. People sell.

Communicating Value

(Or what to do when people complain about the price!)

Many times, you‟ll hear that money is the reason people don‟t book. Just make sure that your way
of being on the phone isn‟t influenced by your own issues about money. If a customer hears my
prices and says “That‟s expensive!” I smile and say, ―Yes, it is‖, and then I close my mouth. The
customer‟s comment doesn‟t mean they are saying it‟s too expensive for them. It might mean that it
was more than they thought, or it was more than XYZ Company. It also doesn‟t mean that they can‟t
afford you. It just means you caught them off guard somehow. The best advice I ever heard
regarding sales is this “State your price and then shut your mouth. The next one who speaks loses!”

Most entertainers will become anxious and start
defending their prices, which opens the door to
negotiation and gives the customer all of the power, as
you now have to prove why you‟re worth what you
say you are. Your client doesn‟t care! I am silent, and
in my silence the customers often sell themselves. Just
to find out where they are coming from, I might add,
―What did you think it would cost?‖ I can tell from
their answers what prompted their exclamation. But
again, I remain silent and let them deal with the money
issue. Remember, I can walk away from the event.
They called me, and they now want the best for their
event!

In the rare (and I mean RARE) instance that they really only have $50 to spend or if they are balking
at my prices, I might add (and I‟m using a birthday example here, but the principle applies to non-
private events as well), ―I would be leery of any entertainment showing up for under $100,
unless you have talked to the actual entertainer personally. So, if you do have a limited
budget, and I‘m a mom, so I know how that goes—these parties are so expensive, I have an
idea. Instead of recommending a cheap company, because I don‘t think you want cheap
entertainment (as I offered in the phone script earlier)—you want Melissa to have the time of her
life, perhaps I can give you the names of a couple of other entertainers in town who might be a
little more affordable. I don‘t know if they are in your budget, but in this market, you get
what you pay for. ―
And then I would recommend them to some of the other entertainers in town I know who are still
really good, but who are simply less expensive than I am (generally the ones in the Good-but-scarce

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

category). Remember, there is enough to go around! If I can help this customer get a good party
this year, even if it‟s not with me, this customer will be a ready buyer next year (and so will all of the
families of the other children at that party). If I simply turn the client away or send her/him to the
bottom-feeders in my area, the chances that they‟ll be ready buyers next year are slim or 50/50 at
best. Also, remember that I don‘t want ALL of the gigs. I want the BEST gigs! Also, helping
other good entertainers in your area breeds goodwill, communication, ethics, increased market value
and high standards.

Charitable events and discount prices

I charge for every event! I don‟t always keep the money, but I always charge. If your client pays
nothing for you, they often don‟t value you. There are exceptions, of course, but, you‟d be surprised
if you knew what kind of money was spent on “charitable events”, “non-profit organizations”,
“church events” and “fundraising”. I have sat in on meetings and heard committee members discuss
how “food costs $x, and the building costs $x and the prizes cost $x, so let’s see if we can just get
someone to do face painting or balloons or a little magic.”

I have volunteered for events where the location changed, but no one called (even after my
confirmation call.) I have been at events where I was told that it was a fundraiser and that they had
no money, so I donated my time, only to discover that a headlining act had been brought in (and
that‟s why they had no money). The headliner was treated like royalty, while I was basically ignored
and told to just wander around (remember the face painter under the tree???). Please don‟t
misunderstand. I‟m not a diva. I don‟t need to be treated like royalty, but here I was, donating my
valuable time, turning away paying gigs, and I was just another volunteer with a job to do, and little
acknowledgement, while the $10,000 act was being pampered and thanked for making such a
contribution to the event. Perhaps your experiences in donating your time to events have been
different, but more often than not, free entertainers are treated like volunteers, not professionals.

Everyone understands that it takes money to make money. It‟s just that most people don‟t value
what we do. It‟s our job to communicate value. People will call and say “Oh, we don‟t need much,
just someone who will twist those little balloons for an hour.” (Again, I can‟t imagine that they
wouldn‟t order enough food for their group, but they‟ll always try to skimp on their entertainment.)
Clearly, they don‟t understand. They also don‟t understand that having good entertainment will
actually increase the money they raise. Actually, they do understand. That‟s why they hire big names
to come to their events. No one says “Hello, Jay Leno? We don‟t need you at our event for long; we
just want you to tell a couple of jokes.” We‟re just not big names. But that doesn‟t mean we don‟t
add value.

Over 10 years ago, I changed my policy on “donating” my time. Having been frustrated at not
feeling like I was making a difference when I donated my time, I decided that even the freebie callers
needed to know that our services were just as valuable as others‟ were. A “Relay for Life”
(fundraiser for Cancer—a cause to which I am devoted) committee member called me. She had
found me in the phone book, so she was looking for the lowest price. I did my whole spiel, and she
was definitely enrolled. She explained it was a fundraiser and I emphasized that it was even better
that she was looking at good entertainment instead of cheap entertainment. I told her that we were
really expensive, possibly too expensive for their group, but that if she decided she really wanted us,
I would give them a discount. I gave her my retail rates and said “I won‟t charge you full price, but I

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Lori Hurley

will ask that you talk to your committee and see what you can do, and we‟ll go from there.” And my
favorite line to help decision makers with legitimate low budgets: ―It is better to get the best
entertainment at a discount, than the worst entertainment at full price!!‖

She came back to me a day later saying that they thought they could pay $250 and wished they could
pay more because they knew we were really good. I was stunned. I thought they were going to say
$50, and I probably would have accepted. In that moment, I knew that they had understood value.
I told them we‟d take $200 and then offered them extra entertainment. They were soooooooo
grateful. When we got to the event, we were heroes because we had given them such a good deal!
They fed us, checked on us, and when it was time to go, they helped wrap up our lines! Then, they
sent a thank you note 3 days later!! We felt like we had made a difference. We actually took the
check and sent it back to them, explaining that we had wanted to donate our time; we just wanted to
make sure that they received value from the entertainment.

We had been treated so well at this event, that when another “Relay for Life” called, we went ahead
and just agreed to do the event, no charge. Once again, we were ignored and pushed aside, and no
one even knew we were coming. There was no thank you note, and we definitely didn‟t feel like we
had made a difference. What a stark contrast. We had such a good time that we participated in the
1st Relay For Life‟s event each year, free of charge, for years. They loved us and we loved them, and
we felt like we were making a difference (and isn‟t that why we volunteer in the first place?). The
moral of the story: People will value and be grateful for a “good deal” much longer than they will a
freebie. By the way, the second Relay For Life never called us back.

If you decide to work for free or for a reduced rate, make sure you send a contract which includes
the full rate (to remind them of how valuable you are), with a discount line subtracting out what
you‟re giving to them. (Some have said that you can deduct this amount from your taxes as a gift-in-
kind. I don‟t know this to be true…check with a tax professional.) I also recommend that you
include the same provisions you would, if this was a top-dollar client. Otherwise, you‟re just one
more volunteer at an event which is already probably understaffed.

Charity Begins at Home

We receive 3-4 requests per month for volunteer entertainment for really good causes. I don‟t doubt
that any of them are good. But if I gave up my income-generating hours to work all of the events
where we are requested, I wouldn‟t be able to pay my own bills or feed my family. Just remember
that YOU are also a good cause, and so is your family. You won‟t see these events asking a
dentist to come and pull teeth for free. You won‟t see them requesting that a plumber give away free
water heater installations to all of their patrons. This speaks to the perception of the value of what
we do. Most people have a hard time embracing that we make a living at this. Here is your
opportunity to train them.

By the way, if it is an event you want to do, a really powerful suggestion to make is this: ―It sounds
like you cannot afford quality entertainment, and I would hate to see you get stuck with what
you can afford. I recommend is that you find a corporate sponsor who will subsidize your
entertainment.‖ That‟s what companies do, is make big donations to fundraisers to help those
fundraisers have the class and clout which draws high-paying donors.

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Chapter Five

Generating Contracts and Handling Payment
Most people tell us that this next page may very well

be worth the price of this book alone. I hope you agree.
I am including the verbiage from our contract which has
served us well for years. When I hear the horror stories
of entertainers, they usually stem from problems which
could have been avoided with increased communication.
Your contract is that communication. I remember the
days of entering into agreements with a handshake, but
things have changed. Putting everything in writing
eliminates he said/she said, gives your client the peace of mind of knowing what you need, and it
gives you the confidence that you have asked for what you need. (Of course, not everyone reads
the contract, so a confirmation call a couple of days before your event is essential, as it might be
the first time that your contact realizes you need a table, shelter, a stage or a microphone or
whatever!!!)

My company is “A Touch of Magic”, so when you see those words, substitute the name of your
company. Most of the information in parenthesis & bold are my notes to you.

Name of your company
Your Address

Your Phone number, Fax Number, Email address & web address
(Or use your own letterhead, of course)

ENTERTAINMENT CONTRACT
Please fill in all blanks, fax a copy now, and return one to A Touch of Magic when you mail your

deposit, due 1/30/11
(With few exceptions, my deposits due 10 days from the date of the contract, unless event is
less than a month away, and then the entire balance is due on that date. For extra short
notice bookings or flaky clients, I add ―To guarantee this reservation, Please fill in all
blanks and fax a copy by 10am on {1-2 days from the booking call}‖ –this sends a message
that you are highly in demand, so that you aren‘t jumping through hoops and turning
down legitimate business for someone who‘s going to bail on you…My experience tells me
that the last to book are always the first to cancel!)

This agreement is made between "A Touch of Magic", (hereinafter referred to as "Talent") and
Name of your Client, authorized agent for Name of your Client‘s company (hereinafter
referred to as "Producer")

Talent and Producer agree to the following terms:
Mailing Address:

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Lori Hurley

(The mailing address will be imported from your computer program, hopefully, and the
client will fill out the ―location of event‖ side.)

Name: _______________________

Street Address: _______________________

City/State/Zip _______________________

Phone: W: _________H: __________ C:________

Location of Event (if different):

Name of Place _______________________

Street Address _______________________

City/State/Zip: _______________________

Phone: _______________________

Please provide a cell phone number where Producer may be reached at the event, in case there is
an emergency: ____________

Please provide directions to the event from I-94: (when they provide directions, they accept

responsibility for making sure you get there, even through road construction and
unforeseen detours which won‘t show up on internet maps)

Performance details:

A Touch of Magic will provide on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 1:00pm: (Fill in the details here,
i.e. “One highly interactive and uproariously funny 30 min. Comedy show featuring Half Pint and
Oscar” or “ Meet and greet entertainment with balloon sculptures (for age 3 and older only),
physical comedy and general silliness” or whatever you are providing. Be specific with start

times, end times and length of shows!) Barring any emergencies or unforeseen delays,

performer will arrive ___ minutes prior to the start time. In the event of delay, performer(s) will
try to reach Producer at the number above. (Letting them know when you‘ll arrive—distinct
from when you‘ll begin—and how you‘ll handle it if there is a delay, goes a long way with

customer service, and prevents undue stress on the part of the planner!)

Producer will provide for a successful event:
(Note your needs… I‘ve included some of mine which vary per event—picture the perfect
event, the most ideal circumstances, and then ask for what you want… you‘ll get it, and
they‘ll get the best entertainment they‘ve ever had!)

a) A Sheltered area, on dry ground, where the entertainment will take place, with a means of

directing traffic such that one line feeds both balloon artists.
b) A sectioned off area of 12‟x16‟, out of direct sunlight and on dry ground, which will

become the “stage”.

c) A contact person at the event, who will serve as liaison between Talent and Producer, who

will be available for questions and protect against mistreatment of talent, and assist balloon

artists in wrapping up lines at ending time (to avoid being billed for extra time at $X/15
min.) . This person‟s name is _____________________.

d) A sound system with 2 cordless, lapel microphones (or, if this is not possible, contact A

Touch of Magic no later than one week prior to your event, and a sound system will be

brought for an additional $200)

e) A beverage for each performer, and place to relax, out of the view of spectators.

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How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

f) Parking no further than 100 feet from the performance area.

A Touch of Magic will be paid as follows: (itemize what they‟ve purchased, and you can also add
options here, if you want such as “If you would like to add an hour of balloon sculptures, please

circle this total instead $XXX.00”—many times they do… an indication that money is never as

big of an issue as it seems!)

HP & O Show $XXX.00

Balloons x 2 hours XXX.00

Plus Travel XXX.00

Plus Sound ________

Less cash/past client discount - XXX.00 (if you aren‘t charging

full price to client, but then I add a something like ―all deadlines must be met to qualify‖

This gets your client in action NOW)

Contract Total $_______*

*Any amount received over the contract total will be considered a gratuity and given directly to

the performer(s). Please note that this total reflects a discount not available to the general public.

Thank you for keeping it confidential. (Including this information enables us to offer special

prices to non-profit organizations. Even if you only charge one dollar, execute a contract

like this with the retail value, so they appreciate you.

A 50% non-refundable deposit is due at the time the contract is returned. For security purposes,

balance is due by mail on 6/29/11. (This is always 10 days before the event itself, unless the

event is less than a month away, and I eliminate the 50% line and have the due date match
the one at the top of the contract). There is a minimum charge of $50 for any changes made to
the reservation once the contract has been accepted by both parties.
Please make sure any other financial transactions, including tipping, take place out of the view of
spectators. (Remember, we are a service industry, and people don‘t mind tipping, once they

know they can. I receive $20, $50 and $100 tips on a regular basis, and they are happy to
tip for a job well done!!) Checks should be made payable to A Touch of Magic, Inc. This

contract is your invoice and your receipt. (This saves you paperwork) A Touch of Magic's
corporate ID is xx-xxxxxxxx. (Whatever tax id you use… I recommend you get a tax id
number so that you aren‘t giving out your SSN when the w-9‘s start coming in).

Late payments are subject to a $1.00/day or .1% (1/1000) of the contract total, whichever is
greater, daily late fee for each day payment is not made after the due date. Failure to pay the late
fee constitutes an unpaid contract, and late fees will continue to accrue until final balance is paid.
In the event of cancellation, Producer agrees to pay 100% of the contract price if less than 4
weeks' notice is given to Talent. If event is postponed due to inclement weather, entertainment
may be rescheduled within 2 weeks (subject to availability) without penalty, if notice is given to
Talent no later than 5 hours prior to the arrival time of Talent.

(** In 20+ years, I have only had to send a handful of invoices representing late fees. But
when I do, the payment shows up within a week, a month at the most! Would the ―late fee‖
portion stand up in a court of law? I don‘t know. I‘ve never had to find out. This just sends
the message that you run a serious business.)

36

Lori Hurley

Talent reserves the right to videotape the show for training and promotional use. No other
videotaping is allowed without prior written permission. Photos are welcomed and encouraged.

In the case of illness or emergency, Talent reserves the right to substitute performers as necessary.
Should this not be possible, Talent agrees to provide Producer with names and phone numbers of
other local entertainers. Under these circumstances, any deposits paid to Talent will be refunded
to Producer upon request. Producer agrees that Talent will not be held responsible for the
performance of other entertainers except those contracted by Talent directly. If, in the future, any
member of the Producer's organization would like to book the performers seen at this event, all
inquiries must come through A Touch of Magic, as we are the agent for these performers. (If you
book other people on your behalf, this sends a message to your client that they cannot try
to hire your performers behind your back.)
I have read and agreed to all of the conditions listed above. Any changes to this contract must be
made in writing and agreed upon by both parties.

Producer (please print) _______________________ Talent __________________________

Signature ______________________________ Signature ________________

Date ______________ Date ________________

A Word about these contracts and payment:

When this is a real contract, it fits on a single page or two at the most. It is lengthy and disjointed
here, in this document, because of my notes. No contract is a guarantee that the terms will hold
up in court. But my goal is to prevent problems through written communication, and these terms
have never been challenged after being signed.

I don‟t do contracts for birthday parties or events under $200 (unless it‟s corporate and they
request it). It is not worth my time. Instead, I have a thorough conversation with them over the
phone, using their credit card to guarantee the reservation and reviewing my cancellation policy
carefully. See the Phone script for details.

Occasionally, a client insists on making the final payment after the event (usually because they‟ve
been burned by bad entertainment!), or when it‟s a government agency. No problem. I always
work with them and it‟s fine. If I have red flags about a contracted client, and there isn‟t time to
get a deposit from them, I will “guarantee their reservation” with a credit card, and accept
payment on or after the event. What I am really trying to avoid is getting paid on site and/or
playing collection agency. It spoils the magic to see an entertainer hunting down and taking
money, not to mention the fact that your client has other things to worry about on the day of the
event. Plus, the chances that a check will get misplaced increase on site, since it‟s not uncommon
for kids to go through our pockets or props, and because we‟re often going from one event to
another. When we work with schools and libraries, our payments often come a month after the
event. That‟s great for our cash flow, as it often shows up as a surprise!

We stick to the deadlines on our contracts, because it is also the way to weed out the flakes. I
regularly hear performers complain about clients who cancel, without any regard for the

37

How To Make a Living as a Full-Time Entertainer

performer. If I have a deposit due 10 days from the time the contract is issued (and sooner if I
have any red flags about the customer), and the deposit hasn‟t been sent, I will call the client
immediately. Usually, they are profoundly remorseful and then I get to give good customer
service by being flexible. But…and here is where it‟s worthwhile…the customer who is flaky, or
who doesn‘t return calls no longer gets to occupy prime space on my calendar! I‟ll give them
2 opportunities to send the contract and deposit, and if they don‟t, the next communication from
me includes language such as, “We have been unable to contact you. Since we did not receive
your deposit by the deadline, and since we haven‟t heard back from you, we understand that you
are choosing to cancel your reservation. If it is not your intent to cancel and you would like to
see if your time slot is still available, please contact us within 24 hours.” The serious client will
call back and plead for their spot. The flakes generally won‟t respond.

Whenever we give a discount of any kind, we‟ll include a qualifier which says “Deposit must be
received by (whatever date) to qualify for discount” or “All deadlines must be met to qualify”.
Money talks, and people will listen. My favorite calls are the ones by the client who says in a
panic, “I just read the contract and noticed the deposit is due tomorrow. Is there any way we
could get it to you by Friday?” Of course the answer is yes.

Your clients will take you no more seriously than you take yourself, and your contract is a great
way to have them treat you like a business, and not just some guy who does magic (or face
painting, or clowning, or whatever.)

Credit Cards

We are set up to take credit cards, but I try to avoid it. On my contract, on the discount line,
you‟ll see where it says “Cash/Past client discount”. No matter what kind of discount we‟re
giving, the word “cash” will always show up as well. This is because some clients, after you‟ve
given the best price you can, will ask to pay by credit cards. Processing a credit card for a gig can
eat up 4-8% of the total. For a private birthday party, it‟s no big deal. But on a $1,000-$2,000
client, that‟s a huge chunk of change. If you accept credit cards, you are not allowed to charge
any service fees for having those cards, but you are allowed to offer discounts to people who
don‟t use them. So…if a client calls, after the fact, wanting to pay by credit card, I allow them,
but I also notify them that they will forfeit some of their “cash” discount. Then the client has a
choice. If they still want to pay by credit card, they understand they‟ll have to pay me more, and I
won‟t get stuck with exorbitant fees.

38

Lori Hurley

Conclusion

If what you are doing is working, keep doing it. If it isn‟t

working as well as it could be, or as well as you think it should
be, make changes. Chances are you bought this book because
you are ready to have a breakthrough in your business. I am
surrounded by people who complain about how things are, but
who also refuse to change, because “this is the way I‟ve always
done it”. You have probably heard the definition of
insanity…doing the same thing over and over again, expecting
different results. (Attributed to Albert Einstein, Benjamin
Franklin, Rita Mae Brown, Philip Mangano, Mark
Silber…don‟t know who said it, but it‟s brilliant, nonetheless)
 If you can‟t incorporate all of these ideas right now, that‟s
fine. Try one idea. Then try another. Financial freedom is right
around the corner.
I am interested in your feedback and would love to hear from you. If you are interested in
one-on-one business coaching, please contact me, and we can develop a plan to grow
your business. I am also available to provide hands-on workshops to your local guild,
club or professional organization. You can call me at 651-748-9442 (ext. 3) or email me
at [email protected].
I wish you tremendous success and prosperity while you bring joy to others!

39

DO YOU NEED THIS BOOK? TAKE THIS SELF-TEST NOW!

Do you wish you could make more money doing what you love?
Do your customers ever balk at your prices?
Does it seem like you can only get gigs during peak months of the year?
Do you ever have trouble collecting from your clients?
Would you like to be able to count on your business, even in a recession?
Does it feel like your city is saturated with entertainers who do what you do?
Do you wish you were more organized?
Are you tired of having to compete for the gigs?
Are you frustrated with the entertainers in your market who do a lousy job,
yet they still get hired anyway??

If you said YES to any of these questions, this book will
save your sanity and increase your business!!

“I just had to write and tell you that I took your “…This is exactly what I needed
challenge and raised my rates! I was afraid, but I for my business! You have a way of
doubled my bookings last month, all at the higher making things easy to understand.
fees! If I keep going at this rate, I‟ll have to raise
Thank you!”
my rates again, just to slow down.”
C. WALGREN CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA
- M. BAUER HOUSTON, TX

Lori is an accomplished speaker and performer who has been asuccessful
entrepreneur, delighting audiences of all ages since 1986 with clowning,
physical comedy, stage hypnosis, face/body art, balloon sculptures, magic,
holiday characters, singing and general silliness. She has an extensive back-
ground in sales, communication, facilitation and the healing arts and has
been bringing her entertaining and insightful programs to audiences around
the globe. Lori has been seen on television and stages in Finland, Belgium,
The Netherlands, Japan, Canadaand across the United States. She regularly
receives rave reviews on her ability to empower participants to produce
results beyond their wildest dreams.

OWNER of A Touch of Magic Entertainment
located in Minneapolis, MN

atouchofmagicentertainment.com