Promotion and Entertainment Jobs.
Get a job as an entertainer in a nursing home
or other senior citizens facility.
First of all I have to say that I have been in the music business well before I was a seniors entertainer. I learned a lot along the way starting in 1965.
Here is an e-book by author Bob Baker that I find invaluable to many people and that can make all of the difference in your career
Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook.
AD = Activities Director
To start with, working in a single facility won't do as they never hire you on a daily basis. Most places will never have the same entertainer more than once a month. If you are serious you will need more than one to make it worthwhile. I currently have 372 bookings for next year and today as I write this the date is December 19. I can book as many as 4 a day if the timing is right. Usually it is one or two though.
Be Prepared (The Boy Scout Motto) First, as in selling anything you have to have a product.
Be sure that you can do at least an hour for a performance, as this is the usual amount of time that you will be hired for.
Now to promote.
The first rule that I use in promotion is that you have to take the fear out of the buyer. Give them ample proof that you are what you say you are. If an AD hires you and you are a disaster the AD is now seen as incompetent and their job is on the line. The AD doesn't want to take a chance on you just because you say that you are wonderful. Give them something to believe in.
 Create a mailing a list of the type of facilities that you want to entertain at, including the accurate mailing address and if possible the name of the activity director. For your area or state or region you can google such things as "Nursing Homes", "Assisted living", "Independent Living", "Adult Day Centers", "Council On Aging", "Senior Centers", etc.
You get the idea.
It is best to use a mailing list software program to enter the info so that you can then print out your mailing labels with a click of the "Print" button.
Use Microsoft Word or another program to create an easy to read advertizing flyer or a make more elaborate promotional packet to send. Here it gets interesting.
You can start with a very simple flyer that states your name and phone number and a brief description of what you do.
For a more elaborate promo package you can include additional things
Here are a basic list of things to add.
Color photos of you in action or as a descriptive portrait.
"A picture is worth a thousand words."
After you have started working at it add a list of references if you have any and/or a list of places that you play.
A list of songs that you would play or things that you do.
 A CD demo of a few songs that you play. 30 second clips are good and about 10 songs can do it. Other wise they will be too busy to listen.
You can also suggest that it is played for some residents. I was booked several times based on the AD playing the CD demo at a residents council meeting and they voted to book me themselves.
Better is a DVD. (Besides your performance, show crowd reaction as a bonus point. I once sold a show to a buyer with a noisy video where I was partially hidden by people dancing and cheering etc., the crowd was very enthusiastic. That is what convinced the buyer.
Most AD's store promo in a file folder or a pile on their desk. So if you use a dinky postcard you may well be lost or overlooked. I like a clearly noticeable 9x12 envelope so that later I can tell them on the phone that it is the package with the bright yellow envelope or whatever and they will see it in the pile on their desk.
 Price?
Some people like to negotiate each job as they come in.
I prefer to know what the top end of the typical budget is and combined with mileage, decide on a price and print it right on the promo package with a year that it covers. Ex:
Booking for 2009 - Price $100.00 per one hour show. This goes out to the facilities with in my $100.00 range, others get a different flyer with the price reflecting the distance to travel. This cuts out a lot of baloney and you can avoid getting calls from low ballers unless that is the market that you want. If you establish that you will work cheap once they will never treat you as a more vauable entertainer no matter what you do. I have made a living in the music business since 1965 and I have never done an audition in my life.
If you need to work in an area closer to home then it is better to keep the price a little lower so as to guarantee a greater amount of bookings as some facilities have very low budgets. Based on you being as good as the average entertainer, if you are a bit too expensive you might get one booking per year. If you are within the range that is normal you might get one a month at the same facility. If you are a bit cheaper than most then you might well get first crack at the dates available.
I have 3 tiers of price per hour that reflect the cost of my distance to travel.
My mailing list can be sorted by regions. I don't send anything beyond 55 miles as it is usually too far to be practical within normal budget restraints.
 Follow up with a phone call or calls until you reach the AD.
This greatly increases your chance of getting booked as the AD will be deluged by applicants and only the assertive (yet polite) will get booked.
If you call anyone keep notes with a call list. Make note of the time that they are usually unavailable because they are in morning meeting or always busy in an activity. Ask when the best time to call is.
I knew an AD who refused to book an entertainer solely because, as she put it "That guy is a real pain in the ***".
I use a portable 8 1/2" x 11" monthly calendar Free printable 2009 calendar
Starts with December 2008 through all of 2009 and never use pencil. I never accept tentative bookings as they clog up the calendar and you end up turning down definite bookings and in the end you lose time and money.
 I ask them to check on whether they can guarantee the date first and take a note in my
notebook to do a follow up call.
They do understand that you deal with many other clients hiring you and you do this for a living or whatever. Again, tell them that you will give them a follow up call and hope that you aren't booked by another client first.
Thruth: There are more entertainers than there are available jobs so you will have to work harder at booking than you thought. If you are serious, then accept that fact and be prepared to spend the time and commit to do it.
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