Lucky,

Yes, things have really changed during the past year, especially with budgets and AD's being changed every couple months. Fortunately, there seems to be more, new facilities being built in this part of the world than anyone can imagine, all of which are potentially new clients.

I've already begin working on my 2009 bookings, and as of this morning, 48 jobs are on the books for 2009--including NYE. Today's job is a new location for me, and I'm relatively sure they'll book once a month for 2009. Same goes for tomorrow's job, which is at an upscale retirement community where I perform every month--they said to bring my 2009 calander. THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR TO BEGIN BOOKING 2009--NOT NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER. By then, most of the entertainment for 2009 will already be booked and the only thing left is the scraps.

The biggest problem in this part of the nation is there are folks that play for little or nothing, and the ADs hire them based upon price--NOT TALENT! Some can't sing, some can't play, and most cannot do either very well. Unfortunaely, they still nibble away at the ADs overall budget, which leaves very little for their top performers.

Zuki is right in saying you have to constantly market yourself and your product. This is just one of many important aspects of being successful in this business. When Donny walked into the new facility and made contact with the AD he was utilizing one of the most effective marketing tools available--direct contact. He then utilized his sales ability, provided the AD with instant access to view his product, and was fortunate enough to get in on the ground floor.

Gotta go to work,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy