Those calendars cost me $1.09 each, and they were full size appointment, wall calendars that had some incredible photographs on each page. The pens were just .39 cents each. However, there was a small setup fee for each, about $25 for the calendars and about $12.50 for the pens. I usually ordered about 50 Calendars and 100 pens. I gave pens away to residents as well, mostly in hopes that they would ask for me when there were special events, such as 100th birthday parties, anniversaries, family nights, picnics and festivals, all of which were longer jobs that paid the same hourly rate, which was still far higher than any nite club or restaurant job I ever played. Imagine getting $125 to $150 an hour for playing in a restaurant or bar.

Ironically, I only had one AD that balked when I asked her to book a year in advance. She called one afternoon to book a job and I didn't have an opening. She actually changed the date of the event to accommodate my schedule, then while I was there, she pulled me aside and asked if she could book out the rest of the year, which I did. After that, she booked the year in advance every October, just like all the other ADs in my area.

Now, there are folks on this forum that sincerely believe that word of mouth is all the advertising they need, and maybe for them, it is effective, though I seriously doubt it. Mail outs, cards, news letters, pens, calendars, CDs, and personal visits are very, very effective. If they didn't work, then why do the largest corporations in the world use these same tools to advertise their wares every day of the week. When it all comes together, you can command the highest prices, book top dates such as New Years Eve, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and others years in advance.

Others on the forum have taken the course I charted and have been extremely successful. Bill in Dayton has made a very good living performing the senior circuit, and although I have not seen many posts by Bill lately, I assume he's still out there doing more than 500 jobs a year. Helmut Licht in Baltimore is also performing about the same number of jobs per year, and he's booked nearly 2 years in advance now. In addition to his senior circuit jobs, he also has a weekly Ballroom Dance Class that he teaches at one of the American Legion Halls that draws about 50 couples each class. If I recall he charges about $25 per class and that includes soda pop, snacks and a sandwich, all of which are provided by the Legion at a minimal cost to him. If the dancers want anything stronger to drink, they must purchase it from the Legion.

Keep in mind, this is a business, just like any other business, and if you want to be successful you will have to take every approach necessary in order to bring about those successful sales contacts.

Good luck,

Gary