Karaoke Forums

So my sub is going to school for business, and had the opportunity to try and come up with an "elevator pitch." She didn't do it due to time constraints, but the concept is interesting.

The idea is to close a sale in 90 seconds, the time it takes to ride in an elevator. In 90 seconds, how would you close a bar owner or manager on booking you for karaoke? Consider that they currently do not have it and you do not know if they have had it in the past.

Maybe we can develop a sure shot way to convince a bar to book karaoke and turn any negative connotation they have towards karaoke into a positive one.

I personally think that Karaoke is always going to have that "karaoke" connotation that it now has. . At least until people start taking karaoking more seriously

Well, being in sales in 20 years, I can tell you that if you want to pitch your show you need to take control of the conversation, and redirect the quesions.

You already know that you are going to get the, "Do you have a following?" and other predictable questions. This is really in your favor, as you can construct you pitch around this.

If the owner's expectations are unrealistic, than you are doing yourself and the owner a disservice if you don't correct them. I'm honest. I say, "I can't make something from nothing." I run 4 or 5 shows a week. My folks won't come every week, but what I can say is my show kicks, and even people who don't like karaoke like my show.

Further, I explain that positive word of mouth is the best advertiser, and given time will develop into a positive night for them.

I don't take 'introductory pricing'. you pay for me, or i'm not playing. I'm perfectly happy to walk away if the owner doesn't pass my satifsfaction level. I know I've got a good formula for success, and great equipment and a following. That's my pitch... and part of it is my confidence, and the way i project it.

I look them straight in the eye, and go for the close and offer my hand, and nod my head and smile... and I close the deal. That's how you pitch a show... or pretty much anything else for that matter.

_________________
Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Make your pitch and ASK FOR THE ORDER. Then SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND WAIT. First person to speak will then buy the product either them or you. If they come back with another question...it doesnt mean no...it means give me more reassurance. If its a NO then ask what thing disuades them and then go back over that and reasure them once again. Then ASK FOR THE ORDER!! Then either sign the deal or repeat proceedure until deal is closed. Only quit after 3 no's then politely thank them for the opportunity to present your product and leave your info and CARD for future reference. Revisit them a couple months later to see if they have changed there mind...update them on any new items you have and how successful your other products are doing. Ask how they are doing and if an opportunity presents itself---ASK FOR THE ORDER!!

SALES 101!!

AFTO....ASK FOR THE ORDER!!!

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

That's funny. I haven't heard such hard sell since Kirby bootcamp of sales. I would wager you have been there. And yes, all that is true. Bottom line is don't use the silent close unless you know sales intuitively. I have seen it used when you could cut the air with a knife and have also seen it make grandmothers cry uncontrollably. You don't want to go into your gig against all odds. You want to go in with reasonable expectations on the side of the buyer. Otherwise you won't be able to duplicate the sale. And duplication is the key to survival.

What sells a gig in the time of an elevator ride? "Each gig comes with free sex for everyone in the bar." Sold. Otherwise, try to rely on realistic promises with matching results.

Managed Radio Shack stores for 10 years.

"And lets go ahead and open up a new RADIO SHACK CARD ACCOUNT and put that 3 YEAR SERVICE PLAN on it for you! Wont change the payments one bit for your new CELL PHONE!!"

Yes have been there in the trenches!

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

Do any of you use flyers to advertise directly to your night clubs and other halls?

What would you say has been the most successful advertising approach to getting gigs?

WORD OF MOUTH

....had a Kirby salesman at my house for over 2 hours last night. He wouldn't take "I can't afford it nor will I commit to a payment amount" as a NO.

_________________
My statements, opinions and conclusions are based on my own personal experiences, observations, research and/or just my own $.02. I'm not a "cheerleader", but that doesn't make me a Pirate.

Lol, me too. Ten years seems to be about the average time, before you implode from the insanity. But yes, AFTO, and when you do, nod your head yes a bit.

I like to ask three questions that require the person to say yes, such as, "Ideally, you would like a packed house on karaoke nights, isn't that right?" and nod yes.... so when you ask the open ended question, you nod yes as well. Very powerful stuff!

_________________
Good music, good friends, howling good times!

You are taught to not take no for an answer. My boss wasn't happy with me unless I did one of two things; made the sale, or made the lady call and complain about me using too much pressure to make the sale - usually while crying. He would meet me in the parking lot with a huge smile on his face.

I didn't last long there at Kirby, but I never forgot the pressure and the seriousness off it. I remained a salesman for the next 35 years and almost never again used high pressure. I figured if they didn't want it, it was their loss - or choice, and that was fine with me. I became very well off using that philosophy in high end custom furniture. But thanks to globalization, I am now singing for my supper. True story.

To this day, I NEVER EVER let ANY salespeople into my home or even give them the time of day because of high pressure sales people. I find them to be despicable sorry excuses for human beings. Sorry if I offend any one here by that, but to me, there is no excuse for that kind of tactic.
What part of "No" don't they get?
As soon as someone ignores my answer and still tries to sell me whatever it is, I know they haven't respected me enough to hear what I've said, so I won;t respect them enough to hear another word of what they've said and they certainly won't be putting any of my money in their pocket!
And I immediately hang up when I get cold calls.
If I want an item, I know how to pick up the phone or drive down to the store.
The high pressure garbage may work sometimes, but in the end, all you end up with are unhappy (and eventually,) former customers.

There were some ridiculously powerful things that Kirby taught to make the sale. Like you were likely taught, we were supposed to build value beyond cost, bring up multiple points of mutual agreement and then ask for the sale in one way or the other, depending on the person. I found most of the time that literally asking for the sale was a lot like offering them an easy out, so I usually would use the assume the sale close. It is a tad bit high pressure, but I never recall making anyone cry from using it. The cold close did that most of the time if they were in a position where they absolutely could not afford to buy though.

There were also subliminal techniques that virtually no one, except for seasoned professional salesmen would ever be able to avoid or overcome. One was to get someone to fall in love with something, give them more than sight and smell and hearing, have them hold it. I have yet to find anyone ever refuse to take something I handed to them. Once in their hands, you don't take it back easily, you wait till they like the feel of it in their possession. Powerful stuff. If you are selling hats for example, they won't just take it from you, they will almost always try it on, even if it looks ridiculous, something I have done to friends just for a laugh.

Funny too, because it really doesn't matter what you hand them. I have handed over old dirty tools, the entire vacuum cleaner, you name it. And they reach right out and take it every time. Try it on someone that's close to you. Hand them your used coffee cup or a box of kleenex while you are saying something to them. Watch them take it. Its actually pretty comical. This is used 24/7 in Vegas by the flyer hawkers on the sidewalks.

That is an assume the sale close, because you don't ask them to take it, you just hand it to them. Assume the sale was my most effect close on anything I was selling. To sell a gig to a bar owner for instance, you would have already have introduced yourself and then, immediately, put him at ease and comfortable with you by talking to him about the details of his night club and how clever this is and how nice that is - all before a word about what you want to sell him. Then you would hand him a brochure or flyer for your act as you broached the idea of him holding a karaoke night or series, giving him something interesting to look at and more importantly, making him feel your presence in his establishment by touching the paper. Then you would build value beyond cost with a few quick points. After which you would lose no time in bringing up some comical or interesting stories about what happened last week at one, putting him into a friendship disposition. And always trying to get him to nod along with you of course. Once he has become comfortable with nodding, that's when you use the close;

"Hey I have next Thursday wide open! Let's put in the show and see how your regulars react! Let me put you down for the show to start at 8!"

So what you have done in the close is you have assumed he wants the show, because my god, who wouldn't? You both just heard the funniest story about it and how affordable it was, so you both agree it is something of interest. You have also made decisions for him that allow him to fit the gig into his mental schedule and then you even did the hard part for him and you decided the time it would start. Once he hears it put that way, he imagines in his mind's eye; You, physically setting up at 8 next thursday, which is extremely powerful - sort of like possession is nine-tenths the law. If he sees you working for him visually in his mind -on his stage-, you are already an employee. Then if there are no conflicts with his schedule, your sale is nearly 100% done. And, once you have offered to put him down for the start to be at 8 (you did not ask if you could do it, you just offered it point blank and looked away from him, avoiding eye contact as you get your pen and pad and start writing down the time and day) you would use the silent close.

Once the offer has been made, you cannot utter a word, not for any reason, because as Swingcat said, the first one to speak, "loses" (a term likely thought up by used car and vacuum salesmen, since not always is "buying" necessarily "losing"). And of course if there is a conflict with his schedule, instead of just automatically turning you down, you have forced him to consider it in the context of "if not thursday, then will the following tuesday work for me?" because he has already tried to fit you in his schedule once for Thursday, so why would he NOT try to fit you in again as a default next thought?

So assuming the sale goes a long way to solidify the idea that they have already said they would hire you (though they can't remember saying it) and so to say "no" now would put them in a very VERY uncomfortable place. If you are going to combine these two closes, the assume the sale and the silent, you have to bring the confidence to really run with it and not sound hesitant or unsure in any way. You have to be a confidence man to pull such closes off and get them to work. In my experience it is the most powerful yet low-pressure closing technique of all. At least for me. Your mileage may vary.

As a side note, it is pretty common to see a new salesperson attempt to use the silent close and then he would add something he felt he forgot to say, and of course the "close" now becomes an unanswered question which is a nail in his coffin. That is called talking yourself out of a sale.

What's even funnier about "silent" closes is to watch a serious professional use it in person. I got to ride with the top selling Kirby salesman in the US for a whole day (this would be a very very powerful person in any business). He would whip through the sales pitch in 5 minutes (mine was 45!) and then he would use the silent close after putting the words in such a way as to make the homeowner look like a moron if they didn't buy. Then he would stand there, busy setting up the contract on the table and then holding the pen out for them without saying a word. For like 3 MINUTES, which seemed like half of my life. The air was so heavy you couldn't breathe. Had he turned loose of the pen, it would have likely just hung there in the air that was filled with panic. In the end, they all said yes to him. His closing rate was 100% that day, when mine was something like 1 in 10 or 20!

Just make sure you offer Mr. Bar Owner that 3-yr extended service plan with your show!! Gives him that EXTRA PEACE OF MIND. And all the neccessary accessories he will need----extra battry, car charger, carry case, some double-A's..................

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

Remember the 13 Steps of Selling?? Can you RECITE THEM??

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

I don't recall 13 steps at Kirby.

motor
blower
spray gun
suds-o-gun
get their vac out
3 vac story......

sunshine division trainer 3 years, it never goes away.

_________________
Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Funny, I wound up using the painter IRL. It worked, but like crap. Big surprise!

I sure liked getting out their vac though. When I went over to a friend's house who sold Electrolux for a living and I pulled all the dirt off the floor through the carpet in one pass that his machine had just ran over and over and over for 10 minutes, he turned red and just sort of lost all happiness in his face. I would pay good money to do that again.