Making a list and checking it twice!

Taking a little break for a minute. I have been trying to work up a marketing plan. I have a list of contacts, business, schools, festivals. I am sending initial e-mails then later will follow up with calls. That is my downfall. I would much rather send a letter than talk on the phone. i tend to be a bit backwards in that area.

I have so many openings in my schedule at the moment and am anxious to get more busy! But I have been lax on my end about rustling up the business. I'm gettin busy today!

Here is hoping we all have a prosperous and blessed year doing what we love!

Good for you! I need to do the same. I've spent so much time "getting ready", that I'm dragging my feet with the "jumping in" part. Have a list of leads to follow, just gotta get off my butt and do it. Thanks for motivating me by seeing how you are taking the first steps, lining things up, and starting the process! Gotta shake the winter off and get motivated for the spring/summer season. Hoping business takes off "like a racehorse" for you!

I'm with Perry on this.

I NEVER call. I can't stand cold-calling and don't respond to it myself.

I send emails to past clients as reminders. I send postcards to past and potential clients with handwritten notes.

I find passive ways of distributing my information.

Oh, I am sooooo glad Perry and Shannon that you said that! I just didn't feel right about just calling people up. It just isn't me.

So, I will just stick to my e-mails and flyers that I mail. I have gotten to gigs booked today. I was starting to get a bit discouraged.

Thank you too CC.

It's funny. I would send emails and no one would respond but then when I call them they actually take the time to talk to me and ask questions. I have received more gigs with cold calls then e-mails. People tend to disregard emails because they think they are scams or something.

I did a postcard campaign marketing summer camps for Monday-Friday daytime work. It worked wonders & paid for itself. I got a few weekend birthday parties out of it as well as what I was looking for... several summer camps are having me be festival entertainment or graduation entertainment, etc. I gave a bit of a discount, but made sure they hired me for at least 2 hours(most opted for 3 hours). It was worth the discount to get the weekday gigs.
Right now I'm going like crazy after restaurants. I love the work! It's fun & brings in sooo many contacts!

Great idea Linda! Thank you for sharing.

Make sure you have an experation date for any discounts/coupons. You don't want someone to turn in a coupon for $50 face painting in 3 yrs you're making $500 per hour... wishful thinking on the $500:D

RE: Marketing and "Jumping in"

A long time ago I heard a marketing expert say:
It is better to do something for nothing, than NOTHING for nothing.

That has shaped a lot of my marketing thinking.

- Lilly Walters, 909-398-1228
California Face and Body Painting http://www.funfacepainting.com

tanyamaldo119 wrote:It's funny. I would send emails and no one would respond but then when I call them they actually take the time to talk to me and ask questions. I have received more gigs with cold calls then e-mails. People tend to disregard emails because they think they are scams or something.

It is spam if it is cold... I only send emails to past clients, contacts and people who contact me first. I never send emails to unknowns.

However, I will mail postcards to potential clients and leads.

Last night Lilly, I was at a grad party of some friends. There were about 10 young kids there and I had my small kit in my car. Now, I would never just push my way in but the hostess' youngest daughter(we are close friends) told me that she & her friend wanted to come let me paint them sometime. I gave the mom ,the look, and told her it was her party but if it would make them happy, I would love to paint the kids. They were all on board!

So, I took that opportunity to try out some new glitter gels, I used jewels for the first time, I def. do not like using the eyelash glue I have!, I even got to try out a new design. So it was fun for them, teachable moments for me and lots of parents that were very interested so who knows, maybe I'll get a future booking? I remembered you saying ,that it is better to do Something for nothing than nothing for nothing. I felt like this was one of those moments. We had so much fun. I told one of the parents,"Thank you for letting me use your child as my guinea pig!"LOL

Shannon, I am going to start making a list of potential clients to send a postcard to. That way they at least will have a pic of what I do in their hand when they receive it and perhaps get interested. I need to make up new cards though.