The 'Show' Before the Show

I looked behind me… only to see he was still following me.

I was at a school I had visited six months ago. Good kids, great teachers, fun client.

Today they sent the custodian with me to help me get situated. He showed me the best way to get into the building and to the gym.

Then he followed me outside to my car.

“Can I help you carry anything?” he asked, watching me hauling stuff out of my SUV.

“No thanks, I’m good,” I assured him. Pulling out my foldable cart, I began loading my equipment.

“Do you need a flatbed?” he asked.

“No,” I said again. “I’ve got this cart here.”

Then he just stood there and watched.

Ugh.

I hate it when people watch me. Unless it’s for a show, of course.

But setting up a show? Or loading everything from my car to my cart? I’d prefer to be left alone.

I don’t know why, but I’m extremely self-conscious about being watched in those situations.

Fortunately, I always come prepared for a show.

I’ve developed a ‘routine’ for loading and unloading my car. Part of it is time management.

Schools, especially, often cause my setup time to shrink. There are delays getting into the office, finding my way into the building, security, and on and on.

So I’ve actually ‘rehearsed’ the fastest, easiest way to get my stuff out of my car, loaded up, and into the building.

On top of saving time, I know that people are watching me. And everything creates an impression in peoples’ minds.

No one will ever see me ponder what to load next or struggle to make things fit. I’ve worked it all out ahead of time.

I think these things are important. Again, the show is not the only time people will watch or judge you.

Everything I bring is either in its own case, a nice professional bag (for my Chair Suspension), or neatly packed away in my Lefler table or other containers.

I remember long ago watching a friend of mine bring his gear into someone's house for a gig.

He had some stuff in his Lefler table, other props in cardboard boxes, paper grocery bags, etc.

It was awful.

He wound up putting on a good show, but I can’t imagine what the client’s first impressions were of him when he arrived.

Another ‘preshow’ habit I disagree with? Showing up in jeans and a ratty t-shirt.

I’ve seen a few performers do this. They get to a gig wearing whatever worn-out, comfortable clothes they can find. They get set up and then change into their show clothes.

If you’re a high-dollar entertainer working a theater show, I suppose that’s fine.

But if you’re walking into a school corporate gig, birthday, or whatever, I think it’s best to walk through the door looking your best.

Again, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Because the show isn’t the only time people are scrutinizing you.

People start judging you when you arrive. And even earlier than that.

How do you answer your phone? Do you just say “Hello?”

If you do, that’s a mistake.

(Quick commercial – I have an in-depth product that covers phone sales in detail. And no, it’s not about cold calling, just incoming calls. Check it out HERE.)

People judge you for everything.

Even how many trips into the building you make to get your stuff inside.

You might think that bringing nine loads of equipment through the door would impress your clients. “Look at all this stuff! We must be getting a helluva show!”

I used to think that, but not any longer.

The truth is, the more trips through the door you make, the more frazzled or irritated your client may become.

I’ll cover “frazzled” first.

A few weeks back, I performed my first birthday party show of the year. (I don’t do many birthdays – they’re a great market but I’m just too busy with other things.)

The birthday mom wanted me to set up in the basement of the house, so I couldn’t just wheel everything in my cart.

That meant three or four trips down the stairs to get to the family room in the basement.

After the second trip, I could tell my client was getting frazzled.

I had to keep opening the door and letting the heat out.

I had to politely excuse myself past all the kids and parents congregating in front of the basement stair entrance.

I was becoming a pain, but to do the show I had prepared, I had to do it.

If I was performing birthdays more often, I’d probably put together a show that was only one trip through the door.

On to “irritated.”

When I first moved to this area, I booked myself in as many childcare centers as I could and used them as a conduit to booking more birthday shows.

For that first batch of shows, I brought in a full sound system, a backdrop, and a ton of stuff.

The center directors were getting irritated because they had to keep buzzing me in. Fortunately, they loved my show, so they were happy at the end.

These days, I have a few rules about getting in and out of buildings.

• For school shows, I will only make two trips into the school with my stuff. Anything requiring a third trip gets cut.
• For libraries, I will only make one trip, with only as much as I can get into my cart.
• For childcare centers or outdoor gigs, I will only carry my Lefler table.

Please realize, I’m not trying to short-change anyone on a show. I’m only trying to maintain rapport with my clients by minimizing how much they have to help me by opening doors and so forth.

The big takeaways this week?

Practice getting your stuff in and out of your vehicle so you save time at a gig.

Make sure your equipment looks good even when hauling it into the venue.

Minimize how many trips you have to make based on the gig or venue.

Remember to check out my phone system HERE.

Have a great week!

--Cris

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