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Essentials in
Chapter business
Package shows mean money and members
Package Shows Work For You
Updated: 10/1/2002 2:33:00 PM
by Jeff Pipkins, Communications VP, Spring, Texas, Lone Star Statesmen
Each year most chapters work their hearts out learning words, notes, scripts, routines, etc., then, hire the best hall, quartets, sound, light & stage people their budgets can afford — all for one “annual” show.
What can they do with their musical “leftovers”? They can have a sale!
The dynamic, reborn chapter in Spring, Texas, really understands this concept. In just a couple of years, the Lone Star Statesmen have grown from 12 discouraged men to more than 90 active, motivated performers. A big part of this astounding growth is the result of packaged shows. Initially, the chorus, repertoire and budget were just too small to support a “real” show, so the men created opportunities to take their best songs to the public.
Go where the people are, and get involved
Where did they sing? Everywhere potential members and fans might be found: Grand Openings—from a mom & pop video store to a 200,000 square foot electronics hyperstore, from church dinners to corporate banquets, from flea markets to posh boutiques. Their list is endless, and whether paid or gratis, every performance became a source of new members and paid shows.
“It’s not what we do,” said Statesmen PR man Bill Vogel. “it’s how we do it! For example, shopping malls are always promoting special events which can be enhanced by good entertainment. That’s really important, because the better we sing, the greater our opportunities become. Like the huge mall that paid us to perform on Father’s Day. We had a 20-man VLQ singing three-song sets to draw a crowd.”
“That’s when the fun begins,” said MVP Marshall Farley. “When a set is over, we quickly disperse into the crowd; handing out brochures and asking people: ‘Who do you know who loves to sing?’ Everybody knows somebody who is a good singer, so, if you ask enough people, you’re bound to get a bunch of good prospects. Can you believe a mall paid us $300 to recruit 29 singers? Gosh, it’s fun!”
Even when a mall doesn’t offer cash, a chorus appearance can be very rewarding. When Vogel heard that another mall was promoting a Taste of Texas Charity Night, he contacted the mall’s events coordinator and suggested a Statesmen show. “They already had spent their entertainment budget,” he explained, “so I negotiated meals for 21 men. The mall closed to general traffic at 5 p.m., then nearly 100 restaurants and food merchants set up booths in the walkways. At 7 p.m., the doors opened to thousands of curious party-goers. We performed 40-minute sets at each end of the mall and sang one-song ‘commercials’ to vendors.”
Farley couldn’t restrain himself. “The crowd was milling around, noshing noisily; there was no sound system, the acoustics were terrible, a fire bell clanged in mid-performance and children wandered on stage as we sang. It was just awful!” he laughed. “But, we were there to sell our best product: the Statesmen chorus. So we sang well, conducted ourselves with style and everyone had fun. The audience not only loved it, many of them stepped into the chorus for the sing-a-long! Result: we got a bunch of excellent prospects, plus a list of new fans and corporate sponsors for future shows.”
Find people who need entertainment
“Last year we developed a relationship with the county’s Senior Services people,” he continued. “Given a three-month advance notice, they will promote a show in their regular mailings and public service announcements, they will sell the tickets from their offices and they will deliver the audience to our show. They may even provide the auditorium!
All we have do is help the seniors from the buses to their seats, put on a two-hour show (which includes chorus, quartets and sing-a-longs), provide cookies, drinks and small talk, then help them back on the buses. Every county has a program like this and, if you ask nicely, you can do two or three each year!”
On a roll, Farley continued, “Our total time, including setup and teardown is about five hours per show. And, what’s in it for us?” he grinned. “None of the normal show costs or hassle, great fun singing to and talking with people who love our music. And, we net $3 to $5 per ticket!”
Turn contacts into patrons
“Do you want our secret? We talk to strangers! Would you believe, all of these lovely people know other people who are likely prospects for future tickets, shows or membership?” Every Statesman is a ‘card-carrying’ chapter member, so we mingle, chat, involve strangers in tag singing—and ask everybody to fill out the questionnaire portion of our business card. This gives us their name, address and phone numbers and indicates their specific interest in the Statesmen: singing valentines, cabaret shows, theater shows, private performances and/or membership. Talking to strangers is fun, and it really works! Since May, we’ve averaged more than one new member per week!”
Recruiting essentials
You’ve developed a package. You’ve lined up a performance. Now, how are you going to recruit?
- Sing for people who can become your members. Nothing sells barbershop better than barbershop. Put the hay where the horses eat!
- Involve your audience in the fun of singing. Give them a taste of what it’s like to make some of those big juicy barbershop chords. Include a sing-a-long in the performance. Invite men to come up on stage and teach a one-note tag for them to sing with you.
- Sell the basic message: Barbershop is easy, it’s fun, and you can do it, too!
- Meet the audience up close. After your performance, get out in the crowd and shake hands, develop relationships, and close the sale.
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