I realised earlier this week that I'd been putting off making an awkward phone call to a  gig venue. I needed to try and re-arrange a gig date due to a band member availability problem which had developed.

I'd made excuses in my own mind to try and delay when I would have to face up to actually making the call. I suppose we all do this with things we need to do but would sometimes rather not at that time. I made the call and rearranged things but it reminded of the fear you can sometimes feel when you know you need to try and make calls to get gigs.

The technical term for this in sales circles is "Call reluctance" and here are a some tips for dealing with it.

1. Realise Call reluctance is happening to you.
As in my case above, you'll find yourself making excuses ("he probably won't be there if I call now" / "I need to do something else first" / "I don't feel 100% today" ). The first step is realising this is happening - before you can put a stop to it.

2. Set appointments with yourself
You need to spend a lot of time in any one week to book gigs. Often an hour a week is all it takes to get something new coming in every week.

3. Use a script
We're not talking chapter and verse here but just some bullet points or reminders of the things you want to make sure you mention on the call. Whatever else you say, always check early on that the person you're calling has a few seconds to talk.

4. Remind yourself what's in it for them
One of the big lessons I learnt early on in my career is that if you focus on what you could get when you're trying to make a sale - its a recipe for stress and nerves. Instead, keep your mind fixed on what you and your band could do for the venue.

Give them new faces to freshen up things for their customers? Bring new drinkers into their bar? (even if all you take a re a couple of cars full of friends to the gig). Give their regulars a night to remember (if audience interaction or the visual side of things are a part of what you do) etc etc. Maybe you're going to offer a "trial price" for your first gig at the venue you're calling or you've played in some name venues that might be worth dropping when you talk.

Keep in mind that ultimately any live music venue lives or dies on the strength of the acts it books. It they had the same band on every week people would soon stop going there. Fresh acts are vital to most band venues.

5. Think about what you'll do AFTER the calls
If nerves a re getting the better of you and you're dreading having to make the call stop and think for a moment. Remind yourself how good you'll feel about yourself when these calls are done. When they're out of the way for another week. Think about the euphoria of actually getting that booking, how you feel when you let the other band members know what you've been able to do etc.

If you're really struggling you can reward yourself when you've made those calls. Have that drink watch that favourite TV programme but only after you've made those calls.


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