The Birth of a Salesperson
I thought that today I'd write about the most difficult yet most important job in the theatre business - getting those "bums in seats."
I do have a confession to make though, too. There is a part of me that really hopes that what I write every day here, on this blog, as well as the newsletters, posters, brochures, flyers, faxes, e-mails, advertisements, pamphlets, programs, press releases, website and every other piece of promotional literature I put out there is so wonderful, so moving, so perfect, that it will inspire you to go out there and start selling tickets to the shows at Grinder Productions. And who knows? Maybe it is, and maybe some of you will, but for the vast majority out there (myself included) selling anything is seen as dirty, icky, and undesireable, except in the face of massive personal commissions. That's been how I've seen things for a long time, and it has made the (minimally successful) promotional activities that I have mentioned above something that I have had to work long and hard at to bring myself to do.
This is an attitude that I must change within myself, at least when it comes to selling Grinder Productions, especially if we're ever going to become a thriving company on stable financial footing. All those promotional activities I mentioned above are all well and good, but none of them really work, if you want the truth about it (and most people don't). Selling tickets, selling anything, really, isn't about pretty pieces of paper. It's about helping others to help themselves by giving them something that you both believe will enrich their lives.
If you believe in something, and I do believe in Grinder, then why not share it with the whole world? Why deny the rest of the world the fun and excitement that I have every time we put on a show?
Perhaps there are some of you out there who have felt that rush of good feelings you get after a rehearsal or a show, that tumultuous, intoxicating high that comes from hearing a crowd laugh, hugging your fellow actors backstage after a standing ovation, or any of the countless other personal joys that we all experience when we come to the theatre, be it as actors, audiences, or the people who make it all happen. I know I do. It's an amazing experience, and that's what I would like to share with all of you. You've seen the pretty pieces of paper, now let me and the people of Grinder Productions show you what it's really all about.
And on a related note, the newsletter is now out for April - Watch your inbox!
I do have a confession to make though, too. There is a part of me that really hopes that what I write every day here, on this blog, as well as the newsletters, posters, brochures, flyers, faxes, e-mails, advertisements, pamphlets, programs, press releases, website and every other piece of promotional literature I put out there is so wonderful, so moving, so perfect, that it will inspire you to go out there and start selling tickets to the shows at Grinder Productions. And who knows? Maybe it is, and maybe some of you will, but for the vast majority out there (myself included) selling anything is seen as dirty, icky, and undesireable, except in the face of massive personal commissions. That's been how I've seen things for a long time, and it has made the (minimally successful) promotional activities that I have mentioned above something that I have had to work long and hard at to bring myself to do.
This is an attitude that I must change within myself, at least when it comes to selling Grinder Productions, especially if we're ever going to become a thriving company on stable financial footing. All those promotional activities I mentioned above are all well and good, but none of them really work, if you want the truth about it (and most people don't). Selling tickets, selling anything, really, isn't about pretty pieces of paper. It's about helping others to help themselves by giving them something that you both believe will enrich their lives.
If you believe in something, and I do believe in Grinder, then why not share it with the whole world? Why deny the rest of the world the fun and excitement that I have every time we put on a show?
Perhaps there are some of you out there who have felt that rush of good feelings you get after a rehearsal or a show, that tumultuous, intoxicating high that comes from hearing a crowd laugh, hugging your fellow actors backstage after a standing ovation, or any of the countless other personal joys that we all experience when we come to the theatre, be it as actors, audiences, or the people who make it all happen. I know I do. It's an amazing experience, and that's what I would like to share with all of you. You've seen the pretty pieces of paper, now let me and the people of Grinder Productions show you what it's really all about.
And on a related note, the newsletter is now out for April - Watch your inbox!
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