In all my years running Now Hear This, managing, promoting, and booking clients, I have always heard continued cries of, “Let me know if you have anything for me.” I would always laugh because, I get it. I know that performers are always looking to be booked. I don’t have to be reminded and I know where to find you when I have something. Yet, it’s honestly something I never stop hearing.
So, it shocked me when someone that I had booked for a special event suddenly did an about face and out of nowhere changed their mind about doing the show. All I could think of was, “With all the work that performers are always asking me for, someone actually wants to back out of a booking?” It made me think of the old expression, “Business must be good.” I could count on one hand the number of performers who turn down work because they have too much already.
Needless to say, this sets off a domino effect.
First of all, it immediately makes this performer look bad and will make me really (really) hesitant to call with any other opportunities in the future. Someone like that gets moved over to, ahem, a special list. You can tell me all you want about three strikes, but, why would I want to risk the same thing happening again another time? And this is how quickly you can turn off a booking agency that you might be working with. There’s a good reason for that.
Now the one who will look bad here is me. When I call the venue to say that the performer has backed out, Now Hear This is going to look like the one that isn’t delivering. While I do see that (up to a point), it’s this performer that I wish would see it (along with lots of other performers who don’t realize that their mess ends up dirtying the complexion of the booking agent).
The next domino that will fall will be, does the venue want to trust Now Hear This to find a suitable replacement? And if they do, can and will I find someone of the same (if not better) quality at – and here’s the even tougher part – the same price?
Then it’s a matter of (for all intents and purposes) starting the process all over again, as the venue will want to do their own evaluation of the new candidate.
Bigger picture, let’s then look down the road at the next time that venue has an event that they want entertainment for. Will they think of Now Hear This and pick up the phone or start drafting an email? Or, will they remember this experience and hesitate?
I would urge you as a performer to think about all aspects of a booking when it is offered to you. If there is anything about it whatsoever that gives you the slightest inkling that it’s a ‘maybe’ instead of a ‘Yes,’ then say so as soon as you are contacted. Similarly – and this is in one of my Bruce’s Bonus Books – if you have committed to doing a performance and feel you need to cancel, the proper protocol is to contact who booked you, explain why, and then tell them that, “However, I have contacted a competent replacement who is available then and has told me that they are willing to do the gig.” The gesture will go a long way with all parties involved.
What cancellation stories do you have? Share them and your thoughts on this blog in our Facebook group.