Typically, there will be some sort of pre-existing relationship between you and an artist you are working with.

Either they have performed at an event or a project you have worked on and the deal was already worked out.

Or, they will have in some way collaborated with you and you've already signed them. Regardless of how you are working with an artist, these are the essential steps you need to follow.

Research, Research, Research.

When you are considering working with an artist, be sure to research them first. If you are just throwing a show and looking for a performer, think about: Is their name familiar? Can you even name one?

If you aren't familiar with them, check out some of their social media. See what type of stuff they do for a living and dig deeper. Do a little bit of digging about them and see what you can dig up. Are they popular in certain areas?

Are they well known within your industry? Do they have a large audience?

See if you can find anything specific about them that helps you figure out if this would be a good fit.

Remember that these are things that would be helpful for you to know, so the more of a background you have, the more likely the deal is going to go through.

Approach them in a kind way

Do they have a personal website? Can you contact them? Are they active on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook? Have they performed at shows in the past with your genre?

Have they collaborated with others? Ask yourself these questions and get answers from them. Ask if they would be interested in working with you.

If so, ask them to send some demos. They may be hesitant at first, but if you have a good relationship, they may open up and send you some demos.

If not, be respectful. However, if they are hesitant or flat out say no, you will have to move on to the next option. Give them a few days to think about it and ask them to provide you with a couple more demos. You may not get any response at all.

If you don't get any responses, then it's a good indication that the deal probably isn't happening, and you should move on to the next option.

Find out how you are going to financially compensate them

Before you book an artist, you need to determine how you are going to pay them. In some cases, they may even ask for a part of the profits from tickets sales. Either way, you will need to pay them.

The goal is to get them a good chunk of money, but still under market value. If you charge too much, they will not take the gig. In some cases, they will turn you down, even if you book them for free. Do your research and figure out what the market will bear.

Depending on the amount of time and effort you put into booking the artist, you may end up underpaying them a little bit. Just make sure you are willing to pay that under market value, and you will be fine.

Showcasing your events

At some point in the process, you will have to put together an event for the talent. This will likely include showing them some of the materials you put together, including any marketing materials you made and a spread sheet with the contacts you need to contact. Put it all together and make sure it's all set up.

Another task you may have to do is take photos of the event and put them on social media. Make sure to attach any Facebook event pages and any tickets you have for the event. You should also post on your social media, telling your fans to show up if they would like to see the artists perform.

The next step is to contact all of your artist contacts and book them. You should always give them the opportunity to promote your event. At the very least, send them the information on what you are offering them, the event details, and the Facebook event.

The artists should be available to go to the event within a certain timeframe. Also, you will want to check with your venue to see if they can have a special on tickets for the event

The Dangers of Broken Promises

One of the biggest mistakes that many companies make is giving too many freebies or too many discounts.

Often, companies will give to a certain number of customers and then start telling them they can buy one extra for $10, but what they do not tell the customer is that the one extra is really going to be $25 and will have the company's logo on it.

There is no reason to encourage people to buy more and to spend more when you are not going to actually deliver the product you told them it was free.

In the same way, when it comes to booking artists, it is not advisable to promise someone an exclusive artist on a certain day, say for example, one month out from the event. What you will do is frustrate them and possibly drive them to another event.

Instead, it is best to have a date that is in fact firm and something that the company is going to keep.

You also do not want to promise a band an exclusive performance because it will be difficult for them to get the same group of people to show up to a different event, which is just one of the many problems that come with changing the date for an event.

To avoid this common blunder, be aware that you should always be honest and upfront with your customers.

Remember, the customer is always right. If they are not satisfied with what you are offering or they are forced to pay for a product or service that they do not want, then it is your responsibility to refund them or at least offer them something that is comparable.

But no matter what, when it comes to the customer always being right, you should always be accommodating. You can never please everybody.

Recognizing The Uniquities of Your Customers

When it comes to booking artists and entertainment, you have to be willing to spend some money. There is no getting around it.

You cannot put something on sale every day, no matter how cheap it is. The most profitable way to book talent is to do it on a premium basis and to do it in a way that makes you stand out from the rest.

This is important because you do not want to bring on someone that has done the same thing in the past or in a certain type of venue.

Another thing to consider is that you will want to bring in talent who has never performed in that type of venue before.

There are some artists that are content with doing the same things that they have always done.

This is not your goal. You want to reach for something more. These are the artists that the customers will remember and that they will tell their friends about.

They will also be the ones to talk about the event years after it has been booked. If it is too familiar, then the event is not going to be memorable.

Make A List of Your Accomplishments

Before you book an artist for an upcoming event, make a list of all the things you have done in the past that were successful. For example, if you know that you have a great relationship with a venue or event planner, you may want to ask if they would be willing to recommend an artist that they have