Hello all,

I have been trying to get my foot into the childcare market since April and I am not succeeding very well. I have sent two mailings, did a follow up call to introduce myself and emailed a few and I only received two bookings and the one wasn't on my contact list. The first mailing I sent included a nice letter introducing myself and stating what I did. The second mailing I sent a nice double sided postcard with photos and show pricing information. I am either doing something wrong, the market in my area is saturated with entertainers or they are not interested? One thing I know is that I am not giving up. I have Samuel Patrick Smiths Confidential day care booking manual and that didn't seem to help me much. I know a lot of you have success in this market. Does anyone have any tips or advice? Do I just need to keep on sending and calling until I get some hits? I must of put my name out there to every child care in my area

Thanks so much, Nick

Daycares are usually connected....they talk and compare things (like nasty notes about their least-faviorite parents, but I digress) that's probably how you got a booking from a center which you didn't even contact. The trick to daycrae bookings is to get into 1 or 2, do an awesome show, and hope that the grapevine is on your side. Assuming your show is good, what might be stymying you is your prices. Many daycares operate on a pretty limited budget, and pricing which would be reasonable in OUR eyes, might be abortive in theirs.

Agreed,

Day centres spread their performers by word of mouth ... If you're good the message quickly spreads. And they keep their existing entertainers. Often I 'm rebooked before I leave the centre.

They also have very limited budgets .. At most they'll pay for £50 here for a special show. I found it best to get one, then ring around others in town saying I'd be there and could fit in a show for them. This made long drives worthwhile.

Best to ask a few what they'll pay.

Also bear in mind how many 100s of pieces if mail they get every year from folks wanting there services. You have to really stand out to get them to change entertainers.

And think about what you're offering. Are there links to videos of successful shows? Are there recommendations/ testimonies from folks in a similar job or some-one they might know?

Daycare centers do not provide a whole lot of outside "expensive" entertainment, so they choose carefully. I too found initial attempts not very fruitful. What helps most is parental advocates that purpose your show to their center. If you are fortunate enough to have this occur at a center that has multiple sights, you may be able to leverage that. I personally would not count on non related (and potentially competitive) daycare centers to be discussing how much they enjoyed my (or any other) show when (or if) they ever discuss things.

How many daycare centres are you mailing to (how big is your list)? You never mentioned that.

A typical response rate to direct mail is about 0.5% to 2%. And that's just inquiries, not even bookings.

So, if you only mailed to 100 daycare centres, then it might be realistic to expect to have 1 or so inquiries from each mailing.

- Donald

Charlie stole what I was going to say. Haha. If you're doing a party, and they had fun, say to one of the parents, 'hey would you mind handing a card to the director of your kid's preschool? It would mean a whole lot more coming from you, then if I called myself'

(1). Try emails too. That is how I do my direct marketing these days. I like the no charge fee.

(2). If the daycare is a franchise contact the district head quarters. Offer a good deal for doing multiple day cares in the district.

(3). Put together a daycare center "only" website. It will help lure the directors to go with you because they will know you are who they are looking for. Send them marketing materials with the url too.

(4). Send a "Child Abuse/Neglect Central Registry Check" with your marketing info. I was requested to send one in by a daycare center in my state of Michigan. My clearance was performed and approved by the Michigan Department of Human Services. It is no charge.

(5). Find an agent who does daycare centers in your area. Send them a promo video.

Thanks everyone. Love the advice and tips. You can't grow and learn without asking questions I am realizing when it comes to children's entertainment it is more about whom you know and who knows you more than anything. I will continue to get my name out there and ask my friends with children if they could help me out. Sounds like once you are in and do a good show you have won them over for the most part.

Zucchini is able to get $350 for a daycare show because he delivers the goods in a very special way.

While friends with kids in daycare is not a bad route, parents of kids that attend your performance and are genuinely blown away will be a lot more persuasive when speaking to the daycare directors.

A couple of threads you might be interested in:

--> Daycare/preschool marketing

--> Well that was a bad purchase

- Donald

Charlie Checker's two posts above are worth reading AGAIN, Hekk, so are all the others in this thread!

I have a friend down south, who would readily admit that he is not the "world's greatest magician", but he is a darn good salesman! He has plenty of work, because he is constantly SELLING. I'm quite sure that he has read more books on salesmanship than books on tricks!!!

After I retired, I would spend a month or two down "there" every winter. He booked "apin offs", too. I went with him and did Santa, a number of times. He works several restaurants regularly, and birthday parties, when he has an open date! Oh! he also works a "whole bunch of senior citizens nursing homes, too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Wise salesmen know that the "big secret" is the THIRD CALL! Too many quit after the second call.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I'm impressed by ZUCCHINI! Three and a half yards is "darn good money for Day Cares! Most don't have that big a budget.

Morning or afternoon Day Care dates can fill in open time, and evenings are still bookable for club dates.

My southern pal carries a "shoe box" size show, and nothing needs reset. He can easily do two half hour shows in one morning. (Same for afternoons). He is an "itinerant mountebanc"!