From: RkyMtnTrls@aol.com
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 11:45:29 EST
Subject: Re: ratio of bookings to calls
To: balloon@balloonhq.com

"...1 out of ten calls isn't spectacular...not unreasonable. 5 out of ten is 
still pretty incredible, but ...if someone is booking 9 out of ten calls, the 
competition is either 
 non-existent, horribly lacking in skills and manners, or the person booking 
 all the shows is horribly underpriced..."

Around here, if the entertainer is doing what everyone else is doing, then 
the ratio is more like 5 out of 10, so I hear.  But I learned awhile ago to 
offer things with my balloon twisting that not every other joe twisting is 
doing.  In my case, I'm doing twisting, face painting, pony rides and some 
other stuff .... but you get the picture.  Because I'm the only person, 
literally!, in all of the metro Denver area who's combined both the 
twisting/painting activities with the pony ride activity .... I'm one of 
those that has the 9 or 10 booking rates too.  There is a zillion twisters 
and painters out here - but none here who do the pony.  There are a half 
dozen who do pony, but none of them do twisting/painting with it.  Here, the 
case is that I made a special nitch - it took three years for parents to 
realize I'm out there, but finally, they did.  That's something I'd highly 
recommend to all twisters with a flooded twister market - find something no 
one else is doing (simple small carnival games, one pony for rides, a small 
bounce inflatable, trackless train, anything!) and work it!  

Best wishes,
Sher in Colorado