Invision That

It’s shocking, but true.

Every day, schools bring in school assemblies that they should not be hiring. Speakers, entertainers, and entertainment agencies often lie about their qualifications, charge you a LOT more than they should, end up turning your important event into an embarrassment and put your reputation on the line by presenting sub-par performances.

When you have assembly presenters in school, for most schools this involves a presenter who is in front of several hundred students. If you hire the wrong person (inexperienced, inappropriate, etc.), the kids can and will walk all over the person or waste you and your school’s time with outdated or wrong information on the subject you want a presentation for!

This report is going to give you the inside-scoop on what some entertainers, presenters, and agencies do to unsuspecting event planners. You’ll be armed with the knowledge you need so you won’t be “taken” by these people.

Critical Tip #1:

DON’T PAY EXTRA FOR EVERYTHING!

Watch out for presenters who start adding on extra charges for coming to your school.  Most presenters today charge a reasonable fee for the program itself, but many shady ones then start adding on extra expenses to make more money and drain your budget. 

When looking at presenters, call around and try to go with someone that quotes you a price for EVERYTHING.   Make sure that there are no hidden surprises and that the fee they quote you includes their mileage and everything else.  Make sure you get an invoice, performance agreement or contract in writing that states the full fee with no surprises.

Bottom line:  Choose a presenter that will not break the bank by adding on extra charges.   His/her fee should cover the program, their travel expenses and even a sound system – meaning if the presenter agrees to supply one, you should not be charged separately.  You should not have to pay for anything extra!

EXTRA TIP:  Many good presenters will give you a price break for multiple programs.  For example, if you need two back – to – back programs, and a presenter charges $1000, the presenter should not charge you $1000.00 PER PROGRAM.   He/she should be willing to give you the second program at a discounted rate, since he or she is already in your school, already set up. It just makes sense.  Also, look for presenters who will not only give you a price break for more than one program but also those who will let you split the cost of multiple programs with other schools in your same area.  This will help you to save some big money!

Critical Tip #2:

DON’T BASE YOUR DECISION PRIMARILY ON PRICE

Wow! This is a biggie.

Of course, price is a factor when hiring an assembly presenter. If you only have a $100 budget, you’re not going to be able to hire the top assembly presenters to come and motivate or educate your students! However, many assembly coordinators place too much emphasis on price and not enough emphasis on the overall impact the presenter will have on their event.

Is the highest priced performer always the best? Absolutely not! In fact, in a marketing course put out for entertainers, the author tells his readers to dramatically raise their fees because a lot of event planners equate the value of a performer by how much they charge. He says that it is all “perception.”

Well, it certainly won’t be just “perception” if you hire a motivational school program presenter who charges you hundreds of dollars for a show that is, in reality, only worth a few dollars and they “bomb!”

On the other hand, hiring the least expensive entertainer is not always the best way to go either.

The fact is that each performer is unique and, like in any other profession, there are entertainers who are great, some who are good, some mediocre, and some who should never be allowed on stage!

You need to base your decision on the presenter who will best fulfill your needs and help you to achieve your desired outcomes, whether it’s for a program to coincide with Red Ribbon Week near the beginning of the school year, or a character education campaign kick-off, or anything during the year.

One way you can know whether a presenter is going to meet your needs is by whether or not he or she asks you what your needs are and what outcomes you want to achieve with your event, your age groups, and so on. When you call them, do they just tell you how great their program is without finding out what you want and need?

How would you feel if you went to a doctor because you weren’t feeling well and the doctor instantly prescribed some medicine without first finding out what was wrong with you? It’s the same with presenters and speakers. They should find out what you want and need first and see if they have a program that can fulfill those needs.

Bottom line: Decide what your budget range is, check out a number of performers in that budget range, and choose the best person regardless of price. If your budget is so small that you cannot find an excellent performer, DO NOT HIRE ANYONE. It is far, far better to have no entertainer or speaker than it is to hire someone who is not good. Save your money and wait until you can afford someone who is outstanding.

Critical Tip #3:

GET THE CORRECT KIND OF TESTIMONIAL CLAIMS

Testimonials are of the utmost importance when hiring any entertainer/presenter. In fact, they are of paramount importance. If a performer does not have a TON of great testimonials it means one of two things.

First, the performer is inexperienced and hasn’t worked professionally long enough to get testimonials. Second, the performer isn’t very good and can’t get any testimonials from his customers. In either case, this is a performer you probably don’t want to hire.