Last weekend, I produced and hosted the Poconos Underground Comedy show (along with co-producer Boris Khaykin) in a speakeasy style bar that was completely sold out. This means, we sold every ticket we had to offer and then had to add 10 more seats. We charged $15 in advance, and $20 for tickets at the door. (Did you miss it? Join us Sat April 13th for the next one.)
A lot of people think that in order to sell out a show, you have to be famous, have a great publicist, give away free alcohol, or all of the above. While all three of these ideas or any combination of them could get you where you want to be in respect to butts in seats, none are truly necessary.
I have been producing comedy shows for a long time, and I’ve finally more recently figured out how to sell out every comedy show I produce. It’s not quite as expensive as the above methods may require, or as complicated.
Obviously, name recognition can’t hurt. Buzz, publicity, and of course, people love freebies. Great material helps, a good line up or headlining act can draw a bigger audience, and going viral on TikTok or some other social media platform may improve number of tickets sold. I admit I do have a big mailing list, some name recognition, I’m a killer publicist (only from teaching myself how to do it over the years), I go viral on social media somewhat regularly, and always have a great line up. But those items are icing on the cake.
THE CAKE of producing a sold out show is a little less formal than all of the above. I’m sure you’ve heard the old line, “If you build it, they will come.” I believe this is true, but you can’t just build it. You also have to make sure to tell everyone about it. And I DO mean EVERYONE.
Today, I’m going to give you TWO solid tips to improve draw to the shows you produce.
Make sure it’s in a great venue. You’d be surprised how many times I’ve chosen a venue that’s not ideal, and I’m banging my head against the wall, trying to get people there when it’s just not working. You need more than a stage to have a great venue. Good sound, lighting, seating, ambiance, parking, convenience to your audience members, other offerings (food, drinks), reputation and so much more play into whether or not your show will take off or tank.
PRO TIP: I put a questionnaire on every table and a few golf pencils for audience members to fill out. I ask how they heard about the show, what they think of the venue, the acts, the food, and if they have any feedback. People are often very generous, and will be happy to tell me what stuck and what sparkled. I read every single one, and use that input to make my shows better.
Make sure you tell a number of people commensurate to how many seats you want to fill. I read somewhere that the success rate of sales to asks is somewhere like 10%. So if the other elements are right, and you tell / offer tickets to 1000 people, you can possibly expect about 100 to buy (see above notes). How you tell them is up to you, but a few methods include posting on social media, press releases to local outlets, emails to your email list, calling/texting friends and family, hanging up posters around town.
PRO TIP: Create a soft estimate of how many people you are reaching and if you’re feeling crazy, make a spreadsheet. I love using Google Sheets, but you can also just take notes in whatever works best for you. Observe, spend time reviewing your information, and once your process starts working, repeat.
You may not sell out every show, but you can get a higher number of tickets sold if you follow these tips. Subscribe so that you’ll never miss my comedy life tips and input, and become a paid subscriber to get in deep with me. It’s $70 per year, which is cheaper and more dense with comedy input and advice than any comedy class you will ever take. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. If you’re not sure, read my wikipedia page. If you’re looking for someone to hold your hand through the ins and outs of the comedy world, I’m that person. Here’s my hand. I have a baby, so it might smell faintly like a diaper. But it’s yours for the holding.
Today’s musings:
How To Use Google Sheets | Google
How To Run A Comedy Night | 20 Bedford Way
Jena Friedman comedy tour dates | X
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dear jess,
thank you for this! i appreciate your sharing!
love
myq
I'm not a comedian but co-produced a story show years ago; this all feels like great advice, and applicable to different elements in my own life (podcast, speaking etc) 🤗