Category Archives: networking

Seeking Advice on Moving to Bigger Comedy Clubs

Posted on by

Hi Dave – I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out for advice about when it’s the right time to start applying for MC spots at larger comedy clubs. I’ve made a conscious effort to stay grounded and not take on opportunities before I’m truly ready. While this approach has helped me grow steadily, I sometimes wonder if I’m being too cautious.

Recently, I won two comedy contests without bringing anyone or knowing anyone in the audience, which felt like a notable achievement. It’s given me some confidence, but I’m unsure if these wins mean I’m ready to approach bigger clubs or if there’s more I should do to prepare.

What’s your perspective on the right timing and readiness for making this leap? I’d greatly value your insights. Thanks so much – DC

Hi DC – Thanks for bringing up this great question—it reminds me of a close friend who moved too quickly into the bigger comedy clubs before he was fully prepared. Unfortunately, this misstep left him stuck in what I call “Bad First Impression Land.” In his case, this happened in New York City, where first impressions can make or break a career.

Here’s his story:

My friend had been doing comedy sporadically for about five or six years before I met him. At the time, I was managing a small comedy club in the Gramercy Park area and invited him to perform. From his first set, it was clear he had star potential. He completely tore the house down—the audience loved him, his material was strong, and he had a natural stage presence. It was obvious he had the skills and experience, which made me wonder why he was available to perform for free at a smaller venue on a prime Saturday night.

A few months later, I secured a major connection at one of New York City’s top comedy clubs. For context, this was the kind of club where just getting an audition could be career changing. Because of my connection, I could bypass the usual process and get my friend a guest spot—a potential golden ticket to becoming a paid regular.

Gimme one more chance!

To my surprise, my friend hesitated. He explained that years earlier, when he had only done a few open mics, he thought he was ready for the big leagues. After some initial crowd laughs at small venues, he assumed he was a natural and started auditioning at major clubs.

At the time, NYC clubs often used a lottery system for auditions. Comics would line up once a month, regardless of the weather—whether in sweltering summer heat or freezing winter temperatures. They’d draw from a champagne bucket filled with blank pieces of paper, with only about 15 containing audition numbers. If you pulled a number, you got your shot that night.

Unfortunately, my friend’s early auditions didn’t go well.

Lacking polished material and experience, he didn’t leave a strong impression. The club staff and bookers remembered him for those shaky performances, and his reputation was set. Even years later, when his skills had significantly improved, that first impression stuck and kept him from advancing in those venues.

At The Tampa, Florida Funny Bone

Saturdays – February 8, 15 and 22 from 12:30 to 4:30 pm

Includes a performance at The Funny Bone:

Wednesday – February 26

Space limited – pre-registration is required

For details, reviews, photos and to register visit ComedyWorkshops

This story serves as a reminder: moving too quickly can sometimes do more harm than good. It’s crucial to assess not only your readiness but also the lasting impact of how you present yourself at pivotal moments.

My friend learned the hard way about the importance of timing and preparation in comedy. Early in his career, he managed to pull audition slots at some of New York City’s top comedy clubs—a rare opportunity. Unfortunately, he had only performed three times before stepping into these high-stakes auditions.

Predictably, the results weren’t good. Without enough stage time or solid material, he bombed in front of some of the most influential club owners and bookers in the industry. Unlike the forgiving environment of open mics, where comics often perform for peers, this was a real audience with real expectations—and he wasn’t ready to meet them.

Years later, after he had developed his skills, I saw him perform and knew he was genuinely talented. I decided to use a connection to vouch for him at a major club. But when I approached the owner, the response was clear:

“Oh, I’ve seen him. He’s not very good. Use that guest set for someone we don’t already know.”

Even though his disastrous audition had been years earlier, the impression lingered. This is a cautionary tale about how a poorly timed first impression can derail future opportunities, especially in an industry where reputation matters deeply.

When Is It Time to Move to Bigger Clubs?

There’s no universal answer to this question—it depends on your readiness and how you compare to the comedians already working those clubs. Here are some key considerations:

  1. Avoid Getting Stuck in the Open-Mic Scene

Open mics are a valuable tool for building material and gaining stage experience, but they’re not an end goal. Too many comedians treat them as a social outing, prioritizing hanging out with friends over honing their craft. Potential working comics approach open mics with a clear purpose: to refine their material and build a set that bookers will want to pay for.

  1. Assess Your Readiness Honestly

To move up, you need to perform at the same level as the MCs currently working at the clubs you want to play. Be honest with yourself:

  • Are you consistently getting as many laughs as those MCs?
  • Do you have a polished set with reliable material that works for diverse audiences?
  • Have you gained enough stage experience to handle unexpected challenges during a performance?
  1. Know Your Local Scene

You should be familiar with the comedy landscape in your area:

  • Who are the MCs at the bigger clubs?
  • What kind of material and stage presence do they bring?
  • Are you performing at a similar level?

If the answer to these questions is yes, it’s time to start taking steps toward bigger opportunities.

 

Steps to Break into Bigger Clubs

  1. Participate in the Process

If clubs use a lottery system for auditions, start showing up. If they host contests with bookings as a prize, enter. Many clubs also accept video submissions, so ensure you have a professional-quality video on your website (you do have a website, right?).

  1. Use Your Network

Comedians in your scene will know who you are if you’re consistently delivering strong performances. If you’ve built good relationships, ask a trusted comic who works at the club to put in a good word for you. Be mindful, though—comics won’t risk their own reputation by recommending someone who isn’t ready.

  1. Build Experience Under the Radar

Before auditioning at major clubs, test your material in less visible venues where mistakes won’t damage your reputation. Open mics and smaller shows are excellent for building your skills until you’re ready to make a lasting first impression at a larger club.

Final Thoughts

Talent bookers are looking for professionals. Remember: They may call it amateur night, but no one is looking to hire and amateur. They’re seeking performers who can deliver consistent, professional-level performances.

To summarize:

  • Be honest about your readiness.
  • Build your material and experience in smaller venues.
  • Approach bigger clubs only when you’re confident in your ability to perform at their level.

A strong first impression can open doors, but a poor one can close them indefinitely. Take the time to prepare, so when the opportunity arises, you’re ready to leave a lasting positive impression.

Thanks for reading – and keep laughing!

Click on the banner below to sign up for Dave’s free newsletter.

For comments, questions about workshops and coaching please email – Dave@TheComedyBook.com

What are you NOT allowed to do with your promo video?

Posted on by

Hey Dave – I played a (known) comedy club and it went very well. I got constant laughs and had so much fun. But I’m a bit confused about something. The club sent me a video of my set and said, “Feel free to use it as you want, just as long as it’s not used publicly.” What does that mean? How else can I use it? Can I send it to other clubs? Am I allowed to post pictures? I wanted to use it for my website, but I am in total limbo with this. Thanks in advance for clearing up my confusion – ha! Talk to you soon – R.Y.

Filming your video

Hey R.Y. – I just checked on YouTube and found more than a few comedian videos taped at the same (known) club. So, I’m really not sure what they mean about “not used publicly.” I’ll tell you at the end of this how to find out, but right now I’ll take a couple guesses and explain why…

The known clubs – and many that are not so well known – are very protective of their images. In business terms, it’s called their brand. When you see an advertisement or commercial promoting an upcoming show, it’s going to be for a comedian that will deliver a performance the audience will expect from that caliber of a club.

Let me clear that up a bit. I won’t single out one particular known club because there are too many. So just pick out your favorite.

These clubs are in business.

How they stay in business in this competitive field is by bringing in a comedian audiences will pay to see. This builds their reputation (brand) with consumers (ticket buyers). They want you to feel confident that if you attend a show at their club, you’ll see a very funny comedian.

That’s the image they want potential and returning customers to have. Buy a ticket to this (known) club on the “nights advertised” and you’ll have a great time.

But these clubs are also interested in finding new talent. Again, it’s part of the business.

Promoting your video

They can’t bring in the same comics over and over and over because a large segment of their audiences are returning customers. Yes, there are certain comics that are more popular than others, which is why they will have more return engagements. But especially in the clubs where using three comics (MC, feature and headliner) are standard, they don’t want the exact same show. A talent booker will schedule different opening acts and feature acts for that reason.

To help find these new comedians or to give local comics more experience, known clubs might have an open-mic night, showcase (where management is auditioning) or host a comedy class that includes a performance night.

Usually the comedians can get a video of his or her performance.

For some it’s a souvenir of a memorable night. For comics serious about building a career, they’ll use the video to get better. They watch to see how they look on stage, what material worked and what needs work, and to analyze timing and delivery.

But we also know video is the best way to promote your career. If you have a great video the goal is to get it in front of talent bookers. But sometimes depending on “where” you filmed that great set it can be a little confusing on how you’re allowed to use it.

Let’s say you’ve done an open-mic at a known club and have the video. Let’s also say you’ve had some experience and might be ready for paying gigs at lesser known clubs, but not where you made this great video. And even if you are, you’re not the headliner the club would promote to sell tickets.

Kick off a laugh-filled 2025!!

Comedy Workshop at The Cleveland Funny Bone

Saturdays, January 4, 11 and 18 from noon to 4 pm

Perform at The Funny Bone – Thursday, January 23 at 7:30 pm

Space is limited – for details and to register visit COMEDY WORKSHOP

If you put this video online and make it seem like you were a paid “regular” (MC, feature or headline) performer at this club, it’s not going to live up to their brand. That’s an important factor for the club because they’ve worked hard to build their reputation. This happens (a lot) with newer comedians. They’re proud of what they’ve done but need to remember the clubs are also proud of their brands. I know club managers that have contacted comics and demanded they take the videos down.

It’s business.

That’s also why many clubs hide their onstage logos during open-mic and showcase nights. When their brand is presented publicly, they want the public to only associate it with the best comics.

Another answer to this question would be using it for publicity. You might score a gig at another club or even a benefit show and a clip from your video at the known club is used to sell tickets. Without written permission it’s not a good idea to use video showing their brand (the logo on stage) in the background while you promote a show at a different venue. That could cause more headaches than you’d care to have, so never use one club to promote another.

Again, it’s business.

In your state of confusion, the best bet is to call or email the club and find out exactly what they mean. And since we’re talking about business that’s also a good way to stay in touch. Any time your name is mentioned to a talent booker, you’re promoting yourself (your brand). This is a legitimate reason, rather than an email or postcard just “saying hello and keep me in mind for work…”

Be honest.

Tell them you’ve received the video and you’re not sure what you’re allowed to do with it. Then let them tell you. You don’t have to say you want to post it on your website, YouTube or send to other clubs. The club manager / booker should fill in the blanks. Then just follow what they say. Either way they’re doing you a favor. You’ll have a video you can watch to help you improve as a comedian or help promote yourself as a comedian – or both.

Thanks for reading – and keep laughing!

Click on the banner below to sign up for Dave’s free newsletter.

For comments, questions about workshops and coaching please email – Dave@TheComedyBook.com

Finding corporate gigs and dealing with gatekeepers

Posted on by

Dave – I’ve taken your comedy workshop, and it was a wonderful experience. Okay, now that I’ve saved you the time of promoting it, I did have a question. You recently wrote about using humor to gain corporate gigs. How does one go about finding these speaking opportunities? Who do you contact – event planners, Human Resources or some other person at the corporate office? What is a gatekeeper and how should one approach that gatekeeper? – B.T.

No one gets past me!

Hey B.T. – Come on… You know me. Just because you plugged my workshop (thank you btw) doesn’t mean I’m not going to plug it again. It’s called promoting, which is what you also need to do if you want to book corporate gigs.

That’s true whether you’re a comedian, humorous speaker, or any type of presenter or entertainer. No one will hire you unless they know you’re out there and available for work.

The article you’re referring to was about using humor during your program at corporate events. It was posted in two parts in case anyone wants to scroll down for a reminder. But your question has given it a different spin:

How would you use humor to find and schedule corporate gigs? Here’s my take on it…

I go through phases but guess I could admit to being a big cold caller. It sounds miserable (think telemarketer) and was at first. I dreaded those work-related calls. But after much practice and bad experiences, I came up with an idea to make these calls semi-humorous. After all, in my corporate programs I talk about comedy, humor, laughter – and it was time to start using them.

You really want to get past me?

In the corporate market you really can’t be a one-liner, class clown or jokester when first contacting a gatekeeper (we’ll get to that term in a moment) by phone. You’ll either get the Rodney Dangerfield treatment (no respect) or be treated to an endless symphony of Elevator Muzak (for a sample, check out this LINK) when they put your call on hold and go out for lunch.

It’s a business call and you need to treat it that way. BUT it’s important to have an opening line that grabs interest. It’s like writing the beginning of a comedy bit or speaker’s presentation. You want to grab your listener’s attention as soon as possible. And since you also work in the humor industry, there’s no reason why you can’t use a fun(ny) opening line as a conversation starter.

Here’s an example that I’ve used, and it’s worked – no BS:

“Hello, this is (your name) and I’m calling from “beautiful” or “hot and humid” or “snowy and cold” (name the city closest to you that you know they’ve heard of).”

THEN WAIT.

More times than not, the person answering the phone will have a comment about the city. They’ve been there; have relatives or friends living there; know something about it (good or bad – doesn’t matter); or will have at least heard of it.

BINGO!!! Conversation starter.

Let them talk and all you have to do is work off of what they’ve just given you. Get it?

To continue this random example, they might go with the “weather option” you gave in your opening line or want to talk about the city’s sports teams (I get that one a lot). Then once we have (hopefully) a friendly and/or funny conversation going I ease into my sales pitch.

“I have a program that would be great for your company’s next event. Let me tell you about it…”

And here’s another secret. If my opener is greeted by silence or a negative reaction, I don’t waste a lot of time on the call. Since I deal with humor, this is obviously not a good fit for what I do. I’ll move onto the next one.

How do you find speaking opportunities?

Cold calling is just one way – and usually everyone’s least favorite. The best is always in person networking. I talk about this in much more detail in my book How To Be A Working Corporate Comedian, but in a nutshell, every community has business organizations looking for presenters. Play detective and find the person that schedules these meetings and volunteer to speak for FREE.

This is a major source for contacts. Not only can you showcase in front of potential clients, but they’ll also usually feed you for FREE. Then you do a meet and greet as they leave the program and liberally hand out your business cards while trying to collect as many as you can. Some audience members might have an event coming up and would be interested in hiring you based on your FREE showcase presentation.

I’ve booked quite a few paying gigs this way and gained a few pounds at the same time.

As far as who you should contact…

You’ll need to play detective again to find out that info for individual corporate events. I’ve learned firsthand it can be just about anyone from an assistant to the head honcho of the company. Go online and learn what you can about the company before calling. You can also ask the gatekeeper…

Who??

The gatekeeper is the person that answers the phone during your cold calls and considers it to be his or her personal mission to keep you from talking to the decision maker. And in case you need a refresher, the decision maker is the person that can hire you. You need to convince the gatekeeper that you and (especially) your comedy act or speaking presentation is worthy of personal contact with the decision maker.

Sometimes the above-mentioned creative (humorous) example can be the needed cold call icebreaker. Other times it turns into a longer process. This would involve sending information and promotional videos showing what you can offer to make their event successful – and hope the decision maker sees it. Then you need to follow-up without being a pain in the you-know-what.

How do you do that? It’s in my book How To Be A Working Corporate Comedian (another plug!) and involves a timely use of phone calls, emails and postcards. There are no guarantees, but gatekeepers, event planners, human resources, assistants and head honchos will never know you’re even out there and available unless you present yourself.

It’s called promoting. And in my opinion, an element of humor can help you stand out from the competition.

Thanks for reading – and keep laughing!

Click on the banner below to sign up for Dave’s free newsletter.

For comments, questions about workshops and coaching please email – Dave@TheComedyBook.com

Breaking Into the College Market

Posted on by

Hi, Dave – I hope things are going well. I have a friend teaches a class at a nearby university. He put me in contact with the director of the department and we set up a date for me to do a 45–60-minute comedy show. I asked if the school had a budget for this type of entertainment. She emailed a reply that their events are “a bit below market value” and asked me to share “ballpark numbers” with her. She added “sincere gratitude for my time and travel and what amount might be meaningful” for me.

I know I probably should’ve looked for an agent before getting a gig like this, but I’ll take this opportunity in any way I can. I just don’t exactly know what the ballpark is, I don’t want to go too high or low, I was wondering if you can point me in the right direction. This is exciting and somewhat surreal that this is finally happening. Thanks – R.

Varsity Sport

Hey R. – Good to hear from you. Things are going well (thank you) and it also sounds like things are going well for you.

The college market for performers can be very lucrative. Student Activities Departments receive funding from enrollment tuitions that needs to be spent while the students paying it are still in school. Think about that. If part of your money is going toward entertainment, but they don’t provide the entertainment while you’re there, you’re not going to be very happy about it.

So, they spend because they need to.

Now, that’s not saying colleges and universities have unlimited budgets, but in my experiences as a college agent (for almost eight years) they have more to spend than an average comedy club.

But it’s not an easy market to break into. Your comedy material needs to be relatable to college-aged students. For example, unless the comic is a celebrity, the audience is not going to be very interested in someone’s “mom or dad” telling jokes that doesn’t fit their interests.

A good example of this was given to me during an interview with Bill Engvall for my book, Comedy FAQs And Answers: How The Stand-Up Biz Really Works. We were actually talking about how to protect your material – he has a trademark on his brilliant hook, “Here’s your sign” (it’s in the book). I happened to mention he must be popular on the college circuit because that’s such a funny bit. But he disagreed. He said his comedy is mostly about family, being married, having kids and being an adult. Students – much younger than both of us – had no interest in that. They couldn’t relate, so he stayed away from doing colleges.

Okay, that makes sense.

So, many (newer) comedians looking to break into the college market might assume they need topics the students can really relate to. Probably sleeping through classes, getting drunk, getting high, having sex, and all the really fun reasons for anyone to go to college.

Okay, that also makes sense – but not how you will get bookings.

Says it all…

Student Activities boards make the decisions about entertainment on campuses. Many of the comedy shows happen during special events – such as Parent’s Weekend, Little Sibs Weekends, Homecoming, Alumni Weekends and… well, you get the idea. The decision makers do not want parents (who might be paying the tuition) and others to think all their student do is party, sleep and repeat. So, they are very selective about the material comedians perform during their shows.

Okay, that’s just a general overview. If you think you have an act that will work in the college market, let’s move on to today’s question. Let’s say you’ve used a connection to book your first college gig. But word of warning: the answer will be practical and vague at the same time.

First of all, it could be the beginning of something good. If you’ve scored your first college gig, don’t worry about having an agent do the deal for you. Not yet and not under these circumstances. You made the connection and can play it through yourself without having to share a percentage.

Second of all – a good (reliable) college agent would be tough for you to find right now – simply because you haven’t had experience doing college gigs yet.

It’s a problem a lot of comedians working in the college market have had to deal with at the beginning of their careers. I’ve heard about it often. Comedians have told me they can’t get “good” (well paying) college gigs without an agent. However, they can’t get an agent without having experience doing college gigs.

It’s what they call “Catch-22” (look it up if you need to).

You’re already on a good path by scoring this college gig on your own. What you really want out of this most – more than big bucks – is the resume credit, a recommendation from student activities or someone at the college associated with the gig. Just a simple “great job”, “love working with you”, “very professional”, “students loved the show” – whatever you can get that is positive.

This can be obtained by sending a “thank you” email after the gig – and asking for any feedback. You would use their positive statement or review as promotion to book more college shows. Positive college reviews are also a good way to get college agents interested in working with you.

Most important – you will need a video of your set filmed in front of a college audience. Sometimes the schools will do this for you. They might have a film department that will look at this as a project. As a college agent, I’ve arranged that for some of the acts I represented. It never hurts to ask.

But if that doesn’t happen, then do it yourself. This is a good opportunity to show college agents and other schools how you perform for students. You might need to bring a friend to help with this. Have a camera or phone aimed at you on stage – and another filming the audience. Now, I know some schools will not allow you to film students, but even set up in the back of the room or off to the side will allow you to film their reactions without showing their faces. Why is this important? I’ll tell you from experience…

Potential talent bookers and agents like to see you and your audience’s reaction. Watch some of the television comedy specials – or even older ones like A&E’s An Evening at the Improv.” Comics will do a bit and then there’s a quick cut to the audience laughing. It’s how the “professionals” do it and shows the viewer how much the audience enjoys your show.

I’ve coached comics in the past to do a free show on campus – just to have that video for potential college agents. But if you already have a gig on campus, you’re past that “free” show stage. Just make sure you get a good video. It should pay off in the future.

Okay, now for the “vague” part…

As mentioned earlier, colleges and universities have money to spend on entertainment through Student Activities. In my past experiences they pay a lot more than regular gigs in comedy clubs (with a note that headliners are different). But until you reach that status as a performer and have no college performing experience, the main goal is to get the resume credit and video.

When I was just breaking into the college market as an agent, I thought it would be a brilliant business technique to go for less money than what other (more established) agents were asking when booking newer comedians. But it didn’t work out as planned. My other agent-friends told me the students activities representatives would think my clients weren’t as good (funny) because they were cheaper. The idea was that a higher price meant they would give a better show.

Really…?

Okay – so I went with that idea. I learned that most of the newer comedians were asking for – and getting – $1,000 for an hour show. There was also a lot of negotiating and block bookings to give schools better deals and in the process, the comedians more money – but that’s also in the book Comedy FAQs and Answers. Yeah, I know… cheap plug.

But remember at this stage of your beginning college market career, it’s more important to get the credit, a recommendation, and a video.

Since today’s question asked about the “going rate” for a college performance, you might need to do a little research. If you know from being part of your “comedy scene” anyone that does college shows, ask for their advice. Otherwise, pick a figure that works for you. It could be $500 or $100 for a 45-60-minute show. Mention to the booker that’s what “your friend” suggested and then throw the ball back onto their court. Ask if that fits into their budget.

Then wait for an answer. See what they offer.

In my opinion – and only if this is local and doesn’t involve hours or days traveling – I would take it. BUT AGAIN, I say this only for newer comedians looking to break into the college market. The most valuable payment is leaving with a college performance credit, a recommendation, and a good video that can help you work with a college agency or to book other college gigs on your own.

Thanks for reading – and keep laughing!

Click on the banner below to sign up for Dave’s free newsletter.

For comments, questions about workshops and coaching please email – Dave@TheComedyBook.com