Thread: need pricing help asap!

so i realized this has been posted a GAZILLION times already, so i'm sorry for those of u that have to read this yet again lol but i need help asap!

i'm performing at my college on saturday and was told today that they can pay me, but not a lot. i have no idea what "a lot" qualifies for them! they told me they probably can't pay me for all that i'm worth but they could pay me something. i am dancing for about 10 min. (2 songs and an audience participation sectino). getting there is not an issue since i love closeby so charging them for gas is useless. the event is kind of a charity/fundraising thing. it's actually a workshop that day (multi-cultural something or another) and i think the fundraising part is tied in with it somehow.

i don't wanna ask what their range is, but i don't wanna price myself too low either. i know what my rate would be for a restaurant gig if i were to do one but this isn't a restaurant.

help please? i have to come up with a bill by tomorrow, since i'm dancing on saturday.

(you can feel free to PM me if u don't feel like posting here)

I very much liked Naya's suggestion in Artemesia's post. She suggested asking, "What were you thinking of spending?" This makes them put down the first number and you can negotiate from there. Or you could say, "This is what I would normally charge," then let them suggest another price.

Restaurants get a break -- a STEEP one -- because they provide us with regular work. A one-time gig for a private party would normally be $150-300, depending on where you live. (higher end = bigger cities with higher cost of living).

I offer steep discounts also for non-profits, though, and retirement homes. They often offer SOME kind of recurrence, at least annually, and want me to dance during off hours (afternoons, weekdays).

So. I'd call them and say 'Normally a 20-minute show would be $XXX, but I'm prepared to work with you and meet you within your budget. How much should I make the bill for?"

Whatever they say, you might pleasantly waffle a bit, by asking 'Are you sure that's the closest you can come? It's a pretty steep discount off my regular rate." because the person you're dealing with may have been told 'Offer her this, but you can go as high as that.'

A lot of retirement and nursing homes budget only $60-75 for entertainers in my area, especially the ones in smaller towns. They seem to be able to get magicians and Elvis impersonators for that rate all day long.

When you make up the bill, show the discount like this:
20 minute performance in costume $200
Negotiated educational discount -$125

(or whatever the numbers are). That way, if someone who works there wants to hire you or refer you, they won't pull your bill from the file and think the low rate is your full fee.

thanks ladies. lauren that was exactly how i wanted to put the bill together, to show them the discounted rate versus how much i would regularly charge
i went ahead and sent them an email simply asking how much they were hoping to spend. let's see what they say. this will at least help me somewhat *fingers crossed*