Let's face it. Anything I say about myself, is just that, something I said about myself. I can tell you my show was great, that the audiences loved it, that people will be talking about it for years to come. But coming from me, most any accolade will sound like simple, arrogant boasting.
 Of course, if someone else says it, it takes on a whole new meaning. And if that someone else happens to be the CEO for IBM or the Entertainment Coordinator for a Cruise line, now suddenly you have a prized possession that definitely means something. And the good news is, that if you know how to do it, getting quality testimonials isn't anywhere near as hard as most would think.
 I honestly can't tell you how many testimonials I've gotten over the years. They've come from General Managers and CEO's of major corporations, The Activities Directors for world famous amusement parks, Sales and Catering Directors at 4 Star Hotels and Resorts, Doctors, Lawyers, Celebrities and countless others. They make anything I say sound believable. When a potential client is busy considering whether or not to use my services, there are two things they're busy trying to find out. Is the show going to truly be entertaining, and will I be dependable (on time, well equipped, etc.). The logical place to find these things out is to ask respected people that have already experienced my show their opinion. Or better yet, rather than bothers spending hours trying to track down someone on the phone, check to see what they say in the quotes on my brochure.
 The hidden secret that somehow seems to allude most entertainers when getting letters of referral is really very simple, just ask. That's it, simply ask for it. And there's more than one place in the process of doing a show where a well placed request is sure to get a letter.
 Something you need to be careful about. Federal law says you aren't supposed to use quotes in your advertising unless you currently have copies of signed letters including them. It would really be great if we could quote every person that happened to walk by after a show and tell us we were great, but that isn't legal. It is legal, however, to quote sources, and even to use a simple trick I'll explain in a minute, to quote yourself, provided you can get someone important to sign the letter. I have a stack of letters, including one of the few letters of recommendation ever written by the Activities Director of the world famous San Diego Zoo that say exactly what I want them to say. I know this to be true, because I actually wrote the letters myself, and then had these people sign them. But let's start at the beginning here.
 Just this past week I did a show for a VIP Party (high rollers club) at Harrah's Casino just outside of Topeka, Kansas. Confidentially, the show didn't go that well. Everybody in the room was being honored as being part of the high class casino "elite". They had all put on their best and were walking around trying to act the part. And then I come up and tell them to bark like dogs. It took some doing just to get a decent group of subjects. But the show did go off, and the 5 people I ended up with worked out fairly well. As soon as the show was over, I made a point of joining the Casino General Manager at the back of the room to say goodbye to people as they walked out the room. I'm not sure how the manager felt about the show on his own, but after having a few of his "high rollers" come up and tell me how great it was (what else are you supposed to say to the performer at the back of the room??) he developed a big smile and started congratulating the lady who coordinated the event on putting together a winning package. I waited till the crowd had died down and then turned to the General Manager, and asked simple, "So how'd you like the show?" Right after having heard all the positive feedback there really was only one answer he could give me. He told me it was great. I thanked him and added, "I don't know if I'm overstepping my bounds here, but you know, I'm right in the middle of putting together a promo package, and it would really help me if I could get you to write me a note telling me exactly how you felt." He immediately assured me that he'd be very glad to draft up a letter and get it right out to me. By itself, that commitment would buy me about a 50/50 chance of actually getting a letter. But I added, "If I know your letter is coming, I'll go on and hold up on putting my mailer together for a week so I can quote you if you don't mind." This statement happened to be true, but then, even if it wasn't, if I knew I'd have a current quote from the GM of a major casino coming in, you better believe I'd start putting together a mailer before his letter arrived. He agreed to get right on it. My chances just jumped to 75%. But that still wasn't enough. I happened to be staying at the casino that night, so the next morning, right at about 9:45, I called the GM's secretary and casually mentioned that the boss had told me he would be glad to write up a letter telling me how he felt about my show, and asking her if she thought he'd have time to dictate it out before I left at noon. As expected, she told me he'd be busy, but assured me that she would see to it that he got it done real soon. I thanked her, and gave her my mailing address. Yes, the casino's marketing department already had it, but it won't hurt for her to be able to casually walk in when he has a few moments and remind him about the letter. And then, without having to spend time tracking my address down, simply put it in an envelope and drop it in the mail. My chances just jumped to probably 95%. Well, the letter arrived 4 days later.
 This is the traditional way of asking for letters. You might notice how persistent I was. Without being obnoxious, I'm willing to do all I can to get a good letter. They're worth it. Over the next few years, this one letter, which took less than 10 minutes of the GM's time, will probably sell $40,000 worth of shows for me. Every other casino in the world will stop and look when they see one of their own has something to say. And all the upper class establishments (cruise ships, resorts and the like) will definitely respect his opinions.
 A simple way to get letters from past clients is, again, to ask. If you've already done a good show for someone, and you know they'll probably be calling you again, there's nothing wrong with calling them up and asking for references. A little trick that works well here is to avoid simply asking them to "write me a letter". That will probably never happen. Instead, my approach is to explain that I'm in the middle of putting together a mailer, and would really like to include some of their feelings about the show. Once they agree, ask them if they'll mind giving you a few moments to answer some questions. In my case I also ask if it's okay with them if I record their answers so I won't misquote them. I've never had anybody say no. Ask questions that require more than "yes" and "no" answers. Don't ask "did you like the show?" ask "how did you like the show, and why". Ask questions like, "What would you say made the show entertaining?", "What would you say to someone considering using my show?", "Is this the kind of show you might see recommending to others?", etc. This might also be a good place, as you're wrapping it up, to request a referral or two. Casually ask, as you finish, "By the way, now that we're on the topic, would you mind giving me a name or two of some of your peers I can contact who might be able to use my show?". As soon as you finish the telephone interview, explain that federal law prohibits you from quoting him if you don't have his quotes in writing, so if he doesn't mind, you'll draw up a simple letter, reflecting his answers, and mail it right off to him. If he can simply initial it and return it, you'd greatly appreciate it. When I do this, I also include a special thank you note and offer him an incentive as a way of showing my appreciation. It might be a copy of one of my books, or maybe a movie ticket I ended up trading for. It the letter is extra good, I might even toss in a night's stay at a local resort which I traded work for (I explain this in the next paragraph). Something he'll consider valuable. That guarantees that he'll get the note, sign it and place it in the self addressed stamped envelope immediately. Truth be told, even if he doesn't return the letter, having a recorded copy of the interview is enough. But cassette tapes are a lot harder to save than letters are. These notes, obviously, won't be on the company letterhead, but you can still use these quotes in your brochures and letters.
 Most of my larger shows get me letters of recommendation, and there's a simple reason why. When I quote them my standard price ($2500) they usually cringe. Their budget was more in the $1500 league and they're not sure if they can get this amount approved. Well I'll negotiate, but I won't cheapen my show. Starting with $2500 and then letting them talk you down to $1000 is a sure way to convince the client that your show isn't as good as you think it is. I'll lower my price, but I'll always ask for something in return. And the first thing I ask for, is a letter of recommendation. Basically the discussion usually goes something like this.
CLIENT: "You know, I really would like to use your show, but the truth is, that price is a little out of our budget"
ME: "Well, Cathy, the truth is, I've been at this for quite a while now, and I have enough people that are very willing to pay that price. But I don't want to leave you high and dry. I'll tell you what I would be willing to do, though. If you'll agree to send me a letter within a week after the show, telling me what you thought of it, I'm willing to knock off $200 from the price."
CLIENT: "Even $200 won't be enough" (Notice I now have her negotiating for me. In essence she's saying, "what else can I give you in order to bring the price down to a number we both know will be necessary if you plan on working for us.")
ME: "How much do you feel you can afford?"
CLIENT: "I can probably go as high as $2000"
ME: "$2000......I'll tell you what. If you'll agree to get that letter out to me, and give me a week's stay at your resort that I can use any time I want, I'll knock my price down to $2000."
CLIENT: "Well, let me talk to the General Manager and see what I can do."
ME: "Okay, I'll hold your date for a week and expect to hear back from you by next Wednesday. Will that work for you?"

 Considering the number of rooms most of these places comp weekly, and the fact that she now feels like 10 minutes of her time is worth $200, this is all but a done deal. I'll immediately fax her a contract with all the details of the show, and add at the bottom an extra paragraph that reads something to the effect of:
"Client further agrees to forward a letter to Howard, written on company letterhead, no later than one week (5 working days) after the completion of the show. Client also agrees to make arrangements for Howard, or a guest of his choosing to stay at the resort for 7 days at a future date."
 I also have a bunch of these comped hotel vouchers. They're great for when I'm traveling, and more than a few wedding couples felt like I went overboard when I "paid" for their honeymoon. I also use them as "thank you" gifts for better clients at the end of the year. Other things I'll often negotiate into contracts include advertising space in company newsletters (I sell a lot of tapes and books that way); comped airline tickets (when working for airlines); free meals (gift certificates at larger restaurants, etc. in exchange for lowering my price enough so they can sell it to their clients); traded performances (local DJ's etc. trying to impress their clients might agree to do 8 hours work in exchange for a half price show. I'm sure to need a DJ somewhere during my next holiday season, so I'll probably make a profit on the deal.)
 There is a trick that can get you the ultimate letter of recommendation. And I have a stack of them. In fact, most of them come from people who don't usually write letters, because they're too busy. The Director of Marketing at the San Diego Zoo is one of the busiest people in town. He's forever coordinating television appearances, warding off environmentalists, arranging special events and the like. He definitely does not have the time to stop everything and write a letter. Consequently, I don't know of a single entertainer that has ever received a letter written by him. My letter from him, on the other hand, is perfect. It talks about my incredible ability to hold and entertain a crowd, about the obvious experience and dynamic charisma. It says just what I'd want it to say, because I wrote it.
 After a successful summer at the park, I called his office and asked him if he'd mind dropping me a note telling me what he thought of the show. He explained that as a policy he usually doesn't write letters because he doesn't want to get bogged down with a long list of people that all want his recommendations. I asked if the issue here was time, and he said yes. I then told him, if he didn't mind, that I'd be willing to write up a letter for him, send it out to him, and if he felt it adequately represented his feelings, all he had to do was sign it. If nothing else, curiosity alone pretty much guarantees he'll give it a try.
Typically, in this kind of situation, I begin by swinging by his office and ask someone for a piece of stationary because "Mr. So and So asked me to put together a letter for him to sign". They give it to me, I go home, write up something realistic but full of sound bites (he was captivating, I was amazed, the energy level was incredible, I've never laughed so hard in my life, etc.). Once the person ends up with the letter in his hand, his main concern isn't whether it realistically reflects his opinion. What he's really wondering is whether anything you've quoted him as saying will be incriminating (stay away from comments like "there's no other entertainer in town that I'd recommend more than..." and so forth). If the letter is "safe" you'll get a great letter.
One final way to get a good quote from the media is to say it yourself. Personally I shy away from this method, because, although it's legal, the ethics are questionable. I do know that a very large number of entertainers use it regularly. Basically, when you read one of those quotes from, say, the L.A. Times, that lists a person as "America's foremost Hypnotist", there's a decent chance the person isn't really quoting an editorial in the L.A. Times. They're actually quoting their own ad. They basically took out an ad in the paper, or ran a spot on the radio, and then quoted something they wrote about themselves. Again, it's legal, but it's the kind of thing that may eventually catch up with you. And considering how easy it is to get press releases published (which then do, officially, become the opinion of the paper) and the number of quality letters you can get elsewhere, personally I don't feel this method is needed. I include it here, though, for the sake of completeness.
It takes a bit of work, but after all is said and done, show business is like any other business. Either you work it with everything you've got, or it's just in it as a hobby.

Email:howardmorgan@witty.com
Web Site http://www.HowardMorgan.com/

Besides his 25+ years as a performer, Howard also
lists, to his credit, 3 years as a Casting Director for
Newport Pacifica Films out of Los Angeles, 2 years
as a stunt coordinator and stunt man for the National
Association of Stunt Actors, and 18 years experience
as an Agent/Promoter with his own company, The
Merlyn Arts Group. He's a writer, lecturer, actor and all
around lousy cook.

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