How to win your first playcheque
The secret of living is to find people who will pay you money to do what you would pay to do – if you had the money.
Sarah Caldwell 1924–2006, Opera conductor and founder of the Boston Opera Group
You’ve now seen how to use the latest online systems to get yourself known and how to offer something that people really want. Now it’s time to put it all into practice and actually make some money. This chapter will show you how to win your first playcheque and prove you can get paid to play. Remember that being a player means that you are creating your work; there is no job for someone to hand you; no standard formula to getting paid. But if you are determined, persistent, and willing to think creatively, there will be a way to get the experience you want from your work. Here’s how schoolteacher Robert Chalmers made his transition to getting paid to play.
From school teaching to show business
Eight years ago music teacher Robert Chalmers decided it was time for a change: ‘I realised that whilst teaching was incredibly rewarding it was incredibly hard work and relentless. The paper work element of the job was beginning to cloud my enjoyment. I was beginning to become bored. I was Head of Department – I achieved my goal – I didn’t want to progress further up the teaching career ladder – that didn’t interest me. So that was it for me – I would be doing the same job for the rest of my life until I retired – and probably at the same school! That seriously frightened me. What would I have achieved in my life? I wanted to work in show business but that was a dream, not a reality; but then why have dreams if you’re not going to follow them.
With the support and encouragement of my wife I decided that I would hand in my notice at the end of the next academic year. I would take a chance – my wife was working – we would have to make cut backs – but we could do it.’
All he needed was his first break . . .
‘After writing to well over 300 theatre producers, theatre houses and musical directors I got a call from Linda Edwards at The Landor Theatre (a fringe theatre venue above a pub in Clapham, London) saying they were looking for a musical director for a show they were putting on because they had had a cancellation from a previous show. It was a “profit-share” show. We only got paid if the venue made any profit. The theatre seats 60 people maximum. The show was Side By Side by Sondheim; a cast of five and me at the piano. It was the most scary and yet exhilarating thing I had done for a long time.’
His advice to others looking to leap? ‘You have to be strong. Don’t expect things to happen over-night. Family support is vital. It is scary – small things will lead on to bigger and better things. Be prepared to be patient.’
It certainly worked for Robert: ‘Four years later I found myself in Belfast conducting Mamma Mia! in front of 3,500 people at the Odyssey Arena. As I walked out to the orchestra pit from backstage to a packed arena with an audience raring for the show to start, that’s the time when I thought “Wow – I’ve made it!” ’
And now he’s worked as musical director on shows all over the UK including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Blood Brothers, Full Monty, Our House, and Fame, as well as the international tour of Mamma Mia!
You don’t have to try to get paid for every play project you undertake; you can of course carve some time out of your leisure time for some of them. But if you’re reading this book, you ultimately want to do more than just create a hobby crammed into the spare time smeared around your day job. Getting paid for your playing means you can do more of it, and you can start to tip the balance away from the work you don’t enjoy to the things that feel like play. Money makes play sustainable – it allows you to keep playing.
As comedian Eddie Izzard says, ‘I’m not a capitalist, I am a creativist. I want to make money so that I can create things.’ As long as you are getting paid for something other than your play project (e.g. a day job), you will always be splitting your time, attention and energy.
As soon as we start talking about money, you might be tempted to get all serious and ‘practical’ and make some terrible compromises in your choice of project. This is the problem with the whole area of work – we’ve been trained to take whatever we can get when this really isn’t necessary any more.
You know you’re on the right track when you would do the central part of your work for free because it is so much fun. We looked at what this is for you in Secret one. If you can solve problems for people while doing this, there will be a way to monetise it, that is, make an income.
Myth 12: You can’t get paid for doing what you love
A lot of people believe the myth that you simply can’t get paid for doing what you love – despite the fact that people all over the world do just that. Whatever it is that you’d like to do, you can bet that someone somewhere in the world makes their living out of doing exactly that. Some things of course are more competitive or take longer to get established. If you want to write a best-selling novel or become a famous architect, you have a long journey ahead of you. Here’s the thing though: if you choose the right path, you’ll enjoy the journey. What this means is that as soon as you start, you’ve already arrived; you’re a success. Being a success is really just finding a sustainable way to do something you love and really care about. To become a success, do those things that feel like play in a way that solves problems for people and find a way to monetise the value you provide.
If you have the habit of dabbling with lots of possible money-making ideas and never following them through to the final step to actually make a return, then it’s time to do something different. Take your project all the way to the point where you can sell it at least once. The income may only be small but it’s an important symbol of your ability to turn something you’ve created into real money.
But I need some money right now!
Making money from a completely new line of work is likely to take some time. During your transition, you’ll probably need another source of income. If you’re currently in a job you’re keen to get out of, do pause for a moment and check whether you can give your job a makeover to make it more enjoyable while you’re creating a new line of work elsewhere.
My client Susan decided after a number of sessions that it would be best for her to stay in her current job a little longer. We had been working on how to find something more creative for her. I asked, ‘Have you told your boss the kind of work you really want to do?’ and she admitted she hadn’t. The next day she spoke to her boss and explained she wanted more work using her creative writing and sense of design. Her boss said, ‘That’s great, we need someone to work on the brochures and the website, would that suit?’ Susan was delighted.
Can you give your current job a makeover in a way that makes it a better fit while you find something completely new? Can you take on new responsibilities that will help you when you finally do escape to something else? Can you go part-time while you transition?
If you’re already self-employed, the quickest way to make some income is to look at something that you can do that you’re already qualified for and experienced in. The problem is you might find that you suddenly can’t seem to get the work you used to do. I’ve experienced this myself and I often see it in my work with clients. They decide they’ll do one more contract or temp job to bolster their bank balance before they quit for good but strangely can’t seem to get it. Why? Because once you’ve lost your enthusiasm and you’ve psychologically moved on, somehow people can just pick it up – even when you try your hardest to appear keen. You just can’t fake enthusiasm. And if you try, you’ll find yourself competing against someone else who genuinely wants the work. Guess who’ll get it?
Even if this is an area of work you’re looking to escape eventually, take a moment to look for a piece of it that is most appealing. What’s your favourite kind of project or role in this area? Focus your search for income in this area. Your enthusiasm will help you win it and it’ll be more enjoyable when you do. Alternatively, if you know you can survive for 6–12 months without much income, perhaps it’s time to cut your losses and start building your new life.
Winning your first playcheque
Earning your very first income for doing something you love is an important landmark; it’s your first playcheque. You may find it takes more effort to get your first sale than for the next ten added together. Or you may find it drops in your lap seemingly without effort.
If you possibly can, win your first playcheque while still in your current work. This means you’re still being paid during the first few months when you might not be making much from your play yet. This has the added advantage that you will have less of the air of desperation about you compared with the person who needs the new income to survive.
Getting paid for your play project is the best way to prove its value to others. It’s a very basic but genuine form of market-testing.
Myth 13: All my friends have said they would buy what I’m offering, so I must be on the right track
Asking your friends if they’d buy what you’re offering is not market-testing. Getting paid is a far better test that you are on the right track than the positive comments of your family and friends. It’s important to have the encouragement of those nearest to you but it’s not the basis for a business. The only real test for whether people will buy something is to sell it to them – and at the actual price you will need to charge for it to make you a living. People will say all sorts of nice things about how they would buy what you’re creating but unless they reach for their wallet and hand you their money for it, it’s not enough.
It’s appropriate that you might start out by charging less when you have limited experience or your product is still in rough form, but you need to know that there is a way further down the line to make the money you need.
A note about free
When you’re just starting out, it’s no bad thing to do some work for free. If you have a chance to go do exactly what you love most and get better at it in the process, do so. Any opportunity early on to experience being in flow, doing that thing you were born to do, is worth taking. Look for a fair exchange of value; it doesn’t have to be money. If someone offers you a chance to demonstrate your skill in front of a large audience of prospective customers, this can be a great marketing opportunity. You might give a free talk at a conference or write an article for a magazine. The results from this kind of exposure can be more effective than paid advertising – and all it costs is your time.
If you’re continuing to work for free because you’re afraid of charging properly, it’s time to bite the bullet and get professional. Providing something for free does not constitute market-testing; everyone likes free! Even if you’re still training in the skill you are practising, it’s a good discipline to charge at least a token amount. This puts things on a professional footing. Also, people don’t value things that are free. The drop-out rate for free events for instance is huge – 60 per cent or even greater. Charging even a small amount dramatically increases people’s commitment so that they are more likely to turn up – and to do so on time!
Myth 14: I can’t possibly charge for what I’m doing yet – I need to read more books and take more courses and workshops
This myth is often just fear in disguise. Books, workshops and training courses are great to build your skills and keep you motivated but don’t use them as an excuse not to get started. Start small and don’t overpromise.
Run a campaign
To win your first playcheque, run a campaign. This works really well if you’re aiming to land a job or sell your services as a freelancer, consultant or independent professional but it can also be modified to help you win your first large product order or your first agent, reseller or supplier. If what you’re selling is one of the online passive income models described in the previous chapter such as an information product, your campaign is most likely to find someone who will promote your product for you.
Say you want to launch yourself as a web designer or virtual assistant or you want to sell your homemade cosmetics or foodstuff to a supermarket. Your first step is to have a clear offer as we saw in the last chapter (Secret seven) and to know your ideal client or customer as we discovered in Secret six. Then make it a play project to throw all your energy and effort into getting exactly the work you want to do with the people you want to work with. This is not the time to make wild compromises. Don’t assume that by spreading your net wider you improve your chances. You don’t. By spreading your focus, you weaken the effect. Compare a laser to a floodlight. They are equally bright but the laser focuses all its power into a tiny point. This gives it the strength to cut through paper and even metal. When you focus a lot of energy in a single place, you’ll be surprised just what you can achieve.
My escape from the world of jobs
My early career was in technology innovation for the broadcast industry. When I first chose to become an independent consultant, I decided I would like to work for the BBC. They seemed to be doing the most interesting work in my area; I liked the friendly people I had met there; it was the best-known broadcaster in the world (I like to work for the best) and it had been something of a childhood dream of mine to work for them.
While still in my job, I called everyone I knew who worked in or around the BBC. I also called all my colleagues in the rest of the industry and asked them if they knew of anyone inside the BBC who might be able to hire me. I emailed all the people that might be able to help that I had email addresses for. I read the latest news on the projects the BBC were running and sometimes cold-called people who were mentioned in the news reports.
And after three months . . . absolutely nothing happened! I had now left my job with nothing else on the horizon. Finally one morning while I was still in bed, I got a call on my mobile phone, ‘Hi. I’m calling from a division of the BBC, can you come in for an interview today?’ I started my first contract the following Monday.
When you’re starting out on your own, it can sometimes take months of pushing before you get noticed. As long as you are getting encouraging responses from the people you talk to, don’t be surprised if it looks like nothing is happening in the meantime.
Notice the feedback you’re getting and be willing to fine-tune your campaign according to the response you get. Be ready for the fact that even with the best planning in the world, taking expert advice, and following your own instincts, your grand launch into a new line of work sometimes falls flat on its face on its first attempt. It’s what you do next that will determine your success; will you give up or make some changes and try again?
Here’s how to run your own campaign
Get clear what you’d like. Be specific enough to land an opportunity you will enjoy but not so specific that you make it near impossible to find it.
Back when I was working as a programmer on special effects software, I went on a careers workshop and a couple of people there asked me to help them find work in my company. A woman called Sarah said, ‘Can you ask at your company if there is any work going?’ I asked what work and she said, ‘Anything at all’. A second person, David, told me he wanted to be a special effects artist and asked if I could ask around at work for someone who could give him some advice.
Who do you think I could help the most? Sarah’s request was so vague I didn’t know what to do with it. David’s request was easier to deal with because it was more specific. I went and spoke to some of the people at work involved in the special effects industry and asked their advice which I then passed back to David. When you’re asking for help, keep your questions specific.
Write your killer email
Write an email covering:
- what you’re looking to do and who for: if you’re working for yourself rather than going for a job, this is where knowing the problem you solve and what solution you are offering is very helpful;
- what you bring that is of value to the people who will hire you (skills, knowledge, experience, any previous high-profile clients/jobs);
- something of why you’re particularly keen to work with this kind of organisation or person. Sometimes a little flattery (if it’s genuine and it’s tastefully done) can be very helpful!
Keep the email as short as possible. The shorter the email, the more likely recipients are to read it. Then send it to everyone you know who you think would be willing to help. Ask them in the email to forward it to anyone else that they think could help.
If you’re better on the phone or in person, make use of that too, but the advantage of email is that if you do it well it may go viral, that is, spread far beyond your group of friends and colleagues.
If you’ve succeeded in creating a following using the kind of strategies described in the previous chapter, also put the word out to your followers that you have something of interest to them.
Myth 15: I can’t talk to anyone until I have some fancy business cards printed and my website launched
This is nonsense. It is almost always possible for you to win your first playcheque before you have a website, business cards or much of the other paraphernalia of self-employment. Don’t use those things as an excuse. You can always type up a one-page brochure in a word processor and send it by email. Remember that your first sale is likely to be a contact from a friend or colleague so they will hopefully be more forgiving that you’re not yet professionally polished. Business cards are overrated anyway. Most cards handed out to people are never looked at again. It’s much more important you take someone else’s card if you’re interested in selling your services or products to them. At least then you’re in control of getting in contact.
When you get there, celebrate!
When you win your first playcheque, whether it’s selling your first product/artwork/MP3, or winning your first freelance project or contract, pause for a moment and celebrate. You just got paid to play. Don’t just brush it off because you’re still a long way off making enough to live on. Go celebrate with some friends or with your support team.
Your first experience probably wasn’t ideal. It might not be quite what you really want to get paid for; you might not be happy with what you produced or what you got paid; it might have been nerve-wracking or a bit of an anti-climax. That’s OK. Just carry on, notice the feedback and how it feels to do it and keep adjusting to aim for the thing that’s the most fun and the most rewarding.
In the next chapter you’ll find out how to scale up this first experiment to get paid to play full time.
Put it into play
Keys to this secret:
- Look for opportunities to be in flow – do what you’re good at and enjoy doing.
- Run a campaign to win your first playcheque.
- When you get there, celebrate!
What you should have now:
- a plan for your killer email to win your first playcheque.
Take ten minutes to play:
- Using the offer you created in the last chapter, start crafting your killer email to send.
Exclusive extras on ScrewWorkLetsPlay.com
- examples of successful campaigns people have run to win their first playcheque.