I was whining. And I got called on it.

It was in the middle of a meeting with a mentor.  

“Do you know how much better of a Producer I’d be if I didn’t have to raise money?” I griped.  “I’d have so much more time to work on selling tickets, or work with the creative team on making the show better.”

In my defense, my grouse wasn’t wrong.  But he called me on it anyway.

“That’s the job,” he said, shutting me up, and putting me in my producerial place.

In other words, as Hyman Roth said in The Godfather Part II: “This is the business we’ve chosen.”

I don’t know anyone who likes raising money.  But if you want to produce theater, whether it’s your own shows or someone else’s, you have to learn how to raise money. 

They don’t teach it in college. I certainly didn’t know what the @#$% I was doing when I started.  

So you have to learn it elsewhere. 

One of the ways I learned how to raise money was by watching others do it . . . in a variety of professions.  While nothing is exactly like raising money for the commercial theater, there’s a ton to learn from the types of folks below.  If you’re raising money, whether it’s for a Fringe show or a Broadway show, watch what these folks do . . . take what you like, leave what you don’t . . . and get out there and make it happen.  (Important note:  remember, there are laws involved when seeking commercial investment as opposed to donations or outright sales – so seek professional advice before you start – and if you need help, let us know and we’ll point you in the right direction to get the advice you need.)

Real Estate Agents

Real Estate Agents, especially the high-end ones, are fantastic at follow-up, customer care, and subtle sales, without pressure.  They have to invest a lot of time for that big commission check, so they know how to nurture, care for and feed their clients. (Side note:  many of Broadway’s co-producers come from the real estate world.  Makes sense, right?  They are great salespeople and have a great list of people who have made big purchases.)  

Politicians

This is a great time for learning about raising money from politicians.  Because if you’ve ever even dreamed about donating to a political candidate, odds are your inbox is blowing up with asks to “chip in $7”.  

Politicians know the importance of follow-up and follow-up and follow-up.  But if you think that’s good, have you ever spoken to one on the phone?  My favorite conversation with one went like this . . . “Yes, I’ll do something; just need to think about it.”  “Ok, how much, so I can write it down in my notes?” 

Timeshare Sales 

Timeshare sales folks are some of the most aggressive around – and while I wouldn’t advocate you sell an investment like a timeshare, there are still things to learn from how they do it.  They give a lot of perks.  They make sure all the decision-makers are in the room for the presentation.  Etc.  If you’ve never been pitched a timeshare, sign up for a presentation next time you are on vacation.  You’ll learn something . . . and probably get a free cruise or 2 night stay or something . . . and about 20% of you will also buy a timeshare.  🙂

Investment Advisors

Wealth Managers, Banks and more spend a lot of money on customer acquisition, because once they get you, they are most likely to keep you.  In addition to the subtle follow-up, and the invites to lots of special events (from speakers on the economy to golf events), what I learned from this sect is their materials.  They put a lot of time and money into first class, super slick presentations that look like a million dollars . . . so you’ll give them a million dollars.  Pitch decks matter . . . and the more you want from your investors . . . the more valuable they should look.  (Just remember – what you put in these decks is subject to the rules, regulations and laws of your raise.)

Other Producers!

When I picked up golf, one of my teachers said to me . . . “The best way to learn is to play a lot of golf . . . with golfers who are better than you.”  I learned a lot about raising money from listening to pitches from other producers raising money.  Hear pitches, get documents, make investments, donations, etc. yourself.  See what you respond to and what you don’t.  Then make your style your own.  Because at the end of the pitch, people invest in people.

Raising money is like working out.  Not many people like the process, but we love the results.  Concentrate on the gain that comes from the pain, and you’ll find the process a lot more fun.

And by learning from other folks, you can make the process a heck of a lot easier on yourself.  Think of it this way . . . if you can learn how to raise money (and you can), you can green-light any of your projects any time you want.

If you want some help learning how to raise money, I wrote a best-selling book on the subject.  And because you’re a reader, I’ll give it to you for free.  Just text RAISE to 833-300-4712 and it’s yours.  

Just promise me you’ll use it to make your show happen.  Because the more theater there is in the world, the better.  

Get that book, learn from the folks around you, and raise that money!