Booking agents, also referred to as talent agents, are those people responsible for getting their clients, who may consist of actors, musicians and other professional performers, paid employment. Although you will not need any formal education to become a booking agent, you will need excellent communication, organization and sales skills. If you're considering embarking on the exciting and potentially rewarding career of talent representation, Mahalo's guide on how to become a booking agent will show you how.

Working as a booking agent can be a rewarding vocation, both personally and financially. Although you don't need a formal education or a large office, booking agents must possess superior communication, interpersonal and sales skills, since the job, at its core, is all about promotion.

• Booking agents, also called talent agents, act as a liaison between their clients and the people who may want to hire them. Since your work will require you to interact with many different people and types of personalities on a regular basis, arguably the most important requirements to become a successful booking agents are having excellent people and communication skills.

• Your clients:

1. Bands
2. Solo musicians
3. Professional speakers
4. Actors and actresses

• You will need to then match these clients up with people who are looking for their specific talents, meaning you will be dealing with:

1. Owners of venues such as nightclubs, stadiums, event halls and the like
2. Movie, television and radio producers

Although you don't necessarily need any formal education to become a booking agent, you will be running your own business, so you may want to consider taking a business course. You'll have to go through the same steps you would when starting up any business, including:

1. Filing for an employer ID
2. Registering your business with the Department of Treasury

Depending on the state you will be operating in, you may have to get a license to work as a booking agent. Be sure to check your local laws and get yourself the appropriate license if need be.

• You won't need a large office to work as a booking agent, as most of your work will be done over the phone and via email. However, ensure that you have, at the very least:

1. Telephone service: Both a land line and cell phone, if possible
2. A fax machine
3. A computer
4. A small filing cabinet, where you can keep track of contracts and receipts
5. Contracts: You will be working with two kinds of contracts—one that sets out the terms of service between you and your clients and one that details the agreement between your clients and those hiring them. You may want to enlist the help of an entertainment lawyer to draw up these contracts

• Especially when you are starting out, you will need to do a great deal of self-promotion. Therefore, ensure you have plenty of professional and attractive business cards to hand out. It is also a good idea to set up your own website, where people can go to find out more about you and your business. As you become established and gain more experience, you can add client lists and accomplishments to your website.

• Once you have established the basics of your business, you'll need to get yourself some work. Networking and selling are two of the most important aspects of a booking agent's job and you can start practicing these skills by promoting yourself. You'll need to not only get yourself clients, but also introduce yourself to those people who will, in the future, be hiring those clients. Some of the ways in which you can network and promote yourself and your services include:

1. Getting to know the owners and managers of nightclubs, arenas and other venues that hire performers
2. Taking out advertisements in magazines, newspapers and trade publications
3. Joining the The Association of Talent Agents
4. Introducing yourself to amateur performers who may require your services

• Hand out a business card and do your best to leave a positive and lasting impression on everyone you meet.