We’ve all been there. An event needs entertainment so we google “best magician in Los Angeles,” “top piano player,” or “best celebrity impersonator” and see what pops up first… but how do you know if you’re getting the best talent for your event. The best advice is to ask your friends for references. You’ll be surprised how many people have the number for the best entertainer. Trust your friends and co-workers and it might save you a ton of work.

But when a reference isn’t available, here are 5 tips to help you know that you’re getting the best talent for your next event.

1. Use a Gigsite to expand your search.

Once you know the type of entertainment you want there are a few sources you should go to and one of the best places is a Gigsites such as TheBash.com and Gigsalad. The way it works is you select the type of entertainer you want, list your event with basic info (date, expected budget, etc) and entertainers submit bids. It’s a crapshoot who will respond to your posting – and this is not the only play you should look for your entertainer, but it’s a good way to get up to 10 submissions. You’ll get really low quotes, one or two mid-range quotes, and an outrageous quote that you’ll roll your eyes at. My advice is to reach out to the medium and high quotes. That outrageous quote may end up being the best performer. Contact them! Be open and honest about your budget, gages the professionalism of each response, and most importantly, don’t be swayed by a cut-rate act, you will get what you pay for!

2. Go past the first page of Google.

When you Google a search you get a page of responses. The first few may be paid placement (it will usually say Ad), and the top results are (usually) what you’re looking for… but keep scrolling! The second and third pages may not be the top results but there will be quality performers on each page. The keywords you use are vital to what you find. Every way you phrase what you’re looking for will guide you to a different set of results… and all potential entertainers for your event. Let’s use me for example. If you type “mentalist in Los Angeles” I tend to be towards the bottom of the first page, possibly on the second. Same for “Magician in Los Angeles” and “best corporate entertainer.” Even with tons of awards naming me best magician and mentalist in LA, the top corporate entertainer in the US and the best psychic entertainer for private clubs – I’m still not on the first page… so trust me when I say – keep scrolling.

3. Trust your instinct.

You’ve typed the terms and clicked on a few sites for various entertainers… but they all look the same! The best advice I can give is to trust your instinct. Are the photos current? Do the testimonials read as real? Do they have a video showing them performing at the type of event your hosting or is it a stages shoot (just them doing what they or in a studio)? The best way to look through a site is to become a Sherlock Holmes and look for clues.

4. Testimonials!

Any performer you pick should have testimonials on their page. Sometimes it’s a link to their google or Yelp reviews and other people have quotes on their page. There are some tricks to knowing what is real. First, if it’s a celebrity you can disregard the quote. It might be real but unless there’s proof (like a video clip) it’s not verifiable. If someone doesn’t use names – but company information instead be weary. I think the best and most trusted testimonials are either user generated like those on the Google business profile or Yelp or ones that have the persons name and company.

5. Email and reply!

From your postings on the gigsites and via Google searches you’ve found a handful of performers you think might be good for your event… now what? Email them! Either by contact form on the website or email, send them a note with the date of your event, what you’re looking for, and any other information you can provide (do you have lodging? a travel budget?). And when they respond… write back – even if the price is too high, the date is booked, keep communication open. This is a business of networks – we don’t use someone once, we create relationships. So when you connect with a performer, get their info, know their rates, and hopefully you’ll have a rolodex full of entertainment options moving forward!