I'm not sure if it fits the textbook definition of "irony," but my favorite Tarbell lesson thus far
was this one, which contains absolutely no tricks. It's just two masters, (Michael Ammar joins Dan
for this webisode) shooting the breeze about how to please an audience, loosely based on the Tarbell
chapter.
I can judge the value of a lesson by how much new info I hear and find worthy of
writing down. I took twice the number of notes on this one, compared to any other Tarbell lesson.
There is one nugget, in particular, that concerns how you frame your act to potential
bookers. If you describe your act as suggested and the booker agrees to the price, there is
something you can do to possibly boost the price. But if the booker balks at the price, there is
something you can do to reduce the price without making it look like you are cheaping out and
undercutting your value with other clients.
I found the aforementioned nugget well-worth
the sticker price, with the rest being gravy.