Daniel Kohn considers the question, How Do I Get Booking Agents To Take My Band Seriously?:

"The best way to get booking agents to take you seriously is to ignore them, not worry about them at all and wait for them to eventually approach you…you’ll slowly start to realize booking your own shows until you can prove your value and pulling power might be the best way to go and ultimately you’ll be able to get agents to take you seriously."

Whether or not you take this advice literally, it falls in line with the general need to learn how to handle your business and build your public image yourself in order to bring something real to the table when you start dealing with outside business entities.