Music Marketing [dot] com

“If you want to be interesting, be interested.”

I’m always looking for ways which will help you guys sell more records, get more people to your shows, and help you earn more with your music.

So…when I headed out to San Francisco last week, I had my eyes peeled.

And the lessons started before the plane even took off.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m 6′3″. I have LONG legs and sitting down in Coach for a four hour flight is PAINFUL. Asked for the exit row when I checked in to get more leg room, but it wasn’t available. “I can get you in the bulkhead,” she said.

Bulkhead was even worse than the normal seats. For one, I had about a foot of leg room, and then I had to sit in the same row beside some pissed off guy in a monkey suit AND a chick who was as big around as I am tall crushing me against the window.

So I got my headphones, turned on the iPod, and cued up the conference call I did last week with Joe Taylor about how to get more fans to check it for errors. Might as well be productive, right?

I slipped the headphones on and before I had turned on the call, the flight attendant goes, “Interesting headphones,” referring to my noise reduction headphones.

“Yeah, they have noise reduction in them,” I said.

He made a joke about screaming kids and moved on.

And when he did, he made a comment about the big chick’s book, the pissed off guy’s tie, etc, etc, etc…

It COULD have been a ploy, but the guy seemed truly interested in what was going on with folks. After all, he had to be on the four hour flight with us, so he might as well make it an enjoyable experience.

And make it an enjoyable experience he did. The flight was full, it was running late, and people were PISSED, but as this guy approached them and initiated conversations, you could feel the energy change.

And with that, we were off for San Francisco.

Spam Protection

Just last week, I was driving home and went by a house with bars on the window. I’ve always felt bad for people who felt the need to stay locked up INSIDE THEIR OWN HOUSE because of what could be on the outside.

And what is on the outside? Violent crime is down… Could it be terrorists? West Nile mosquitoes?

Today, I got a message in my box with the subject “Your Order is Enclosed (verification).”

Huh? I didn’t order anything.

Opened it up and it was from “Spam Arrest,” a service which supposedly keeps all the emails about Viagra and XXX sites out of your box. A guy who had just bought a book on how to start a street team from me was protecting his email box and I had to verify that what I sent him was legitimate.

No problem. But then I clicked on the verification link and got “SYSTEM MAINTENANCE - Spam Arrest is current unavailable and will be back online shortly.”

Well, that’s a big problem. Never mind that I don’t live in front of my email box 24/7 and this guy had already waited HOURS to get information that he probably wanted the moment he ordered it. After all, isn’t instant access one of the reasons the Internet is so popular? If he had wanted to wait, he could have ordered by mail; he could have gotten into his car and gone around to bookstore in his town, all the time hoping his time dealing with traffic, parking, and finding the book on the store shelves (assuming it was there to begin with) would be worth it.

But now, who knows how long it will be for me to verify that email and get him what he’s looking for. Hopefully, he followed the instructions on the order confirmation page to download the information off the Web. If not, he’s out of luck…at least for a few hours.

And what for? All so he won’t have to deal with a few emails about penis enhancement, weight loss, and MILFs?

Spam protection may keep that stuff out of your box, but the problem with it is that it doesn’t let the email you want in your box. Even the stuff you PAY MONEY FOR…

What if I had been a club booker interested in booking his band? How about a fan who only had an email address and no other contact information.

If you’re doing business on the Internet, assuming you don’t have some kind of addiction that would cause you to lose control when you look at porn or gambling information, this kind of service is just stupid. It’s like locking yourself inside your home and not being able to get out.

More on Business Cards

Some ideas on business cards and how to use them.

1. Always have some on hand. Visit www.indie411.com for a list of recommended designers and print shops.

2. When somebody gives your a card, mark a note on the back of it with details about that person. Something like “met at Starbucks, really into Thrill Kill Kult” is great. Referring back to this when you give that person a call or send a followup email will not only be impressive, it will remind them of who you are.

3. Make sure the person gives you THEIR card. It’s embarassing to call or otherwise followup with somebody you never met.

4. Followup. Don’t want for them to do it because they probably won’t.

Business Cards and How to Use Them

I attend several music business conferences every year and even more music business events like parties, showcases, and seminars. As you’d expect, these places are crawling with music business people. People like managers, booking agents, A&R guys, and promoters.

So why is it that so few musicians carry business cards?

Events like these are PEFECT for making the connection with people who can really help your career. But the relationship doesn’t have to run its course with a simple, “Hi, pleased to meet you.” But that’s exactly what happens when you’re not prepared with a business card.

There are conferences where I’ll meet HUNDREDS of people. One of the first things I say is, “Here’s a card.”

HOW IT SHOULD WORK: The person I’m talking to SHOULD hand me a card at this time.

HOW IT USUALLY DOES WORK: “Uhhhh… I don’t have any cards.”

And those people usually don’t have any pens or paper to write down their information either.

And when people DO have cards, you’d be amazed at how many times they don’t know where they are. I can’t tell you how many times folks have had to turn their wallets and bags inside out trying to find what should be in their front pocket and instantly available.

“Opps…that’s a receipt. No, that’s the card you just gave me. I know they’re in here somewhere. Oh, there’s my frequent buyer card from Subway.”

And what do I do? Write them off… Sure, I COULD be wrong, but 99% of the time I’m not and I simply don’t have time looking for that one diamond in the rough who for some reason didn’t know that carrying a business card is a close to Rule #1 as you can get.

And he wrote me off also. Maybe not because he wasn’t interested, but who knows where the card I gave him ended up? He thought it was his card!

Always be prepared. You never know who you’ll run into on a plane, in an elevator, or on the street.

Dirty Little Secrets and Hidden Truths

Most people, especially in the music business, play it safe just enough to avoid the real issues.

Denial is great. Ever wonder why so many folks do drugs, drink too much, or get in co-dependent relationships? Because it feels good.

Denial feels good. Why face reality when you can be in a haze?

And if you don’t think you’re in denial, answer the following question.

Are you living a life that is sheltered or a bit too comfortable?

If you’re living life with a safety net, you’ll never feel how incredible it is to get out in the world without one.

And what is a safety net? Do you think it’s your job? Do you think that paycheck you’ve been bringing home on a regular basis for years is guaranteed to be there next tne around?

Was having coffee with a friend of mine and she told me, “I think men come to a point in their lives when they decide to get married and they then marry the person they’re currently dating.”

Yes, this does happen. It’s not just men though…and it’s definitely not just with relationships.

People settle all the time. And if you’re settling for anything less than the full sweetness of what life has to offer, the bold self-expression, wild creativity, and the profound feeling of living WITHOUT a safety net, you’re missing out.

Life is about risk.

You may THINK you know where your next check is coming, you may THINK you know your husband is going to stick with you for the rest of your life, and you may THINK you’re being guaranteed something, but there is NOTHING in life that comes with a guarantee.

And realizing that is true freedom.

If you have blind spots in your perception of things, and we all do, I encourage you to work on discovering your own truths and inner conflicts. This will allow for the GOOD things in your life, the talents and possibilities, to come through.

It is a LOT EASIER to see another person’s truths, inner conflicts, and talents than it is to see our own.

The elevator to music business success.

Got another quote in my email box this morning…

“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…..one step at a time.” - Joe Girard

Ok, got the point, but this really isn’t true. You’re not reinventing the wheel here. The real work was done by people who had no mentors, no books, and nothing to base what they were doing on. They’re the guys who tested something, watched it to see if it worked, and either went with it or didn’t depending on the results.

Success is hard and nobody is going to give it to you, but the steps that you’ll have to use to be successful are definitely not as steep as they used to me.

New technology has made it so that you can record an album TONIGHT and have it released to the world TOMORROW. That’s a lot eaiser than it used to me.

There are plenty of books at Amazon and MusicBizBooks.com with great information on how to sell records, get people to your shows, and make more money in music. Getting that information is a lot easier than it used to be.

Yes, it’s work to be successful in the music business, but be thankful for the resources that you’ve got to help you make it there. And be thankful that it’s work, because like Mom said, “Everything worth having is worth working for.” It wouldn’t mean a thing if it was being given out for free.

Risk

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” -James Bryant Conant

Got this quote in the mail today. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

So many musicians approach me wanting to be a star, wanting to make a living, or wanting to do (insert goal here). When it comes down to it though, almost NONE of them are willing to take any risk to make these things happen.

Responses I get when I ask folks why they’re not willing to risk anything usually come down to lifestyle issues.

What about the SUV payment? What about the mortgage? What will the neighbors think?

Comfort = Conformity

The job you say you hate must not be that bad. The things you say aren’t important to your happiness, the new car, the home with the white picket fence, and the designer clothes, maybe they’re more important than you think.

Or maybe you’re just afraid to do something different. At least when you walk in to your 9 to 5, skyscraper hell, you know you’re going to spend the day miserable. What would happen if you didn’t have to go into work?

Maybe you’d be really happy. If you’ve been miserable your whole life though, it’s possible that you’d be uncomfortable.

Would you know what to do?

Most folks, once they’re able to break through the issues they have with changing, are much happier. Breaking through those issues isn’t easy.

Breaking through issues requires you to take a good, long look at yourself. Sometimes you’re going to see things you don’t like. When that happens, you’re going to have to deal with those things.

Are you miserable? Why?

It’s your life. If you can live with being miserable, do it. I don’t have to deal with whatever it is you’re doing every day. The neighbors don’t have to deal with whatever it is you’re doing every day. Your parent, siblings, and spouse don’t have to deal with whatever it is you’re doing every day.

Why are you worried about everybody else?

Anything worth having is something you’re going to have to take a risk for. The question to think about is not what will happen if you DO take the risk, but how will you feel of you DON’T.