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| Gender: Male |
| Age: 10 |
| Location: Roswell, New Mexico |
| Hometown: Planet 39 |
| Last login: Sep 04, 2010 11:39 pm |
| Member since: May 30, 2007 |
| Profile views: 326 |
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About Me: I live in a cardboard box but it has class cause the side of it says Macys! More |
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School: Hard Knocks More |
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Company: Harder Knocks, Inc. More |
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I am here for: indie music More |
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I am NOT here for: Alpha females More |
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Favorite Music: Blues, especially southern style sounds like that of Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble and then who could not like Frank, Tony, and Ella? Me, my cardboard box, and music...ahhhh now that's what life is all about....happiness More |
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Favorite TV Shows: Dancing with the Non-Stars, The 1am News, Farming for Earthworms, The President and the Intern, plus many more... More |
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Favorite Actors: Arnold, not the governor but the pig on Green acres and Foghorn Leghorn the world's funniest chicken.... More |
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Favorite Books: The biography of Johnny Cash, anything non-fiction or about Chipacabres or Aliens (the kind of aliens that come from outer space) or ghosts or spirits or whatever.... but nothing about X-Mother in Laws.... More |
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Favorite Heroes: My grandparents - they raised me and of course Ed Wood, the famed B movie Director and Producer... More |
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Favorite Hobbies: Bird Watching while sky diving and eating a Mounds Bar during the free drop.... More |
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Favorite Quotes: "Never Monkey with Another Monkey's Monkey" More |
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| Booking Venues |
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| Written: Thursday October 16, 2008 10:55 am |
More “Artists – A Whole New Path to Success!”
THIS TIME AROUND THE SUBJECT: “BOOKING VENUES”
Preface
Wow! The response we received after sending out our article, “Artists: Pricing, Visibility, and Building a Fan Base” was to say the very least, well received. Thank you. In fact many of you asked for more so this is a continuation on the many facets of building a strong career. Thank you again for the hearty response and remember - letting us know what you really want helps us focus on what to deliver. Let’s begin.
Booking Venues
Now here is a topic that every up and coming artist faces day in and day out and I do mean day in and day out. When booking venues you either have to learn to work through this facet of the business or you may find yourself procrastinating a lot because you don’t like to do it very much AND procrastination in the booking area is a career stopper. So how can an artist become more effective when meeting with owners and therefore feel more comfortable with this part of their business?
More to Booking than just Showing up….
Let’s digress for a moment: first of all someone, either you or someone you designate goes out to the various venues around town and most likely around neighboring towns as well to find enough gigs. Right? I mean basically if we asked most of you what you would prefer to be doing the rest of your lives most of you would say (without a doubt) play my music. And for many of you if you could just earn a decent income then you would be much happier than you are right now. (sound familiar, had this talk with yourself many times over have you?) So knowing that most artists want to know: “How do I become more effective when approaching venue operators” let’s take a closer look at the issue head on. Now there is an educational element that needs to be known up front even before we address the feet on the street part. Catch this point……
What does a venue operator need? You need to know this….
What does an owner of a bar, nightclub, hotel bar, local joint, venue theatre or any other night spot need? They need customers. And what do you want – you want fans, both new and existing ones. You and the owner both want the same thing. So somehow there has to be a marriage between the club owner and the band and it is HOW you address this proposal of marriage that either gets you to the alter or it doesn’t.
Booking as if you are in business for yourself, and not as a hobbyist….
First of all you know you are talented and that means you know your craft to some degree. Some of you know your craft more so than others and while not meaning to be flippant about the topic you just need to know that walking through the audition door is the same for every act that goes through it. Plus, talent does not even come into play until you get far enough along to debut what you have to offer. (you have to get that far first) Believe me when I tell you that the most talented and experienced groups do not always get the gigs. Here’s why for the most part…..
Ask yourself this: How does an owner choose who plays and then will return at a later date to play their club again? To begin with know that if you want to win those dates more times than not then you have to make it appealing to do business with you up front. Which means that you need to be accessible by phone and willing to work with the owner(s) from time to time when someone else does not show up or there might be a
benefit to do etc.
Ok, here we go: the question is how does an owner choose who plays their club for the first time and then who will return at a later date to play their club again? Usually, in most cases, they make their choices based on two factors: need (how much they need a band for specific night) and cost (how much is the band worth or to put it another way can this band draw traffic for me) Those elements drive value. Now some of you have been giving your work away for way too long now and maybe you just might need a refresher on how to book a good joint for more dollars. But let me get back to the central point: So basically what I am saying is that you can have all the talent in the world and not get booked because of one or both of those two factors. Their need and their perceived value of the response from the crowd toward your presence. Sometimes within just those two factors alone you will find yourself leaving some place knowing that you and your band are much better than what they have booked to date so you ask yourself why didn’t we get that gig? Ok, here’s a big reason for you: you need to make sure you are addressing your approach from a business point of view and not be coming across as some hobbyist trying to break into their first gig. Now, don’t panic this is actually much easier than most might imagine, you just need to know what to do.
So what do you need to do?
Ok, a professional would enter any venue that they wanted to book and get a max payout with the following tools:
a) a sample poster
b) a write up about the band members complete with pictures
c) a sort of band resume, an experience portfolio, with fan pictures and remarks
d) online music address where they can preview your music 24/7 at their leisure
e) a suggestion that you are willing to work on creative ideas for both your mutual success
Now even though you could be shorter on experience than some others that are trying to book that same venue a cool, organized business approach will come across much more professional. Also, and a big point for us on this end: give them the XIIE address so that the venue is able to instantly (at any time, day or night) preview your work free and conveniently. Plus include an example or two of some creative ideas you would work on with establishments that could also help them grow their business. (benefits, holiday weddings, etc) That could come across as you being income oriented and willing to be partners with them and basically, every venue needs entertainment partners. Now remember - most of the time owners are not approached that way and if you approach them that way while your competition does not then you tell me, who has the better chance of winning more date(s) there? And, to create this professional effect is not that big a deal. You are a creative, you create stuff all the time, now create something that will help you put your best foot forward. And besides you know the old saying, “out of
sight, out of mind” now you can keep something in front of them for a while.
So you say to me. “Ok, smart guy, I’ve done that now what?”
Fair enough. Let’s suppose you now have the marketing tools in place that could set you apart from most other bands that come through that same door, so you say to me ok, now what? Well next you approach them at a mutually convenient time and this is a biggie…. Try not to show up at Happy Hour because if you do while the “hello how are you and shaking hands” part might happen right there on the spot that owner probably does not have enough time to stay away from the happy hour customers enough to talk with a new band or artist. Picture this: Here they are putting out little hot dogs or something like that and maybe even putting draft beer on sale as well to get customers to come in there. Well, if you come in there at that time too then in essence you would be taking them away from what they are trying to accomplish – build customer relationships. The bar, nightclub business is all about customer relationships. Owners are constantly looking to build both new and repeat traffic. If they were not in the relationship business then they wouldn’t cut their prices (where they lose profit) and put out free food to boot just to create a new flow of people and to keep their regulars coming in too. They have to focus on building new friends.
You might ask me, can an artist just stop in, shake hands and just casually drop off a packet at that time of day and the answer is yes of course. But will it do much good – who knows? Remember your ultimate goal really and truly is to show the owner the act’s selling points, the ones that you put in writing, and that you have with you. And, ideally you would like to casually review those points with them. So a big tip for you is this: the owner needs to be in a position to listen and has to have time to think about what you are saying to them. You need this relaxed time too so that you can possibly form a friendship too. That breeds performance dates.
Sometimes you may not walk away with a booking that very day but after that initial meeting if you just keep dropping in once in a while, renewing that friendship by saying hello and reminding them of who you are, things can and do many times blossom into something nice. This type of approach shows class and demonstrating class can get your band a step up on the competition. So it’s not just talent that gets you the gigs, it is your approach. Let the other bands come across not so professional while you and your band come across a bit more polished on the business side. This works.
Want to go a step further?
Imagine this…. You access your local city directory or yellow pages on the internet and you copy the names and addresses of all the pubs, bars, nightclubs, and other kinds of venues that book talent into a mailing label file. (very easy to build) Then as you make the rounds and learn the names of each of the owners, managers, and lead bartenders you add them to your ever growing mailing list. And think of this – other than simple updates along the way, once you set up your art work in your communication piece (the basic template) then that’s really the most work you will need to do. Then it becomes a matter of adding in new names at the same clubs and deleting ones that are no longer there in your mailing list. Ok, now, suppose you went ahead and did this now what? Well, how about a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter? Oh I know this sounds like too much work but then again if you are building both a fan base and a club base at the same time then maybe this makes more sense than not. It saves you time while keeping you visible. You may remember that visibility topic we tabled in the last article. (keeping your name and likeness in front of all sorts of fans and operators) Well the newsletter idea is yet another chance to add even more visibility to your name and picture.
For those of you that might wish to just purchase those venue names and addresses I would encourage you to contact Indie Bible. Dave tells us that their new “Indie Venue Bible” is ready to go. Be sure to learn how many listings are in your area before you buy it.
The Wrap Up…..
As I close I want to remind you that you can have all the talent in the world but possessing fantastic talent, talent that no one sees is like winking in the dark, it just goes nowhere. You are already out there trying to find places where you can showcase your talent so just bring your approach up a notch and the number of bookings may increase.
You are not only the talent you are also the head person in a business endeavor – you’re a business just the same as the operator is a business too. The two of you have a lot in common. Both of you want success and you both want to work with someone that is pleasant, honest, and professional.
Understanding that you and only you will ensure that eventually the world knows you exist is paramount to your climbing up the proverbial ladder of success. This is something you can do and owners all over the place want to book good talent and work with groups and individuals that are business minded.
Just imagine if they knew that your band puts out show posters at various locations around town before you play your show dates and that those posters could have their club’s name on them with a date and time for fans to show up there Now that helps bring people in, you know just like the owner is attempting to bring them in too with their Happy Hour. So picture this on a poster: “Happy Hour begins at 5 and runs through 7 at Mardi Gras on 4th – this week’s music featuring “Your Band Name here” starting at 6:45. That’s at 4th and Pine – downtown, see you there…”
The goal is simple: to not sit on one side of the decision making table while your potential new gig is over there on the other side making up their mind. Not when you can both be sitting on the same side of the table because as I shared above if you really think about it – you really do want the same thing – mutual success. You just got to give them a reason to put you above the rest. Try this, they will like it a lot more because you will be showcasing your demeanor with them well before the music ever starts. Will your competition think to do this too? Probably not.
Later….. |
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| Artists - A New Path to Success! |
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| Written: Monday September 22, 2008 03:41 pm |
Not to terribly long ago the only path to success for "signed" artists was through very established paths of distribution, through others if you will. The artist had little to do with visibility, pricing, and distribution. Therefore they enjoyed less commissions (over rides) on their works. However, today's online artist may very well enjoy a strong financial potential but usually the new online artist must learn about those very topics of visibility, pricing strategy, and fan building on the internet. These points were not topics that yesterday's artists controlled for the most part, today they are.
The artist(s) did their job (performing and creating) while some other person(s) did the rest. The newer artist, that is the up and coming artist, did not have a path of distribution at all back then as they did not have anyone representing their interests. (major bummer for them) But luckily today, with the advent of the internet, that situation can be bypassed and the up and comers that masters this wave of change can potentially increase their income along with their level of fame at the very same time. So today's Artists have a new path to market and some duties they need to know about and embrace as things have changed.
Here's some pointers:
Let's look at Visibility first of all ... To quote an old marketing phrase "not advertising is like winking in the dark " it just goes nowhere. So today's artist(s) are responsible for their own success specifically in regard to today's online market for the most part. So how do they do it? On XIIE we have the Featured Artist section and we also have the Spotlight area for example and both of these areas are there to help promote visibility. On XIIE you don't have to be a top seller to be listed there either - these two areas are there for promoting those artists that are listed on XIIE period. Got a new collection coming out? Just tell us and our A&R team may very well opt to list the new release in the Featured area. (you need visibility) Setting a new sale price on your entire collection or latest single - tell us and our A&R team may elect to list your prices in the Spotlight area. (more visibility) And beyond maximizing XIIE itself make sure you request our automatic link button that allows Artists to add a click button to wherever they are advertising outside of XIIE. Remember, out of sight � out of mind so don�t rely on their memories to come see you later, offer them a click on the spot. Also, if you are not utilizing the power of XIIE�s Event Calendar you want to do this too. No charge and a lot of music fans including venues and booking agents read this area as well. I know because they write me.
Next, let�s talk about pricing strategy � You have to ask yourself one question: �Do I want a million dollars or a million friends or somewhere in between? Selling through online distribution is a bit different than selling a handful or two of CD�s at your next venue. When you market close to home you reach maybe hundreds or sometimes thousands once in a while if you are lucky. However, over the internet you can potentially reach millions. So suffice it to say that you are in the big leagues in competition with the major stars on the net and the majors might price their cuts at 99 cents each. Possibly, they might attract a million hits and comparatively speaking, if only a handful of these hits end up paying 99 cents a cut then these Stars can still bring in a considerable amount of money and rightfully so. But, getting back to you: can you sell your materials at the same price as some very well known, established major artist? Probably not on all of your cuts anyway but maybe you can, who knows for sure? But for the sake of this conversation let�s compute how it might go for you as if you priced your music at 99 cents a cut and then you sold ten cuts so that�s $9.90. You only gained 10 new customers and what you need at this stage of your professional career are more customers and not just more dollars. (make sense?) Now, let�s look at pricing another way - what if each of your cuts were priced at 10 cents but you gained more customers, customers who also bought more tracks because of the lower pricing? Maybe they spend a dollar and get ten cuts. Is that good for you or is that bad for you? The Stars already have an established fan base and their viral support comes that way, maybe you need your viral marketing to work for you from a price point philosophy? So note that most new artists are still building their fan base and therefore if they are in this building mode then they want more people buying their music for the first time as it may increase their fan base substantially. It builds future. Again, a million dollars or a million friends or somewhere in between? It would seem that what every budding new act might want is to get their music heard by the most people they can get to listen to it on any given day of the week. And, of course, for these Artists want those same new listeners to buy their first collection of music from them. They might not give you 99 cents a cut but maybe a much higher volume of potential customers helps you build your fan base substantially and that has value too. No one person knows this answer for sure. You just have to play with your pricing to find what the market will bear for your tunes and what you can live with. Here look at this way: knowing your own personal budget ask yourself how much you invest into specific music purchases each time you visit a site? Do you buy cuts from an unknown artist for a quarter or a dime perhaps more so than if the pricing had been set at 99 cents, the same as the majors? It�s all in how you want to play the game and so you may want to think this through, you need some kind of a plan. Try a few things and settle on what is best for you.
Another important point to consider - Today�s music fans want more interaction with the artists. That is why XIIE made the investment to rebuild its Profile area. Now the consumer can interact and they can do it very easily. This is very important to you the Artist because once the new fan feels that they know you they become increasing comfortable and usually come back again and again to see what you have released that is new. And they tell other people�. Remember the old saying, �Out of sight, out of mind�? That applies in today�s music world in a big, big way. How many times have all of us heard a tune on the radio or seen a music video on TV and then later we could not remember the name of the tune or in fact who had done it? It is also surprising to learn how many people think that some of the super stars of music are dead when in reality they are very much alive. These situations occur due to a lack of communications. You, the Artist may need to increase your level of communications even investing some time into making some new friends and then asking them to check you out�.. And, come back to your XIIE listing daily and answer any new messages you might have acquired from fans since that last time you logged in.
Finally, we are living in a date and time that find today�s artists having complete control over their personal success. So while you can be enjoying the benefits of a potentially increased income you also need to learn to work your end of the street differently than ever before.
See you at the top�.
John |
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