Selling what you’ve got!

The other day I was talking to a couple of musicians and they were bemoaning the fact it wasn’t a well-paid occupation. Now that’s not news to me as I often talk to people in the music business and get the same report. I also worry about the buskers in Melbourne, many of whom work hard for little result

But there is a solution to their plight and it’s pretty simple too. Let me explain.

You see I asked these musicians how long they’ve been playing their instruments and both said, “Since I was a little tacker of about seven”. Well, looking at them I reckon they must’ve been doing it for about 30 years. So then I asked them how often they practised. The answer from both of them was “Every day”. My next question was therefore pretty simple, “How often do you do some marketing?” I asked.

Looking at me with panic in their eyes both responded, “Never!”

So the answer is pretty obvious isn’t it?

If you don’t tell the right people what you do, you can’t expect to get any results.

You may remember hearing me saying some time “Be a better marketer of what you do then doer of what you do” and it certainly applies in this case.

What a shame!

All those years of daily practice and not a minute, an hour, a day or a week devoted to marketing.

I’ll talk more about this in another article.

“Why do you feel sorry for the buskers?” I hear you ask.

Well, it’s because most buskers love to stand there playing their favourite tunes or own compositions. As a result they tend to have nothing in the collection tins.

However, the ones that have the full tins are those that play tunes the crowds love.

They know something about marketing.

You see marketing is finding out what people want and giving it to them. It’s not giving them what you like.

People don’t buy what they need (in this case your music) they buy what they want (in which case familiar music).