It doesn't have to be like this! (Image by bonkedproducer)

Yes, I know it sounds terrible. The door-to-door salesman in the polyester suit trying to sell you a vacuum cleaner you don’t want. But wait, there’s more!

In this business though, in any business really, you must know that you are a sales person. Each and every one of you. We are all selling every day. “Sales” tends to have a negative connotation when speaking of art but if you simply reframe it as the process of spreading the word (describing the value) about your music then it won’t feel like sales at all.

Your live show is either selling people or it isn’t and if you want your business to grow then you want it to sell people. They need to walk away saying “you know that’s the best darn (vacuum cleaner) I’ve ever seen!” How you interact with the fans – that’s sales too. If you’re a jerk to them you’ve probably lost a sale (unless that’s your shtick). Being able to succinctly describe your band to anyone on the street with the hopes of convincing them to come see your show? Sales.

In all of these cases you are helping the potential customer see the value in what you offer. You are also building up a level of trust with each customer/fan.

This same mentality is required when meeting with business people, not just fans. This is where I see many bands stumble. Many bands are fearful or uncertain as to how to approach a booking agent, another band, a venue, or a promoter. This is where the little voice inside the head says “you’re not good enough” or “you have nothing to offer them.” Fact is, if you want to grow your business to the point that you can bring on partners (agent, manager, label), then you need to get over this hump. In this case I’d recommend making a list of all the things you can offer in each scenario. See in your own work what value you are bringing to the table. Reframe your position and see how you can offer them an opportunity, a chance to be a part of something that matters, rather than coming at it from the “can you help me” perspective.

Be strong, be confident, know your value and display that value. Everything you’re doing to grow the band is sales so commit to becoming a great sales person. In the worst case you can always sell vacuums if the music career doesn’t work! I’m guessing you won’t want to do that though so you better get selling!

Image by Nimages DR

There are two effective models to grow your business.  It’s best to recognize and utilize both to your advantage.

“One Fan at a Time” – Grassroots Growth – You need to be able to identify your audience and speak to their interests.  After knowing who they are you need to go find them (this is called marketing) where they hang out in the real world or online.  Once you find them you need to convince them that your product is worth buying (this is the sales part) – or a better way to look at it is to help them see the value that you could contribute to their life.  Continuing the dialogue with your fans is the final part of grassroots business growth.  Once you’ve found them, engaged them, they’ve purchased something from you (tickets, merch, music) then your job is to keep them interested – to make awesome content or products that inspire people.  I know it’s not easy and there’s no real forumla for it either.  But the point is, if you can learn how to make awesome products and find people who will enjoy them then you’ve built a successful grassroots business.

“Nodes and Networks” – Connections and Top-Down Growth – Who are all of your possible connections that could introduce you to your ideal audience?  The list could include agents, manager, venues, festivals, other bands, local businesses.  As you grow your business think of all the connections that are easy to make and reach out to them.  Even in the early stage of a career there are connections to be made with your local market.  Find and befriend all of the bands in your area that share your genre.  Get to know the owners of the stores that would identify with your brand.  Eventually when you grow your business to a certain point, you will go looking for an agent or manager.  One of the greatest benefits of the right agent or manager is the professional connections they offer.  In fact, if you’re looking for an agent or manager consider whether this person is going to provide you connections into the business opportunities you desire (festivals, clubs, markets).  Connections are an important part of business, just like real life… don’t forget about them!

Grassroots growth keeps you connected to the source – the fanbase.  Connections help network you into pockets of similar audiences where your ideal fans may be hanging out.  Recognize and capitalize on both – all successful businesses do.

With my advising clients I often ask them to visualize the biggest version of their career. Many people imagine growing their band to the point that they could fill amphitheaters. This isn’t the only answer – some people see playing large theaters as the largest version, some would be happy filling clubs around the country. Of course, just thinking of the big picture vision isn’t enough to build a career. It’s necessary to also consider how to get to that place. What are the pieces that contribute to growing a career to that stage?

The dream of playing clubs and even theaters could be done through grass roots effort alone. Amphitheaters, arenas, and stadiums though… grass roots effort alone hasn’t ever created enough fanbase to justify a tour of these venues as far as I know.  In order to consistently tour venues of this size, a mainstream radio hit is required… ideally several of them.

I know many people will point to The Grateful Dead, but even they had a top 10 hit in 1987.  Phish is another example of a band that mostly built their audience through grassroots but again, they had “Down with Disease” hit mainstream radio (peaking at #33) in 1994.  It was this song that brought them into mainstream awareness (including mine) and not coincidentally the album that contains this single is their best selling album.

The point is that currently, I don’t know of any band that consistently tours 15,000+ capacity venues that hasn’t had mainstream radio success.  (Of course, if you know of any please comment below).  This also brings up the question of whether there will be another media outlet in the future that can catapult a band to this level of success.  As the power of radio decreases, it remains to be seen whether something else can fill it’s shoes.  In the meantime and until it all gets sorted out, if you want to go to the big time, radio is necessary.