How Easy Do YOU Make it For Entertainment Agencies to Sell Your Band?
Today's technology has changed the way everyone does business.
The current market is extremely consumer orientated.
There have been changes to all sectors of the business community in the last five years; more fierce competition, longer working hours and stronger marketing strategies...
all geared towards the elusive consumer dollar.
The music industry is no exception...
Fifteen years ago, it was not uncommon if a band didn't have a sample demonstration tape.
Agents would go along to a live performance or two and from then on, if the band did their job well, work from that agent would steadily stream in.
Musicians may have perceived agents to have had a magical wand that would be waved at potential clients to get the bookings because the work just kept coming in.
In fact, there was no wand.
The reason was the purchasing habits of consumers.
The client contacted the agent.
The perception of the agent in the eyes of the consumer was that he was the expert (afterall, it said so in the phone book!) and if the expert said that band X was the best band...
then it was! Transaction completed...
next! Well, not anymore.
Welcome to the 21st Century...
enter the educated, information seeking consumer...
Today's consumer considers himself confident enough to educate himself by asking detailed questions, comparing information and shopping around ...
It is essential to equip the agent with well-presented marketing material...
With this in mind, consider the entertainment agent's point of view.
He has hundreds of bands on his books.
A client calls him to book an act.
He can only sell them one act (or one band at least).
For what reasons would he suggest your act over and above any other? When you answer this question from the entertainment agents point of view, it is very simple...
If you make it easy for the agent to sell your band you will get a lot of business.
But how do you make it easy to sell your band.
There are many contributing factors.
Most of these factors are at present open to a wide scope of interpretation.
You must first outline the aims of your act and identify who your clients are in the marketplace...
most importantly WRITE IT DOWN! The first thing you should do is identify exactly who your clients are...
Here is an example: Let's say that you are the bandleader of a function band.
Your band is made up of full time professional musicians and it sounds great.
You mainly do weddings and corporate functions.
Now, who is your customer? Who is making the decisions to book entertainment? It is safe to assume that 80 - 90% of all wedding entertainment inquiries are placed by women; generally between the ages of 25 and 35.
The corporate sector is quite similar.
Assistants to managers or social club committee members place inquiries, once again, dominated by women aged 25 - 35.
Your client is a professional working women aged between 25 and 35.
There are many target markets within the working potential of any given band or act, each requiring a different marketing strategy.
But in order to sell effectively, you MUST know who you're selling to, their profile, what appeals to them and what is important to them.
A bride has different needs compared with the owner of a pub or a public relations manager.
Find out what lights a fire in their belly and you'll have sales a plenty!!!
The current market is extremely consumer orientated.
There have been changes to all sectors of the business community in the last five years; more fierce competition, longer working hours and stronger marketing strategies...
all geared towards the elusive consumer dollar.
The music industry is no exception...
Fifteen years ago, it was not uncommon if a band didn't have a sample demonstration tape.
Agents would go along to a live performance or two and from then on, if the band did their job well, work from that agent would steadily stream in.
Musicians may have perceived agents to have had a magical wand that would be waved at potential clients to get the bookings because the work just kept coming in.
In fact, there was no wand.
The reason was the purchasing habits of consumers.
The client contacted the agent.
The perception of the agent in the eyes of the consumer was that he was the expert (afterall, it said so in the phone book!) and if the expert said that band X was the best band...
then it was! Transaction completed...
next! Well, not anymore.
Welcome to the 21st Century...
enter the educated, information seeking consumer...
Today's consumer considers himself confident enough to educate himself by asking detailed questions, comparing information and shopping around ...
It is essential to equip the agent with well-presented marketing material...
With this in mind, consider the entertainment agent's point of view.
He has hundreds of bands on his books.
A client calls him to book an act.
He can only sell them one act (or one band at least).
For what reasons would he suggest your act over and above any other? When you answer this question from the entertainment agents point of view, it is very simple...
If you make it easy for the agent to sell your band you will get a lot of business.
But how do you make it easy to sell your band.
There are many contributing factors.
Most of these factors are at present open to a wide scope of interpretation.
You must first outline the aims of your act and identify who your clients are in the marketplace...
most importantly WRITE IT DOWN! The first thing you should do is identify exactly who your clients are...
Here is an example: Let's say that you are the bandleader of a function band.
Your band is made up of full time professional musicians and it sounds great.
You mainly do weddings and corporate functions.
Now, who is your customer? Who is making the decisions to book entertainment? It is safe to assume that 80 - 90% of all wedding entertainment inquiries are placed by women; generally between the ages of 25 and 35.
The corporate sector is quite similar.
Assistants to managers or social club committee members place inquiries, once again, dominated by women aged 25 - 35.
Your client is a professional working women aged between 25 and 35.
There are many target markets within the working potential of any given band or act, each requiring a different marketing strategy.
But in order to sell effectively, you MUST know who you're selling to, their profile, what appeals to them and what is important to them.
A bride has different needs compared with the owner of a pub or a public relations manager.
Find out what lights a fire in their belly and you'll have sales a plenty!!!
Source...