Music professionals must be traveling salesmen!

(c) 2008 Hits A Million, LLC All rights reserved. Feel free to share it but do not copy and paste it somewhere else.

In one of my prior blogs entitled, "Is MySpace making aspiring artist miss opportunities?" I advised aspiring music professionals to always be ready to meet a music industry professional in person and to give them exactly what they ask for when they ask for it. Then one of the commenters to that blog, Jason, went a stepped further and said aspiring artists should also be prepared to meet their fans. That comment sparked this blog.

To all the music creators, remember this: YOU.... ARE... A ... TRAVELING...SALESPERSON!

If I met you in person and asked you about your music and whether I could hear your music, would you have your music on you right then and there? Or would you only direct me to a website? A great traveling salesperson always has product on him that is ready to sell! A great traveling salesperson is never out of product. Are you?

But to know whether you are out of product, you've got to first know your inventory. Do you know what you have available to give? How many business cards do you have? Is your stock of business cards low? Do you need more? How many CDs do you have on you? Where are your CDs? Do you have them on you? in the car? in your purse, bookbag, briefcase, around your neck or your wallet (in case of jump drives)? Your music is your product. Therefore, your music is something that you should have on you at all times because you never know who you will meet and if the person you meet is ready, willing, and able to purchase your music on the spot!

Give your customers what they want every time they want it, however they want it, by always having on you what they want when they want it.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Music Professionals must be traveling Salesmen.


Thedy B,
Attorney/Songwriter/CEO
Hits A Million, LLC
hitsamillion.ning.com
hitsamillion.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/thedyb

The Do's and Don'ts of Networking - Part 3

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In my last two blogs on the do's and don'ts of networking at music conferences and via email, I gave you over 40 tips on how to effectively network in the music business. I've also shared with you my own personal success story about how networking has continuously changed my songwriting career. Because I believe you can never know too much, continue honing your networking skills! Continue building your songwriting library! So, in addition to buying some of the melody and lyric writing books as well as music business books, music production books, music publishing books, and music industry resource books, buy and read one or more of these well known, inexpensive, and practical networking books:


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Again, if you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend! Thanks for reading.

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter

Hits A Million, LLC

myspace.com/hitsamillionllc - network with me!

hitsamillion.ning.com - network online here!

In Songwriting News: Should music be free?!!!!!!

If you want to know, ask these 2,000 people:

From billboard.biz:

EMI Confirms Up To 2,000 Job Cuts January 15, 2008 - Global
By Andre Paine, LondonEMI confirmed today that it will cut up to 2,000 jobs worldwide in its Recorded Music division as part of a major restructuring of the company.The new private equity owners Terra Firma say the cuts will save up to £200 million ($392.2 million) a year and will enable the group to become the world's "world's most innovative, artist-friendly and consumer-focused music company." The changes include a focus on A&R and encouraging new revenue streams from digital services and corporate sponsorship.EMI Group chairman Guy Hands is today announcing the reshaping of the company -- home to Coldplay, Kylie Minogue and Norah Jones -- in a series of presentations to staff, artists and managers. The group says the changes will be implemented over six months and are intended to enable it to invest more in A&R operations, in order to sign strong new artists and maximise the potential of the existing roster of acts.In addition to the repositioning of the labels to make them completely focused on A&R, the changes also include developing a new partnership with artists "based on transparency and trust" that will help them monetize "the value of their work by opening new income streams such as enhanced digital services and corporate sponsorship arrangements."Other plans for the restructuring include bringing together key support activities including sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution into a single division with a unified global leadership. Hands also announced his intention to eliminate significant duplications within the group to simplify processes and reduce waste.EMI says the changes reflect the rapidly-changing nature of the music industry and the restructuring follows an "intense" three month consulation review of the business by Terra Firma, following its acquisition of EMI for £3.2 billion ($6.3 billion) last year.The new owners were already facing an artists' revolt even before today's announcement, with Robbie Williams' manager expressing concern about the direction of the company and Coldplay's manager voicing his "confusion" at the departure of EMI U.K. Chairman and CEO Tony Wadsworth last week.However, the company claims many of the measures being implemented have come at the suggestion of staff, artists and their managers."We have spent a long time looking intensely at EMI and the problems faced by its Recorded Music division which, like the rest of the music industry, has been struggling to respond to the challenges posed by a digital environment," said Hands in a statement.He added: "we believe we have devised a new revolutionary structure for the group that will improve every area of the business. In short, it will make EMI's music more valuable for the company and its artists alike. The changes we are announcing today will ensure that this iconic company will be creating wonderful music in a way that is profitable and sustainable."