How To Get Noticed, Heard and Hired - A Planning Guide for Musicians
By Steve Grossman
“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.” - Nashville Guitarist, Bruce Wallace
I first heard Bruce make that comment over 20 years ago and I’ve never forgotten its simple truth. I’ll take it one step further and say that it’s not only who knows you, but who knows that what you do is a perfect fit for them AND remembers to hire you the next time they need somebody.
This E-book
Thanks for downloading this free guide I’ve written to help you set yourself up to be noticed, heard and hired by the right people in music: people who are doing or hiring for what you want to do, where, when and how you want to do it.
It is a hands on guide based on the 4 Simple Rules of Marketing sections found in my book, Why I FAILED in the Music Business and How NOT to Follow in My Footsteps, and another free e-book available at whyfailed.com, 8 Reasons I Failed in Music and 3 Ways NOT to Follow in My Footsteps.
Before We Start
Three things to keep in mind:
Yes, this is for you! Marketing is NOT something reserved for big corporations, national brands like McDonald’s or stars like Taylor Swift. It is for anyone and everyone who wants to be noticed, heard and hired.
You are already marketing. Everything you are currently doing, saying, playing and living is communicating to everyone around you all the time. This guide will help you make sure you have a plan for all that communication so it has the affect you want it to have.
The questions at the end of this guide are meant to be answered in writing so before you begin, get a notebook, journal, loose paper or a page open on your laptop. You’ll get out of this exactly what you put in, so take the time and effort to thoroughly answer each question. This is all meant for you and your eyes only, so answer honestly too.
Initial Thoughts
Take a moment and think about these three questions to get your mind going in the right direction:
What do you do in music?
What do you want to do in music?
What are you currently doing to market yourself?
Section 1 - 4 Simple Rules
Because they form the basis for this guide, here’s a quick overview of my 4 Simple Rules of Musician Marketing:
Rule One - Marketing is More than a Message
While it’s true that slogans like “I’m Loving It,” “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” “Just Do It,” and “Got Milk?” are a part of Marketing, they are only the most visible part. They are also the smallest part.
True marketing is, like this book, the process of creating a complete plan to get a product/service sold in the marketplace. And the only way to build a plan like that is to understand who controls the market: the customer.
Note: Our definition of “customer” includes anyone and everyone who pays for what you have to offer whether they are a fan, producer, band leader, club manager, etc., or whether they pay you in cash, check, the chance to play for exposure or free food and beer.
Which brings us to rule number two:
Rule Two - Marketing is ALWAYS about the Customer
A few moments ago, you answered questions about what you do and what you want to do. We’ll return to those again, but for now I want to say that those are the wrong questions. In fact, they are probably the biggest reasons most musicians fail to build successful careers (they are the biggest reasons most businesses fail too).
They are the wrong questions because of the simple fact that no one cares what YOU want, they only care about what THEY want. Sorry to be so cold, but it’s the truth: outside of your close family and friends, everyone is only interested in what can benefit, or will benefit themselves.
The fact that people are only interested in what can or will benefit themselves is actually a good thing and here’s why:
Different people need and want different things.
Some of them will need and want what you have.
You don’t have to convince those that need and want what you have to buy from you.
So all you have to do is figure out who those people are and you’ll have it made!
While we’re on the subject of customers, there’s another group of people you need to consider, the end user. End Users are people who need, want, or get what you provide but (a) they do not pay you and (b) they are not your direct customer.
I’ll explain from my own career as a recording session drummer in Nashville:
My Customer: a Producer who recorded 5 to 10 pop/rock and pop/country projects per year.
End Users: the Artists the Producer produced AND the Artists’ fans.
So, it wasn’t enough that I worked well in the studio, the ONLY reason the producer would consider hiring me was if I was also able to give the Artist AND the Artist’s fans what they wanted and needed too. I had to have the right equipment and experience to meet the needs and wants of both the Producer (my customer) and the end users (the Producer’s Customer’s customers).
Rule Three - You are Never NOT Marketing
In the introduction I said that you are already marketing because everything you are currently doing, saying, playing and living is communicating to everyone around you all the time.
“People judge, give them something to judge correctly.” - TV host Jeannie Mai
If there’s only one thing you get out of this guide, make it this rule because Miss Mai is right.
Selling Out
I realize you may be thinking I’m suggesting you need to sell out by turning yourself into a 24/7, 365 day a year marketing machine. Or that you need to dump your friends or become paranoid about what people are thinking about you all the time. I am not.
Selling out is what most musicians do in a desperate attempt to reach their goals. This is why many of them end up sad and depressed, broke and miserable, or dead. Besides, with the global opportunities you have in today’s music industry, there’s NO reason you have to sell out.
I am suggesting the exact opposite. I am encouraging you to be 100% true to who you are, who you want to be, where you want to be and what you want to do 100% of the time. This should be incredibly freeing and exciting, but it could be terrifying because you may not know exactly what that means for you.
This guidebook will help you figure it out but for now, realize that you are more than a player, singer, songwriter or artist, you are a person. A person with interests, passions, beliefs and desires that go beyond what you do musically. These interests, passions, beliefs and desires MUST be understood, managed and included into your life and career or you will ultimately fail even if you “succeed.”
But there’s an even more important reason these must be included into your life and career: your customers.
I said earlier that people don’t care what you want and need, they only care about their wants and needs. Well the number one want and need everyone has is for connection - human, relational connection. People don’t want a robot that plays, sings, writes songs or entertains perfectly, they want a connection with a person who plays, sings, writes songs or entertains and shares common interests, passions and desires.
So the more you are able to express who you are as a fully functional, well rounded human being the more success you will find.
Which is why I have this final rule:
Rule Four - If You Market Well, Sales Will Happen
Recognize that there are people in this world who want and need what you offer musically and who and what you are as a person.
Selling out offers a shallow and hollow “solution” to these potential customer’s wants and needs, and a shallow and hollow solution is not a true solution. Offering these people anything less than what you do and who you are not only cheats you, it cheats them.
The more you are able to live out and effectively communicate, the real you, the person you are striving to be, the people you want to work with and the music you want to play/sing/write/perform, the more success you will find. True, fulfilling, satisfying success.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
Section 2 - The Questions
In the remaining section of this guide, we’re going to apply everything I just explained to create your personal guide to getting noticed, heard and hired. Specifically, you’re about to give yourself relevant and useful instructions on how to:
Be 100% true to who you are, who you want to be, where you want to be and what you want to do 100% of the time.
Effectively communicate who you are, who you want to be, where you want to be and what you want to do 100% of the time.
So, with that in mind, along with a reminder of Jeannie Mai’s words, “people judge, give them something to judge correctly,” let’s begin.
What About You?
Let’s start with questions about your interests, passions, beliefs and desires that go beyond what you do musically. The interests, passions, beliefs and desires that MUST be understood, managed and included into your life and career for both you and your customers.
What are your interests outside of music? Example: Skiing, racing, helping others.
What are you passionate about outside of music, the things that you couldn’t live without? Example: Time with family and friends, encouraging people.
Will your pursuit of music help these passions? If so, how?
How are you combining, or how can you combine, your interests and passions into your music, career and life?
Your Ideal Customer(s)
Answer the following questions to narrow down your “target” customers, fans, supporters, etc. The idea is to identify the people who can and will help you have your ideal career (while remembering that you’ll be helping them too). This is important because this information will help you market less, but far more effectively.
It’s likely you’ll have several target customers. For instance, in addition to the Producers I mentioned above, I would have also had local Singer/Songwriters that hired me for their bands. Answer these questions for each of your target customers.
In broad terms, what kind of people are they and what do they do for a living? Example: Country/Pop and Rock producers and singer/songwriters.
Do they live locally? At a distance? Explain.
What other kinds of things do they like (kinds of music, sports, interests, etc.)? Example: Oldies and Southern Rock, football, etc.
What other kinds of things are they passionate about (family, work, country, etc.)?
Where do these people “live” in terms of work, free time, online, etc.?
What do they need from someone like me? Give details about what they do, how and why.
What else do they want from someone like me? Give more details
Describe their End Users if they have any (kind of people, ages, work, income, needs and wants).
Where do these End Users “live” in terms of work, free time, online, etc.?
Considering these answers for both your target customers and their End Users; why do these people need what you do?
NOW What Do You Do?
Now that we’ve spent some time thinking about your life beyond music as well as your target customers and what THEY want, let’s better define what you do by answering more detailed questions:
What do you do for your ideal customers? Example: I play pop/rock drums with a great groove, lots of tasty creativity. I’m also fast and professional
Why does that matter to your ideal customers (and their end users if applicable)?
Why will they hire you over other people?
Your Plan
What are some words you could use to describe what you do so that your ideal customers will immediately “get it?” Example: drums, groove, feel, pop, rock
What additional things beyond the obvious do you offer these people? Example: You’re a good hang, you can play multiple instruments, connections, etc
From now on, what will you say when people ask, “what do you do?”
Write a one sentence description of what you want do in music in terms of what it offers other people. (My example for my current career: I encourage people to uncover what it is they’re meant to do and how to do it well through writing, speaking and one-on-one coaching.)
Write a paragraph or more giving more detail. This will serve two purposes: it will (1) give you more information to choose from when you’re talking to people so you don’t sound rehearsed and (2) form the basis for business cards, websites, biographies, etc.
Describe how you’re going to look and act from now on. Include where you’re going to make sure to be more often (the places your target customers “live”).
Describe how you’ll literally “market” yourself from now on: business cards, web, in person, telephone, etc.
Describe who you’re going to work on getting to know, why and how you’ll make that happen.
Describe any changes to equipment/gear you need to make and how you’ll make that happen.
Are there other changes you can and should make to be 100% true to who you are, who you want to be, where you want to be and what you want to do 100% of the time?
Live Fully Alive
I hope you’ll take this information about you, and know that being you is the biggest asset you have to give the world. If you’ll take the time to take the real you to those that need and want people like you, you’ll make everyone very happy and build yourself a success-full life.
Live fully alive.
To Learn More
To learn more about these and other topics that are key to your success in music, please visit whyifailed.com. You’ll find my blog, a growing list of resources like this and information about my Coaching programs and workshops available in person and online. You’ll also find information about my book, Why I FAILED in the Music Business and How NOT to Follow in My Footsteps.
As a special thank you, please use the following codes for 10% discounts on the purchase of the book.
Print Version - 10% discount code through CreateSpace webstore - PCWNW6D7
E-book Version - 10% discount code through Smashwords webstore - TX55H
I hope you enjoyed How to Get Noticed, Heard and Hired. I welcome your feedback and the opportunity to connect through e-mail or anywhere we both “live” online.
Thank you, Steve