How many of you have worked in the corporate sector? You know, it’s the place where it’s all about the bottom line, driving revenue, and hitting those KPIs. Truth be told, it can be a pretty shitty place.
My little corner of the world is music — specifically music marketing and promotion. When you’re inundated with Facebook ads, or scrolling through Instagram and seeing a show that the algorithm thinks you’re interested in, well, I’m partially to blame.
I’m not gonna lie and tell you that this vomitous flow of advertising doesn’t work. In fact, it can be extremely successful. But there’s another side to the story. And when you start getting into the bigger venues, artists, and marketing madness, it gets overlooked.
Here’s the big secret to success that nobody wants to acknowledge:
Be nice.
That’s it. That’s all of it. In fact, that’s everything. Being nice means you care about the artist. You care about the music, and most of all, you care about the consumer. Or, to keep it super-tech, the end user.
In my corner of the world, I use all of the traditional tactics to get folks through the door and into their (concert) seats. But you know what works best? That’s right – being nice to people.
If I could personally talk to every single person interested in buying a ticket, I guarantee you I’d sell out every show I promote. The personal connection is always stronger, and more meaningful than a passing post or reel.
Unfortunately, reality dictates otherwise. That’s why we have newsletters, stories, reels, paid advertising, and a host of other tools all screaming for your attention. It’s an onslaught of media all begging, pleading with you to pay attention.
The funny thing: it’s much easier to be nice. So many people mask professionalism with being cold. Earlier today, a superior wanted to meet with me. They said, “I’ll find time on your calendar to meet.”
Ouch.
How about “Let’s find a time next week to discuss a few things.”
Same message, same intent, but one way is a lot nicer than the other. And again, wouldn’t you rather have someone treat you nicely, than just professionally. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
In another case, a touring artist had some slightly detailed requests for their green room setup. It wasn’t anything crazy, expensive, or impossible to achieve. Professionally, we announce that “we don’t shop riders.”
The touring artist in question sold out their shows weeks in advance — generating a rather solid profit for us. So isn’t it easier to be nice? The few extras they’re asking for — they’ve earned it!
But no, we don’t shop riders. Clearly if we shop for one, we have to shop for all. We’re professionals.
Or maybe we should just be nice?
