I thought I’d offer 3 best practices for the New Year that you might make part of your routine this year and for years to come. The new year is off and running. Holiday travel is winding down and winter is about to kick into high gear. Are you ready? Adopt these 3 best-practices and you will have an advantage over other artists vying for the same gigs. Practice Gratitude: One sure-fire way to build great relationships in business and in life is to demonstrate your appreciation to those with whom you interact. From the business perspective, that might simply…

It is not always about the fee. I've negotiated for gigs and the fee was the least important part of the negotiation. Sometimes the peripheral items you can get thrown into the deal turn out to be far more valuable than the actual fee. But first, you must know what peripheral items are valuable to you before you jump into any negotiation. And remember, each negotiation is going to be unique, so the peripherals in one situation may not be the same in another. So how do you handle that? It's all about preparation before you negotiate any deal. Take…

Trying to close the deal too soon? Booking gigs is really like selling. That could be why so many hate to do it. Selling conjures nightmare images, scare tactics and used car lots with cigar smoking, suspender wearing salesmen. Scaaaarrry!!!! Boo! And that's why I teach the strategies I do, so you can take the scary out of the process and use the process to close more deals and get more great gigs. One thing you may be doing to thwart your efforts is to rush the process and try to get too close the deal way too soon. How…

Booking a gig to book a gig or fill a date just doesn't cut it! Artists I speak with are always moaning about large blocks of empty dates on their calendars. So that quick-fix-fill-a-date booking mentality just won't provide the kind of career longevity and booking ease you probably desire. What will? Booking momentum comes from strategic planning and taking a big picture view of your career. When you plan for the long-term, say, two years out, you can create some momentum by determining the reason you are booking each tour. Having a reason for each tour adds incentive, the…

Picture this scenario.You are finally talking fees with the booker and you stated your fee as $1500. They come back with $1000. Now I bet you are thinking that you'll just offer to split the difference and make the final fee $1250. If you do that, the deal is done and  that's what they are hoping for.So what is a better approach?First, before you even mention your fee, I hope you have made your case and established your value so when you state your fee, whatever it is, it has some leverage behind it, some weight.I also hope you have…

There is a fine line between professional prodding and being a pest. Those everyday check-in calls can put a booker off, yet make only one call and never follow up and you get nowhere. So you might try this alternative method of getting your name in front of a venue booker, festival, director, library or school coordinator or presenting organizational program organizer.Begin a process of inviting these potential gig buyers to gigs you already have scheduled at nearby venues. This invitation has a number of advantages.It lets them know you are out there playing. This gives them an opportunity to check the schedule of the upcoming gig venue and even call the…

In response to recent information floating around the blogosphere about the old record deal model versus the new DIY model being more profitable for the artist, I thought I’d throw in some aspects that might not have been considered.There are 4-pieces of this puzzle that must be weighed before making an official judgment one way or another.The business of a record labelThe record contract and ultimately, the individual dealOwnership of the master recording and the mechanical rightsComparison costs Label vs. DIYContinuing with the loan analogy, perhaps you borrow the recording money from your folks or Uncle Joe or a really…

I’ve been writing and recording Biz Booster Hot Tips for 4 years now.If you’ve been following these Hot Tips, I hope you have found some valuable information to incorporate into your business. Now I’d love to hear about your success and I’d love for you to share your success with others so they may learn from your efforts.If you have a success story, please post it below so we all may see how you’ve taken a Biz Booster and put it to use in your business.Thanks for sharing.Jeri

Anything You Want, by Derek SiversFrom the moment, Derek contacted me about my book, How to Be Your Own Booking Agent, I've watched his little business, CD Baby, grow into a not-so-little business and was amazed at how it doubled every year.This very honest account of how he grew CD Baby from a basement cottage hobby to a warehouse Indie institution, is thoughtful, concise, informative and inspiring. If you are running any kind of business and especially if you are a musician running your own business, this book of insightful stories, lessons learned will be a boon to your view…