By: Jeff Stone

Jeff Stone — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 19:13:55 +0000

@Ray - excellent feedback. Thank you. I wrote a couple of articles a while back on this subject that y'all might be interested in:

By: Ray Naylor

Ray Naylor — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 12:04:34 +0000

About 25 years ago I became a “financial planner”, which was basically a sales job for financial products. Unfortunately, most people I knew (they wanted you to start with people you know) were social workers and folk singers, not a lot of discretionary income). Anyway, I remember reading a book on sales and the 5 steps around which the book concentrated:

1. Establish rapport and trust with the potential customer.
2. Ask questions to learn what the person is looking for.
3. Show how you can meet his/her need. If you cannot, say so, and maybe even refer the person to someone else who can meet their needs. It’s more important to have a customer for life than to make a sale.
4. Answer any concerns (objections) the person may have. Again if you really cannot honestly answer their objections, thank them, don’t try to sell something you can’t provide.
5. Follow up after the show, to thank them, and make good on anything you might need to.

It may take a number of contacts to get the “gig”. If it doesn’t work out this time, ask if you can contact them in the future. One more thing, ask don’t. People don’t mind being asked, but no one like to be told.

I managed a few performing songwriters, and by using this type of approach (which by the way is honest and consumer oriented) was successful in getting jobs for these performers.

Ray Naylor

Comments on: 5 Things Your Magic Website Must NOT Have

By: Jeff Stone

By: Ray Naylor