A Few Minutes More
By Tim Sweeney

Music artists frequently fall into the trap of either believing that they are better than, above or ignore their fans. I usually see examples of this at the end of their live shows. For example, they will “hide” backstage after their last song for long periods of time or ignore their fans by focusing on breaking down their gear instead of immediately talking to them. Either way, they have broken the bond that they worked so hard to create with their fans.

To avoid falling into this trap yourself, resist hiding after shows and complaining later that you didn’t sell as many CDs as you would like. Have a friend, band member or even the next artist breakdown the stage for you (and you for them later) so you can go out immediately and talk to the people who came and sell your CDs.

Reach out to your fans away from your shows as well. Stay away from sending out “blah” emails simply asking people to come to your next show. Make your show an event that they will want to come to! Figure out ways where you can spend more time with them. Give them the opportunity to get to know you and your music better. You never know what opportunity maybe created.

A great example of this came from Pollyanna Bush. When she was recently promoting her upcoming show she ran across a long time fan of hers. By stopping and taking extra time to talk to him about what was going on with her and her music, the fan wanted to help her with the cost of her new CD. He then wrote her a check for $1,000 on the spot!

If you would like to have similar experiences with your fans and you missed my recent Music Strategies seminar, order a copy of my DVD series and notebook entitled, TIM SWEENEY’S GUIDE TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST. The only place you can order it is through our site, www.TSAMusic.com/products.asp.

Thanks,

Tim Sweeney