Promote Yourself Without Being Pushy

On Saturday Night, I was party to the Annual Vampire Ball in my local community.

We all dress up like vampires and dance and carry on to support our local farmer's market. It's a good time for a good cause.

This year, we had 5 very talented bands performing. Voltaire was, of course, our returning headliner and while he wowed the crowed with his fun and entertaining songs, it's not him that I want to talk about.

Some of these groups just didn't have a clue how to promote themselves.

Here's what one band said during their set:

"um, yeah, we're (insert band name here). We've got a merch table in the back there if you're interested. Our website is: myspace.com/(band name) - if you want to learn more about the band."

There was more, but I hope you get the point. This very somber delivery (even if they were a goth band), didn't get people excited about what they had to offer. The fact is, they were probably one of the better sounding groups of the evening, and their marketing was awful.

In fact, when they were on stage no one danced, and most people were making a beeline for the bar instead of their merchandise table.

How could they improve? Here are some basics that anyone should consider to help promote themselves without beng seen as pushy:

1. get a domain name. Telling people you're on myspace only makes you look less comitted. Voltaire has a very active myspace page, but he still has his own domain name. If you're not keen on maintaining to web spaces, just re-direct the domain name to the myspace page. That way pople are typing in "bandname.com" rather than a longer myspace url (or facebook, or twitter, etc).

2. be enthusiastic about your work. If you've got product to sell ("merch" in the music world), you can be proud of the fact without being pushy. Instead of "hey, we've got a table full of merchandise in the back for you to look at" try this:
"If you really liked that song, it's on our XYZ album that you an purchase in the back of the room. There's also a ton of other groovy stuff and we'll even sign it for you when our sets done."
You're still telling people yo've got a merch table. You're also giving them two good reasons to come to the table - a personal autograph, and a way to purchase the song they just heard.

3. Interact with the people. If all you do is stand in a corner (or in the green room) until it's your turn to give your presentation, you're missing out on the opportunity to connect with your audience, and learn what they're all about. While the other bands were manning their merch tables both before and after their sets, this band was barely around - in fact because they drove from so far away, they were a little late in arriving.

4. Professionalism pays. Because they were tardy, they started off the evening on the wrong foot with not only the promoters, but the other bands because they appeared to be scrambling to get ready for sound check. The doors actually opened a few minutes late to the event, which is always a disappointment. When it's your job to be on time, even when you're coming from miles away, you need to do everything in your power to make it happen. The apparently apathetic response from this band about their tardiness did not go over well. We all know things happen, so take respnsibility and apologize for it. A response of "yeah, well we drove all the way here from the other side of the country" isn't good enough. To repeat that in your concert to the audience only makes you look unprofessional.

Scott Stratten talks about "pull and stay" marketing - the idea of engaging your potential customers clients in a way that draws the in, rather than leaving them with a half-hearted attempt at offering your wares.

You can make a person want to know more - want what you have to offer - without beating them over the head OR being apathetic about it. It begins by sharing your enthusiasm.

No I didn't fall in a hole...

I've been absolutely swamped with a plethora of new activities to keep me occupied. My eldest is back in school - and already on his first suspension today. Oy.

We just finished Chicago, the musical to RAVE reviews and a sold out house. I ended up doing TRIPLE duty on this show. I had originally signed on to play the role of Matron Momma Morton (yes, the Queen Latifah role, but please do not compare!) and help out as vocal coach for the show. About a week before opening, I was also asked to take over as BAND DIRECTOR.

Talk about a humbling experience. I haven't directed an instrumental ensemble since my college days. For those of you that think you just wave your arms and music comes out, well, you're partly right.

I was put in front of some of the best musicians our town has to offer - and to direct Kander and Ebb is no small feat - but with a 5 piece ensemble - and at least ONE of them is a band director himself in real life - and did I mention they were all guys?

Yeah, I felt a wee bit intimidated. I mean, the drummer has played with some of the biggest names in modern rock and roll history. The sax player has more years experience than I have been living on this little rock. And did I mention the trumpeter is classically trained and is the high school band director in a Flint Suburb?

My palms weren't just sweaty because it was hot on that stage.

Opening night was more of a trial by fire for me than anything else I've experienced in my life. In my two (Count 'em TWO) conducting classes I had at college - only ONE was for instrumental music - I was taught the very rudimentary basics of conducting:

1. Mark the score for changes in tempo, key, mood, etc.
2. Analyze the music to know what's going on where (see #1 if you're unclear)
3. Note any cues
4. Practice conducting the music BEFORE your do it in front of your ensemble.

Well, I could pretty much scrap #4 because I had to jump right in on a dress rehearsal. Being part of the musical already was helpful because I already knew some of the music, but the incidental, between scene music (walk-offs, etc) I had never heard before, and well, let's just say I'm not the world's greatest sight-reader.

So I over counted, gave too many prep beats, and tried to be OVER helpful with my band. Some of the guys didn't mind, but I could tell there was a bit of derision in the ranks.

The whole show was cues - and with actors sometimes coming in on time and sometimes not, it was a new arrangement every night.

And we pulled it off to thunderous applause every single night.

But the guys who deserve the applause sat behind that bandstand. I waved my arms, and THEY made me look good.

And now that it's over, I'm glad - and I'm gonna miss 'em.

Tom, Frank (and Glenn for one night only), Larry, Gary and Chris: Y'all rock. Thanks for helpin' a girl overcome herself.

But next time, I want more notice.