Over and over again in the Band Management forum
I have seen musicians looking for advice on booking, contracts and
how to deal with clients. Some people are not very good at
that side of the business, and look for techniques to deal
with the business issues.
IMO, sales can be a difficult field for many and often people find
themselves in difficulty in client dealings.
A good salesperson is often a student of human behavior. A really
good salesperson is a really good student of human behavior.
I read a book about 25 years ago that had an enormous
impact on my sales career and interpersonal relationships.
I'd like to recommend it to those of you who are uncomfortable
dealing with clients, or who are uncomfortable 'selling' your
band.
'Mastering the Art of Selling' by Tom Hopkins.
The beauty of this book is that if you use his techniques
consistenty, they really work quite well.
In another thread a poster was negotiating for a private party
deal, but was unsure if he had really closed the deal. Tommy
has ways of handling closes that make it easy. We all
like deals that are wrapped up tight with no misunderstandings,
don't we? (Building agreement).
You like closing a profitable deal,
don't you?
"Ok, Mrs. Smith, you would like the band to play your party
on July 11th for a fee of $800, for 3 sets, a total of 2 1/4 hours,
correct?" (Test close).
'Yes'.
Would you like us to start at 7 PM or 8 PM? (This close presents 2 [and only 2] alternatives that both have a positive outcome for you.)
'8PM'
'Fine!" (There's your close.)
Hopkins also deals with issues of prospecting, qualifiying and
'funneling down' the sale as well as dealing with objections.
He taught me that objections to a sale are really a primary
tool to closing a sale:
'I don't like punk rock, do you do classic rock?'
'Is that what you want?' (This is called 'The Porcupine", you
throw it right back at the client.)
'Yes'
'Fine, we have a deal then.' (There is the close.)
One other tidbit of wisdom is don't be afraid to ask for the order
or for the business. I once saw a supplier come into the
office of a distribution company I worked for back in the '80's
and give a great presentation to the buyer. He had a great
product, it was the first time I had seen the style of plastic
garbage bag that you couldn't rip, perfect for restaurant use.
After the great presentation, he got up, shook the buyer's
hand, and left. NEVER ASKED FOR AN ORDER. I was
flabbergasted. He had the buyer totally sold but failed
to close the deal. 'Would you like to try 20 cases of this
product? I am sure your customers will love this product,
won't they? (Yes, Tommy says phrase all these
conversations as questions, ones that have positive answers.)
We could play your bar on the 11th or the 17th, which would you prefer?
(Two choices presented with positive outcomes. Easy really, just make
a habit of presenting it that way.)
One more scenario, You drop a CD on a venue owner and are calling back to get a
booking. Phrase your conversation carefully:
Do not say 'Did you have a chance to listen to the cd?' as you will very
likely solicit a 'No'.
Do say 'That is an excellent demo, isn't it?'
Errr, yeah.
Given that, we should fit right in, won't we?
uhh, Yeah.
'We have openings for July or August dates, which do you prefer?' (two choices,
funnelling down to a close.)
Err, August.
'We could do either the 15 or 22, which one works better for you? '
I guess the 15th.
FINE! Just initial the paperwork and we are all set. (Do not use the word 'sign. Use initial
or approve. I know, I'm a sleaze. lol. )
Anyway, there are some great nuggets here, and it has made
my sales career over the years.
I highly recommend it.
Probably the best 10 or 15 bucks you will ever spend.
