My sister-in-law met Dango Rose on an airport shuttle last week. They were seated next to each other and began talking about being on a particularly crowded bus. As the conversation progressed, Linda learned that Dango is a professional musician.
As they parted ways at the airport, Dango gave Linda two CDs; one by Elephant Revival (a band Dango is a member of) and his own solo CD, Banjo Poems.
CDs used to be quite costly. Don’t get me wrong, for many musicians that remains true. However, CDs are not the product. The band and the performance is the product and Dango gets that. Giving away two CDs may have cost him a few dollars to introduce Linda and her friends and family to his music. Linda’s already decided to go to his upcoming concert in the Denver area and when she played his CDs for us over the weekend, we came to love his music and want to know when he’ll be playing here.
Business cards need to be interesting to get noticed. A name, title and contact information aren’t enough of an onramp to a relationship. That’s where smart musicians have the edge on the traditional business world.
I think I’ll stamp the back of my business cards with “Free coffee. RSVP”.
Excellent idea! I recall the Wine Stopper business cards that Keith Burtis gives out; they always attract attention.
Getting value into the interaction from the get-go (whether it’s via CD’s, wine-stoppers or even free coffee) certainly increases the odds of success.
Comment by John Meadows — November 30, 2009 @ 8:22 am