For touring musicians, the road to success can be tricky to navigate if you don't stop to ask for directions. Keeping that in mind, it's important to nurture the relationships with people you meet along the way. You never know when one person or another will show you a shortcut in the path. These people are known as your contacts, and I highly suggest building relationships with them. Treat your contacts as a part of your ever-growing industry family and you will be well rewarded!
Below are some simple suggestions for building better, stronger relationships with your contacts. Follow these simple steps and watch how easy it is to book gigs and gain some publicity along the way - I dare you!
1. Ask! So that it can be given.
All too often people don't ask for what they want. They just wish and hope that it will appear, then get frustrated and damn the world when it doesn't. Instead of wasting your time with that nonsense, just ask for what you want! If you're booking a gig in Austin and want to play in Houston as well, ask the booker in Austin if he knows anyone you could talk to in Houston. you'd be surprised at how easy it is to book gigs when you come with a referral.
2. Extend the Invitation
Invite bookers to your gigs. In many cases, the booker may be too busy to attend, however what you've just done is implant your band into the forefront of this guy's mind and kept him informed on the progress of your career. The more he hears you're gigging, the more attentive he will be to your band. if things work out, he may eventually make it to one of your shows.
This also works for music critics. When you're working on getting reviews, invite music critics to your gigs. This works especially well when you're opening for someone of interest. As you keep media contacts informed about your gigs, you're once again putting your band in their minds and keeping them up-to-date with your career's progress. Eventually, they just might accept your invitation and make it out to a performance.
3. Use the Guest List
Once you've extended the invitation, it's important that you put that person on the guest list. If your contact gets to the door and find out they have to pay, they may just turn around and leave. Most clubs offer a limited number of guest list spots, so invite accordingly. When your contact arrives to the club and sees they're on the guest list, they will surely appreciate it. These little acts of courtesy add up pretty quickly and may help you achieve the goal you've set up to achieve as it relates to a specific contact.
4. Follow Up
Relationship-building is always a work in progress. A few days after you've played a venue, call the booker and thank him for the opportunity. More importantly, ask him about his experience. You want to know if there's anything you can do better next time. Making a phone call to follow up on the results of your gig shows that you truly care, and a little care goes a long way! This simple act usually leads to the booker asking you to come back and play another night and will support you in solidifying a lasting professional relationship. In my personal experience, this tiny task has yielded the greatest results.
This is also recommended for bookers and media contacts who have actually shown up to your gigs. Follow up after a few business days, thank them, and see what they thought of your performance.
5. Send Thank You Notes
I can see you rolling your eyes from here. All too often media contacts, industry reps, club bookers, and promoters feel taken advantage of by artists. And with good reason. After all, we do want something from them, right? Those artists who zip out a friendly "thank you" email or drop a postcard of appreciation in the mail are the ones who get remembered and will be appreciated in return. Trust me, taking the extra step is equal to going the extra mile in your music career.
Rock on!
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