Merchandising tip number one. Display your merchandise with class. The display unit is what will sell your products. My band invested in a light tree, hung a black cloth, with a 8 foot chain-link attached to it. Put some lights on top of it and you have a breath taking display with t-shirts hanging from the fence. The unit takes up about 10 feet and draws a lot of attention to your display. The lights command attention while adding the sparkling eye candy. Build it and they will come.

The next thing you need to get is an 8 foot folding table with a nice table cloth on top that drapes down to the floor. The table will be displaying 8×10 glossies, CD’s, cards, etc. Do not just put the merchandise flat on the table. Once again invest in your business and get cool CD table display units. They really help out with the sale of your CD. If you have more than one CD, sell them at $12.00 a piece or $20.00 for two. Make a nice sign with big red letters that says SALE. You will be more likely to sell both CD’s this way. If you have three CD’s try selling them individually at $15.00 or three for $30.00 the next thing you will want to get is a rack that can display all the hats and T-shirts.

All this work may feel like a pain but in the end you will be moving more products that you could ever move before. Try finding a volunteer to help out with the merchandise. Give them free entrance to your live shows, and give them some gear to sport around the show. You will find people love to get involved and many are looking for something to do. Your band may be the best thing in their life.

Tip number two. Before the last song of the set announce to the crowd that they can come up and talk with the band. Tell them you will be hanging out at your merch booth signing autographs. Stand in front of your 8×10’s on the table and have plenty of sharpies. It is a natural progression to see a photo want to buy it and have it signed. For a younger crowd it is the easiest way to walk away from the show with some kind of memorabilia. A photo usually cost $3.00 at a show. This is cheap and a great way to have something for your fans that is affordable for them to buy. Another low budget merchandise tip is to have singles for a dollar. Just burn them at home and have a sharpie title put on them. You can get CD’s at staples for less than a quarter a piece. That is another 75 cents in your pocket. I found that it is well worth the time to have small ticket items at the shows. Kids have pocket change but rarely have the $20.00 bill to burn for a shirt, hat or CD.

The last merchandising tip is to build your email list. Your mailing list will be your return buyer. The mailing list consists of those who are interested every time you have a new CD or any kind of merchandise available. Mailing lists are the blood line to your success.

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: www.Music-Career-Guide.com

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Benefits Vs. Features

Most musicians make the mistake of describing their CD with features and not benefits.

Listing Features For example:

They recorded with so and so who produced so and so with all the latest technology in the greatest studio in the world. We also had the greatest guitarist playing as a guest on it and had it mastered at so and so place who mastered the first Incubus CD before they were actually called Incubus. Point being? Who cares? The average consumer buys for one reason only. To please themselves not you who made the product. You have to think of it from their point of view. Why should they buy your product?

Listing a Benefit For Example:

If you are buying some Tool from craftsmen they will market their product by saying they will make your job easier for you. Who wants to work hard? Hey if you can make my job easier then please do. They will give your product a shot because you are claiming you will make their job easier that is a Benefit.

Think of target groups with your music.

With my music I just started creating things that came from my heart. I let each song be what it was and didn’t try to force it into any genre or **** After awhile I saw my albums could suit different needs or target different groups of people.

For example:

“Vision of Love” album would target those who have stressful lives and have a difficult time slowing their minds down to relax. Benefit of the CD: Relieves Stress

My “Blues for a Day” CD target those who host a Texas Hold’Em Night. Benefit of CD: It will bring you good luck and make your night cooler than your buddies who hosted it the week before. Ha.

“Feels Real Good” CD is targeting those who might be a little depressed. Benefit of the CD: makes you FEEL REAL GOOD or Gives you energy when you don’t have any.

Remember the commercial with Calgon bubble bath?

3 Screaming kids yelling, “MOM, MOM” with the mom in the kitchen trying to scrub dishes, when the husband comes home from work saying “What’s for dinner?” She then looks into the sky throwing her hands into the air screaming, “CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!” The camera then pans into the bathroom with her giving a big, relaxing, sigh. Ahhhhhhhh! Camera pans out with candles all around the soothing bubble bath with her smiling in a state of ecstasy.

That is the kind of idea you have to have when you are trying to get people interested in your music when they have never heard you before. Paint a picture of why they need your product.

What kind of music do you have?

So maybe you have “Screamo” or “Punk” music. Your audience is going to be the teenage angst kid who doesn’t think the parents or teachers understand him. Benefit of your music? You do understand him! There would be his benefit of buying your music. Finally someone who knows how I feel.

Hope this helps in your album sales down the road. If you are in the Oregon area I am giving seminars now. There will be one next month in Albany if you are interested just email me. I am keeping the total to 20 people at a time so I can spend more time answering questions. Again feel free to stop by my websitewww.thedavidsamuelproject.com anytime to view how I approach the whole thing. You will see how I list the benefits of each album. Join the mailing list for free and see how I put together newsletters, offering free downloads, interesting topics, etc.

Be patient and keep working towards your dream. Visualize it!

Take care.

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: http://www.music-career-guide.com

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