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KKKKKocaine · 08-10-2004, 02:21 AM

The most important tip for increasing sales is this.

Go out into the crowd after the gig, take a pile of cd's with you, ask people if they want to buy them, offer to have them signed, this ALWAYS increases cd sales

Face it, being in a band is respected, people love to say "I know jimmy from the robots", signings and talking to people will make them want the album more, mainly just because they connect with you.
This always increases sales, if you just point to the merch stand you might sell about 5 if your lucky, this method can get a good 30 in a crowd of 100 people, if not more.
Don't let anyone stay on stage moving equipment, pay a couple of friends to do it for you, or the next band on.

How do I know this works?
Simple, I've had it done to me, I went from not wanting an album at all, to buying one simply because the band said they would autograph it, I loved the album when I got home though.

GIG TIPS

- Mailing lists, don't just leave it on a table with a pen, politely ask the guys working the door (or pay them £10) to make everyone who enters sign the mailing list.

- Similary, make a stamp with your band logo and website on, ask the bouncers to use it instead of pen squiggles, the people who came to the gig will have a mark for a day or so with your website on, how is that for promotion?

-Remember which songs get the crowd worked up the best, structure the setlist so that the crowd doesn't mosh for 20 minutes, then relax for 30, let the band and the crowd have lighter songs to rest with for a while, structure the gig so the setlist flows, don't just randomly write them down and hope for the best.
If instruments have to be changed for a song and rehooked up, ask the drummer and bassist to prehaps play a little groove through the duration?
Or spend the time talking about your album, thanking the crowd e.t.c.

- Take a quick glance at the 'types' of people coming to your gig, after a while, when you have garnered up a fan base, maybe you should use this as a means to design your merchandise? You don't want a goth design for emo kids now do you?

Next Issue : Cheap and free promotion, serious gig problems, e.g. the manager refuses to pay you, what to do and why.

08-10-2004, 02:21 AM	#7
KKKKKocaine Farang. Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: England Posts: 7,015	The most important tip for increasing sales is this. Go out into the crowd after the gig, take a pile of cd's with you, ask people if they want to buy them, offer to have them signed, this ALWAYS increases cd sales Face it, being in a band is respected, people love to say "I know jimmy from the robots", signings and talking to people will make them want the album more, mainly just because they connect with you. This always increases sales, if you just point to the merch stand you might sell about 5 if your lucky, this method can get a good 30 in a crowd of 100 people, if not more. Don't let anyone stay on stage moving equipment, pay a couple of friends to do it for you, or the next band on. How do I know this works? Simple, I've had it done to me, I went from not wanting an album at all, to buying one simply because the band said they would autograph it, I loved the album when I got home though. GIG TIPS - Mailing lists, don't just leave it on a table with a pen, politely ask the guys working the door (or pay them £10) to make everyone who enters sign the mailing list. - Similary, make a stamp with your band logo and website on, ask the bouncers to use it instead of pen squiggles, the people who came to the gig will have a mark for a day or so with your website on, how is that for promotion? -Remember which songs get the crowd worked up the best, structure the setlist so that the crowd doesn't mosh for 20 minutes, then relax for 30, let the band and the crowd have lighter songs to rest with for a while, structure the gig so the setlist flows, don't just randomly write them down and hope for the best. If instruments have to be changed for a song and rehooked up, ask the drummer and bassist to prehaps play a little groove through the duration? Or spend the time talking about your album, thanking the crowd e.t.c. - Take a quick glance at the 'types' of people coming to your gig, after a while, when you have garnered up a fan base, maybe you should use this as a means to design your merchandise? You don't want a goth design for emo kids now do you? Next Issue : Cheap and free promotion, serious gig problems, e.g. the manager refuses to pay you, what to do and why.