Why Mastering the Art of Negotiation Is Essential To a Career in Music Part One: The Importance of a Positive Negotiation Strategy

. This may be old news to some, but for others, I think they miss a crucial step in the booking process which is negotiating for a better deal when it comes to clubs. I know there are a lot of young bands who just don’t have experience in negotiating (or so they think), but I’m constantly amazed at the amount of musicians who have been playing for years and still take any gig that comes there way without trying to hash out a better deal for themselves.

 Do you not value your talent or are you insecure with your ability?  Maybe you just don’t give a damn but either way, you are missing out and you are hurting the scene failing to negotiate.Why? Because the less you play for, the less the venue will pay other acts to perform  It’s that simple. If you’re good you can negotiate a better deal for yourself and ultimately, your fellow musicians.

Now I’ve been doing this a while now and I’ve learned a lot, both from my experience and from others. One is that we are always negotiating, weather we realize it or not. Picking out a restaurant to have lunch at with your friends, getting your kid to eat dinner, these are everyday negotiations we engage in. But we also negotiate with our mechanics, hotel clerks and when buying used items form our neighbors. Booking a gig is very much the same.

First and foremost you need to appreciate that the booking agent is constantly working with managers and club owners and balancing his or her time with other work related activities, family, bills etc. and understanding that will help you begin to forge positive relations. They may have stressful days, or perhaps they are going through a tough family crisis so when you initiate the conversation, keep this in mind and you will be able to sympathize with your prospect and cultivate a more personable relationship which will help ensure favorable treatment, repeat gigs and a higher pay rate.

Second, you must be willing to walk away from a bad deal. At some point, you will meet someone who is not interested in your needs and does not value your hard work. You do not want to work with this person. The agent needs to understand that you are not obligated to perform if your need are not met and if you have the mindset that you can book a gig somewhere else, then you’re more likely to stick to your guns when it comes to the finer points. Also, by walking away from the occasional bad gig, you will not only save yourself a lot of heartache but you will develop a reputation for integrity and most respectable agents and venues want to work with a band that has integrity. It shows a commitment to fairness and they will be able to rely on you far more that the wishy washy, take any gig that comes along musicians who do not stand up for themselves.

Keep in mind that you are not the only game in town and at first, the venue holds the cards. Especially if you are a new band who has yet to really put your mark on the scene and If its not you, it will be someone else.; it really doesn't matter much to the venue.Now if you’re really good, you inherently have value so don’t go taking the very first offer without pushing for a bigger payout and realize that other acts are also trying to book gig as well so you don’t want to be unreasonable.

Its also important to note that the relationship you build now will endure if you make the right first impression. If you do this, you will be considered for future gigs and the more you follow through, the more chances you will get. They will return your calls and even recommend you for other agents that will possibly pay more or put you on a bigger bill or opening for well-known talent. Make a bad impression and all of this never happens. You won’t get called again, you won’t be recommended, and you will develop a bad rep. don’t be that band.

Here are 5 points to consider:

1. ·         Treat every partner with respect. They are spending their valuable time with you so give them a positive experience.
2. ·         Show Interest in who they are and what they do. If you’re interested in them, they will be interested in you.
3. ·         Be considerate of their needs and experiences. If they’ve had a bad day, give them one less reason to be pissed off and remember we all have bad days.
4. ·         Realize their position and what they have the authority to do or not to do. Keep in mind; they are often a liaison between you and the venue owner so they don’t have all of the answers or power to give you everything you want. They may however put in a good word on your behalf so don’t expect them to give you the world on a platter.
5. ·         Be aware of their booking habits and how they schedule. Often times, agents like to book months in advance so the more you understand this and are aware of their specific situation, they better off you are and the more professional you appear to be.
6.  

Make Sure Everybody Wins

It may be hard to hear, but you really are not that important in the grand scheme of things until you make it so and with shoddy negotiation skills, its making your life much more difficult than it has to because at the end of the negotiating day, you are the one that needs to cultivate a positive relationship as it is you who has the most to gain. If for some reason you fail to cultivate a positive working partnership with this person, there are other bands that will fill the spot so ultimately it is also you who have the most to lose. This is why it is important to have a win-win mentality when approaching a club’s booking agent.

Part II

Ref.
http://performingbiz.com
How To Be Your Own Agent-Jeri Goldstien