We are super excited to be hosting our very first Music Industry Sessions in Puerto Rico. With that said, here are some of the best practices that we learned throughout the different conferences and events that we’ve attended that we wanted to share so you can make the most of this event.
Dress to Impress. Brand Yourself.
When you dress impeccably, you feel like you own the room, which often translates into you actually owning the room. First impressions are everything. You may stumble upon a professional in the industry that really matters, and first impressions can make or break a situation.
Appearance is one thing, but also dressing up your business cards and marketing/promotional materials is absolutely essential. One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is not having a professional business card or an item to give to someone. Forgetting something can happen, but be sure you get a professional business card, USB drive, pamphlet or EPK to give to someone you intend to meet with. CDs are cool too but personally, I prefer a USB or a link to your songs. The more creative you can get with it the better. Let the marketing material say something about you and your personality.
Don’t be afraid. Approach strangers.
Sounds harsh and a bit dramatic, but someday, we’re all going to die, and you have to take chances. The things that really matter will be when you befriended the person who eventually introduced you to the person who got you a record deal which jumpstarted your prolific music career, which in turn inspired the world to give you a funeral of the likes of Michael Jackson. So don’t be afraid to approach people you don’t know. Even more important, don’t get starstruck by the people you see as more “important” than you. We’re all humans.
Be their friend, not a salesperson.
Get to know people on a personal level before ever trying to sell something. Smile. Relax. Be genuinely interested in the individual and what they’re saying. Make sure your brain is wired to ingest a lot of information – name, where they are based, what company they are with, their profession, favorite band, and more. If you feel the need to write down on the card a quick brief on the individual after the conversation, take a bathroom break and do it. You’ll thank yourself later.
Call them by their first name – repeatedly.
In the words of the wise Dale Carnegie, “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Repeat it once in your conversation, and always bid goodbye by calling the individual by his/her name. Most importantly, don’t let yourself forget the name immediately, so that you have to ask the person, “What’s your name again? So many faces today!” This does not make them feel important. You will impress them if you are the one who remembers.
Master the art of the follow-up.
It’s vital to make good use of the time you’ve spent attending this event. Connect with them on LinkedIn. If you consider yourself friends with any of the individuals you meet, especially around your age, don’t be afraid to friend them on Instagram or Facebook. In your follow-up email, do not contact someone unless you truly feel you could both be of mutual benefit to one another in some way, now or in the future. If you don’t ask something very specific in your email, the person will not know what to do with the email, especially if it was sent to their work email. Send them an email with purpose – perhaps with something to consume, such as a Dropbox link to 3 of your top tracks. And of course, don’t make your email too long. Be concise and relevant. If you hit it off with the person, perhaps pick up the phone and call. This makes more of a statement.
Remember to arrive early!
Music Industry Sessions is a free event and we’ll be accepting attendees in a first come, first serve basis. The panels will begin at 2:30 pm sharp, so make sure to arrive with enough time to check in and get a good seat. If you can’t make it, no worries, we’ll be recording the event and later placing the videos in our YouTube channel and will be sharing with all attendees.
Hope all these tips have helped you a bit more and have given you some insight on how to prepare for Music Industry Sessions. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, you’re welcome to do so here. Remember that we’ll be hosting our indie music showcase, Symphonic Live at La Respuesta on the 23rd as well from 9PM+ and you can RSVP here.
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See you soon!
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