In the February 2011 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine Ruth Parry wrote an article called “Making A Connection: Ten tips for engaging an audience.” It is an excellent article, especially if you are a musical performer…and…
It is ALSO an excellent article if you are a public speaker or any kind of presenter/entertainer. Ruth has isolated ten excellent steps for connecting with any group. Here they are. (Go to her article for the full treatment.)
The excitement at this year’s National Association of Music Merchants “NAMM show” in Anaheim was evident throughout the miles of exhibits and tens of thousands of attendees. They guesstimated over 90,000 in attendance and exhibitors told me they suspect it was even more. (Photos and videos below)
Surprises: One truly unexpected observation is that “Business is Booming!” As I roamed the thousands of exhibits and snaked my way through the overflow crowds, I heard again and again that this was the best year for business at NAMM in recent memory. So, despite a challenging economy and more regulations, laws, taxes, etc. on the horizon…people are buying! Not just shopping, but buying.
This bodes well for our economy in general because the music business is a business of “non-essentials” (but don’t tell the Music people that. For them it’s life itself.) In other words, purchases made around music aren’t life-sustaining essentials like food, water, transportation. They are discretionary expenditures for the regular consumers, the folks who aren’t “in the business” of music. Conclusion: if people are clamoring to buy non-essentials then they must feel optimistic about their near future. That leads to more opportunity in all fields. Not just the music business.
Yes, we still have many economic and political challenges, but all in all, I’d say Raise Your Sights. Set bigger goals, the opportunities are all around you.
Creativity and Innovation were also prevalent this year. Many new products e.g. a Video Screen in a Piano! (Wm. Knabe & Co.) and every kind of “effects” toy imaginable. There is even one floor pedal that will cause your amplifier to sing harmony with you in your own voice! (TC-Helicon VoiceTone Harmony G-XT) I got one of these for Christmas and have been singing along with myself almost daily. What fun!
Steve Krenz of Legacy Learning Systems has created a DVD based course called “Learn & Master Guitar”. They have partnered with Hal Leonard and Gibson Guitars for distribution and iPhone apps. This relatively simple course has generated over 2 million downloads and created a following that is filling their special events and expanding the market for guitars. A GREAT idea! Learn from their example. Apply these ideas in your field. See my Video Interview with them on the show floor.
Here are some photos I took at the event. Enjoy and learn. Ask yourself, “How could we use this same thinking?” Call me and let’s brainstorm ways to get your business booming too. Info@Cathcart.com
Steve Krenz has created the leading Guitar Mastery course on DVD and online. I had the opportunity to interview Lenny Franklin & Danny Schenk of Legacy Learning Systems at the NAMM show in Anaheim yesterday. If you’d like to learn guitar or see an example of creating a massively successful course of your own on any subject, take a look at this short interview.
Many of the ideas used in creating and expanding this system could be applied to YOUR business. Think of how you could create a system, sponsor involvement events, tap experts and celebrities in your own field and give your customers more ways to immerse themselves in the process of getting value from you.
Give me a call and let’s brainstorm your new opportunities.
Jim Cathcart http://cathcart.com
A GREAT way to spend a day! I toured the miles of exhibits and performance stages at the National Association of Music Merchants “NAMM” show in Anaheim yesterday. Here are some of my observations and new ideas I picked up. Also some fun video interviews.
There were performing artists all over the place; on live stages throughout the venues and signing autographs at booths, plus just browsing the wares by themselves.
Orianthi signing autographs at NAMM
Alex Lora signing autographs at NAMM
The entire experience is beyond comprehension. There are so many acres of products and performances that you become numb to the sounds. Imagine 30 bands in one huge room at one time all doing different styles of music on different instruments and then multiply that times ten and add in 90,000 people having conversations. That’s what it sounds like at NAMM!
Here’s a cool new idea; a game, not a musical instrument. It is called “Spontuneous” and it’s a board game built around coming up with a song that has a certain word in it. If the game gives you “hot” then you have to name a song with that word in it before the other players do. Like “Hot Love” or “Hot August Night”. It’s a creative idea. Here’s my interview with its creator Robert Ridgeway.
And here’s another creative idea: A Video Piano. This beautiful Wm. Knabe & Co. piano has a built-in video screen that shows full action video that you can play along to…or have the piano actually play along for you!
Drop me a note and let’s brainstorm some creative ideas for your own organization. Http://Cathcart.com
Yesterday I joined Ninety Thousand of my friends in Anaheim at THE event in the music business: NAMM. Check below for photos and videos of interviews I did at the event. Even if you’re not in the music business, you can learn a lot from them for growing your own business, as I did. Read on for more ideas.
The National Association of Music Merchants is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry.
Founded in 1901, NAMM has been the engine driving the music products industry, enabling both large and small businesses to maximize productivity and reduce the costs of doing business. With more than 9,000 Members in the United States and 100+ other countries, NAMM is ultimately dedicated to expanding the market and giving people of all ages the opportunity to experience the proven benefits of making music.
NAMM Headquarters
5790 Armada Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 438-8001 info@namm.org
This photo from the Fender “room” (it was much much larger than an exhibit or a booth) is 1/100,000th of what was on display at NAMM this year. I wandered the miles of floor space on three levels and in multiple buildings plus the surrounding hotels. I met celebrities, corporate executives, like Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars, and scores of technicians, artists, craftsmen, retailers, distributors and more.
I attended NAMM for the 2nd time this year. My host was Jason Vanderpal of Guitar Center HQ. Jason is the former General Manager of the Hollywood Guitar Center, the largest music store of its type in the world. He seemed to know half the crowd as we wandered the floor together. Here’s a link to his comments about the show.
If you are wondering how this relates to you, here it is: NAMM had a record large attendance this year. Note: that is THIS year 2011 in this chaotic economy! The people were buying, selling, dealing and shopping like crazy. Folks, there is no shortage of business to be had out there. No matter what you are selling there is still enough money in people’s pockets for you to have a very good year.
I asked the participants what they were doing that was new and successful. Their answers were many and varied, but they had one thing in common; none of the ideas were “business as usual.” Everyone was being creative and looking for better ways to connect with their customers and prospects. As the Relationship Selling Author I was right at home.
Here’s one idea I liked: KMC Music, the distributors of Takamine Guitars, Gretch Drums, Ovation Guitars, Genz-Benz amps and much more were there with a massive exhibit. Two stories tall and as big as a house. They told me how they had taken their products on the road this past year and set up a combination of product demos, artist appearances and… a new twist, customer performances. The prospective customers were encouraged to sample their products and then actually perform on stage with them.
Customers loved this! It was more appealing to them than any other part of the experience, so KMC Music took note and boosted that part of the events, which produced even greater results. For my interview with Rick Hall and Danny Guion, KMC Music Marketing, click here.
Here’s the question for you: How can you involve your customers and prospects more in doing what they want and love to do, without putting the main focus on your products? Let them take the spotlight and do what they wish to do. Make heroes out of them and they will love being connected with you!
Let me help if you are looking for more ways to connect with your customers. Let’s schedule a brainstorming session right away. http://Cathcart.com
