I love discovering people who live in an inspired way. Derek Sivers is such a person. It’s not enough that he is the king of DIY for musicians everywhere, creating CD Baby and other businesses. He is a messenger of ideas, his own and others’.
I find his blog inspiring not just because I’m a a musician, or because he is so knowledgeable about the music industry. I like it because it is loaded with hope. With new thinking that turns the conventional on it’s head and says why not try something else? This post is a great example.
Emphasize meaning over price = More paid sales
The idea comes from Terry McBride of Nettwerk. This excerpt gives the very simple gist of it.
If you are a performing musician that sells CDs at your shows, please consider this:
1. Say to the audience, “It’s really important to us that you have our CD. We worked so hard on it and are so proud of it, that we want you to have it, no matter what. Pay what you want, but even if you have no money, please take one tonight.”
2. Mention this again before the end of the show, adding, “Please, nobody leave here tonight without getting a copy of our CD. We’ve shared this great show together so it would mean a lot to us if you’d take one.”
It changes the request from a commerical pitch to an emotional connection. (Replace market mindset with social mindset!) Allowing them to get a CD for no money just reinforces that
Besides the audacity of this kind of gesture/business model/community-building approach, I think I like it because it reflects a mission-driven path as opposed to a profit-driven one. And I think that the mission driven approach brings more long-term (ie; your whole life) security.
It is also exciting because it requires re-examining the way I think about CD’s-making them and selling them. As well as re-thinking their role in my career/musical work. I can’t wait to try it.
What do you think?
And check out Derek’s blog for many more great ideas.
On the Territory 