Are you selling to the wrong people?

This image from Gruhn made quite the impact on me.

During a recent phone call with a colleague she came to the realize that most of the people supporting classical music right now are, in fact, classical musicians. Especially in the opera world.

Performers have to pay for this, that and the other thing in order to get “performance opportunities” to “build the resume” and get the credentials to get booked for really low-paying gigs.

That’s how it works, right?

1. The current system caters to itself

Yes.

But it’s not sustainable, nor is it efficient, nor effective.

And it certainly does nothing to help build audiences and make our world a better place.

If any classical musician wants to make an impact in the world, they are likely hankering to get out of that rut and into the real world… the world where people with money to spend on things that matter to them exist.

And how do they know classical music matters to them?

We show them.

2. We have everything we need

Very, very few people outside the classical music world actually consider classical music as anything important, but those of us who are ready and willing to share how such music impacts us on a daily, even hourly basis, have EVERYTHING we need to stop selling to the wrong people.

We all spend our hard-earned cash on things that are important to us.

It’s up to us musicians to see what that it, and help them get it…

through classical music.

It’s what I’ve been doing for decades, and I’ve even spent a lot of my life helping other performers do the same – and earn a decent income at the same time.

3. Setting out with the right goals

If you are a performer looking to impress audition panels, agents, managers, concert venues, promoters, etc… good luck. I hope your sales and marketing training and efforts are effective and you accomplish what you are setting out to achieve (which I presume is hearing the phone ring with offers of gigs and performances, right?)

On the other hand, if you actually would prefer to be performing, earning a decent income, AND impact real peoples’ lives, then maybe you need to look outside the classical music bubble.

If it’s something I can help you with, even better! Just reach out and ask.