As an artist, how much of your time, energy, and money would you say goes into trying to get people to buy your CD’s, play your songs on the radio, book you, etc. Getting the “attention” of buyers these days is hard and something that we usually have to purchase in some form or another. We pay to get it. Yet, it could be argued that we often do very little with it when we do get it. Other than hope they buy a CD.
At the same time, we have silos of consumers “giving” us attention for free and we usually just squander it. Let’s take concerts for example. The traditional “look” at this has folks showing up to see you sing, maybe talking a bit after the concert at the record table, and maybe buying a CD or two. Then they leave, you leave, and “see you next time” ends it.
But look at this more closely. Someone has made a choice, among all other things they could be doing, to come and see you. They have paid the ticket price and they have “paid” you attention. In addition they have given you their permission to show them something, tell them something, inspire them, talk with them, etc. They have paid you their attention and given you their permission. FOR FREE. It has COST YOU NOTHING – in fact, you are getting paid to be there. Now if these are things we usually have to go out and buy, just how do you react when it’s given for free. Maybe if you took advantage of all the FREE gifts of attention and permission, you wouldn’t have to buy any.
Why do I call this squandering? Because you have just had a whole bunch of people offer you their attention and permission to inspire them and you have (1) not given either of those things back to them and worse (2) you are willing to walk out the door at the end of the night, let it all just end, without inviting them to “go with you” or to continue the relationships established there – tomorrow, next week, next month. Just a “See you next time!” True, they may fondly remember the event. True, they may take you “home” with them in the form of a CD. But you do not take them home with you! You have not returned the attention back to them and given them permission to continue to be “in contact” with you.
No invitation to them to continue and deepen the relationship has been offered. What if…at the end of the evening you said
“We’ve all just had such an incredible and spirit-filled time this evening…we just don’t want to let it end. We don’t just want to leave here tonight and say ‘goodbye.’ We want to STAY in touch with every single one of you. We want you to call us, email us, send us Facebook messages. We want to keep up with how your doing. We want to know if there’s something outstanding in your life — good or bad. We want to pray for you and have you pray for us. And we want to be able to call on you when WE are in need. So, we’re really asking you here, do not let what got started here tonight–end. Come to our website to email or call us. leave us your address. And here’s our promise–no call or email will ever go unanswered. We value the relationship we’ve all begun here tonight and we pledge to continue it if you do. There’s nothing more important to us than you. You are the reason why we are here.”
And then did it.
