Empower Your Ministry Blog

I knew I recognized him.

He was that guy from that show “The Hitmen of Music Row” that I had become a little addicted to.  The show followed four very successful Nashville songwriters through their day-to-day activities.

His name was Craig Wiseman.

We were both on the 8:20 flight from New York City.  I thought about talking to him on the plane, then, again in baggage claim but no time seemed appropriate.  My chance finally came while we were waiting for our drivers to pick us up (well, he was, anyway-I was waiting on the “Park and Fly” cheap-parking-shuttle-bus) when I said, “Hey Craig, I’m loving your show, man.. Were you filming in New York?”

“Yea, we were taping an episode in Manhattan last night.” he said with a slight “aw-shucks-you-recognized-me” grin.

Knowing that this moment wouldn’t last, I got straight to the point and asked him:

“So, when you write, do you write for a certain artist to get a cut on their record?… like, do you get together with your buddies and write a song for Faith or Tim or whoever?”

“Oh, heck no! (not the exact word he used) I write for the pure fun of it!  You haven’t heard most of the stuff I write… You’ve only heard the 5% that’s been cut… the other 95% is pure crap!” (that is the exact word he used)

We talked for another few minutes while we waited, but I left enlightened, a little shocked and encouraged.

Here’s what I learned from Craig in that 4 minute conversation:

• Writing (as with most other creative things) is a numbers game.
• Being a perfectionist is counter-productive.  Sometimes, you have to deliver an imperfect product just to keep the flow going.
• Usually, when you obsess about about that one song you wrote 10 years ago, you know, that song that’s going to put you on the map if someone could just hear it?? You are wasting your time.  Songwriters write songs. Song(s) as in plural.  Move on.
• Don’t be afraid to write crap sometimes.  Get over it.  Write the hit next time.
• Your ministry, whether it be songwriting, repairing cars, or singing should be fun.  If it’s not, re-examine what you are doing… You could be doing the wrong thing.  The more you like something, the better you are at it, the more fun it is.

I could probably come up with a few more, but I think you get the point, right?

Does “not delivering” that song, that painting, that mix, that sermon, hold you back sometimes?

I want to hear about it.

Don Passman is an entertainment lawyer and author of All You Need to Know About the Music Business. In this video, he discusses how changes in the music industry – especially shrinking album sales and the introduction of new technology – are affecting both artists hoping to make a career in music, and people seeking a career on the business side of the industry, and what people should expect in this changing environment.

Keep in mind that this was filmed in 2006, so we are well into “the future”. FaceBook and Twitter were not even around when he gave this interview.

If you are smart, you have a mailing list so that it’s easy to communicate with the people who have asked you to do so.

But are you using that mailing list to “push” information that you need “pushed” to your fans- selfishly?

You know… here’s some pictures of me.  Here’s where I’m gonna be Here’s what I need for you to do for me.

Or, are you using it to find out what THEY need from YOU.  Maybe something like, “I’d love it if you had wristbands”.. or “coffee mugs” or “a club mix of your songs?  You may be surprised what you’ll find out.

The fact is, If you are selfish with the your mailing list or website content, you may NEVER know what your fans really want from you!

Keep being “pushy” and selfish and they’ll be ON to you and OFF your list.

Some other things you can “update” them may be: Funny Stories, encouragement, maybe find out if they’d like to go grab a bite after a concert.

Bottom line:

Don’t be one of those rude people who only call when they need something.  You know who you are.

What are some things that one of YOUR fans have asked for that surprised you?

thanks in advance for your comments.

I heard a friend say something the other day that sort of bothered me.  He said,

“I don’t know why the ‘industry’ doesn’t support our group any more than they do?!”

Forget the industry, care for YOUR people!

When I hear the term “Gospel Music Industry” (or any “industry for that matter … Country Music industry, print industry, medical industry, housing industry), I have to wonder what he was referring to.

There was a day when a record company could discover someone, take them to a ‘hot’ producer who would make them a hit.  Then they would spend tens of thousands of dollars marketing them, getting their song promoted, and getting the song played on radio. Hopefully,  those plays on the radio would be converted into money that would pay the record company back for their huge investment into their career.

I guess you could call that an industry.

The problem is, that stuff RARELY works at all anymore.  Things are changing EVERYDAY.  Why would you want to cater to an industry anyway?

Here are some things that will never change.  Your people (your peeps).  Your fans.

There are only a handful of PEOPLE that you need to know about:

• people who love what you do. (fans)
• people who are curious what you are doing. (lurkers-possible fans)
• people who don’t like what you do. (dis-likers?–haters?—still possible fans)
• people who have never heard what you do. (unreached–possible fans)
• people who know about you, but haven’t been impressed enough to take action. (casual fan–but still a fan)
• people who don’t care what you do. (indifferent–the opposite of love/hate)

When is the last time an “industry” bought a CD or a book or a track from you?

When is the last time an “industry” came to a concert or bought a painting?

Serving an “industry” can be exhausting because NO ONE has to take responsibility for WHY things are the way they are.  But, serving fans who love what you do can be the most invigorating thing you can undertake!

Bottom line is this:

• Take GOOD care of the people who love you
• convert into fans the people who know you
• market to the people who don’t know you yet
• forget the “industry“
• forget the people who don’t like you.
• forget the people who don’t care about you

When you consistently CARE, CONVERT and CONVERSE WITH the fans you already have, believe me, the “other” people WILL notice.

[I really hope this makes sense!]

I think this is the BEST lesson on leadership, forming a movement, and doing something BRILLIANT I have EVER SEEN.

First, the way the guy keeps dancing.

Second, the way the 2nd guy hangs in there when it started to get awkward (for me at least).

Third, after the third guy jumped in, it didnt take long to reach the “tipping point”.

Fourth (and certainly not the last lesson I’m sure), the brilliance of Derek Sivers (of CD Baby) for showing us all the lessons.

Here’s the lesson I can add.

DON’T GIVE UP!

If you are doing something that you believe in, do it with everything you have.  It doesn’t matter if you look silly.

When you get someone who agrees with you, treat them as your equal.  They can help.

If you see someone else doing something YOU believe in, HELP THEM!

What lessons did you get from this?

TELL ME below (thanks)

I’ve been blogging for the last few weeks on how YOU guys can improve what you are doing with your ministries.

Now, maybe you can do me a favor.

How can I improve mine?

Is there a certain subject you wish I would talk about, but you just haven’t seen it yet?

Is there something that maybe I just barely touched on that you want to hear more about? Let me know.

Do you want to hear some audio interviews?  More how-to videos?

Less often/ More often?

I’m all ears!

GO! (comment below)-sorry, I’m a songwriter too..

Okay… I’m not a web programmer.. Not even close. I do love tinkering with new toys though.

I do, however, want to start a series of blog post aimed to help ministries look at improving their websites.

Let’s start the discussion.

You know what bugs me about your website?… (that’s going to be the name of it!)

The fact that it’s 2 in the morning and my wife is asleep beside me, I go to your website to see if you have updated and OUTTA NOWHERE, music starts playing.. and there’s no “MAKE IT STOP” button!  From then, I’m scared to go to your website while I’m at work or late at night!  Do me a favor, if you are not going to ask me if I want to hear your song before you start blasting it at me, at LEAST put a big ol’ STOP button somewhere that’s easy to find.

I love you anyway!

Your turn… what bugs you?

Why is it that most artists are waiting to be “rescued”.  They’re either waiting for their song to be heard, waiting to be discovered by a record label.  Waiting for a better job.. just waiting sometimes…. for something they think they will recognize when they see it.

I wonder which would be more appealing to your “hero”:  Someone who is making all the right steps and just needs direction, or someone who is sitting on the couch watching “Biggest Loser” and praying while the commercials are on for God to send someone to help them ?

Here’s a couple of things you can do while you are waiting.

• Read Books on the subject that you want someone to help you with
• Hire a coach.  [business or personal]
• Invest in an instructional program
• Write down your goals and make a plan

My point is, you are more likely to recognize your “hero” if you are reading about him, studying his habits and knowing what he’s all about.  Help him find you.

Go do something.

And then comment below.

Have you ever thought about losing your mind and GIVING your CD away?  Eventually, that’s gonna be the price of a CD anyway…  FREE.

John Perry Barlow of the Grateful Dead said, “the best way to raise demand for your product is to give it away.” …we couldn’t regulate [taping at] our shows, and you can’t online. The Internet doesn’t behave that way. But here’s the thing: if I give my song away to 20 people, and they give it to 20 people, pretty soon everybody knows us, and our value as creators is dramatically enhanced. That was the value proposition with the [Grateful] Dead.” (full article here)

It’s the ultimate act of faith—giving your work away, but, there are very wealthy companies (like Google) who have made gazillions of dollars by giving most of what they do away.

Check out this article by Music Think Tank about bands giving their CDs away.  People I know are actually getting GOOD results from this.

I don’t know if I would do this without a solid plan.  However, there are plenty of things that people WILL pay for… CDs are just moving down the list.

Question: If you HAD to give your CDs away (and you WILL eventually), how would your ministry sustain?

Many years ago, people communicated by smoke signals, carrier pigeon, books, then phone, fax, then email, then instant messaging, video chat, etc.

Now, people are communicating via FaceBook, Twitter and Blogs.

I guess my point is this:

This technology in the video below is coming… it’s probably closer than you think. Are you getting WAY behind? Is your ministry WORTH the investment of you learning some of this “new communication”?

click to play the "Ted talks" video