You go to a lot of trouble to put on a live show…
How can you turn that chatty audience into more sign-ups and CD sales so that all the time and effort is worth it?
Most artists decide they just need to practice more and change a few lyrics here and there…
Others give up the stage entirely and spend the rest of their days making recordings that don’t get heard much.
But what if there was a surefire way to have a better stage experience, make more fans and sell more merch?
5 Step Approach To Maximizing Any Live Show
Here’s introducing the 5 elements.
The 5 elements are the brainchild of Jesse Koren and Sharla Jacobs of Thrive Academy and they were originally conceived in the context of business sales and prospecting. But they can be adapted to the stage with great effect.
The best thing is that there’s no script involved, there’s no gimmicks, and it’s not hard to remember.
Element #1: Fire = Connect
First off, you want to connect with your audience right away. Connecting right off the bat will help you to stop feeling anxious at the beginning of your show.
Three simple approaches include:
- Setting the intention to give the audience your energy.
- Being genuinely interested in the people in the audience.
- Looking into people’s eyes.
Now you’re ready to say a few words. You might smile (or growl), you might introduce yourself and let people in the crowd know what you’re up to and what you’re about.
TIP: Sign up below to access 3 presence-boosting exercises that will greatly increase your willingness to connect right away.
Element #2: Earth = Serve
The reason that so many artists have a hard time selling their services (and their swag) is that they forget that they’re offering services and that the point is to serve.
How do you serve your audience? You figure out what they’re looking for, and you give them what that is. People WANT to have an experience, they WANT to be pulled out of their seats. They WANT to have fun. They want to feel a connection, to be entertained, distracted, feel emotion, be transformed. These are all things that your show can provide, when delivered in the right way.
Everyone is there for some reason. You might even ask them directly. If the crowd doesn’t know you, gauge the energy in the room, and adjust your set to where the crowd is at. If the crowd needs warming up, you warm them up, rather than plunge right in to your darkest, most intimate song. So you gotta try and work with what you got.
Sometimes what you’ve got and what they want or need is not going to be a match for everyone in the room. That’s OK. No need to take it personally. Maybe they have friends who do like your style of music and that they’ll refer to your next gig.
TIP: Treat your potential fans in the same way you’d treat the folks who are already your fans (for example, as if they’ve already bought a CD). If people have paid you something, you’re going to show up to serve them, right?
Element #3: Metal = Acknowledge
This one is a little tricky and a little intangible. It’s kind of an intensified connection.
Your audience is going to remember how you made them feel more than anything you said or played. You want to leave people feeling better than how you found them. Depending on the genre of music, ‘better’ can include awestruck or released or blown away or fired up or even angry (as opposed to feeling shame) as well as inspired or loved.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Your audience is going to remember how you made them feel more than anything you said or played. ” user=”aaronbergbusch”]
See the potential of every single person in the audience. See them for who they really are. Look them in the eye and want the best for them. See their desire to free themselves to let loose and have a good time. Smile at them.
Acknowledge them. See their greatness. Acknowledge all the ways that at core, you are the same. And also see the magnificent ways in which each person is different and infinitely valuable because they are unique. And celebrate that as you interact with them and deliver your magical and powerful songs.
Element #4: Water = Be Curious
It’s in going deeper with CURIOSITY that your potential fans feel that you care about them.
You may have heard that people will buy from you when they know, like, and trust you. When you express genuine curiosity about a potential fan, fellow musician, or music industry professional, it creates trust.
Ideally, you want to help your potential fans learn more about themselves through the questions you ask. What they want for themselves. Why they want what they want. This is very, very powerful.
Now this may sound a little deep for a rock and roll gig, but you can find ways to adapt this concept. For example:
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- If you have a song about a breakup you went through, ask the people in the audience if anyone’s ever been through a horrible breakup and how it might have changed them. Are they still mad or are they relieved? Ask them if they’d like to hear your story. Then play the song.
- If you have a song about finding your life’s path, ask if there are any students in the room and if they know what they want to do with their life. Ask them if what they’re studying has anything to do with their real dream. Then you share a story about your choices and then play your song. Powerful.
- If you have a song about partying hard, ask people about the last time they really let loose and if they want to party NOW. If they cheer, then stick out your tongue and howl.
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If you know what your songs are about, the possibilities are endless.
But you can extend this idea and actually all 5 of the elements to every conversation you have that night.
- You might be curious about the other musicians in the room – have they recorded an album? Where did they record it? How did they get it done? What did they hope to achieve with it? Why did they decide to record when they decided to record it? Are they happy with it? Have they gone on tour, where, what was that like? Where else have they played in town? What motivates them to write songs?
- You might be curious about a venue and how you might book a gig there. What acts have come through that really worked out, what has gone wrong? What the economics are, what the requirements are.
- You might ask potential fans if they go to live music shows often and what other shows they’ve been to. What they like most about live music. Who their favourite artist is and why they like them so much. What did they expect and what did they hope to get out of showing up to your gig?
- You might ask music industry professionals what they like most about their jobs.
You can establish some very mutually beneficial relationships this way.
Element #5: Wood = Give Them a Choice
You can’t just hope and pray that someone is going to join your mailing list – you have to be bold. When the time is right you have to give them a choice.
What you don’t want to do is just announce your web address or stick your mailing list in their face. Instead, you want to get permission to take the next step by asking them a “Yes” or “No” question. For example, ask them first if they liked the music and the show before asking them for their email address or to buy your CD.
Here are some examples of Yes or No questions:
“Wow! It sounds like you guys really had a great time here tonight. If I put on another bigger show here in town and we jacked things up even higher would you want to be a part of it? Yes or no?” [If Yes: Ok then, put your name and email here and I’ll make sure you know in advance.]
“Wanna hear more? Yes or no?” [If Yes: Feel free to buy my CD for $15 right now.]
“If you could easily listen to more of my music would you be interested in learning how? Yes or no?” [If Yes: Put your name and email here and/or you can buy my CD for the discounted price of $15 right now.]
“Wanna take me home with you? Yes or no?” [If Yes: Here’s the waiting list, or you can buy my CD for $15 right now :)]
You’ve opened them up to the awareness that they like you. That they’ve had a good time. Great!
And if they say ‘no’, so what? It’s not a good match (at this time). In this case, it’s best to move on and find your fans elsewhere. But no matter what has happened at the gig, never assume that ‘no’ is the answer until you hear it. What YOU think about your gig is rarely how the audience experienced it.
You’re providing an opportunity for them. You want it for them. When the time is right you have to give them a choice.
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Use the 5 Elements and you’ll make more fans than ever before.
Also see:
[optin_box style=”2″ width=”490″ alignment=”center” email_field=”email” email_default=”Enter your email address” email_order=”0″ integration_type=”mailchimp” double_optin=”Y” thank_you_page=”https://musiciansbreakthrough.com/thank-you-for-joining” already_subscribed_url=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/musiciansbreakthrough/ ” list=”924d8d34ac” name_field=”FNAME” name_default=”Enter your first name” name_order=”0″ name_required=”Y” opm_packages=””][optin_box_field name=”headline”][/optin_box_field][optin_box_field name=”paragraph”]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[/optin_box_field][optin_box_field name=”privacy”][/optin_box_field][optin_box_field name=”top_color”]undefined[/optin_box_field][optin_box_button type=”0″ button_below=”Y”]Yes! I Want Access Now…[/optin_box_button] [/optin_box]
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Aaron Bergbusch somehow just couldn’t break through the barrier between himself and the audience and achieve the connection he wanted… Until the day came when he grabbed hold of the feeling at the core of the dream and learned how to bring it up on stage. Also known as the Northstar for Rockstars, Aaron is the creator of the Audience Connection Masterclass.[/feature_box_creator]
Email: Aaron@musiciansbreakthrough.com
Image Sources: FIRE, EARTH, METAL, WATER, WOOD
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