The Virtuous Circle

Every business has a circle of virtue,  that seemingly magical business wheel that, when all goes well, all is well.

Not all wheels are of fortune.  Some spin too fast, some too slow, some lump and bump along while others deflate like a tenor with poor breath control at the end of a very long opera

 Of course there is the much ballyhooed, and often watched “Spiral Of Death” or S.O. D, which is what your organization ends up underneath if it doesn’t pay attention.

In the non-profit business world, the virtuous circle starts no differently then for many for- profit businesses.  It begins with a clear vision of the world we want to see, a well-defined mission (or our role in making that happen),  a 3 year work plan (what it is we are going to do and who is going to do it)  and an unrelenting focus on the beneficiary of the services being provided.  Because of this focus, a franchise, or audience base develops, loyalists are created, (who properly "developed" become donors), and eventually Board members who tend to the mission, vision. Shampoo rinse and repeat.

So here’s a simple test I like to do with Board members to check their virtue.

Right now.. on a piece of paper.. without looking or peeking, (yes this means you)

Write down your organization’s vision and mission

Right now.

 Yup 

 Right now

Because if you can’t, it is likely that your audiences aren’t, your donors don’t and your Board is missing members. If you can,  ask others.  When you find someone, anyone that can't, have " the conversation."

The Perils of the Wal-Mart Chorus

I was once in business meeting where a senior officer asked,  “Where will you sell when Wal-Mart fails.” After some well covered snickers, snorts and guffaws, he noted he was serious. Nothing is forever, especially in retail. Do you remember Crazy Eddie, Gimbals’, Korvettes, Tower Records, Blockbuster Video? All were leaders in their time, but a superior business model always passed them. It’s pretty standard in retail. Turns out, if you are building your audience through social media,  its true for you too.

Consider your online community relationships.  Remember when AOL was king? Or when MySpace was the rage? Here is a chart from Monday's Wall Street Journal 

It is back to the size it was in 2006, with less income.  Not so good.

Today over 50% of Americans have a Facebook account, yet the business model, which pays for all that, is still debateable.

If you have an email relationship program, you probably loose 20% of your addresses a year just from churn as people switch accounts addresses etc.

The point is, when you build audience relationships, at the very local level, you need to build them on sustainable platforms. Social media are extremely valuable, but the platform is the platform of the moment.  If Facebook is any example, it can change on a dime. Their dime.

So Choral Nation here are three hints

• Always have more then one way to reach each audience member. Helps with both change and technology failure
• Know what your audience prefers. People who like something can be slow to change. 
• Watch the innovators, but let someone else adopt first. If your teenager has moved on, you should think about it. If Grandma has moved on, you’re behind.

 Now, as in the past, your most valuable asset is your database, be it on your computer, cell phone or 3X5 cards. Love it Nurture it, protect it.

For what its worth Wall Street reports Wal-mart is suffering the sales blues. Shop now…..

5 Easy Steps to Better Chorus Sales

“If only my choir would sell more we wouldn’t have these financial problems.”

I hear it all the time. Boards put in quotas, try membership tradeoffs, even threaten eviction. Reports are none of it really works. My question is  “Why do you think singers should be able to sell? “

Only 2-3% of the public attend a choral concert and will attend an average of ONE a year. Their probabilities of success by your membership are very low,  the frustration potential very high. Some choruses report large numbers of unused sold tickets as people sold to themselves. Is that really success?

.

Businesses spend millions of dollars a year teaching their people to sell, and providing them with tools and training.  Selling is a skill and in its own way an art form. Even among the professionals, there are a few elite sales people and a lot of people struggling. AND THEY GET PAID. It’s the 80/ 20 rule. 80% of the sales come from 20% of the people. So encourage those who do. They will take you farther faster.

Here are 5 ideas to try

1)   Pre-Sell for them. Grease the wheel everyway you can in your community.  Sales are easier when people already know your brand and why you are there.  In fact they will search you out if you do it well. Set up tables at fairs, do seminars at libraries, put a press release out once a month.  If people WANT to buy, selling is a lot easier.

2)   Have a “VP of Sales”. Someone who is focused on creating the tools and teaching the people to sell. Look for someone in your chorus who is a leader in the direct selling business (Pampered Chef, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Avon) these are billion dollar businesses, which survive on everyday people selling to their friends. Learn how they do it.

3)   Recognize and reward. How are you recognizing your people?  I was once told that for the average woman, the last time she heard personal applause was either her graduation, or her wedding day.  It does not take much to encourage people.

4)   Create Choir Ambassadors. Invite people to join an elite group of promoters for the chorus, people who are dedicated to your mission and want you to succeed.  They are highly motivated by being “ on the inside track” and “ having special news “ to share.   They will bend over backwards for diner with the artistic director (no mean feat for some singers). Give them what they need to promote, review with them how sales are going, and ask them why  things are going the way they are. They will also become your best sales people

5)   Provide Tools. Sales is the art of persuasion. Give them tools that sell themselves. A brochure? A poster for the office? An email to forward to friends and family and a prepared letter for them? Maybe a special deal they can only get if they buy from a chorus member

Choral Nation, truth is, selling is a tough business, Leaning on your friends only works the first few times. So if your chorus is your sales force, you need to give them the same leadership in selling as you do in singing.

Studies Show Singing is like Sex

As a general rule,  people would rather do it, then watch it.

Really !

While data on choral music specifically is hard to come by, a look at both NEA and Chorus America data discovers

•  over 18% of Americans sing in performance,
•  only 9% attend classical, performances 
•  1-2% attend choral music performances(estimate)

It's true that  people who sing are also the ones most likely to attend choral concerts, seemingly lending credence to the old matchmaker adage " like attracts like."  However, choral singers are also MORE likely to attend just about everything else as well! So it appears we marketers are sometimes talking to ourselves, and even ourselves are not listening.

Why might that be?

Well. without stretching the analogy to far, if something is more pleasureable to do then to watch, which would you choose?

This does not mean people do not find ways to listen and in ways that suit them the best. NEA data shows that different art forms work different ways. 

With the advent of digital media, and the power it provides in the area of convenience and choice,  the Choral Nation is finding new ways to engage in the arts with or without us.  The new monograph "Beyond Attendance" from the NEA explores how consumers are observing, creating, and/or engaging "virtually" in different art forms. It provides some excellent data based information to help you creatively tap consumers new habits. The study authored by Jennifer L. Novak-Leonard and Alan S. Brown of Wolf/Brown is available free from the NEA website by clicking here. 


That's it for the week Choral Nation. Hope it was helpful. Enjoy the weekend and
When in doubt SING OUT!

Week in Review: The Over Endowed Timpanist

The week was full of smart marketing ideas by clever people. They all address audience needs, in ways that build their brands and in ways any of us can do.

The Over Endowed Timpanist

The Wall Street Journal reports that the NY Philharmonic beat all their fundraising goals and has come back from the recesses of the recession. While fundraising at this level is largely rich people hitting up even richer people, truth be told, they could all give their money to any number of worthy causes. So why the NY Phil? Well one reason (and only one of many) is that the NY Phil gave them something tangible to invest in, something they care about, and can point to vs. a general operating fund. They endowed orchestra members.   Consider it. Is your conductor sponsored?  or accompanist? Professors "chairs" are endowed, why not your piano seat? Perhaps the soprano section? Or the soloists for the next concert? People love to say " Lookee what I just did"  and give money for the darndest things. But if you don't ask, you already know the answer is no..... so......ASK!

Out of the Frying Pan and into the (Seraphic) Fire

Seraphic Fire, the noted professional choral group, found themselves in Wisconsin, directly across from the protests at the state building. While they could have shrugged their shoulders and thought “well not much audience is gonna make it through this mob scene”, they did the gutsy reverse. They invited all the protesting teachers in. For free!  I don’t know how it turned out, but given how the choral music audience skews TOWARDS teachers  ( and if you ever worked with them you know they are a chatty bunch), you can bet if they ever go back to Milwaukee there will be a well of support among some influential talkers. You can read about it here! What community "happening" might you support so that, in time, they will support you?

The Superhero Business Model

So many of us struggle with our business models, ( a business model being simply, where do our resources come from, how do we add value, and who wants to pay or donate to us for performing this activity?) Some very sharp person rejiggered theirs, to make a major difference in some student’s lives with the Superhero Supply Store.  In short, they have built "fake"  storefronts, which sell things to support what goes on secretly in the back, student learning.  It's how they do it that is so immensely clever.  The feature on NBC News can be viewed here . Think about it. Oh the music we could make!

If the Wolf is at the Door let him In !

Alan Wolf that is, of Wolf/ Brown.  This leading arts marketing researcher and thinker has just completed a major study for the NEA looking at  three types or arts participation: those who do, those who observe in person, those who observe through media. Guess what, it differs by the art form.  There will be more about this in a future blog, but if you want to read the top-line that will be "the buzz" for the year,  you can click here.

That's it for the week Choral Nation. Hope it was helpful. Enjoy the weekend and

When in doubt SING OUT!

Whose Messiah are You?

This past Christmas noted conductor Kent Tritle had multiple “Messiahs” : Musica Sacra, The Oratorio Society of New York and the "sing in" at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center to name a few.  Same man, same music, yet very different experiences. For example

• Musica Sacra is a professional chamber choir, priding itself on expertise and authenticity.
• NY Oratorio society is 100 year old  NYC tradition.
• The  "Sing-in" is a community sharing event with 3000 singers and multiple conductors who may be cheered on by their respective chorus.

NYC has the advantage of a very dense population.  Everyone is there, and there is something for everyone if you know where to look. However it is unlikely to apply to the chorus in the wilds of suburbia. We have to pick and choose. Being mindful of your community mindset matters.

Research in the performing arts by the excellent arts researchers Wolf /Brown shows how different the audiences can be.

Net result is that marketing  these Messiahs can be very different not because the music is different, but because the people who prefer the varied experiences are different.

Choral Nation Question for the Week Who is your brand target, and what really differentiates your Christmas program from all the other choices someone may have?  Knowing that, how will you go to market? Now is the time to think about it. Christmas is coming! (and I'll bet you are taking the summers off!)

Links to help you

Here is the interview with Kent on NPR

Desciption of the Messiah “sing-in” is here: 

Lastly the Research from Wolf /Brown. It’s a free download from their website made possible in part by the Doris Duke Foundation found here.

How NOT to get to Carnegie Hall !

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend Conspirare’s “ Big Sing” produced by Carnegie Hall.   It was a Master class on how to sing, and how not to market.

A “big sing” is a free event where artists invite the audience to join them and live and learn their way. This should have been a resounding success. Conspirare is the Austin based professional choral powerhouse led by the infinitely gifted Craig Hella Johnson. The event was produced by Carnegie Hall  as part of their neighborhood out reach, which is celebrating its 35^th anniversary. It was presented at the beautiful new (?) Frank Sinatra School for the Performing Arts in Queens.

Why do I call this a master class?

Well mostly because the audience was smaller then the choir itself. Excluding those from the presenting organization, it numbered less then 25. I had more people in my college 8 am neuro-biology class

Despite what was likely a very large disappointment, the artists kept their remarkable musical standards. connected with their audience, and Mr. Johnson led, taught, cajoled and consoled his way through the program in a way that will long be remembered. The group is to be commended for grace under no fire.

So what did Carnegie get wrong?

I  do not have the inside track but it appears they badly misread their situation. There was no built in audience base. This was a new artist, in a new venue, with a new format, at a bad time, with lousy accessibility. While this was Conspirare’s first trip to NYC and Carnegie's first time in this venue, they apparently did not lay the ground work with their potential audience. Consider these observations

1. They had no notable online presence. A Google search  finds mostly mentions from Conspirare’s home town of Austin. For NYC there is one blog mention, no calendar or newspaper mentions, no use of Choral Net or VAN.  Carnegie does not list it under neighborhood concerts. An online press release finds it burried in a number of activities. It might as well have been a whisper campaign.
   
2. It was a Tuesday night, at a commuting high school, when school was on vacation. No students attended.
   
3.  Potential commuters were ignored with a 7 pm start time, no parking suggestions and the  directions on the link on the Carnegie website goes to THE WRONG location. And not in a small way

Choral Nation,  Has this ever happened to you? greater expectations then results? Feel free to share what you did to "master" the situation !