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 !

A Decline at the Met is a Good Thing !

Yes it's true

According to the Wall Street Journal the average age of the audience at the Metropolitan Opera has declined. While printed reports and on line reports differ in the magnitude, the direction remains the same.

To what do they own this acheivement?

The singers have always been great.
Carmen is still Carmen and the Ring is still the Ring.

Yet something has changed.

Could it be updating presentations to be more visually engaging, with better story telling and a few unexpected operas (last seasons "the Nose" comes to mind).

Or perhaps its the fact that 14,000 GOOD seats are sold on rush at $25 due to a grant?

Or is it the over all re-make and re brand of Lincoln Center?  No longer a square of stodgy art, but a vital fun gathering place for all ages with a kick-ass fountain?

Or perhaps the digital age has allowed sampling of opera to build engagement among a younger audience on some place other then the radio.

Or even the 7:30 start time, which makes for an easier attendance for working people.

Well the answer is yes yes yes yes yes and yes.

Sailing the marketing ship is not just hoisting an advertising sail and hoping for a good wind. More often then not it's getting all the oars to pull together in a new direction at the right time. In this case the credit belongs to Peter Gelb

So there's the question Chorus Nation. Who is setting your ship's direction, and are all the oars pulling the same way?

Who am I anyway?

A major challenge for the community chorus is acting like " professional marketers", when you are really a hardy band of volunteers. Sometimes there is a graphic artist on staff, sometimes a marketer ( who is always very very busy), and so often a well meaning spouse who is being put out of the house. And  while every one is well meaning ( well except  for the person who comes to meetings just for the food), it's still very hard to keep all these creative brains on the same page.

Where do you start? How do you keep it all together?

One way to think of it, is the same way you think about yourself.  Consumers  evaluate brands as if they were people. You have a name, you have a personality and you have a reputation.  So do brands .They have a name ( Campbell Soup) they have a personality ( nurturing, motherly) and they have a reputation (consistent quality, MMM MM good).

What major brands do, is write this down,  get it agreed through out the organization, and share it with everyone that touches their name.  There are fancy forms and eye catching graphics, but the thrust of it all is people evaluate brands and if they were people. Do I like you? and do I like what you do? Why?Write it down, that's the key

So  Choral Nation, Give it a try. If its easy.. your more then half way there. If its hard.. at least you know what your challenge is.

Marketing will Kill the Arts!

Really?

Marketing is nothing more then a philosophy of doing business.

A Marketing organization believes that the knowing and understanding the customer, better then they know themselves, will lead to profitable growth.

Perhaps it was best put by Fats Waller, the great jazz pianist, " Find out what they want, and how they want it, and let 'em have it just that way."

This puts fear in the hearts of some.  Will this not lead to nothing but a christmas seasons of Messiahs, Spring Broadway Singalongs and the occasional Faure Requiem programmed in the middle?

If so Chanticleer would cease crowing, Seraphic Fire would be peddling matches and Craig Hella Johnsons's Conspirare would be blowing in the wind. And they are not. They are all vibrant successful inspiring practitioners of the choral arts.

Aiming for the lowest common denominator is not Marketing, it is "Selling". It is doing what everyone else does in the hopes that you will make a quick buck. There is nothing wrong with that if your market truly only wants blue jeans, white toyotas and vanilla ice cream.

But if you really understand the Choral Audience, research  and the examples above suggest a different view. There are many types of people in the choral arts world. Who lives in your community? what else do they support?  Where do they eat? What do they celebrate? Who do they care about? As the wise musician listens before he sings, the wise marketer listens to the consumer before they create,

so there is today's question Choral Nation

When was the last time you had a  real heart to heart with your audience?

The NJ Choral Consortium went Wild !

ok, well maybe not wild,  but they were very kind.

I was recently the key note speaker for the NJ Choral Consortium  a group dedicated to growing the choral arts in NJ. In an effort to be constantly improving  I asked  the attendees to fill out a Survey Monkey survey for feedback.

While the results were very positive and very helpful, what was quite interesting was what some of them  did not want to hear about:  organizational process and design.

This is fairly common.  In a volunteer world, we are often rewarded as managers, not leaders. The difference? Managers work IN the system, Leaders work ON the system.  So instead of championing  our consumer and their needs, we champion our department and our needs (Finance decides ticket prices, Music decides repetoire, and Advertising is predictably late with the poster).
This almost never results in success. Un- coordinated committee agendas leads to conflicting messages.
Confused consumers do not buy.

When you last picked up a product from the shelf, did you wonder about the many different executives made how many different decisions?  Probably not. You look at the total package and said "yes I like this" or "no I think not." The same is true when people purchase your concert.

To be successful, a chorus needs a successful  marketing process as much as it needs marketing people.
And it needs someone to lead it, not manage it.

So there is today's question Chorus Nation

 Who is LEADING your marketing process?

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Well, to be honest, there's nothing wrong with this picture. It's what it's telling us that is the challenge.
No matter what the "high end" art form, among those most likely to participate ( the college educated) Arts participation is in decline.  And not a little bit either.

While we can blame this on education, or the internet, or the recession (which surely did impact the last set of numbers), there is another contributor. Demographics.  A study by noted researcher Russel Belk in 1982 found that arts attendance in the theater and symphony were directly correlated to life stage. Young single people were twice as likely to go out as newly married (have you tried to get a baby sitter lately?).

 In 1982 the baby boom, that  "pig in a python" moving through our demographic curve was sitting solidly in the single  people stage  remember yuppies?). 30 years later, there is good news. The baby boomers are becoming empty nesters and retirees. If past data holds, they may be ready to re-enter your  arts world.

The question is.. Choral Nation... are you ready for them?