I often encounter people who want short solutions and easy answers to tough questions.

Sometimes the answer is easy, though putting it into practice is hard.

Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes nothing is easy.

We humans don’t excel at patience.  We’ve changed. We went from farming our own land and waiting for things to grow to sitting in a cube, ordering take-out and speeding down highways in search of our next adventure.

Our lives are fast-paced, exciting and hectic.  Many of us just don’t know how to slow down.

Sometimes, there are no easy answers.  There is no easy solution.

Sometimes, all there is to do is work, wait, work some more, and wait some more.

We marketers run campaigns in hopes of increasing monthly sales, expecting leads and closed deals to pour in as soon as we stuff people’s mailboxes with our messages. We jump and we expect the same in return when we come calling.

We suck at waiting

We’re not good at giving without expecting something in return. It’s hard and it’s not a talent we’re born with. However, our need for a semi-immediate gratification has caused issues across industries and time.

We don’t want to put in years of practice anymore. If we pick up a guitar, we want to be Jimi Hendrix tomorrow. If we’re not? We tend to give up.  If we send an email out about a gig, we want people to buy tickets right then, even if we’re unknown.  We expect things to happen just because we start trying to make them happen. We want them now.

This problem is sometimes seen as generation – namely with Millennials.

But the problem is really far more widespread than that.

Record execs want to see the band they just picked up start cranking out the hits as soon as the put them in the studio. Marketers want to see 10,000 Twitter followers and sales pouring in within weeks of setting up an account.

Over and over we see the need for instant gratification manifest itself. In our personal lives, in our professional lives, in our buying behavior and in our tolerance for imperfection.

Patience is a worthy skill

I’ll admit that I’m not the world’s most patient person. Anyone that knows me personally can attest to that fact within 2 seconds flat. However, it’s a skill I’m working on cultivating.

I’m learning to forgive myself when a new recipe doesn’t turn out exactly as intended the first time.  I’m learning that some books take longer to read than just a few hours. I’m learning that some bands sound better on a second, third, or even fourth listen. I’m learning that writing a blog post sometimes takes weeks – not just minutes or hours.

Now – I’m not saying that patience is an excuse for removing yourself from a position of ownership in your life.  Patience requires work. It requires hustlin’, day in and day out – sometimes for years.

Patience requires risk. It requires a view of the long-term, and a strategic view of where things are going.

So record exec, push that new band to have a hit – but don’t drop them like a bad date if they stumble along the way. Marketers, send those emails, but work on what goes into them and don’t pester people.

Instant gratification is safe. If you don’t see a return right now, no biggie. The money you spent now was less than the money you could have spent over the long-term, and you always have time to make more.  If you don’t waste time practicing a skill, you have time to develop other skills which require less work and may provide that immediate return.

Some things just require work. They require work and they require patience.  Sometimes it’s 10,000 hours – and sometimes it’s a lifetime.

Embrace patience

Patience goes hand in hand with diversity in business. Plan for long-term growth, but make some savvy short-term moves to keep you on the right path while things develop.

Patience is essential in cultivating relationships.  Saying hello is the first step to a “how ya doin’?”, and that greeting could grow into a fruitful relationship or your biggest fan.

By all means, hustle. Work your ass off. But don’t give up. Work through the rough periods, celebrate the successes, and hang in through the failures. Have patience.

Help bring patience back to you life, and let’s all help bring patience back to the world. There’s something to be said for seeing the fruits of your labor develop over time – whether it’s a plant, a piece of music, or a relationship.

I recently had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the Social Fresh Cruise, an invite-only social media 4-day floating conference/cruise from Miami to Cozumel.

The cruise was part conference, part pure fun. I was one of eight speakers for the conference portion of the cruise, and spoke about “The Recording Industry is Screwed… Now What Do We Do?”

Why yes, I do like to stir the pot. Thanks for asking.

The 45-minute “speech” was more of an open discussion, prefaced by a bit of background about the industry.

The background centered around the alternatives that exist, allowing musician to carve their own paths and often times, decide IF they even want a record deal with a major label.

The discussion portion of the talk was the most valuable, and many people contributed their thoughts, opinions and experiences about the music and recording industires.

The discussion ranged from how research completed in the 80′s about how people would contribute and use the Internet is still relevant, from how one of the attendees favorite bands used Kickstarter to finance their projects.  Many of the attendees had their own experiences to share about connecting with artists on Twitter, and as we were on the cruise with Rick Springfield’s fan club, we ALL could see a real-life example about how connecting directly with an audience really works.

To talk a bit more about one of the best comments of the discussion, I’m going to jump back and discuss a bit about my personal tastes:

I REALLY like a great debate, and really enjoy people intelligently disagreeing with my opinions. As mentioned, the highlight of the talk came from one such comment by Lucretia Pruitt, who made the excellent point that the recording industry is experiencing what a lot of other industries go through when a seismic shift in their business model occurs. Hint: This shift for the recording industry begins with an “I” and rhymes with schminternet.

In general, innovation comes from the bottom up. The start-up, the smaller companies and the ones that have “less to lose” take the “risk” and innovate. They try out new things, see what works and adopt that into their strategy. The bigger more entrenched companies usually wait to see if what the smaller guys do works. If so, they copy it and make it part of their business. Less risk with potentially the same rewards.

Now, I’m not saying that this is an absolute, but it’s certainly a trend.

The difference with the music industry, is that the “big guys” have fought against this change for the better part of a decade, instead of embracing it and trying to innovate from the beginning.  From a PR perspective, that decision has caused a huge problem for the public image of the music industry.  In many people’s minds, it is now “us vs. the music industry”, especially “us vs. the RIAA”.

I’m thrilled to see some of the “big guys” waking up and beginning to realize that the “stick my head in the sand” approach is NOT a smart move, but they must do this while remembering that consumer perception is still a huge concern.

I have much more to say on this topic, and am starting with a conversation today at 3:30PM EST/ 12:30PM PST where I’ll be participating in an un-panel on SnazL with Mary McKnight (EMI, Sacrilicious Marketing) and Mike Fabio (Warner Bros. records).

Join the un-panel and upload a video, share photos or chat to participate.

Because I reference my parent company in this post, I’d like to point you to my disclaimer:

This blog expresses my personal opinions and not the opinions of anyone else… unless they’re being interviewed or I’m summarizing something they said – then it does. In any case, this blog is mine and mine alone. I reserve the right to be a “typical female” with regards to opinions and change them frequently and without logical explanation. If you disagree with my opinions you’re welcome to comment, but please do say something slightly intelligent (or positive, we all love a compliment!).

Bonus points if your comment is intelligent AND positive!

My blog may come across as slightly sarcastic at times. That’s because I’m slightly sarcastic at times. Again, this is me, not my employer, my family, my friends or my favorite cactus talking.

Music Industry + Publishing Industry = Same Fundamental Problem

Someone from my company explicitly pointed this out last week, and the sentiment was reinforced by Bill at the Clive Davis SoundCTRL event, as well as post-event discussions with David E. Beats.

The music industry is trying to get their consumers to pay for something that the consumer now believes should be free. Music.

The publishing industry is trying to get their consumers to pay for something that the consumer now believes should be free. Content.

It’s the same problem.

Now, each industry has resorted to increasing focus on their main revenue streams, or capitalizing on the “safest” revenue streams. Things like subscriptions, ad sales, 360 degree record deals, etc.

The real crux of the problem though, is that these are the “old school” ways of making money.

I’m not saying they’re wrong, but I am saying that they can be improved upon.

The disconnect is this: if people fundamentally believe that the product you’re selling should be 100% free, you need to take that into consideration. Their perception isn’t very likely to change with regards to content or music at any point soon, and if anything, MORE of the public are waking up to this “it should be free” idea.

So. You’re a large music or publishing company (in Bill’s case, you’re both – JOY!) and you wake up one day and decide to tackle the problem of “How can I update my business model so that it not only fulfills the needs of my customers, but also makes me money in the short and long-term?”

What do you do?

If I had the answer to that I certainly wouldn’t be writing this blog… I’d be making millions consulting.

In all seriousness, that IS the question. What do these companies do in the midst of not only “the current economic climate”, but also the seismic shifts in their respective industries.

One option is what they’re doing – going back to what works and sticking with that until they figure things out.

Another option is innovation. Otherwise known as “the stuff businesses do when the market changes and they want to keep existing”.

My company is owned by a major publisher. Our clients are publishers and marketers, and I get that it’s difficult for everyone. On top of that, I write this blog and am active in the NYC music/tech “scene”. So, I get that it’s difficult from all sides there too.

Even still, what successful exective have you ever seen throw up their hands and go “We can’t, it’s difficult” when faced with a complex business challenge?

Answer? The one that isn’t around anymore.

The answer for the publishing industry isn’t subscription revenue, and advertisers are re-thinking their spend, so it’s probably not ad revenue either.

The answer for the music industry isn’t signing every single “potentially mediocre or big smash hit” to 360 degree deals.

Both of those are limiting for the consumers, and short-term tactics for the businesses involved.

What is absolutely needed – no, required – is innovation.

So musicians – wake up and smell the publishing industry. Dig around a bit, see what struggles they face. Are they analagous to struggles you face? Can you use any of their tactics to fix your problems; can you experiment a bit?

Publishers – do the same. Go talk to a musician, or a record label exec and see what struggles they’re facing. What creative ways have they come up with to solve their problems?

Bob Lefsetz said something similar in his newsletter today (emphasis mine):

People are always looking for the answer. Usually, the answer comes after the start. You’ve got to begin in order to find out where you’re going. But if you never begin, you never get to the destination.

This is what has been lacking in the music business. It has historically been run by the labels, by the RIAA. Which are about protection of their present business model as opposed to any kind of vision, any kind of leadership. I wouldn’t follow Mitch Bainwol anywhere. Nor the heads of any label. Because they’ve got their heads up their asses. Does Daniel Ek at Spotify have the answers? I’m not sure. But he’s trying to lead in this uncertain world. Even Irving Azoff and Michael Rapino too. They’re in search of answers.

When things are bad, we need to be led out of the wilderness. We’ve got to get behind somebody. Funny, in the music industry, the acts used to be the leaders. Some still are. Trent Reznor is a prime example. He’s trying to do it without sacrificing his integrity, without selling out to the man, because music, when done right, must be pure. Shawn Fanning created a platform where all people could have all music. Was it economically flawed? Of course. But if you think restricting access to copyrighted material is the answer, you’re unaware of how many sites hosting copyrighted material have sprung up since the crackdown on the Pirate Bay. They’re multiplying like crazy.

Get angry, tell me your business model isn’t screwed, promise me that you’re innovating, or tell me i’m 150% right and you’re happy to see this post. Either way, leave it in the comments…

I had the immense pleasure of attending another great @SoundCTRL event, starring none other than the music business legend Clive Davis.

Like the nerdy blogger I am, I sat in the front row (after standing in the massive line – I almost didn’t get in!), took notes on my iPhone and managed to snap a few photos on my digital camera. The format was simple. Clive and Bill Werde (Editorial Director at Billboard) sat in the front of the room on a small stage and talked for close to an hour about all things Clive.

Before getting into the meat of the evening, I’ll summarize and say that a few themes stuck out throughout the night:

Talent

Passion

Openmindedness

Ironically enough, I think that far too many “big business” entertainment and media companies forget to remember those things, and it’s the public that ultimately suffers.  Keep this in mind as you read through my notes on the evening, and I welcome your discussion in the comments.

On With The Night…

Clive was introduced by Bill, and a short video played which highlighted his truly illustrious career.  As a lifelong musician it was truly eye-opening to realize the huge impact that this man has had on pop culture and my life, even before my life began.

I’ll give credit where credit is absolutely due.  Bill asked the questions that the audience really wanted to hear, and dug deeper on quite a few that piqued my marketer interests as well. Kudos to Bill!

Some of the questions that stuck out are included below.

Bill: How do you pull out a hit? What do you listen for?

Clive: So much is how in you begin. Learn and try and let it permeate. Plus, I didn’t know I had an ear for music at all. You learn not to specialize.

Bill: Clive, what do you say when people see you with early Janis Joplin and you don’t look like her?

Clive: “It’s always best to be yourself” and once you lose your integrity, you lose the respect of the very people you’re trying to impress.

Bill: There’s talk about how artist development is dead. What is it and where do you think it is?

Clive: The business is changing, and changing with concern. Top 40 is concentrated with tempo and hip hop, and it’s breaking records. That’s why you see digital sales so high but no album sales. It looks as if it’s track oriented. Artists should still be developed. There’s certainly a role for artist development now.

Bill: Clive, where do you think your talents lie? What is your “sweet spot”?

Clive: Finding headliners and hit songs.

Clive is a great “soundbite” guy, as one would expect.  Some of the quotes that stuck in my mind are also below.

“There can never be too many singles on an album.”

“A lot of this (my success) was purely fate.”

“There was no grand vision for Arista -  you have to trust your instincts.”

“Where you don’t have your own ear or expertise, learn where to go and who to trust that does. Be aware.”

“You have to be on top of your game”

Now, on to the themes…

Throughout the night last night, the themes mentioned above kept coming back to the surface. Whether it was questions from the audience in the end (Clive answered about 5 of them), or his answers to questions throughout the discussion, it’s clear that Clive Davis looks for true talent (“headline potential”), passion and perfection in every act he signs, and with every business move he makes.

I clearly respect the work Clive has done over the years, and the ability he’s had to propel the music industry forward across genres and throughout the decades.  However, from a marketing standpoint, I do wish that more was covered about technology and the impact of technologies on the music industry as a whole.

An audience member asked a question about how independent labels and the “DIY Culture” has affected the music industry, and Clive responded with a very firm belief that a strong label still holds the keys to success for an emerging artist.

I’ve included a direct copy of my notes below.

Q: With the movement towards independence and the fragmented music industry, how is the record industry reacting? DIY culture and the development of artists.

A: Few and far between, established artists who aren’t dependent on airplay going independent.

There’s a serious underestimation of the role of a good record company, 99% are new artists are dependnt on record labels and the minds that work there.

Clive Davis doesn’t think you can do it yourself. He does think that new labels can come into existence and grow though. Radio is still king, very few can make it without. That stigma comes from journalists who don’t appreciate what a good label can do.

My thoughts on his answer are the subject of another upcoming post, so stay tuned.

As a slight side note, I found it interesting that while Clive doesn’t pay much attention to technology, but he has always assumed that technology will pay a major role in the music industry. He’s been proven right over and over throughout the years.

Cool Things

We’ve all heard the Santana song The Game of Love, feat. Michelle Branch. What Clive did last night which made everyone sitting around me feel a bit more “in the know”, was play the original demo of the song, the unreleased version with the 1st vocalist, as well as another unreleased version with a different vocalist.  All told the clips from The Game of Love were played 4 different times.  Who were the other two vocalists? Macy Gray and Tina Turner.  Insanity…

One question everyone must want to ask any rightful legend… “What are you most proud of?” Clive’s answer? “The long lasting nature of his artists.”

I’ll leave you with one final quote, which sums up the night perfectly for me.

Music is as important, if not more important, than it has ever been today.

Earlier this summer, my ears perked up when I heard about a presentation slotted for Alabama’s Social South Conference.  The presentation, delivered by Mack Collier, was entitled “What Rockstars Can Teach You About Social Media”, and naturally, the topic grabbed my attention.

Straight from the man himself:

The presentation centers around one key question; Why do rockstars have ‘fans’, and companies have ‘customers’?  In the end, it all goes back to how rockstars approach the people that buy their products.  They WANT to interact with them, they WANT to embrace them, they WANT to be like them.

Well now. That’s an interesting take on things.

Here’s the slide deck from his presentation:

What Rockstars Can Teach You About Kicking Ass With Social Media

His commentary revolves around 4 principles:

1. Rockstars are fans themselves
2. Rockstars look for ways to shift control to their fans
3. Rockstars find ‘The Bigger Idea”
4. Rockstars embrace their fans

You know what I think is the most interesting thing about his presentation? It’s all true.

Whether “big business” realizes it or not, Rockstars (of all shapes and sizes) have been using social tools to connect, empower and motivate their audiences for years. To many “it’s just what’s done” – to others “I have to because everyone else is doing it, too”.

Even though social media has gone mainstream for big business, I urge musicians to avoid getting caught up in the “tools of the trade” back and forth.

Who cares that you’re on MySpace if you’re not using it as a platform to connect with fans, spread the (viral) word about your music and increase your audience?

Why should I read your tweets on Twitter if all you do is talk about yourself? Is that really an effective use of the platform?

Am I supposed to be impressed by how many fans you have on Facebook?

What matters to me, and what should matter to you, is how connected I feel to you. What should matter to you is how empowered I feel to talk about you, to suggest others listen to your music, buy your schwag or attend your concert. What absolutely should matter to you is how motivated I am to do those same things myself.

What I want is you. I don’t want your Facebook fan page. I don’t want your MySpace profile. I don’t want your tweets.

I want you. I want your music. I want to feel like I’m a unique snowflake in your blizzard of fandom.

Focus on making me feel like I’m that unique snowflake and I’ll go to your Facebook page. I’ll visit your MySpace profile and pore over your photos and music. I’ll follow your Tweets (and if I’m especially motivated, I’ll even ReTweet them).

It’s never been about the tools. It’s about the goals and the results. The tools are just a path to get me there.

So Rockstars – continue thinking like Rockstars. Continue wanting to connect with me, engage me in conversation, and motivate me to action. Know that business has a thing or two to learn from you, and they’re beginning to realize it.