The Rule of Five

Many musicians despair routinely about how hard it is to succeed in this business: Things have really dried up since the economy went south.  The phone stopped ringing.  There are 500 unsold CDs in the basement collecting dust, and the damned record label fails to advertize it adequately.  A competitor adopted a gimmick, and now unfairly receives most of the work. Nobody values quality music anymore, and—

 STOP!  I think I see the problem.  You’re not following The Rule of Five.

THE RULE OF FIVE:

Take five pro-active steps every day that promote your cause

That’s it.  Mail a press kit.  E-mail a colleague.  Invite a contractor to lunch.  Phone a past client. Update your website.  Design business cards.  Reconnect with a mentor. Write a blog post. Mail a press release.  Create a newsletter. Just do something!  Well, actually, five things.

The Rule of Five doesn’t have to take long. 10-15 minutes before breakfast can suffice. Or a few quick tasks scattered throughout the day. Consistency, and not necessarily time spent, is the key.

You can even take off a day off per week.  And heck, let’s throw in a fortnight of vacation per year.  That leaves around 300 days, times 5 actions per day, or 1500 promotional efforts per year.  If you’re willing to make that kind of commitment, things will go better.  Much better.  I guarantee it.

If you don’t know exactly what to do, there are scores of marketing texts available.  My book The Savvy Musician, for one, is filled with marketing suggestions and techniques galore.  (And here’s a bonus: reading about this topic counts as one of your five daily steps!)   You’ll figure out what to do along the way.  The important thing is that marketing momentum is established and maintained.

Products don’t sell magically.  Careers don’t take off on their own.  If things aren’t going well, there’s one likely culprit.  You’re not marketing.  Or at least not enough.

No more excuses.  No more pointing the finger. No more procrastinating.  Stick with The Rule of Five!

8 Responses to “The Rule of Five”

1. Richard J Chandler says:

   November 18, 2009 at 11:07 pm

   Hi David,

   I’m about 1/4 through your book and very excited by your strategies! I’ll now add the ‘Rule of Five’ to my daily activities.

   Thanks!

   Richard
2. Richard J Chandler says:

   November 18, 2009 at 11:10 pm

   Here is a better link to my sites.

   http://musicquoteshomepage.com

   Thanks,

   Richard
3. David Cutler says:

   November 19, 2009 at 7:45 am

   Glad you’re enjoying it, Richard. Let me know about your savvy successes.

   I like your website!
4. Andrew Ward says:

   November 20, 2009 at 10:02 am

   Hi David,

   I just found the Savvy Musician website and blog, and am really excited to find someone writing and thinking about the same things that I am.

   In an incredible coincidence, the only reason I’m reading your blog is because this morning I made myself a list of three daily actions that I’m going to take to develop my understanding of classical music careers, and develop the website I’m working on to help musicians with their careers.

   Now that I’ve read your post I realize that maybe three isn’t enough daily actions – but I’ll start there, and if I can manage three then maybe one day I’ll increase it to five!
5. David Cutler says:

   November 21, 2009 at 4:08 pm

   Andrew, at three a day, you’re still doing very well. Around 900-1000 distinctive marketing steps per year. Watch out, you may just see some successess!
6. genevieve nassi says:

   November 29, 2009 at 11:01 pm

   Hey Mr. Cutler! I am still in highschool, but I was thinking about getting your book; you can never start too early! Do you think I could use it? I am a bassist who wants to be a musician
7. David Cutler says:

   November 29, 2009 at 11:06 pm

   Genevieve,

   Absolutely. In fact, the sooner you start making savvy decisions, the better off you’ll be! Let me know what you think of the book.
8. The Rule Of Five « Music Business Heretic says:

   February 22, 2010 at 11:16 am

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