March 13

Post 769, Day 72 of 2013
 - and 803 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

One reason I failed as a salesman, at least, in terms of financial success, is because I've never had the skill of selling. If I like something, personally, I can present it well, but can't really 'sell' it - overcome sales resistence.

It goes without saying that if I am indifferent to a product, or worse, I can't sell it at all.

One of the mistakes non-salesmen, like myself, make, is to think that our likes and dislikes, our prejudices and experiences with a given product are universal. We don't put ourselves in the customers shoes. Real salesmen know how to do that, and manipulate the customer based on their likes and dislikes, including, and maybe primarily, those that are not directly related to the product.

Now I am involved in a product, my band i am Fool, that I care passionately about. I want to promote it, I want its success in the market. I don't have any idea how to bring that about, though, but I know what doesn't work: Asking other musicians for support.

This puts me at a great disadvantage in helping the band, because almost everyone I know locally is a musician. One of my local non-musician friends is taking on the role of booking agent for the band. He's doing it because he really likes the band.

But he suffers from that same problem I discussed above: Thinking that bar and club owners, or other booking agents, will look at the press kit materials the same way he does. He has ideas about what he needs to sell the band, what the Press Kit should look like, and what should or shouldn't be included. His ideas are based on what he knows, feels, has experienced.

The Press Kit ideas should be based on what people who hire bands want, and nothing else. It should provide the information that makes hiring the band attractive - and only that information. It is not an audition, nor does it need to include an audition tape. Most club and bar owners these days do not decide whether or not to hire a band based on their musical qualities, but rather, based on their ability to attract an audience to their bar, club, theater, etc.

The way to find out how well the Press Kit works, is to do market research. Give the kit to a prospect, and ask for feedback. What was in it that influenced the decision to book or not book the band. That's how you find out what in your Press Kit is working or not.

You leave your own ego out of it.
 

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 Food and Diet Section

First-half year 2013 daily weight

Today's Weight:         208.2 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     209.2 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 1.0 lbs

Diet Comment

Yesterday's high-fat late-night snack is, I think, responsible for the lack of loss. Today was a better day.

Food Log 

Breakfast

Skipped.

Lunch

Dal Tadka (lentil curry) with scrambled eggs and spinach. 

Dinner

Pepperoni, smoked turkey breast, celery and home-made mayonnaise.

Liquid Intake   

   Coffee:  20 oz.   Water:  64+ oz.    

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