Building relationships

Building relationships is one of the most important skills in the music business. You can be highly experienced, have the best gear, have good advertising etc. but if your personality turns off people, what good is all the other stuff? Awareness of what your potential clients are looking for should be your first priority. There are many instances where I have to be the reality checkpoint for artists who don't have a lot of experience in the studio and have unrealistic expectations and goals. The producer/engineer or studio owner has to educate their clients in such a way as not to be condescending about the facts. Whether or not they end up working with you, as part of your job you need to be helpful and informative and have a positive attitude. We all know that the process of choosing a studio or producer or engineer can be a very personal one, and although most times it's just about price, it can be as simple as chemistry. You may be the nicest person and all your friends like you and your pets can't live without you but not everyone else will think the same. You have only your website and your phone manner to rely upon. You never meet all your potential clients, so there's a small window of opportunity to make an impression. One basic way to accomplish this is to be a team player. This is not as easy as it sounds in the ME ME ME world. You need to communicate to your client that you are there for them and it's not about all you. Not to say you can't sell yourself [just don't over-hype your abilities or achievements as that's always a turn off].