Keep in touch!
2007-08-18
Sometimes the difference between success and failure is just a matter of keeping in touch!
There are some AMAZING musicians who have sent a CD to CD Baby, and when I heard it, I flipped. In a few cases, I've stopped what I was doing at that moment, picked up the phone and called them wherever they were to tell them I thought they were a total genius. (Believe me - this is rare. Maybe 1 in 500 CDs that I hear.)
Often I get an answering machine, and guess what... they don't call back!! What masochistic anti-social success-sabotaging kind of thing is that to do?
Then 2 weeks later I've forgotten about their CD as new ones came in.
The lesson: If they would have just called back, and kept in touch, they may have a fan like no other at the head of one of the largest distributors of independent music on the web. A fan that would go out on a limb to help their career in ways others just dream of. But they never kept in touch and now I can't remember their names.
Some others whose CDs didn't really catch my attention the first time around, just keep in touch so well that I often find myself helping them more as a friend than a fan.
Keep in touch, keep in touch, keep in touch!
People forget you very fast.
why would a king care about a pauper? and yet, you do.
simply amazing.
So true wat you sed.lesson learn
kool!
That really sucks to miss an opportunity like that. But I can relate to those artists somewhat. I use to be extremely introverted, but at some point a person has to pull out of that type of behavior to accomplish certain things.
Brian Dorn
http://dorncreations.com
Hi Derek,
I am so sorry to see what has happened to the great company you created, CD Baby. The DiscMakers version is confusing, unhelpful, and just plain unresponsive. I hope you are able to restore it one day to it's great standards.
Best,
Raffi
So true, Derek.
I like to keep a full rolodex on my desk and every two months or so, I thumb through it and drop a (short) note or greeting to the people I've done business with.
Good to remind people that you're out there.
Thank you Mr. Derek Sivers!
happy thanksgiving Derek
Hi Derek,
You are inspirational and just what
creative musicians need in a time when the music business is more like a shreding factory.Performers and writers feed off hope and incouragment, they need to follow the golden bouncing ball. Thanks for being here Keep bouncing!!
To be very honest i don't really agree with the it becuase as the matter of fact as being a star u always recieve many calls, letters, a lot of greetings from many people but it is not possible to reply every one. like they say " You can't please every one in this world"
@jennifer
Wud u like to elaborate your point because I dun have the same opinion you are holding da wrong end of the stick…. When u r a star u r like public property the people who give u a lot of love and care u cant ignore them I agree its hard to please every one but when sum1 calls for so many time that means there’s sumthin more thn a telephonic conversation.
check out the recent healdsberg jazz festival controversy in northern calif....myron cohen,drummer,founder of the billy higgins legacy band....jessica felix the founder got dumped by an unworthy board of directors....something you may be interested in.....all the jazz greats really respect her.....higgins,mcoy,ravi,max,roy haynes,jacki mac,arthur blythe,the heath brothers,craig handy,dafnius prieto....she started a musical ed program at least 10 years ago here in northern calif.....because of her i donated plenty....bobby hutcherson,george cables,and many others are her dearest friends.....she needs help....mjcohen here in walnut creek calif....played with ben sidran,tracy nelson,and many others in madison in the early 60es....great times....was standing in line waiting for the otis redding show to begin when i had a serious ephfany upon learning of the tragic plane crash that took his life as well as all the other musicians except the drummer....will try to stay in touch....thank you for a new sound...
Derek I was looking through some of your older blogs and this "subject" caught my eye! I so agree and there are many reasons in business to "stay in touch". It is the most basic form of networking! Most of my first customers for web design were people I had made an effort to stay in touch with over the years. Now that they are my customers, I make a point of staying in touch even more! Think of facebook, Linked In etc - they provide methods of "staying in touch" and have become fantastic networking and marketing tools. I feel proud I have had this ethos all my life as YOU have it too - gives me comfort and confidence knowing that!
Agreed! Though there is a certain value in burning bridges so you're forced to keep moving forward without the back up plan of going backwards.
In this case though, I tend to err on the side of keeping positivity in this world and staying in touch.
Hi Derek;
I agree completely. Keep in touch at least once a month with your inactive customers, and more often with you present customers. Thank you also goes a very long way to keeping them as customers. Depending on ones service, your goal should be to treat them like partners, because that's what they really are.
This is so true, there are many people that I still keep in touch with and this has made me more successful over the years. Not just monetary, but also the friendships I have made over the years. Great insight..