You have to tell them why they should care about your music… otherwise they won’t!
Can you easily describe yourself or your music or your band using words?
Whether you’re speaking to them in person or writing on your webpage or in an email….
Remember, everyone is busy, so…
If you don’t give someone a reason to pay attention to you and your music… they won’t!
Imagine…
- You introduce yourself at a social event… how do you hook someone so they remember you?
- If you’re dropping links to your music online… how do you interest someone so they click and check out your music?
There’s a reason you aren’t getting the attention you expect or deserve…
The Struggle is Real
You introduce yourself at a social event. After telling someone you are a musician or songwriter, the first question is always “Are you in a band?” and the second is “What do you sound like?”
For a potential fan landing on your website… how do you catch their attention so they want to listen to your music instead of bouncing away?
How do you describe your song writing or your music to someone when you are first introduced?
What would get a journalist interested in you so they covered your next show?
How do you get a music industry influencer to respond to your email or phone call?
While you are being interviewed, you know they’ll ask you to describe your sound….
Instead of improvising an answer and messing up that opportunity… let’s take control of the situation!
(I am writing about this because I’ve blown my introductions an embarrassing number of times)
Crafting Your Introduction
In business, your introduction is called an Elevator Pitch or a 30 Second Pitch. The name comes from a hypothetical situation: imagine you step into an elevator with a music influencer… you have 30 seconds to describe yourself and your sound.
According to the research I’ve read, you have less than 30 seconds to make an impression when you are introduced to someone in person. On the internet that time drops to about 5 seconds. It might not seem fair, but it is what it is~
I believe most people decide to click a link before they have finished reading a full sentence of description. Notice how you make clicking decisions the next time you check your email or surf the web.
Communicating What You Do in 30 Seconds…
You must communicate 4 Pitch Points… Your pitch needs to be:
1. Something they can relate to
2. Something unique and interesting
3. Open enough that they want to hear more
4. Memorable
Musical Elevator Pitch Point #1. Relatable
What do you sound like? What can you say that someone can remember… how can they put a useful label on you so they have a frame of reference?
Musical Elevator Pitch Point #2. Why they should care:
Both unique and interesting… what is different about you?
In business, this is referred to as a Unique Selling Point. How are you different than everyone else? Why listen to you? What do you have that no one else does? What is special about you?
Musical Elevator Pitch Point #3. This is the start of a conversation:
Ever take part in a group conversation and someone drops a conversation killer… everyone is left looking at their feet, feeling uncomfortable? Not really what you are looking for when introducing yourself. At the end of your pitch, they should be asking themselves or better yet asking you: “How do I get some of that? Where can I listen to you?”
Musical Elevator Pitch Point #4. Remember me
Not only do you want to spark interest and have them follow up, but you want them to be able to repeat it to someone else. If they forget about you, what’s the point?
Crafting Your Musical Elevator Pitch
Start by brainstorming… get a pen and your songwriting notebook. I’ll wait….
Now, write as many answers to the following questions as you can.
Don’t edit yet, write everything you can think of without judgment.
Then write a draft and edit it.
What’s Your Musical Sound?
- What are you trying to say or do with your music?
- Who are your musical influences?
- Who do you want to / think you sound like?
- What musicians / bands / vocalists / songwriters do your fans compare you to?
- As a songwriter what songs and songwriters do you listen to for inspiration?
What’s Interesting About Personal Life?
What are some of the important / influential:
- Events in your personal life?
- Moments in your story that others would find interesting or relate to?
- Events from your personal life that have affected the way you play or write your music?
What Would Interest Them in Your Musical Life?
- What interesting events or milestones are there in your musical career?
- Explain some of the important / influential events in your musical career?
- Who is your target audience, who and what do they listen to?
Putting Your Musical Elevator Pitch Together
Now mark / underline / star all the points you think are the most interesting or important. Focus on your sound, this is what most people are usually interested in.
Save the other good stuff for your bio or talking points once you have a conversation rolling
Review the 4 Pitch Points…
1. Something they can relate to
2. Something unique and interesting
3. Open enough that they want to hear more
4. Memorable
- Choose your best answers that fit all four pitch points.
- Cut out half of your ideas to keep this short and direct.
- Start putting them together to see what you come up with
- Write a few versions, choose the best ideas to edit and combine together.
Show it or say it to somebody you trust and then revise it again…
When you have a pitch you’re happy with, you’ll need to practice it… the words and how you deliver them. Your delivery is as important as the words you say!
Elevator Pitch Examples
To help you get started, here are a few of my elevator pitches. I use different pitches depending on the situation and who I’m talking to…
My Songwriter Elevator Pitch
I write songs about positive personal transformation… my love songs are about finding the right person, my angry songs are about changing the situation instead of complaining and my social commentary songs make you think….
Note: I don’t write self absorbed, lost love crying songs or complaining songs, those markets are already saturated. My characters are interested in getting better instead of being stuck, which is the same growth I expect from myself 🙂
My Sound Elevator Pitch
I sound like Chris Cornell or Dave Matthews if they were happy…
I often only mention one, but both have distinctive sounds. Happy isn’t usually associated with either of them, so the conflict between the ideas works like a good song writing prompt, it causes my audience to wonder how the clash will be resolved… they have to go listen to find out!
My Day Job Elevator Pitch
I’m an elementary music teacher… I’m the fun teacher all the kids love. I’m the biggest kid in the room and the kids all know it.
Kind of makes you want to try it out, yeah?… and the days go by faster when I’m having fun too!
Emoji Girl – Elevator Pitch for a Song
Emoji Girl is a song about trying to create a relationship with someone who is absorbed by social media, how to make an authentic connection…
Click to listen to Emoji Girl… tempting isn’t it? Check it out, I’ll still be here when you get back!
EpicSongWriting.com: Website Elevator Pitch
EpicSongwriting.com Transforms Musicians into Songwriters…
I used to say: my website is a blog to help unleash their inner songwriter by figuring out their failure points and getting unblocked so they can write awesome songs… but I like the new one better.
Musical Elevator Pitch: Action Steps
- Brainstorm your pitch
- Edit your pitch
- Test your pitch
- Rehearse your elevator pitch in front of a mirror, then with friends.
- Once you feel comfortable and relaxed with it, start using it on new friends, new fans and music industry contacts.
- Update it or add to your pitch when you find a better way to say it!
Musical Elevator Pitch: Summary
Explain who you are, what you do, how your music sounds in 30 seconds or less.
Don’t try to cram everything into it.
It’s a conversation starter, not an entire conversation.
Your goal is to have someone say: “Tell me more…”
Additional Reading
Derek Sivers explains why you need to have an elevator pitch, 5 minute video.
Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Music | Music Consultant
Biggest Bio F&*k-Ups | Music Consultant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch
