Read this and then re-read this:
This probably seems obvious but a lot of people miss the boat on this....
1. Invest your time into perfecting your craft. (Learn how to make good music consistently)
2. Invest in your customers. (They're your biggest fans!- Seriously.)
In the beat selling arena,
paying customers are looking for a deal on the best music they can find and a direct connection to the man behind the machine.
Why not give them both?
Here's an example:
I've got a few indie guys who have been rockin with me for like 10+ years. ~ We've never met personally, (they are multiple timezones away) but I've always treated them as old friends because we've been doing business for so long.
Our business relationship started off by them buying an exclusive from me on SC years back. After the sale, I took the initiative to follow up and email them and ask them about the music, the artist, how the project was going, etc - basically showing a genuine interest in them and their movement (which they were happy to share with me). This small investment in turn made me stand out to them and has proven itself over time.
How do I know this made me stand out?
To this day, every few months they come back and buy tracks. They'll hit me up via email for 3-7 exclusives and because of our history I'll give them the price they want for the tracks they want on the strength. (Not just
any price but something we are both cool with) No bs. Nice and smooth. Additionally, they let me know when their sh*t drops and ask me to hit them when I drop new sh*t...
I feel the key reasons we have been doing business for years is that I:
1. properly laid the groundwork right out the gate by following thru after that initial sale (<== most cats fail at this)
and
2. continue to add value to their movement by providing a personalized approach
Understanding that the business
relationship "starts with the sale" vs. "ends with the sale" has proven time and time again to be one of my biggest assets.
Try it yourself.