For the performing artist, your merch table can be the lifeblood of revenue that keeps your career moving forward. Unfortunately, after all the other tasks (promoting the show, load in, soundcheck, etc.), the merch table tends to suffer from some serious neglect. Many performers treat their merch sales as an afterthought, CDs and T-shirts thrown about haphazardly. And then to top it off, it’s usually manned (or womanned) by some surly character looking like they are waiting to go to a funeral. If this sad description resembles your merch table then it’s time for an overhaul.
5 ways to improve your merch sales:
Double your sales opportunities by accepting cash AND credit with one of CD Baby’s handheld credit card swipers.
Get a fan to sell your merch for you, and preferably one that is smart, trustworthy, and (most importantly of all) good looking. Most artists aren’t very good salesmen when it comes to their own music. A true fan’s natural enthusiasm for your music will act as its own kind of sales pitch. It is always a great idea to hang out at your merch table after the show to meet the fans that came out to your show, but leave the sales duties in someone else’s hands.
Bundle your merchandise to create incentives for fans to purchase more. Have you released multiple albums in multiple formats? Try putting together different combinations (multi-disc pack, LP with disc, CD and T-shirt, etc.) for a slightly reduced price and see what sells most. Also, for your fans that no longer purchase CDs, offer download cards customized with your album artwork. (https://members.cdbaby.com/SellMusicAndMore/DownloadCards.aspx)
Make it unique. Your merch table doesn’t have to be flashy or fancy but it should be uncluttered, inviting, and fit with your overall aesthetic so that people attending the show can get yet another glimpse into what makes you… you.
Don’t be stubborn with price. If you’re charging $10 for a disc and a fan only has $8, don’t let that come between you and the sale. The $2 you lose that night will come back to you when that fan tells their friends about your music and how generous you were for budging on the price when their wallet was light.
Great advice!!!
Wow, I really need to work on this for solo shows AND for Mellow Down Easy! Thanks for the advice.
That sounds like a great idea, just have to find a good looking fan..hmmmmmm
While having a fan help with merch is awesome. A better plan is a fan/artist hybrid approach. To do this, you need to have the fan set-up the merch area and be at the merch area before and during the set. However, as soon as the set is over, at least one artist (preferably the artist that is the best “people person” of the band) should leave their gear on stage and b-line it for the merch area. Someone else can load their instrument off stage for them.
Typically, fans will want to talk to the band and tell them how much they enjoyed the set. Thus, it’s best to try to attract more fans to the merch area. Contrary to what the author of this post wrote, the artists ARE the best sales people for the band. I’ve tested this myself more than 100 times…and more music and merch is always sold when the artists are at the merch area. In fact, I recommend having members of the band take turns rotate spending time at the merch area from the minute their set ends until the end of the night.
Yes a good looking fan! I hadn’t thought of that! I wish CD Baby had cd swipers for UK and Europe. That would be such a great idea! Cheers for the tips.
Great advice!. Last week, at a show, I gave away 50 CD’s and asked the audience to make a donation to the non-profit that I was performing at. My thoughts are that you can’t keep your talent unless you give it away. Got a couple of parties out of it.
right on the money ! no pun intended !
For those who care there is also a program on Blackberry World called
Pay Tech which allows you to accept Credit card through your phone.
Check it out
Your Tips keep me in the business. I like to know more about sales in gigs and tips to catch more fans abroad!
This is great advice. My merch table always looks good (I usually get a lot of compliments on it) and I actually have the CD Baby credit card swiper. I used the swiper just last month and it was really convenient for my customers. I agree that’s a good idea to have someone who has great interest in the Artist.
What about TWO good looking fans
Good advice, except for the last one. If other fans see you giving your CD to the $8 dollar fan, then everyone will come up and want one cheaper…..so if you do this one, do it off to the side where other fans can’t see you.
Yes, merchandise makes up about 75% or more of a band’s income if done right. Pay special attention tot he table layout. I have seen some bands just throw t-shirts on the table with a pile of CDs….needless to say, even though I liked the band, I didn’t buy any merch….because if they are that careless with their merch table, then the CD is probably a mess as well.
Just like Melissa, I might have trouble finding a good-looking fan!!
Good advice though, plenty of food for thought. I tend to be the one selling my stuff, and it’s true that the artist often isn’t the best salesman, certainly in my case.
Maybe I should just find someone good-looking, and get them to pretend to be a fan???
Thanks. good advice worth thinking about. I’ve wanted to get a ’swiper’ for the last few years, but I’m in Australia and I don’t want to have to charge in US dollars when I’m an Oz musician IN Australia. It’s ok OS, but it just seems odd to go off shore then back again with money. I’d love to be able to change that.
Yes, I actually have true fans buying and selling my “AARON WOLFSON CD.” They are actually promoting my music and career with their enthusiasm for what I am putting across as a recording and performing artist. They have increased my popularity, increased the downloads of my music, and increased the sales of CDs on CD Baby! It is a blessing to have this support and encouragement for working so hard for so many years. You can buy my CD here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aaronwolfson
Thank you!
We have two CDs – two completely different genres – Cowboy Western and Swing, but our same harmony blend. We sell them for $15 each, but at the shows, if the customer can’t decide we offer both for $25. It works!
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Do y’all pay your fan to work the table? If not in cash, what compensation does the fan have?
Thanks–
Mary G.,
Merry and the Mood Swings
[...] From DIY Musicians on CD Baby [...]
Very Helpful Advice!
Interesting article. It’s a good idea to sweeten the deal to your fan-salesperson by giving them some free merch, free beer, kisses, whatever.
It wasn’t mentioned so I thought I’d add that gig posters are a great unique merch item, especially if it’s a limited-edition print for that show, tour, release party etc. Many cities have great designers and artists who do this kind of thing all the time, just look for who made those cool screen-printed posters at the venue you’re at and contact them to make some for you.
You might pay $3-$4 per poster to have them designed and printed, but it’s well worth it when you have a great piece of art to commemorate your show to sell to your newest bestest fans.
Check out http://www.gigposters.com to see a few hundred thousand posters and find folks in your area to work with. I’ve been making them for a bunch of years and they’re as popular now as ever.
This is a great article! As for fans selling your merchandise, it is important for the merch person to have a great personality, too.
I recommend two merc people: one male and one female. A better combination would be three. One person accepting the cash/credit card payments, while the others are pitching the merchandise and making sale.
For decorating your merc table, take a look at how tradeshows are setup. The tables are created to attract, present, and sell. Use a black tablecloth, if possible. This will allow your items to stand out more. Also, post either a large banner or poster behind you that says “Merchandise Available,” or something to that effect.
Items that sell are tee shirts, CDs, silicone wristbands, posters, download cards, and a novelty item, like a customized foam finger. If the venue is warm inside, customized hand fans would easily sell, too!
As mentioned in a previous post, bundle your items. Don’t give more than three bundled options. Too many choices are distracting. Do two bundles and one allowing the buyer to create his/her own bundle.
Don’t forget to price everything. Placing a price tag on the items will minimize the “how much” question.
Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to give a free gift, with all purchases. It should be something not offered for sale, like a discount certificate for merchandise in your online store. This would drive traffic to your site and it promotes more sales. “Hey, my friend would love this CD!” The purchaser can go to the online store and use their discount to on the item and save money.
Hipnotik
Awesome! I have a show coming up, and really need a credit card machine! I’m excited that you offer it, but can’t seem to figure out how to sign up for it. Help?!
Sherrie,
You can get the swiper by logging into your CD Baby member account and clicking the “add a credit card swiper” link above your account info. If you have any questions, feel free to email swipers@cdbaby.com
Thanks!
Kevin