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

I can’t agree more with everything you’ve said. In my early days of producing events I used to micro manage the merch table, fussing over folded T-shirts etc.. BAD IDEA and a big stressor for all involved. Having an enthusiastic, grounded and trustworthy volunteer/fan experience a sense of responsibility/ ownership over the table not only dramatically increased our future sales and our volunteer came back and do it again the next time.

When we’re doing a concert at an arts center or similar venue, especially in a new area where we don’t have a lot of fans yet, we will offer a cut of the sales (15%-20%) if the organization will provide us with a couple of volunteers to help with merch. This doesn’t cost us a lot, gets people involved, and helps the organization underwrite our fee to some extent. Sometimes the offer to share the merch proceeds is the thing that makes the difference between a booking or a night at home.

Offering free discount cards to the on-line store is a great idea. We have enough titles now (18 in four different genre) that we only display four or five titles on the merch table – CDs that reflect the content of the show. Getting people onto the site, http://castlebaycds.com , to explore our other sounds is crucial and the discount card seems like a good way to increase traffic.

Two Good-looking scantily-clad girls work excellent for us.

Here’s a quick & easy tip. Always shake the hand & ask the name of anyone who comes to the merch table. Ask them where they live & what they do. Typical first meeting banter builds a relationship that makes your fans feel important & increases the odds of a sale.

Great advice and great comments.
We have a lot going on at our merch booth and it pays. We travel with a Grid wall display (www.palaydisplay.com) that we have all our merch/CDs hanging from it. Last year we added a Flat Screen TV w/ a fan slideshow playing. Always stop to watch the pictures and buy merch when they see themselves on the slideshow at a future gig.
Cute merch people w/ a personality are best. If you can’t find a fan, hit up your local music colleges for people. We pay ours $10 per hour of the show ($40 nite). Big shows/ festivals we pay more based on the show. Or $20 +10% of sales is common too.
We’ve take CC’s for 2 yrs now and it has more than pd for itself. Fans don’t want to use their cash for merch and then I don’t have to take checks.
Cheers and keep sharing! I love the comments.
Dew

Another word of advice: When your merch table is surrounded by fans eagerly waiting to buy your goods, make sure you have a nice word with them and politely move on to the next person in line. I’ve seen it too many times when fans are chatting up the seller and the folks behind them give up and move on. Sale lost!

I love it! Two great articles in one newsletter! (The MySpace piece is the other one).

Merchandise is definitely the lifeblood of any musician or band because you can almost always bank on merch sales before you can count on getting paid opportunities. Merchandise should be the first investment of any new band just starting to play shows.

As the manager of The Homecoming, here are some more tips and rules to live by when it comes to merch:

1. It was mentioned before – keep your merch table/display looking clean, presentable and professional. I don’t allow anything on the merch table except for merch items – no food, drinks, trash, equipment or personal items. Using a black cloth on the table and having everything clearly marked is a good idea.

2. Always say something near the end of your performance that merch is available for purchase and give it some hype. Tell your audience where the merch table is located if it isn’t obvious.

3. Someone mentioned this too – have members of the band go straight to the merch table as soon the performance is over. It brings your fans closer to the merch table and generates more sales.

4. Don’t allow band members and friends of the band to hang out in front of the merch table. This “hides” your merch and discourages a lot of potential merch sales.

5. Another good idea that was suggested – offer bundle or package deals. My band sells a combo pack that includes one of everything for a drastically reduced price.

6. Be creative with your merch display. The possibilities are endless. Use uncommon items to display your products. Design your merch display to reflect the feel and image of your band. I will be purchasing a toy vending machine with the plastic capsules for my band to sell buttons at their merch table.

7. Have your display well lit. This is almost always a problem in dark bars and venues. You can purchase lamps with clamp ends and bendable necks for $6 each at Target.

8. Always have something free at your merch table – buttons, stickers, candy or promo items of your band. This will draw people to your merch table and create more sales.

9. Be competitive with the other bands on your merch prices. If another band is selling shirts for $15, sell yours for $12. I would rather make less money on merch than to not make any at all.

10. Shop around for the best prices on merch. I can’t believe how much some bands pay for their product. Companies will compete for your business. I pay as little as $4 for one shirt and $10 for 100 buttons. The less you spend means bigger profit margins and more room to be competitive with lower prices.

11. Keep your merch display up as long as possible. I try not tearing down anything until the last person leaves the venue. You won’t believe how many people buy merch at the very last minute. It is also a good idea to have your merch display up before the venue opens the doors for the show. That incoming rush might be the only time some people will see your merch because it might be hidden by the crowd as they are leaving the show or sometimes venues use different doors for exits.

12. Keep track of your merch sales. This says a lot about an artist or band. High merch sales means your band is marketable and has the ability to make fans. The industry standard is $1 in merch sales for every person that is at the show. So, if you perform for an audience of 100 people, you should sell at least $100 in merch. Your average per person merch sales can say a lot to a record label, manager or promoter.

13. Be original with your merch. Everyone has CDs, stickers and shirts. Can you come up with something unique that will sell, but still represents your band in a positive way?

14. The common rule for pricing a CD is no more than a dollar per track. In other words, don’t charge $15 for a CD with only 10 songs on it.

15. Someone already said this – be flexable with your prices. If someone only has $8 for a $10 CD, I would rather make the sale over not getting anything at all.

CD Baby, you’re the best!. whether I agree or disagree with your write-ups, you always give me something to think about. In this instance, I absolutely agree. Myspace is a much better looking website than facebook, and I always refer people to that, believe it or not, not everyone uses facebook regularly, it is only ONE form of marketing! http://www.myspace.com/leticiamaher

Great advice guys. Thanks for sharing.

GREAT ADVICE

I really need to work on these ideas,thanks everyone

thanks everyone I have to get to work

Great advice to bands looking to generate more money! The one thing I didn’t see mentioned (but perhaps I missed it) is keep the stock of your merch items organized and easy to retrieve. Don’t store all your T’s in a box unsized. The time it takes for your to locate a particular size may cause you to lose a sale, or if you find the size that guy needed 10 minutes ago, he’s already left. Have it clearly labeled what sizes are available for any shirt design. Don’t make the 2XL guy wait in line for 10 minutes, only to find out you only have up to L. He will remember next time.

I’m curious; what are folks using to transport the card swiper/receipts/cds/CD mailing env? Seems like something in a bright orange or day-glow green would be helpful. I usually give whoever sells my cds a free one at the end of the night.

[...] CD Baby offers credit card swipers to their members. This link goes to an article that offers more tips and advice on merchandising your shows on the CD … [...]

how do you get hand held credit card swiper

http://members.cdbaby.com/accept-credit-cards.aspx