Every time I attend a show, I check out what the bands are selling at the merchandise table. When I like a band enough to buy a record, usually I spend some time talking to the band members to get an idea of when the record was made, where they recorded, and so on.
There is also something else I pay attention to when I buy a record or other merchandise. I watch carefully to see if whoever sells me the record marks down the sale. Why do I do this? Because the most organized bands know who they sold their merch to, what piece of merchandise it was, and the date they sold it.
There is a simple reason this information is so important. If you are consistently returning to certain cities while on tour, and you aren't bringing new merchandise to those cities for your fans, then you are missing out on opportunities to make additional income for your band.
For example, maybe your band is looking at going through Chicago for the third time in five months. If you look at your merchandise sales from the last few shows in Chicago, maybe you notice some slight decreases in sales because you haven't brought any new merchandise.
Now you have to make a choice. Maybe you print up some new t-shirts or posters for the gig in Chicago, or maybe you decide to skip Chicago on this tour and hit Rockford instead, because the last time you went through Rockford you didn't have your new record yet.
In the even bigger picture, maybe your band has had several different t-shirt designs made with different colors. If you kept track of sales, you could see which designs and colors have been selling the best. From that data, you can make a more informed choice about what your next design/color scheme should be.
This might sound like a headache, but it's not so bad. In fact, it's a lot easier now than it used to be. If you sell your merchandise online, for example, there are numerous interactive widgets, websites, and tools that allow you to track sales easily and efficiently. Topspin, which went public at SXSW just a few weeks ago, has the ability to tell you exactly which fans purchased your purple t-shirts and organizes them accordingly.
With that data, you could send a direct email to those fans who purchased your purple t-shirt and let them know that you have a new purple t-shirt for sale. Pretty amazing stuff.
At the end of the day, the more efficient you are with your merchandise sales, the more profits you can bring in. That means sleeping on fewer couches because you can afford a cheap hotel room, or finally replacing the transmission in your tour van. Either way, it's a huge
There is also something else I pay attention to when I buy a record or other merchandise. I watch carefully to see if whoever sells me the record marks down the sale. Why do I do this? Because the most organized bands know who they sold their merch to, what piece of merchandise it was, and the date they sold it.
There is a simple reason this information is so important. If you are consistently returning to certain cities while on tour, and you aren't bringing new merchandise to those cities for your fans, then you are missing out on opportunities to make additional income for your band.
For example, maybe your band is looking at going through Chicago for the third time in five months. If you look at your merchandise sales from the last few shows in Chicago, maybe you notice some slight decreases in sales because you haven't brought any new merchandise.
Now you have to make a choice. Maybe you print up some new t-shirts or posters for the gig in Chicago, or maybe you decide to skip Chicago on this tour and hit Rockford instead, because the last time you went through Rockford you didn't have your new record yet.
In the even bigger picture, maybe your band has had several different t-shirt designs made with different colors. If you kept track of sales, you could see which designs and colors have been selling the best. From that data, you can make a more informed choice about what your next design/color scheme should be.
This might sound like a headache, but it's not so bad. In fact, it's a lot easier now than it used to be. If you sell your merchandise online, for example, there are numerous interactive widgets, websites, and tools that allow you to track sales easily and efficiently. Topspin, which went public at SXSW just a few weeks ago, has the ability to tell you exactly which fans purchased your purple t-shirts and organizes them accordingly.
With that data, you could send a direct email to those fans who purchased your purple t-shirt and let them know that you have a new purple t-shirt for sale. Pretty amazing stuff.
At the end of the day, the more efficient you are with your merchandise sales, the more profits you can bring in. That means sleeping on fewer couches because you can afford a cheap hotel room, or finally replacing the transmission in your tour van. Either way, it's a huge
