Many producers don’t realize or utilize the art of salesmanship when selling their beats. An artist inquires about exclusive rights to a beat, the producer sends a template email with a PayPal link and hopes the artist comes through with the money. Yes, this will yield SOME sales, but you certainly aren’t maximizing your earnings.
REMEMBER: When an artist buys a beat, 99% of the time he is paying for it out of his own pocket. Often times artists are working low-paying day jobs to try and get their music career off the ground, and parting with big sums of money can be a painful experience. If you want to increase your sales, you need to learn to how make the experience more pleasant for the artist. A properly executed deal will leave the artist feeling satisfied, like they’re taking a step in the right direction with their career by buying your beat.
Any salesman worth his salt will tell you that building rapport is one of the biggest keys to selling. So when an artist hits you up, always ask about their music career and what they plan on doing with your beat. They will be eager to share it with you, and most importantly, it’ll build rapport. Remember, this is their passion – when you take an genuine interest in it, they will immediately be more receptive to buy. It’s a no brainer.
If they have a demo recording already, give it an in-depth listen and offer a legitimate critique. So many producers just go “yeah it’s dope”; artists know these type of statements are pure lip-service, and they can actually HURT your sales because it makes you seem disingenuous. Instead of general positive statements, try giving actual musical feedback: something actionable that they can use to make their music better.
When it comes to pricing the beat, make it seem like you’re giving them a discount.
For example, say you want to get $500 for a beat – price it at $750 and say something like:
“Look man, I like you and your music, and I know you’re paying this out of pocket. I don’t want to stand in the way of this song getting exposure.
How about I knock $250 off the purchase price of the beat – that way you can buy some extra FB ads, or get it advertised on WSHH. You know, REALLY blast this song out there and get it the attention it deserves. Just make sure I’m properly credited as producer of the track and I’ll gladly hook up the discount.”
This sales script closes sales like you wouldn’t believe – it’s the perfect blend of perceived savings, your genuine interest in getting the song exposure, and making sure your interests are properly taken care of as producer. (ie. being properly credited) Artists eat it up!
Once they’ve sent the money, be prompt in sending their files and contract. Artists HATE when producers aren’t punctual in responding once the money is sent – it can be an uneasy feeling, having just sent a complete stranger hundreds of dollars. If you’ve been selling beats for a while, surely you’ve had an artist freak out because you haven’t processed his order fast enough. If you’ve got a smart phone or something where you’re instantly notified of a payment, reply to them confirming that you’ve received their money and give them a timeline of when you’ll be able to send everything over. Try to do it within 12hrs if possible, especially if it’s a substantial amount of money.
