This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog.
You packed the house. You had a fantastic performance. The entire crowd loved every minute of your set. Now you have to turn that enthusiasm into album and T-shirt sales. How do you go about doing that? That’s a question I asked a few indie hip-hop artists who are masterful at the merch table in hopes of finding out some of their secrets to success. What I ended up learning from Jake Palumbo, Tah Phrum Duh Bush, Toussaint Morrison, Joey Batts, and N.M.E. The Illest is a little something I like to call The Nine Merch Commandments.
Like Biggie said, “There’s rules to the shit,” so grab your CDs, your T-shirts, and your smartphone credit card reader (if you don’t already have one of those, consider it your 10th commandment), because here’s your manual.
1. Have someone at your merch table at all times
This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many artists just set up a table and go on about their night. Toussaint Morrison notes that not having a person behind your merch table will likely result in stolen goods. He adds that in addition to security, “If you have someone holding down the table, people always [have] a human being they can ask about the merch.”
2. Invite fans to hang out with you at your merch table
When you hold the microphone, you have a lot of control. N.M.E. The Illest suggests using that control to get your fans to join you post-show at your merch table. “Tell them to meet you after the set over at your merch table just to talk and hang out. They don’t have to be pressured into buying anything. They’ll do it on their own.”
Palumbo …Read the full story
Source:: Music Think Tank