Making Introductions with No Ulterior Motive Just the Right Thing to Do

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

I, myself, am almost getting sick and tired of hearing my own voice preaching to people about the value of connections.  You can never have too many contacts, I always say.  There are just so, so many benefits to networking.

But there’s another very popular expression out there that wasn’t originated by me, yet I feel such a strong attachment to.  “Pay it forward,” you’ll often hear people say.

To some that’s paying for the order of the person behind you in the drive-thru line.  And I love hearing those stories, by the way.

But what if you could combine paying it forward with the equally impactful power of networking?

That’s what I’ve done twice very recently, and you know what I got out of it?  I just flat out felt good.  There was no ulterior motive.  There was no, “Let me sit and wait to see if one of those people comes back and does something good for me.”  It was just the right thing to do.

Let me explain these scenarios so that this could be a potential teaching moment for others.

In the first instance I was interviewing a guest for my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast and knew that although there were lots of other highlights to talk about (and we did cover those), there was a particular interest in talking about that guest’s podcast.  The more we had that conversation, the more the wheels turned in my head and I started thinking of potential guests I could recommend.  In later writing a follow-up email about one of those individuals I even made clear that this person was not a client and so I had no attachment here.  If it wasn’t a fit, I wasn’t going to be upset.  Voila, it ended up being a great referral and the host was most appreciative of my having made the connection.

The second instance was somewhat similar, with just a bit of a twist.  This time I was interviewing someone for NHTE again, however, in listening to this guest’s story – not to mention what they wanted to promote – I saw the proverbial light bulb turn on over my head.  After we stopped recording, I asked if there would be interest in and permission for me to try to place this guest onto another show that could likely be a fit for an interview.

Some months ago, I had learned about someone who does a podcast whose subject matter left enough of an impression on me that I was ready to do some digging.  I got in touch with one of my key contacts and asked what they knew about the show and its host (and contact information).  Next, I used some of that information to dig up the show title, read up a bit on it, and prepare for the final step – the e-introduction.

Another successful match was made and the two of them would take things from there to arrange a date and time to record.

Meanwhile, I found joy in being able to help essentially four people, all by being a listener, being present, and having a giving mindset rather than a “what’s in it for me” approach.  I suggest you give it a try and share in the satisfaction that I got.  There is strength in numbers, and we can all help one another in some way.

How have you been able to pay it forward to someone?  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets or tell me on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Alternatively, use email to let me know as well.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.

Why Musicians Need to be on LinkedIn

By: Bruce Wawrzyniak

Being in the entertainment business as long as I have, not to mention writing a weekly blog and hosting a weekly podcast, plus with the number of events that I speak at, you can appreciate the volume of questions that I get asked, via email, face-to-face, through social media, and so on.  Some of them repeat, some of them are, ahem, quite unique, and others deserve praise for their depth and/or quality.

However, one question in the first half of 2020 that stuck with me was from a performer who wanted to know if I felt they should be on LinkedIn.

At first, we can understand why this would be asked by someone in that capacity.  After all, when you create music you think of getting the songs themselves on platforms ranging from iTunes to Spotify to SoundCloud and more.  And then, of course, when you turn the focus away from the music and onto its creator – yourself – you start to envision your own website and certainly YouTube, eventually settling on one or more out of the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram trio.

As I wrote last week, music creators are putting a ton of pressure on themselves to make a go of this.  That blog of mine stressed that they want to make sure that they’re doing everything they can to make this their full-time job.

Of course, you can be a solo artist and literally do everything yourself at home – write, perform, and record – but there’s strength in numbers.  Maybe you’re not ready to put an entire team around you, but you do know that there are people out there who can help you and who you’d love to pick the brain of if not get some level of assistance from.

It all adds up to another reminder that this is a business!

When you talk about the connections you’d like to make – booking agents, publishers, A&R folks – and then you ask me about platforms that you should be on, I’m operating from the foundation of this being a business.  Where online are people going to make connections to further their business?  LinkedIn.

This is where I tell you that nobody is paying me to endorse LinkedIn.  I’m not getting any kickback for referring people over there to sign up.  There’s no incentive for me in pointing you their way other than what it is every week when I write my blog or publish a podcast episode – to help you get ahead.

I’m presently sitting at more than 1,000 connections on LinkedIn.  Do I have an active relationship with each and every one of those folks?  Of course not.  Do I use the platform regularly?  Absolutely.  I aim for five days a week, between posting on my page and/or the Now Hear This company page, or searching for connections (those I’m seeking specifically or those that they – quite accurately – recommend for me), or sometimes I’m just flat out surfing the feed.

If you tell me, “Yeah, I actually am on LinkedIn and I’ve never seen any benefit,” then I will challenge you with, “How active are you?  Is your profile optimized?”  Like anything else, you get out of it exactly what you put into it.

Let me re-state.  You are in the music business.  LinkedIn is the app/online platform for doing business.  So yes, you should be on there.

What other questions do you have for me about the entertainment industry?  Take advantage of my more than 15 years in the business.  Tweet at me to @NHT_tweets.  Alternatively, use Facebook or – duh – LinkedIn (or even email) to get in touch.

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I am a manager and publicist, running Now Hear This, Inc., an agency that has served clients across the U.S. ranging from music artists to authors to small businesses and even an Olympic athlete. Since February 2014 I have also hosted a weekly podcast (“Now Hear This Entertainment”), which has gotten listeners from 153 countries around the world. Find more about the company and the podcast at www.NowHearThis.biz. I am also a national speaker. Visit www.SpeakerBruceW.com for more information.