Write new rules!
All tagged Agents
What will you do when you need to end it?
The possible future appears inviting relative to the grim present: what will the musicians who work under these conditions do when they want to get out?
A free trial and your agent have something in common. Do you know?
A 3-month free trial of anything usually requires you to submit your credit card information to get started. You're eager to get started, so you happily give your credit card for 3 free months. Four months later, you notice less money in your bank account. What happened to your money?
How much does your loyalty and exclusivity cost? Your agent knows.
There are agents, hoping you don't understand the language in your agreement - your ignorance is the price you pay for your loyalty and exclusivity. But, is this really loyalty?
A New Idiom.
If we're going to change an industry, we need to change how the industry operates. To do that, we need a new idiom.
The Art of being an agent - is there one?
Art is the eye of the receiver - you, not the creator - the agents. I put it to you, how many agents do you know that create art?
Everyone wants to start an agency.
I frequently am contacted by people asking how to start an agency. Just this past week, a new agency came on the market. I wish them well. Still, I'm left wondering - why does everyone want to start an agency?
People use agents because they feel agents will get them gigs. But people don't often stop to consider the value of themselves. Perhaps this is a marketing problem?
Lots of people want to start agencies. It's a seemingly effortless way to make money. Especially when people are paying commissions year after year at the same rate as they were when they got hired. But, there's so much more.
When you end an agreement, your non-compete may go into effect. You'll need to know the terms of your contract to be sure. When your non-compete goes into effect, you may have to find employment elsewhere. To be sure, consult a licensed legal professional.
Tortious interference is interference that leads to harm caused by a party outside of an established business relationship. In other words: someone got in the middle. Don’t get in the middle.
Agents need to be first. It's in their DNA. If they do not introduce your talents first, they don't get credit for finding you. Are you thinking about securing one?
The customer's identity isn't always apparent. The ambiguity of not knowing can cause lots of problems for everyone. The only real change agent is the service provider. Any agent with the guts to change the model has an excellent opportunity ahead of them.
Agents are salespeople. If they put in the work, they deserve to eat. Agents have an ethical responsibility to show their work. If they show their work, commissions are fair. Agents are salespeople. Commissions are fair.
Carefully review your contracts. Make sure there's a clear way to let the other party know you're not happy, that what they're doing doesn't work, and that you can end. Know the terms.
This simple post is for musicians. Especially those in the cruise industry. It's a small post that's part of a more extensive series on agents and understanding a representation contract. Today's post is about non-compete clauses.
I hope you'll join me and follow along in the explorations of agents. They are not bad. They serve a purpose to those that need someone to broker contracts of employment. Like most things, use them the way they were intended. If they don't serve your purpose, they're not for you.