© 2009 by Leah Bailey
“We need a manager!” All over the world, artists utter this phrase every day. But why does it seem that so many times an artist has trouble finding a good manager? Many artists end up asking themselves why a certain manager isn’t interested in them. What was that manager looking for? There are many qualities a manager looks for in an artist or band and if you or your band exhibits these qualities, it will help you to stand out from the crowd.[private_freebie]
Several important qualities a manager will look for are honesty, integrity and loyalty. Most artists would want to know that their manager is above board and is not going to abandon them during slow periods. The same is true for a manager. No manager wants to work hard to promote a artist(s), only to be lied to and misled. Or worse, fired and replaced when the artist or band starts doing well.
A manager would also like to see an artist or band with a good work ethic. He/she wants to know that the artists will do their best to show up and put on a good show. It reflects poorly on the artist or band when they don’t show up for gigs. The artists should be careful of their reputation because word does get around.
Talent is another huge factor in attracting a manager. Artists with a large amount of talent will attract people who want to manage them. After all, the more talent present, the easier the artist or band is to sell. It is important for the artist or band to be careful of these people and try to find the right manager for them. A manager is very interested in artists with talent because there is only so far an artist or band can go without this important quality.
The artist’s image is crucial. Artist’s band needs to portray the image of the fan base that they want to attract. They also want to have shows in areas that fit this image. A hard rock band may have a hard time attracting a fan base and building a reputation if they are trying to perform in country bars.
If it is a band then the band also needs to get along. Everyone has disagreements, but a good manager will be attracted to a group that is cohesive and that is able to work through the hard times together. A band that looks out for one another and generally gets along, especially when times are tough, is more likely to get along in the long term. No one wants to work with a group of people that is constantly fighting or in disagreement with each other.
There are many other qualities too numerous to name here that are important to managers. Each manager also has their own unique list of qualities that they look for in artists. Overall, put yourself in the place of the manager and try to be the type of artist or band that you would like to work with everyday if you were him.[/private_freebie]
