Have you ever taken a close listen to radio advertisements? (That is, if anyone listens to the radio anymore.) They sound like they are written for people who need a couple of repetitions to understand English. I heard one radio spot that went something like this: “OfficeMax sells postage stamps. Now you can buy your postage stamps at OfficeMax. OfficeMax sells postage stamps.”
It looks ridiculous in print. Is that really what you have to say to get a point across? But the advertisers surely are on to something. This example offers a valuable lesson—in addition to the revelation that, yes, OfficeMax sells postage stamps.
There is a reason why media communications tend to be short, repetitive, and obvious. Anything more will muddle the message. For the entrepreneurial singer, this is a critical lesson that needs to be applied to virtually all our communications—from conversations to e-mails to how we promote ourselves.
The fact remains that it is extraordinarily easy for people to misunderstand each other, even when they are making an effort. How many times have you not fully received an idea your voice teacher was telling you or come away from a meeting understanding the exact opposite of what your boss intended? Whenever you need to communicate something important—the rehearsal schedule for the show you’re producing, a fundraising campaign, the promotion for an upcoming performance—it is helpful to anticipate the ways that people might misunderstand you and try to head them off at the pass.
No matter your message or your medium, take a cue from that radio spot and keep things short, simple, and to the point. I have had colleagues who turn their e-mails into brief novels and then wonder why no one gets back to them. Have you ever received an e-mail with rehearsal feedback that was longer than the musical piece itself? E-mail newsletters can suffer the same fate. We have all received visually cluttered e-blasts that contain a ton of information, but the sheer volume of verbiage prevents us from finding out what is actually important and what we should do about it.
When you communicate with the written word—an e-mail, your website, a fundraising letter—always keep in mind the response you want from your reader. You are likely initiating contact because you would like the reader to do something, such as buy tickets, donate, or join your mailing list. In written communication, this “call to action” should be easy to spot at a glance, and your reader should have no trouble taking the next step. If you have a lot that needs to go into an e-mail, put the action item up front. Think about what you want people to do when they visit your website and make it incredibly easy for them to do so. If you want them to join your mailing list, have a sign-up form on every page, for example.
Each communication method has different components that serve different purposes. Slightly different types of information belong in each place. For example, the sole purpose of the subject heading of an e-newsletter is to get the reader to open the e-mail. As such, it is not the place to cram in all the details you want to get across. And a subject heading that reads, “Free Tickets!” might arouse more curiosity and yield more of a response than one that says, “This Saturday, 1/12/13, Free Tickets at Union Square.”
You can even get more creative with your subject lines. The Obama 2012 reelection campaign raised hundreds of millions of dollars using headings like “Hey,” “It doesn’t have to be this way” and, oddly, “Join me for dinner.” Experiment with different ones and see which bring in the best results. You might be surprised. The president’s fundraising success was also helped by key formatting choices, such as large fonts for links and a prominent red “Donate” icon that made it easy to click through and contribute.
When it comes to e-mail communications, always assume that the recipient will need a few repetitions before he actually gets the message. I once sat down with an old family friend to ask him to support my musical endeavors. This was someone who has come to my concerts, receives e-mails from my ensemble, and asks me about my projects every time I see him. I told him my company’s plans to present its first opera production. He smiled and asked, “Does your company have a name?”
Every announcement I send has the same logo and letterhead, the link is at the bottom of all my e-mails, and I mention the company name all the time—but, it seems, I hadn’t been communicating with him very well. The lesson taught me that when it comes to promotion, you can never do too much. Don’t be shy about sending several e-mails about anything you are trying to promote. In all likelihood, your recipients will not read all of them—and if they are even a little curious about your event or campaign, they won’t mind the reminder.
To get a sense of how many times to publicize your project, sign up to receive e-mail lists from your colleagues and major performing arts organizations. Then notice how often you actually read those e-mails. Remember that when you communicate electronically, you are not only competing with other e-mails in a person’s inbox but with anything else they choose to do online at that moment, from Facebook to shopping to appointment reminders. Make your message stand out from the noise by communicating frequently and with creativity.
You should also consider the preferences of the person you are trying to reach. This is especially something to think about when working with fellow artists. Some people are lousy on e-mail, some never answer their phone. Some will respond only when they can attend a rehearsal—but if you don’t hear from them, you can assume that they cannot. When you are organizing a project and need to hear back from a colleague, you will discover very quickly the most effective way of reaching them. It may not feel very efficient, but if you want them to show up at rehearsal, you have to communicate with them according to their preferences.
The same thing applies to audience members and supporters. No matter how well you plan your calendar of e-newsletters, you may encounter someone like my family friend who just doesn’t get it. The older generation—as in, the people most likely to support you financially—might prefer to hear from you entirely offline. You can still keep them on your e-mail list, but a follow-up phone call or a season announcement by regular mail will not only get your message across better but also offer an opportunity for some personal contact.
In the rush to get an announcement or a rehearsal schedule into in-boxes, it is easy to overlook the details of how we communicate. But with just a few tweaks, you can be sure you are giving your audience everything it needs to support and participate in your work. Surely your project deserves nothing less, so shout it to the rooftops!
