The
Keys to Power of Performance, Pt. II
by Jim Halsey
Adapted from his book, How To Make It In The Music Business, we explore Jim Halsey’s
keys to Power of Performance. Keys 6-10 are included here.
One of the keys to making
it in this business is knowing that it’s never a one-person
show, but a team effort. Another key is knowing that you’re
probably not going to step directly into the team-member role you
want, despite your training and education. That doesn’t matter!
The important thing is to get into the business. Get your foot in
the door, get past the receptionist, get on the inside. Then you will
be able to start working toward the job you really want.
Some years ago, a young law-school graduate came to see me. He wanted
to be an agent, and even though he had a law degree, he had no experience,
and I was looking for a seasoned agent at the time.
“We’ll keep your application on file,” I told him,
giving him the time-honored, polite turndown. “If something
comes up, we’ll call you.”
Just as he was getting ready to leave my office, my assistant interrupted
the meeting. It seemed we had a “situation” that needed
attention. Our company always maintained a limousine and a full-time
driver to pick up important guests, artists, and visiting buyers and
executives. But the driver had just quit – and ABC Records president
Jim Foglesong was arriving at the airport shortly!
“What should we do?” my assistant asked.
Before I could offer any
suggestions, this young law-school graduate jumped to his feet. “I
can drive the limousine for you!” he announced.
He was hired on the spot because he was on the spot – in the
right place at the right time. It may not have been the job he came
to our offices looking for, but it was an opportunity for a music-industry
job. Knowing instantly he’d be better off learning the business
from the inside, he accepted the challenge.
For the next few months,
this young man chauffeured artists, record company presidents, promoters,
nightclub operators, casino managers, and fair and rodeo buyers for
us, coming in contact with nearly every important person the Halsey
Company was dealing with then. He listened and he learned, and after
those months we hired him to start training as an agent.
His name was Terry Cline. He was capable and ambitious, and he stayed
with The Jim Halsey Company for 15 years, becoming one of our major
executives.
See how important it is
to be able to recognize opportunities, and to act on them? They may
not always seem right at the moment. They may not even seem to be
anything you want. But you must examine all of them closely. If there’s
a possibility one will open the door to other opportunities, give
it lots of consideration.
Over the years, I have developed a 10-key method for achieving success.
It is simple and effective and it will always work, no matter what
your profession. It is a formula for success in life.
(Keys 1-5 were included in Pt. 1 of this series. Here’s a quick
recap.) 1. Talent. Examine the talent you have, and see what
you need to develop in order to advance toward your goal. 2. Training and Education. How do you develop your
talent? Training and education is one good way. 3. Personality. You can develop a good personality.
It’s an important part of your method for success. 4. Attitude. If your is attitude good, it will enhance
your dealings with others and make your performance better. 5. Enthusiasm. Get excited about your life, your
talent, your job, your career, and the selling of yourself or your
product.
6. Desire
Desire fuels your enthusiasm and helps you overcome a lot of disappointment
and rejection. When I think about the power of desire, I often think
of Lee Greenwood, whose “God Bless the USA” is the best
known of his many country music chart-toppers. For years, Lee dealt
blackjack in Las Vegas casinos by day and worked the lounges at night,
determined to become a recognized international performer. He did,
and I’m happy to say that The Jim Halsey Company helped him
achieve his goals.
Lee Greenwood and his subsequent stardom is an impressive example
of how much desire is involved in accessing your personal Power of
Performance.
7. Persistence
Do not waver from your path. Do not lose focus on your goal. Stick
your foot in the door of success and do not take it out until you
have wedged the door open far enough for you to get through it. Do
not get discouraged and give up.
Persistence keeps you on the road to success – persistence in
the quality of your performance, persistence in the dedication to
the work you’ve chosen. Realize that persistence is all-important,
and without it, my method won’t work.
8. Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is something you develop for yourself. It comes with
learning your craft. The more you do any task, the more comfortable
you are with it. It is this repetition in perfecting your skills that
develops self-confidence. The more you train, study, and work with
your music-business skills, the more you will develop self-confidence.
The more you perform, the more comfortable you will be with the knowledge
that you can do it. This is self-confidence, and it is attainable
by anyone!
9. Recognize Opportunities
If you are going to be successful, you not only have to be able to
recognize opportunities, you have to act when an opportunity comes
your way. So many times people pass over an opportunity because they’re
afraid to take action. Acting might mean changes in their lives –
they could face risk and uncertainties, and they lack the self-confidence
to face all of that.
If you’re really going for success, you have to be able to make
decisions and take risks. Examine every opportunity that comes your
way. Does it offer advancement in the areas you’re interested
in? What are the risks? What are the rewards? What are the sacrifices
you will need to make? Write all of the risks and rewards, listing
potentially positive things on one side, potentially negative things
on the other. When you are through, look at it objectively. It will
help you decide how to act.
10. Commitment
Commitment is different from desire. It is your promise to yourself
to focus on your goal and do what is necessary to achieve it. If you
are committed to yourself, then you’ll know what you have to
do to make your life a success. The challenges you face will come
more easily because you will understand how to make the necessary
commitment.
Make a goal, develop a
plan, and follow it through. Have a purpose. Be committed. As you
become more and more involved with people, and as you continue to
develop your Power of Performance, a personal commitment will be indispensable
for making your relationships grow and prosper. Do not be afraid to
make a commitment and stick to it. When you do, it brings forth commitment
from others.
There are a lot of ways to try to make your entrance into this business.
Once you are in the door and begin to know people, you can show them
your abilities and skills. If you’re actually working for a
music or entertainment company, no matter what your position, you
stand a thousand-percent better chance of advancing within the company
than somebody from the outside does.
An entry-level job that
gives you the opportunity to meet people – as a delivery person,
someone who runs errands, chauffeurs a car, or even as a waiter or
waitress in a restaurant frequented by music-industry people –
can be a real asset. Who you know and what you learn are equally important
in this business.
Remember, when you call
on the people you want to work for, your first impression may be your
last. So make that first impression good, good enough to be a stepping
stone to successful future contacts. Make them want to see you again,
or at least let them investigate you and see what you are about and
what opportunities you may hold for them as an employee. Your Power
of Performance may never be needed as much as it is on your first
interview.
There are thousands of creative, stimulating, and financially rewarding
jobs in the music and entertainment business. The better educated
and better prepared you are, the more knowledge and experience you
have, the more available you are to success. Learn, study, work, concentrate,
have a goal with a purpose – and stay focused! Learn about your
Power of Performance and access it to make your personal dreams and
visions into your own realities.
Learning how to use your personal Power of Performance will help you
understand success and where to find it. Most important, the Power
of Performance is the key to life and how to live it! It is your gift.
Use it! The path from your dreams to your goals may sometimes be difficult
to navigate, but the trip will never be dull.
Take it from another dreamer.
Jim Halsey's career spans over 50 years as artist manager, agent,
and impresario, discovering and/or guiding the careers of countless
illustrious personalities, including Roy Clark, The Oak Ridge Boys,
Waylon Jennings, The Judds, Reba McEntire, Minnie Pearl, Clint Black,
Tammy Wynette, Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, and many others.
From 1995-1999 Halsey created and served as director of the award-winning
Music and Entertainment Business Program at Oklahoma City University
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Additionally, Halsey is a Visiting Professor
at HED Music College in Yehud, Israel. He is currently focused on
The Halsey Learning Center of Music & Entertainment Business,
an online internet school.
Jim Halsey is also the co-creator of the Billboard Magazine Song Contest
which is entering it’s 14th year. Learn more at http://www.jimhalsey.com.
