How to Deal With Shady Promoters (And Anyone Else Who Tries to Cheat)

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If you're in a band, chances are at some point someone's going to try to screw you out of money.

(Unfortunately the music business attracts its share of shady characters.)

So what can you do to protect yourself? And what if you DO get screwed?

Here's how you deal with shady promoters (or anyone else who tries to cheat):

Many time the first contact between promoters and artists is still by phone - at least in my experience.

It's great because it's quick. But it sucks because there's no record.

That's why my advice is to move the conversation over to email. Say something like:

"That sounds great. Let me put those terms in an email to confirm. What's your email address?"

And don't just send the terms and assume they agree. You need a clear response that confirms all of the terms. That way, if there's any "misunderstanding", you can refer to those messages.

For example, if they try to tell you "Oh Mike's not not here. And I don't know anything about that."

Just pull up the email conversation and you should be fine.

If you're getting paid a percentage of ticket sales, a shady promoter will try to cheat you on the number of tickets sold.

It's hard to argue against, when all you have to go on is HIS count. But there's a simple fix:

Put someone you trust at the door and have THEM count for you. Problem solved.

Many artist are afraid of talking about money, so they avoid the topic. A shady promoter will try to take advantage of that.

Somehow taking care of business just gets "forgotten"...

So if you actually want to get paid, you need to be upfront about it.

Ideally you'll fix in your confirmation email when and how you're getting paid. Then when the time comes, just take the first step.

Be persistent and don't let lose until you get paid.

Unfortunately, some people will always try to rip you off. And sometimes they'll succeed.

So should you always assume the worst?

No - I think that's a terrible strategy. If you're never getting ripped off, you're probably being TOO careful. And as a result, probably missing out on some good opportunities.

(Do you agree? Tweet it! )

Instead I like to use what's known in Game Theory as the "Grim Trigger" strategy.

Here's how it works:

You give people the benefit of the doubt in your first interaction. If they deliver on their promises, great! You're on your way to building a trustworthy relationship.

IF they burn you in your first interaction, you take the loss, move on... and NEVER interact with them again. Not on the phone, not in email, not on any social networks.

(How does that saying go? "Fool me once..." )

Don't waste you're time arguing, just ignore and cut them off completely.

This way, you will build a trustworthy and reliable reputation AND attract a network of equally dependable contacts.

Ever had to deal with a shady promoter? I want to hear the story! Leave a comment and let me know how you handled it:

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