The highest entry point is not the right entry point. If you are going to the top of a skyscraper would you hire a helicopter to get you there? And even worse when the helicopter is above the skyscraper you realize they don’t have a landing dock up there! The smart way is to take the elevator to the top floor, right?

Still I see it all the time that people try the stupid way. I was on a conference and there was a boss over a big record label there speaking. The interest for the panel before the boss was not that well attended it was about how to do PR or something. The interest when the boss was speaking was overcrowded.

All these new mangers and bands wanted to go up to the boss and speaking about their latest music directly after the speech and it just went crazy.

Later on the VIP dinner I sat next to him and we got into the subject that everyone wanted to meet him and talk about their music.

– But they do it wrong, he said. Yes I love new music but I really don’t work with that on this company. My job is to develop the whole company with all the artists that we have on the rooster. I’m not the guy that picks the new music that we need on the on company. That is handled by the person that was on the panel before meon PR, but no one was approaching him with new music.

It’s a common problem that people try to get to the very top of the company and thinks that is where it sits. Taking a shortcut and go for the grand prize.  That is like hiring the helicopter. Yes the boss will talk about you and your music, when you have climbed the ranks inside the company. Still you have to go the front door knocking before you start riding the levels. If you don’t get through the front door, well then your product is not interesting enough or it’s the wrong building.

Later on that evening I was talking to a band that got the card of the boss and was so happy about it. They now had a real “connection” straight to the top.

The boss ended our conversation on the matter with.
– If they send it to me I just send the music to our music department. I think though they put this music in the bottom. They really don’t like to work with people that tries to run them over.