Finding a Personal Manager
Keep in mind that becoming a manager does not require getting a license or state certification. Anyone from a used car dealer to a snake oil salesman can be one-so proceed with caution!
There are managers in the business and there are "Damagers."
Watch out for the "Damagers!"
They will ultimately promise you everything and deliver absolutely nothing.
You should have a close-knit relationship as an artist with your personal manager, much like a professional athlete & coach.
The artist relies on a manager to be a motivator, counselor, confidant, diplomat and day-to-day business person.
Having the right manager at your side can assist in bringing you success beyond your imagination. Having the wrong manager can be devastating to your career.
A personal managers role is to advise and council you in all aspects of the music business.
The manager provides guidance and insures that everyone involved in your career pull together in the same direction to achieve success from securing a record deal, securing contracts, dealing with record companies and assisting with live engagements and touring.
Your manager helps define your "target demographic" from publicity photos to public image.
A good manager will help you find what feels most comfortable and natural to you. The job of the manager is to let the artist breathe and develop into who they are.
Keep in mind that the manager ultimately works for the artist.
Trustworthy, is an incredibly important attribute in a manager.
You have worked for years learning to play your instrument and write your songs and you have been promoting and performing for years. Now your going to turn over a great deal of responsibility to someone you barely know! Sounds Scary, Right?
Trust must be earned over time, but if a manager doesn't show genuine caring, enthusiasm and understanding for your dreams and passions, you may not have the right person for the job.
A manager can't lie to their artists to keep them optimistic (i.e., dumb) to keep them under their control.
A manager must be someone you can respect.
What does your manager really stand for? Do they have morals and ethics? Are they educated? Well Groomed? Do they show a genuine loyalty to you as the artist? Do they do anything to give back to the community? Or are they all about the money, being flashy, big houses, expensive cars? Did they get into management to fulfill some showbiz fantasy?
(Research "Payola") a very illegal act of offering payoffs to get songs to chart etc.
Beware, the "Damager!"