Voice teacher and soprano Pamela Hinchman does a very smart thing. Before her teaching year starts up at Northwestern, she teaches a week-long summer seminar which is a fantastic win-win.

The singers get geared up for audition season and get loads of new information and experience. It is only a week-long commitment, yet it is a great line on their resumes (which can be difficult to fill while in school). The singers were excited about participating even as I arrived for my seminar on the final day of the session.

And for Pamela and the other faculty, this program is a fantastic opportunity to get to know several singers from their studios before the year starts. The session is also an excellent marketing tool for the school. Holding a week-long summer session (with a simple audio recording application process) is a great idea and I think other schools of music would do well to follow suit.

From Northwestern’s Website:

“In these classes you will learn to audition for an agent, an opera company in the US and Europe, and a musical theater company. We will find three pieces for you that will make you the most marketable and help you to perfect them. Also discussed: How to present yourself most effectively by clothes and grooming; creating a useable resume and bio; advice on the proper picture for your voice type; tax issues. Guest speakers include a New York agent for opera and musical theater, a tax specialist, photographer, stage directors. Class is limited to 12 singers and 30 auditors. To apply as a participant, send a resume and tape or CD of 3 pieces to Summer Session Office, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, 711 Elgin Road, Evanston, IL 60201.”

This was the first seminar at which I delved into “push” versus “pull” marketing. I really saw some light bulbs go off so I will certainly address this in future seminars.

Push marketing is essential to our business in singing and we do it all of the time. We send application forms, sing auditions and learn excerpts to perform callbacks. These efforts are focused on landing a single gig. They represent short-term strategies targeted toward a specific customer.

In all of the frenzy of applications, pull marketing seems to fall by the wayside. Pull marketing is all about cultivating long-term relationships and working to fill out the value of what you offer. Offering to cover a role for free when you are singing chorus is pull marketing. Soliciting donors on behalf of your home-town regional company is pull marketing. Starting your own recital series is pull marketing.

Even small efforts such as these mentioned can make a major impact on your career. Pull marketing is more that just being a team player and good colleague, it is being a savvy business person and ultimately it is essential toward building a sustainable career.

• Read More about pull marketing.

A giant thank you goes out to Dorothy Byrne for turning me on to this concept and terminology! Among many other talents, Dorothy works with highly-successful singers to refine their marketing strategy. She takes a deep personal interest in helping singers and is a genuine force for good in our business.