Over this past weekend I had the pleasure of of interviewing my mentor Mr. Carl Council, best known to most as just C.C. I asked C.C. to be my business mentor during the summer of this year because of his success in multiple entrepreneurial business ventures. C.C. is the owner of C.C. Smokehouse Grilling services, has created his own
barbecue sauce selling in Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs, is an A&R scout for Sony’s Blackberry division, and managed several gospel artists. C.C. was kind enough to not only grant me an interview on the topic of negotiation, but advise me on managing music artists.
When asked the first question of this interview, how do you separate the people from the problem when you are negotiating, C.C. provided a profound answer that actually spans broader than just tactics of negotiating. C.C.’s response for separating the people from the problem was a simultaneously simple and not so simple, “learn to discern people” (Council, C. (2014, October 4). Personal interview). This is a simple answer, but the skill of discernment can take many years to develop unless one is being lead by God. This answer is also one that provokes thought; some may wonder ‘how does being able to discern people impact negotiation and allow one to separate the person from the problem?’ I understood C.C.’s meaning to be, discernment is a secret weapon when negotiating; having that ability will allow a person to sense the motives, mindset, and heart of the opposing party and apply a humanistic perspective to the negotiations, thus allowing one to separate any problems from the people involved. C.C.’s advice for new negotiators in the music industry was again simple yet profound, “believe in your artist whole-heartedly because your artist is your product” and “don’t gamble, don’t put in any more than what you are able to give away”(Council, C. (2014, October 4). Personal interview).
C.C. offered many great pieces of advice in response to my second question, how do you handle positional bargaining tactics. The first of his answers focuses on the preparation for negotiation, “build your product” to give yourself leverage. Second, “don’t try to compete,” because competing with others will cause you to lose focus. Third, in negotiations “start high” so you have room to give. Fourth, but an answer C.C. noted as most important, “use networking and build relationships within the industry”. C.C. shared with me in elaboration of this point that even negotiations can be impacted by the relationships you develop. Lastly, C.C. provided an example of how knowing your interests (or bottom line) and the interest of the opposing party can help in negotiating to a mutual benefit; he shared that if a major label offers the artist any amount less than $3 per album sold will not allow the artists or manager any revenue (Council, C. (2014, October 4). Personal interview).
I am so grateful to C.C. for sparing the time for this interview and all of the information he provided. I am especially appreciative to have him as my mentor. I hope with his guidance and insight I am able to make him, as well as many others, proud and make a positive difference in the lives of those who are also pursuing their dreams within the music industry.
