Recently I had the privilege to meet Carl Johnson a.k.a "Big Cee Jay," at an Orlando music conference. Big Cee Jay who is an industry mogul has worked with many southern artists like Jackie O among others. One thing Big Cee Jay prides himself on is giving back to the community and doing so he allowed me to pick his brain about the negotiating tactics he uses in the entertainment industry. Having numerous years in the entertainment industry specifically in music, Big Cee Jay was able to provide me with essential information that could help me in my future negotiating deals in the entertainment industry. I opened up the discussion by asking Big Cee Jay how he used his BATNA when negotiating a contract for an artist.
Big Cee Jay replied with,
“Most of the time if its anything dealing with a label I bring in a entertainment lawyer to do the negotiating. If it’s something dealing with another artist or endorsements I will step in and do the negotiating myself. Dealing with a label can be tricky and if you don’t speak their language everyday you can make some huge mistake. It’s best to bring in someone that works with those terms every day. Now dealing with features for your artist and working on endorsement is something a manager does every day. If you know your client's worth and have done your research you will do well in a negotiation.
I followed up that question by asking Big Cee Jay how did his "Status" play a role in his negotiations, Big Cee Jay stated,
“ With me most people know I’m fair but I want the best for my client. Before I sit down to do any negotiating I do my research so they know they can’t tell me anything. Make it known that you don’t BS and people will respect you at the table. (most people).”
Lastly, I asked Big Cee Jay how he separated the people from the problem when negotiating? Big Cee Jay’s response was,
“This is easy never make it personal keep it all business.”
So, there you have it some of the best advice you can get from an entertainment representative and it did not cost you anything. For more information on contacting Big Cee Jay visit his website at http://stepoutoflinepromotion.net/ or follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/BigCeeJay.
Interview by Brittney Boston ( BCB entertainment)
