While I was channel surfing the other night I came upon a cable bio about preteen America's favorite bad role model, Britney Spears. Say what you will about Britney — that she's a product of some unholy alliance between the fashion industry and the makers of pitch-correction software — but let's face it, she has more money than God. Spears has obviously done a few things right in addition to looking good.

One of her most important assets was emphasized by the music-biz people interviewed on the show. Everyone spoke of how clear sighted, focused, and professional Britney was when she was starting out — at the age of nine! Only nine years old and she had her game together. Sure, a maniacally ambitious stage mom obviously must have had a lot to do with Britney's success, but the fact remains that if lil' Britney had walked into her first agent's office acting like a typical nine-year-old instead of like a seasoned pro, right now she'd probably be running for class president and doing karaoke at sorority parties.

While we're at it, let's remember that business savvy isn't something only for ex-Mousketeers gone bad. Even the most talented musicians know of its importance. Prince is an example. Journalist Timothy White writes in his book Rock Lives (Henry Holt, 1990) that Prince's favorite class in high school was an extracurricular course called “The Business of Music.” Love Prince or hate him, no one can deny the extent of his musical gift. Yet, talented as he was even at a very young age, he also understood the importance of music's business end.

I've been on both sides of the artist/business relationship. Consequently, I've had the chance to learn from my own mistakes as well as from those I've seen others make. Like any other young musician I had to learn how to do everything myself: promotion, negotiating bookings and record deals, finding good studios, and so on. When it came to dealing with others, I quickly understood that to have any success, musicians must adopt a simple yet overarching philosophy: Be Professional. Adopting a professional attitude is the first step toward achieving success. Before you learn the mechanics of business, you must learn to present yourself in a professional manner. Almost every artist you've ever heard of knows that. You should, too.

It's hard to pin down a specific definition of the word “professionalism.” More than anything, it means putting forth your best effort at all times, onstage and off. It means presenting yourself in the best possible light to club owners, booking agents, A&R reps, writers, fans, and everyone else with whom you do business. Compared with learning how to play music, it's pretty easy. If a nine-year-old with shaky intonation can wow seasoned show-biz types with her professionalism, then surely any reasonably intelligent young adult can, too.

To get anywhere businesswise you have to inspire confidence in people who don't know you and who might never have heard your music. That means you need to do your homework, getting your total act together, and treating people with respect. There are an infinite number of areas in which a professional attitude comes into play.

Let's imagine that you've scheduled a meeting with a music industry figure; it could be a prospective agent, an A&R guy, whoever. Here are some tips to help you make the best possible impression.

You don't need to wear a suit and tie when attending a meeting; you aren't interviewing to be President of Finland. But don't be a slob, either. Dress stylishly and reasonably. In other words, it's probably not a good idea to show up in roller blades and a fishnet thong.

It's important to be able to clearly express your goals and vision, both from a musical and business perspective. It's not cool to swear a lot when meeting with someone you've recently been introduced to, even though it often seems as though virtually every person in the business has invented his own variation on the F-word. Excessive swearing doesn't connote extreme intelligence, and you want that future agent/producer/promoter to think you're smart enough to make him lots of money.

Remember that we're all in a similar (if not the same) boat. That A&R person you secretly think of as a cold-hearted, gate-keeping bastard is really just a human being like you. Be generous in the way you think of and approach your potential business partners, and you're bound to make a better impression.

Not just about yourself, but about other musicians, as well. Positivity is contagious. So is negativity. Don't insult other musicians within earshot of someone else. You're never going to convince someone that you're great by putting down someone else. I've tried it. It doesn't work. Also, try to be (at least, somewhat) happy. The whole depressive genius thing isn't a big selling point, Kurt Cobain notwithstanding. That's not to say you should exude irrational joy. Maybe your music is depressing. That's okay. But try to keep your chin up when dealing with business folk.

While it's good to present a contented front, don't be too animated when you're trying to sell yourself, lest the person think you're nuts and take out a restraining order on you.

Sadly, some people in this business are less than honest. Listen to what people say. Ask questions. Make it clear in your dealings that you are serious enough not to be ripped off.

Don't kiss butt. Everyone in this business has an ego, but unjustified flattery (as in “I just loved that Al Gore rap album you produced!”) will get you nowhere. At the same time, don't assume that a personal appeal won't help your cause. I'm more likely to listen to and review a CD or attend a certain gig if an artist calls or sends me a personally written note (extra credit if she exhibits a familiarity with my work).

It's not okay to be fashionably late, especially when you're meeting with someone who can make or break your career.

Nothing says that someone is a total amateur more than a sloppily recorded and packaged demo CD. As a writer, I can tell you I'm far more likely to listen to a demo or a release if it looks good. People sometimes hear with their eyes and other parts of their body (see “Britney Spears”). Furthermore, the sound quality should be as good as you can make it. Don't take for granted people's ability to hear past murky production values for the genius within.

If you do only one thing, print a card. Print it as soon as you have the first inkling that you might become a musician. People do not keep a scrap of paper with your name and number scribbled on it, but they will hold on to your nicely printed card. It's easy. All you need is a computer, a printer, a copy of Microsoft Word, and a set of Avery business-card blanks.

Use the best gear you can afford. Say you convince an A&R rep/prospective agent/booker to come see your showcase. She isn't going to cut you slack because you're singing through some cheap Radio Shack mic. She's just going to know that you sound like crap.

And so on. You get the picture. In the end, being professional simply involves using your common sense while mixing in a little of the Golden Rule. Use your head, and your chances of making a living (and being happy) playing music are greatly increased.