I plucked this bit from the website of a guy I sorta-kinda know, attributed to another guy I sorta-kinda know: "It's not about luck. It's about managing risk, so in the end it looks like luck."

Q: How do you convince someone to do something for you?

A: You manage the risk. In fact, you take as much risk away as possible.

Want to get booked at an A-list club? A club owner needs to sell lots of drinks. Can you lessen that risk?

Want to get more people to your shows? Think about all the things a person has to deal with when going to a show. Travel. Parking. Paying the cover. How can you make it easier for them?

Want more people to buy your CD? What are the risks involved? What has stopped you from buying a CD?

How do you keep your recording projects from going over budget?

What about press coverage? Radio? Podcasters?

Once you understand the risks you're asking someone to take for you, it's a lot easier to find ways to lift the pressure off them. And then it's a lot easier for them to say yes. Do this enough times, and it'll sure look a lot like luck.