January 2020 • Issue 184
The Monthly DJ Newspaper
Training Begins By Mike Walter
Barry and Coretta. Coretta and Barry. I’m going to be seeing a lot of these two over the next few months as we meet for weekly MC Training sessions in the hopes of getting them both ready to MC for Elite Entertainment by Spring. And I couldn’t be more excited about it! One of the first things I did back in the day when I worked at Star DJs (we’re talking late 80s here) was get involved in their “School of Live Entertainment” be-
cause I love the process of teaching. I often think I could have been a teacher if I’d chosen a different career path (although I could never handle the pay cut). So training DJs has been something I’ve done for over 30 years now, and I still get fired up about it. Barry and Coretta begin training with two completely different backgrounds. Barry is a veteran DJ who is looking to come on board here at Elite. I’ve heard his mixing on SoundCloud, and I know he’s got the skills. Plus I’ve heard him
The DJNTV Insider Edition speak and he’s got big, booming pipes. So for him, training will really be about learning the things we say. Bridal party introductions, counting off and leading line dances, and peppering a crowd with a prompt from time to time. If I can fill his head with those things, I think he’ll make an awesome addition to our staff. Coretta has been an assistant at Elite for over five years, and she’s worked at hundreds of events with us. So when I hand her some example “scripts” of things to say, she’ll probably have most of it down already since she’s heard our MCs say these things many many times. I imagine for Coretta, the biggest part of her training Mike Walter Continued On Page 22
In This Issue:
Page 1: Mike Walter Page 2: Brian Buonassissi Page 3: Mitch Taylor Page 4: Rachel Lynch Page 5: Brian S Redd Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 8: Thomas Heath Page 9: Alan Berg Page 10: Brian Kelm
Page 11: Harvey Mackay Page 12: Michael Joseph Page 13: Michael Lenstra Page 14: John C. Maxwell Page 15: Year End Charts Page 16-17: Top 50 Charts Page 18: John Young Page 23: Rob Ferre Page 23: Different Spin
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 2
10 Tips For Selecting Conference Speaker Walk-Up Music By Brian Buonassissi
t’s about to start for me – the big corporate conference season. A lot of companies get back from the holidays, and if they operate on a calendar year as opposed to a fiscal calendar year, they’ll have an allemployee 3-4-day pow wow to set-up their 1st quarter push. I get called in for these events all the time to create the soundtrack for their general sessions and be the voice of God. I am also hired to provide entertainment for some of their parties. The reason why I’m a regular on the circuit is because I don’t just show up and play. A LOT of work goes into each conference. I’d argue I do more work for these events than my wedding clients (not as much as my fashion events). In addition to setting the music vibe as doors open/close, I typically play all the walk-up/walk-off music for the speakers, which is the focus of this
article. How do you select what music to play? Let me give you some tips on how to go about this. Before I do that, though, the underlying premise of these tips is this: you must realize that your job is to be the “setup” man or woman, much like an opening DJ for the headliner. My role is to support the speaker as best I can. If you keep that in mind, these tips will take you far. TIP #1 RESEARCH THE SPEAKERS/ THEIR TALK: Have they done this talk before? If so, can you find a performance of it online? What resonates with their talk? Any songs come to mind watching it? What walk-up music was used, if any at all? Read their bio. Do they have any musical artists they like? From that initial pass, make a list of 5-6 tracks that could potentially work. This kind of research depth but will pay dividends for this event and others later on. TIP #2 REACH OUT TO THE SPEAKERS: If you don’t have the speaker’s direct contact information, reach out to the planner or event organizer. 99.9% of the time, they will love the fact that you are putting this much effort into the event as the DJ (very few do) and will give you that information willingly, as it makes them look good too! If you can’t get that information, stalk the speakers on Instagram or Facebook or go to their website and contact them directly through those mediums. Once you do reach them, don’t take up too much of their time. Make it quick – ask them first if they had any thoughts/ideas
(don’t give them your suggestions from tip #1 above just yet). If they have a track in mind (usually the more experienced speakers do), they’ll give it to you. If they don’t have any ideas, then you can share your thoughts. TIP #3 FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE A VIDEO THEY ARE USING TO INTRO THEM OR A VIDEO FURTHER INTO THE TALK: Usually, those videos have some music behind it. If that’s the case, maybe you can find the same song (or instrumental of it) and use that as the transition while they walk up. It’s subtle, but it makes the intro from the video to them talking feel seamless. TIP #4 TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LOCATION: If nothing is striking fire with tips #1-3, another idea is to look at songs from the location. If you’re in New York or Las Vegas, maybe play a song with the city mentioned in it. If you’re abroad, this generally becomes even easier as you’re dealing with a specific ethnic genre. TIP #5 TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LOCATION THE SPEAKER IS BASED OR THEIR NAME: Instead of where you are, maybe you pick a track based on where the speaker is based. If they’re from Australia, perhaps you use an Iggy Azaela track. If they’re from Boston, maybe you play a Dropkick Murphys. Another option is to use a song with the speaker’s name in it. Either option keeps the experience super tailored to the speakBrian B Continued On Page 5
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 3
How and Why To Thank A Teacher By Mitch Taylor
Did you have a favorite teacher? What is the one thing that they taught you that you couldn’t forget or live without? I’ve had many teachers over the years, but today I want to share with you a couple of teachers I’ve learned from, and what I learned from them. I think it’s really important that we think about that from the process of performance and the process of life. Fellow DJ News Writer Mike Walter taught me that it’s important to humble yourself and teach others that do what you do. You see, I had a mindset back in 2011 that “No one can do what I do.” Mike taught me how arrogant that statement was, and it made me sound like a pompous ass. Mike stated that not only can other people do what I did, but that I could train them to probably even do it better in some areas than I currently do. Going multi-talent back in 2011 was one of the best decisions I ever made, as it’s allowed me to have more balance in my life and my family’s life. Last year for our company Christmas party, I turned around and repaid the favor and lesson that Mike taught me by ordering our team all a copy of Mike Walter’s latest book “On This Date In Music.” When was the last time you showed gratitude to one of your teachers or mentor? My grandmother used to sing the phrase “Good morning to you!” to us as kids growing up. Looking back, that always set the tone for our day when we would go to our house. Jim Cerone is another man who has shown to me through actions and words that it’s always best to be kind. What random act of kindness have you done lately to help another human? Let’s put some action steps to this.
1. Take out a pen and paper or open up the notes app on your phone. Type in for the title: Thank A Teacher and use the hashtag #ThankATeacher. 2. Write down who some of your teachers were. Across from their name, write down specifically what it was they taught you? 3. Next, open up your social media platform of choice and share it with your followers using the hashtag #ThankATeacher. 4. Don’t stop there. There’s a better way you can repay them – and that’s directly. When was the last time you spoke with them? Reach out and contact them and express your gratitude directly. May-
be they are getting up there in years, and I’m sure they would love to hear from one of their friends or students and know that they had an impact on you in their life. Mitch Taylor is an 18 year veteran of the mobile disc jockey industry, starting out on the cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines. He is a member of the American Disc Jockey Association. Mitch owns and operates Taylored Entertainment in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and can be reached at 906.786.6967 or via email at mitchtaylor@discjockeynews. com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 4
Have You Checked Out Virtual DJ 2020? By Rachel Lynch
VirtualDJ has always struggled to sit at the “cool kids” table despite being the most used DJ software in the world. With 113 million downloads, it leads the industry with the lowest crash ratio among all programs and is continually pushing boundaries with innovation. Most agree the brand is plagued with an “amateur” stigma; however, VirtualDJ 2020 has come out with its gloves off and is commanding the respect it deserves. With its recent makeover, DJs who once scoffed at the program are now giving it a harder look. For the past 20 years, no DJ software has come close to the reliability and bold features of VirtualDJ, and this update is bringing it back to the top where it belongs.
Vocal critics felt previous versions were unsophisticated and dated, typecasting it as “mobile DJ only” software. While this couldn’t be further from the truth, the refined and flatter interface challenges this stereotype head-on. VirtualDJ 2020 has visually matured, addressing one of its most considerable shortcomings. Gone are the gaudy graphics and skeuomorphic designs. Everything now is sexier and elegant with muted iconic red and blue decks along with four streamlined default skins. Users can easily choose to display what is crucial to their workflow by selecting which interface (Starter, Essentials, Pro, and Performance) works best for them. Additionally, a DJ can customize any interface with an abundance of choices to make their experience personalized. The update is like buying a new pair of shoes that already feel broken in. Long term users will feel right at home while the newbies will learn and love the updated look. The modernized skins offer the same utility you have come to expect from VirtualDJ but in a more professional layout. This update also takes mixing to a new level with its integration of Beatport LINK and Advanced Harmonic Mixing feature. To start, DJs can refine their sets with the ability to play multiple tracks at the same time in compatible harmony. This means the listener won’t have to hear DJ blends that sound like someone is smashing random keys on a piano. VirtualDJ 2020 allows the user to autocorrect the opposing deck (if mismatched) within one semitone (up or down) without distort-
ing or affecting the fidelity of a track in an obvious way. As a result, DJs can expand their creativity and song sections to choices that otherwise wouldn’t be compatible. Also, VirtualDj has expanded its streaming arsenal with the addition of the flagship service Beatport LINK. With over seven million tracks available and curated playlists, DJs now have an additional music platform to rock events from start to finish. Sketchy Wifi? No worry. Beatport LINK PRO ($39.99/mo) and PRO+ (59.99/mo) provide limited offline “locker” storage for tracks to be accessed should the internet connection fail. This integration is an excellent addition for those needing a variety of music on the fly. It is no secret that VirtualDJ is known for taking risks on unique features before other programs adopt them. In the most recent update, Event DJs now have even more flexibility and freedom to interact with their guests and inject personalization with ease. The Event Scheduler in a revolutionary timeline management tool that allows the user to manually automate VirtualDJ functions in sequential order by writing mini bits of script (sounds scary, but it is super easy). A DJ can now schedule an array of actions to happen at specified times as needed throughout an event. Here are a few examples of how someone might use this new feature. A DJ can schedule a cocktail hour playlist to start 6:00 PM (in a different location) while they are packing up their ceremony rig. There is no Rachel Lynch Continued On Page 5
Last November By Brian S. Redd
Last November, I was the Keynote speaker at The Mobile DJ Meetup in Allentown, PA. My presentation was called, “What Do Mobile DJs Do Anyway?” I went this route because there were back to back presentations and seminars going on for the better part of two solid days, many of which were technical in nature. Going up last, I decided to give everyone a break and went lite in nature. This session wasn’t a scripted presentation. I did make notes to keep me on track, such as: Define what a Mobile DJ is, what music do we play and why, other duties do we take on, inspiration, and are we really the star of the show? (Spoiler alert: We are NOT the star)
Brian B Continued From Page 2 er. TIP #6 INSTRUMENTAL TOP 40 AND/OR R&B INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS WORK WELL: Songs like SOS by Avicii, Adventure of A Lifetime by Coldplay, I Don’t Like It, I Love It by Flo Rida, and Not For Long by B.OB. are good ones because they are somewhat familiar instead of feeling like elevator music or something too obscure. Also, you’ll notice these are all over the map tempo and energy-wise. Keep a folder with different vibes and moods with these walk-up/walkoff tracks in it. TIP #7 PLAY OFF OF THE SPEAKER’S GENDER: This is probably the last place I’d go, but sometimes it makes sense. Songs like “The Man” by Aloe Blacc or “the hook of “Respect” by Aretha Franklin can work well. Like all these song ideas, don’t get stuck picking every song based on this, but it can mix things up well. TIP #8 USE THE RIGHT PART OF THE SONG: Don’t play the song from the beginning every time. Sometimes the “gold” in the song for a walk-up is in the middle of the song or an instrumental section further in (example: SOS by Avicii). TIP # 9 KEEP THINGS UPBEAT AND BE AWARE OF ENERGY SHIFTS: I’d say for the majority of the conference events I do, I try to keep the vibe as upbeat as possible. This doesn’t mean going to
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 5 In the end, the take away was supposed to be: if we are not the star of the show, and although what we do can be entertaining, maybe what we do could be described as the facilitators of events. The plan was to start off with a short introduction before diving into bullet points. When I got up there, for some reason, I went into a 10-minute cold start riff about my intro song and why I picked it. The first words out of my mouth were, “Does anyone know that song?” What I ended up doing wasn’t much different than what I do as a wedding DJ: I read the room and played to the audience. They were tired. They were all trying to retain the technical data their brains had been stuffed with all day and needed a breather. Here’s a question they may not know the answer to, but the answer really wasn’t all that important anyway — time to have some fun. I still think that opener was the right thing to do and have no regrets, but what was that? In my mind, I was being helpful. At the time, I felt something like that was needed and would be appreciated, and I think it was. Maybe we’re just supposed to be helpful? Even on the technical side of things, like when I build a sound system, I’m trying to put something together that addresses
the needs of the audience beyond just playing music. It shouldn’t be painful to hear anywhere in the room, provide a hot spot of sound on the dance floor, yet allow for conversation areas elsewhere in the room. As tempting as that 18” sub is at the typical 150 person wedding reception, even if “I like bass,” a low-frequency boom in conversation areas isn’t helpful at all. Same with dance lighting. It can be a beautiful ambiance and really take people into some otherworldly place where they are not afraid to make fools of themselves on the dance floor. I need to do this without blinding anybody, or strobing lights to the point where it could cause discomfort, let alone put someone in danger. So, that’s my motto from now on: just be helpful! Which really should have been how I wrapped up my keynote. Maybe I’ll get a second chance to present this in February at the DJNTV DJ Convention 2020. If not, I’ll be happy to riff on this with you in the Chill Lounge. Practice & Enjoy! Brian S Redd is a Mobile/Club DJ in Milwaukee WI, DJ Youtuber and host of the greatest Tuesday Night Show on DJNTV! You can reach Brian at: brianredd@discjockeynews.com/
the extreme and playing festival bangers, but you have to be careful not to dip too low BPM-wise. Also, keep in mind how long they’ve been in sessions. If it goes all day, by mid-late afternoon, attendees can fall into that “need a nap” lull so the upbeat music can keep them going if you select tracks correctly. TIP #10 DON’T USE THE SAME SONG FOR MULTIPLE SPEAKERS: Playing the same track for multiple speakers minimizes the impact of that song, plus it’s lazy. Usually, I’ll go with a first-come, first-serve mentality unless I feel like a song is perfect for a particular speaker’s talk in which case, I’ll go to the other speaker and see if we can come up with something else. As you can probably see from these tips, this is not for the weary. It’s a lot of work,
especially if you want to stand out and be in demand. The silver lining, though, is that these conferences are lucrative, and it’s typically weekday work. If you can dial it in, this potentially means extra work for you. These types of events challenge you to think differently – not programming to fill a dance floor but setting the mood/vibe for an entire company experience, which personally I find more gratifying. What are your thoughts? Any tips I may have missed? Send me a note either way. Based out of NYC, DJ Brian Buonassissi is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury destination private events. He runs a multi-city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Southern California, Destin, FL and New York City. You can connect with him at brianbuonassissi@discjockeynews.com.
Rachel Lynch Continued From Page 4 need for the DJ to rush over to cocktail hour to start the music since the Event Scheduler starts the music on time every time. A DJ might choose to delay the start of a song while they walk out onto the dance floor to make an announcement, or a business can use a playlist with intermittent scheduled commercials. The only limitations are the DJ’s imagination. VirtualDJ 2020 is designed to cater to every type of DJ out there and will continue to push boundaries as the leader in innovation.
With its sleek interface and abundance of powerful features, its well on its way to winning over the skeptics. The grownup design is intuitive and intelligent. If you haven’t updated yet, make the jump. Their world-class programmers have always focused on the DJ and their individual needs, and this 2020 update continues with that tradition in offering features and updates that should excite every DJ. Rachel Lynch can be reached at rachellynch@discjockeynews.com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 6
How To Speak Fluent “WOW!”: Focus On Details By Ron Ruth
I had a very early morning, first-time doctor appointment recently inside the KU Med hospital that sits in the middle of a massive campus of medical office buildings in mid-town Kansas City, MO. When I entered the building closest to where I parked, I asked at the information desk if I was headed in the right direction to get to my appointment. The nice attendant told me I was actually a few buildings away from where I needed to be. But, instead of drawing me a map or pointing me in the direction I needed to go, she immediately picked up the phone and ordered an escort vehicle to pick me up right outside the doors (just a few steps away) to take me where I needed to be. As I finally entered the correct building, a young lady greeted me at the door with a smile to direct me to my doctor’s office. I was more than impressed with the care I was receiving---and I hadn’t even seen a doctor yet. I think we can all agree when a patient is sick or injured; the last thing he or she wants or needs is unnecessary frustration. It wasn’t that long ago that this level of “WOW!” patient experience was almost unheard of in the medical industry. Today, however, that industry is becoming more competitive, and the experience the patient enjoys in many cases is the deciding factor for where patients will go to get care. That’s why every hospital (it seems) has at least one billboard along the highway displaying their ER wait time. They know patients want conve-
nience and don’t like to be kept waiting. They want friendly, compassionate care and don’t want to be treated as a transaction. Those patients want to feel valued, special, and important---as though the experience they’re enjoying was created solely with them in mind. The biggest obstacle to improving customer experience in any industry is comparing your business to other businesses in the same industry. That sets the bar too low. Benchmark the customer experience you deliver against the best experience in service or retail-intensive
industries because that’s what your customers do. Every customer interaction with you is judged based on expectations set by the best players in all industries. In every business from retail to service to medical, the key to standing out and creating a strong customer experience is to find ways to connect with the end users---your consumers. Instead of relying on differences in quality of service or expertise, the best experiences come from touching on the customer’s emotions. That kind of connection Ron Ruth Continued On Page 15
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Perfect Vision For 2020 By Thomas Heath
Here we are again. We just finished what has been one of the, if not THE most transformative ten year spans in the mobile event entertainment industry. Technology has spurred so many advances that at times, it seems like you order a piece of gear or software, and by the time you get it, it’s already old news. Personal improvement has ALSO become so much more accessible. With online training courses, regional conferences, and digital training, there is no excuse for not being able to grow. The big question is, “What is on the horizon for the future of our industry?” I am certainly no Nostradamus (google it), but in this piece, the very first of the Disc Jockey News all digital editions, I will give you my visions of the future. And, since it is 2020, I thought it would be perfect (see what I did there?). First and foremost, I am here to say that I do not see DJs being replaced by robots. Technology is definitely moving faster than most of us can follow. The ability to read a crowd, take requests, filter those requests, and create an atmosphere that people will talk about for years to come, will be hard as heck to program. Subtle nuances with the music being played and the energy created by an amazing DJ during a dance party takes a lot of training and practice. I am personally seeing a lot of requests for a DJ that “Mixes and keeps the party going.” If mixing and party flow resonate with you, then you should have no fear of the machine. Speaking of the machine, I also hope for an all-in-one system for DJs and mobile entertainers that will cover the gamut of what we need to do to run a DJ business. Currently, DJs are using two, three, and sometimes four different programs just to run their everyday operations. Adding a DJ program and lighting control program for their performances, as well as a script reading program, and we are getting close to TEN different things that can get lost in the shuffle. I would love to see a DJ Event Planner, Vibo, Virtual DJ, Show Express, Honeybook hybrid. Since most DJs are a hybrid of public speaker
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 8
and performer, I hope to see more DJs invest in their performance as a Master of Ceremonies. Being a Master of Ceremonies is a lot more than making some announcements into a microphone or performing the “grand yelling of names.” It is all about creating a level of trust between you and the audience you are in front of at an event. I DJed for a great many years without any formal training as a Master of Ceremonies. After my first MarBecca MC Skills workshop, not only was I more confident on the microphone, my dance floors were better. I wholeheartedly believe this is all about trust. You build a quick rapport with the audience, you’re not the same DJ they’ve seen at every other wedding, and you aren’t interrupting them every time you’re on the mic.
Finally, I genuinely wish that there was an organization that was designed to build what we do into a respected career choice. Yes, there are some organizations out there that you can be a member of (if you’re in a big market), but I’m talking about a public relations group that shows the world that what we do is important. Many of us are full time, career DJs, but even part-time DJs can benefit from an organization like this. For one, it could show the world that we are more than just “the music.” Secondly, and this is a lofty goal, it would build a greater sense of support and community in our line of work. DJs, it seems, are their own worst enemy at times, but if we had a group that focused on improving our image, everyone would benefit from it. Thomas Heath is the owner of A+ Entertains of Boyne Falls, Michigan. You can reach Thomas at thomasheath@discjockeynews.com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 9
5+ Ways to Convert More Inquiries This Engagement Season By Alan Berg
One of the best parts of the wedding industry is that it’s recession-resistant. Of course, the other side of that is that you need to get a new audience every year. The holidays bring many things, including the beginning of engagement season. Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day are some of the busiest days for new engagements. If that’s not a holiday gift, I don’t know what is! The gift that keeps on giving One of the most important things to do when receiving a gift is to say, Thank You. And, that’s how I like to begin my response to every inquiry. Thank you. How do you begin your replies? Many wedding pros use: “Congratulations on your engagement.” While that’s certainly a nice sentiment, one of my clients secret-shopped their competitors, and 85% started their email replies with a version of that phrase. That in itself isn’t bad, but I want you to create a different experience from the first chance you get. Don’t get spooked by the Ghost One of the biggest frustrations I hear from wedding pros is that you reply, and then don’t hear back. In other words, you get ghosted. I’ve written articles about this, presented on this, and even written a whole book about it, and yet many of you are still experiencing the ghost. There are some easy things you can do to tweak the way you reply, in order to get more response and better results. So, here are five ways you and your team can convert more of the new inquiries you’ll be getting this engagement season, and all year: Respond quickly, using the same method that they used to inquire – a WeddingWire survey said that nearly 50% of couples said they chose the first wedding pro to reply to their inquiry. Another survey showed that almost half
expressed frustration when you don’t reciprocate their chosen method of communication. If you try to move them to a different form of communication, too soon, that’s a possible reason you’ll get ghosted. Keep your first reply short – it’s a sad fact, but our attention spans have gotten shorter. We don’t read, we scan, so sending too long of a first reply is asking for some people to not even read your message. Also, they’re at work, as we know that many of them are when they’re inquiring, and you’re replying. So, sending a message that takes up more than one screen on their phone is another reason for them to delay reading it, if they decide to at all. Don’t attach anything – from the secret shopping we do, I know that this is going to pain many of you. The most common reply we see is a copied-pasted message, slightly personalized, with an attached PDF brochure and/ or price list. Five years ago, that was a method that worked better than it does now. More and more of us are reading our emails on our phones, and while a PDF technically opens on a phone, the experience is not great. Also, the implication is that the information they need is in that document, so just by sending it, you’re delaying their response. And lastly, PDFs can’t make the sale for you. You have to do that. Remember to ask one, low-commitment question, at the end – two phrases I use, a lot, in my sales training, consulting and speaking are “reduce the friction” and “no dead ends.” Always have a next action, and make it as clear, and easy, as possible. Ambiguous next steps lead to ambiguous results. Clear next steps lead to clearer results. If you’re ending your messages with “Feel free to…”, “Let me know…” or “I look forward to…” you’re creating a dead end. What you want to do is ask one, low-commitment question, at the end, in its own paragraph. That way, when they scan your message, they’ll see the question and will be more likely to answer it. A low-commitment question is one that doesn’t require a lot of thought, doesn’t need them to consult with anyone else, and they can answer it now, on their phone, at work (when the boss isn’t watching). Asking about their venue location, guest count, whether they’re having both their ceremony and reception at the same venue, confirming their date, are all low-commitment questions. Asking for a phone call, virtual or in-person meeting, or asking their budget, are all high-commitment questions. I want you to not only be the first one to reply; I want you to be the first one to get a reply! Don’t give up – Another phrase you should live by is: “If you don’t ask, the answer is always, No!” I believe this so much that I had it printed on special cards to give my customers
to put in their offices. Most wedding pros give up after one or two attempts, which is way too soon. And even with that, the time between the first and second attempts is too long, often a week, or weeks. What that means is that those who try more times have a better shot, just because most others have given up. Those of you who’ve heard me speak about this, or who have read: “Why Don’t They Call Me?” know that I advocate trying five times before giving up, with only a day or days in-between. Many people have reported back to me how trying more times, more ways, has increased their conversion. Some have even said that their 6th attempt has gotten replies from couples apologizing for not replying. Life/school/work had just gotten in the way. How many times, and ways are you trying before giving up? The key is to develop your own voice, since people buy from people, not companies. You don’t want to sound like every other company or salesperson. That said, there are some basics, like these five tips that can get you better conversion from your inquiries, whether through your own website or sites like The Knot, WeddingWire, and others around the country and around the world. They started this! Keep in mind that this is not cold-calling. The person or people who are reaching out to you have already done a lot of research. They’ve looked online at some combination of websites, reviews, photos, videos, and possibly even got personal recommendations or, hopefully, saw you at another wedding or event. They’re beginning the process, so you don’t really need to sell them, you just need to help them buy the results of your efforts. Don’t sell ‘what’ you do, because someone else sells it cheaper. Sell ‘why’ couples like them hire you, and the results they can expect. Bonus Tip – Get professional help I know I said this was five ways, but I’m realistic, and I know that some of you would just prefer to have me help you personally, as long as the economics make sense. The good news is that my days are filled with helping wedding pros, just like you, get and convert more leads. Whether it’s through private sales training, a small-group Mastermind Day (with a few other industry friends), or speaking for your company, association, or group, I can show you how you, too, can get and convert more leads. Alan Berg has been called “North America’s Leading Expert and Speaker on the Business of Weddings and Events”. Find out more about his speaking, website reviews, consulting, books, DVDs and audio presentations at http://www.AlanBerg.com - email or call Alan, 732.422.6362
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 10
Keeping Up With The Joneses Doesn’t Make You A Better Performer By Brian Kelm
Doing what others do will never be authentic to you. It is a form of education, informing you of what others in the industry are doing and knowing where it’s going in their business, but it stops there. Unless your time is spent in learning, development, or something to hone YOU, do as others do will never be a very productive use of your time. The last thing I want is for anybody in this industry to make bad decisions based on doing what others are doing and to go through situations that could be avoided with your hard-earned dollars. Gear and tools will never make you better on their own – the first reason why customers buy is YOU. I see new pieces of equipment, and custom furniture come out, and everybody is drawn to it. DJs jump at things without a thought to if they need it, is there something wrong with what they already have, and will this make me better as a performer? It seems that once the “cool” factor hits with situations like this, any rational thought after that drifts away, and buying becomes commonplace until the next craze. After the new gear smell and feeling wears off, you are back to the way things were before and the skill set you have. This is a vicious cycle that occurs with new things and becomes very tempting and possibly addictive to join. Create the discipline to not give in to this behavior unless you have a need, want, and this purchase serves an immediate purpose that you can put into use right now. Remember, all the answers for you to be a better performer lie within you. Your
consistent hard work, effort, willingness, desire, passion, commitment, and vulnerability all culminate together for you to take action little-by-little while carving out your own space, who you want to serve, and who you want to become! A more skilled, talented, and passionate performer will always help create a better party, not the other way around. They know what it takes and all that is involved for event success. External things (gear and tools) enhance what has already been created. They can’t and won’t stand successfully on their own without purpose and leadership.
The desire for new gear to have the “cool” factor is never going to go away. It’s a part of this industry, and how you spend your money is completely your choice. But, knowing that looking inside yourself and what makes you unique is the only thing that you can count on for longterm impact! Brian Kelm, CWEP, CGWP, WED Guild is a 25+ year wedding entertainment and planning professional that has been all over the United States. Based in Wisconsin. Serving Anywhere. He can be reached at briankelm@discjockeynews.com
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 11
Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door By Harvey Mackay
I love creativity, and one of the most fruitful uses of creativity is landing a job. You have to set yourself apart from the crowd. Whether the job market is hot, when jobs are plentiful, or rough, when the competition is especially fierce, landing the job you really want takes some effort. Over the years, I’ve encountered some very creative ways that people have found jobs, and I would like to share some of my favorites with you. Social media is a great way to meet not only potential employers, but also a place to post some of your work or start a blog. How about creating your own website? Enhance your resume by adding images, graphs, color, and design. Make a video. One person even wrote a song. Send some extra special items with your cover letter and resume, such as cupcakes, cookies, a box of chocolates, or doughnuts that spell out your name. As hokey as that may sound, it can work. I really get a kick out of crazy stunts. Like sending a potential employer a shoe with their resume and a note, “Just wanted to get my foot in the door.” One guy took out a billboard touting his qualifications. I’ve heard people doing radio ads and creating an imaginative brochure or direct mail piece. Still, another sent a singing telegram praising her skills. One reader shared with me that when she was looking for a job, she went to the Atlanta airport and passed her resume out to dozens and dozens of business travelers. She thought this would be a good idea since a high percentage of travelers during the week are business travelers. As she passed out her resumes, she told the person to please give it to a decision-maker.
“It was incredible how many phone calls I received!” she said. She had several interviews and got a “great job in medical sales.” Another individual I personally counseled was zero for 100 in trying to crack the advertising ranks right out of college. She went to one of the top ad agencies in Minneapolis and offered to work for free for six months to get her foot in the door. It ended up in a permanent job. One woman who had been out of work for four months saw an ad for her dream job with a local TV station. The standard tactic – a cover letter and her re-
sume – netted absolutely nothing. So she launched a more imaginative campaign, which included letters from the fellow she was dating, from her lawyer, from her 80-year-old mother, even from her priest, who wrote, “I’m enclosing this in hopes that you will hire _______. It’s depressing to look at her sad face, and besides, we haven’t had a donation from her in months.” She got the job. Steve Schussler, founder of Rainforest Café and a good friend, had a dream of working in sales for a radio station in Miami. He went to a container compaHarvey Mackay Continued On Page 15
Evolve With The Times
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 12
By Michael Joseph
As technology changes, so do most of our lives. From my very first cell phone (that was as large as a Laptop) to the one I currently use (that can do as much as a laptop). From my first music editing software (that came on floppy disk) to phone and tablet apps that do more than that original software did (and most of those apps are free). At one time you had to use photocopiers, printers and fax machines to work up contracts for a gig now we can do everything completely paperless online. It has not been easy to keep up with the changes, but I feel that it has made my job as a DJ much easier and allows me to focus more on DJing and less on running a business. In the early days, a DJ would carry around a heavy mixer, two turntables, and a whole lot of records.
Now, besides speakers and lights, which have also become smaller, lighter and require a lot less wattage, most of the time everything I need, I can fit in a backpack. A laptop is an essential tool of the modern DJ. They are very powerful and versatile, so that means the DJ can do a lot more with a lot less. It not only allows me to play music files and video files I have on the laptop but also stream music and video files, just as if they were on the computer via wifi. The DJ software also lets me run special video and audio effects, have multiple custom video displays, and custom synced lights show with each individual song. All of that is controlled by the push of a button on one machine. Next is the midi controller (midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) That is a fancy way of saying the hardware can speak to the software. The controller changed the way that the DJ physically touches the music. What once was three separate pieces of equipment is now shrunk down into one controller with lots of extra bells and whistles. Many DJs say that the controller has taken away from the art of DJing. In my opinion, it has just added more colors to the pallet (We used to have the Crayola 8 pack - Now we have the 64 pack… with a sharpener) I have been spinning since the days of
33 and 45 vinyl, so I’ve seen musical trends come and go. I’m still using the same skills I learned on the old record players, but I feel now, I am able to do what I’ve always hear in my head. Like live production via cue points, special effects, and a whole lot more that I never even imagined I could do. I’m also able to play any format of audio or video and do that on as many decks as I want. Most nights I’m using 2 to 4 decks so, if this were 1989, I would need four turntables and a giant four-channel mixer to make that work. (No one in their right mind would want to carry that much equipment. I have no idea what the future of DJing will be like (maybe all touch screens / possibly software and music on the cloud only). All I know is that you can’t stop things from changing, so I encourage you to keep growing as a person, as a DJ, and as an entertainer. I recently heard a quote from Dave Ortiz (one of the original employees of the company Zoo York) that went like this: “Either you evolve with the times or you dissolve with the times. You have to figure out how to keep going” Michael Joseph (MJ) is the host of The Rewind Report and The Muisc and Mixing Show on DJNTV and has been a DJ in residence in Pittsburgh for a number of years. You can contact MJ at MJ@discjockeynews.com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 13 use Quicken or Quick books to track your income and expenses? What is your true bottom line? have been instrumental in helping you in that Are you using a money management sysarea - and where the numbers are low, what tem like Profit First - or any budget at all? can you do in that area to improve? Do you have a business plan? Does it need Google Analytics - Have you run your updating? google analytics lately - or asked those that As an entrepreneur, these questions are are in charge of your website to send you a as essential to your business as your mixing monthly report? What are they telling you? skills. Go tackle them and have a profitable Have the number of visitors been increasing or 2020. decreasing in the past couple of years? Have Until next month ~ Michael you opened up a tab in Google Chrome in inMichael J. Lenstra is a self-described Wedcognito (Ctrl+shift+N) and did a search using ding DJ and is celebrating over 25 years in the phrases that pertain to your business? Do you Mobile DJ industry. He is a full-time DJ/Enpop up in the top three to five? Do you have a tertainer, and is owner of Alexxus Entertainfour to five-star rating from Google Reviews ment in Dubuque, Iowa.He can be reached at there? mikelenstra@discjockeynews.com What about your bank statements? Do you
The Way I See It: Let’s Talk Numbers By Michael J. Lenstra
I’ll never forget those early trips to the Small Business Development Center, the government-run program that is designed to provide no-cost, confidential, customized, professional business advice for upcoming entrepreneurs. As I contemplated my move to becoming a full-time DJ, I was advised to speak to the people at the SBDC. My ‘counselors’ name was Terry, and although in the beginning, I felt he was only trying to discourage me from pursuing my dreams, I later understood what he was trying to do. He began by having me take a self-assessment test to determine if I was truly cut out to be my own boss, then he asked me a series of questions, mostly to do with finances, in a tone I felt was kind of condescending. But then he told me the secret reason why anyone should contemplate becoming an entrepreneur - and it had nothing to do with fulfilling your dreams. “To make money,” he stated, and he added it is the only reason to venture into your own business. “There are great mechanics out there,” he told me. “There are great chefs and great photographers,” he said, “but that does not make them great business people. He said, “Numbers don’t lie,” and then he made me go through a meticulous analysis of what it would take to be successful as an entrepreneur. “Numbers don’t lie,” he continually told me, and since that day, I have always tried to keep track of those numbers. Now that we are at the start of the new year - a new decade, it’s time to start working on your New Years resolutions and maybe time to look at your own numbers as well. Do they need adjusting? Sales - What is your goal for the coming year? A certain amount of events or a certain dollar amount to hit? Tracking your leads - If you have not been asking your clients - maybe even your possible clients, where and how it was that led them to you, you should. Where are your events coming from? Are they predominantly from bridal shows, website traffic, vendor referrals, or past events? Once you can determine where your business is coming from, you can determine if you have shown gratitude to those that
Self Improvement By John C. Maxwell
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions this year? More importantly, have you kept them? I once heard an amazing statistic about such annual goals: 91 million Americans make a New Year’s resolution each year, and—here’s the startling part—70 million of them break those commitments by the end of the first week. I can’t point to a scientific study that explains why so many people fail in this regard. But if I had to make an educated guess, I’d say it has something to do with the measurability—or lack thereof—of the resolutions. Let’s say your goal is to read more books about leadership and career development this year. Which resolution are you more likely to keep: “I’m going to read more this year than I read last year,” or “I’m going to read two chapters every day?” When you attach a measurement to an intention, you’re not just blindly shooting for some ambiguous goal. You have a real way to gauge your progress, which makes it much more likely that you will actually have some progress to gauge. This is a key principle to remember as you start tackling the self-improvement projects I talked about in the last issue of Leadership Wired. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. If growth in a certain area is essential to your success, you have to find a way to measure your improvement in that area. Otherwise, you won’t improve. Here are six other insights about improvement that will help you to devel-
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 14
op—and stick to—a blueprint for your own personal growth. 1. Set realistic expectations for your improvement. Ian MacGregor says, “I work on the same principle as people who train horses. You start with low fences, easily achieved goals, and you work up. It is important in management never to ask people to try to accomplish goals they can’t accept.” In other words, set realistic expectations for yourself. Think about what you can tackle in a day, because whatever you tackle today, you also need to tackle tomorrow and the next day. 2. Continual change is essential for continual improvement. This is one of the great paradoxes of success: The things which got you there are seldom the things which keep you there. There’s no way around it. If you want to improve, you have to change. 3. Motivation gets you started; habits keep you going. You can only stay fired up about working out at 5 a.m. (or learning to speak German, or teaching yourself how to build an internet site, or whatever you’re working on) for so long. After the novelty wears off, the daily discipline you established early in the process will spur you to continue. 4. We overestimate what we can do in a month, and we underestimate what we can do in a year. As a society, we are infatuated with big and fast. We’re always looking for a shortcut or a quicker way. But as anyone who has ever lost weight and kept it off will tell you, the improvements made over time are the ones that last. 5. Focus. Notice what well-known psychologist William James said about this: “If you would be rich, you will be rich; and if you would be good, you will be good; and if you would be learned, you will be learned. But wish for one thing exclusively, and don’t at the same time wish for a hundred other incompatible things
just as strongly.” His point? You can’t achieve everything. You have to decide what is most important, and focus on that. 6. Spend 80 percent of your time working on your strengths. As I often say, people don’t pay for average. Rather than trying to improve weak skills, devote most of your energy to developing your gifts and abilities. This might sound like a strange bit of advice, but think about it. If, on a scale of one to ten, your marketing abilities are about a two, hard work might bring you up to a five, but that’s still average. If you want to succeed, you must figure out what your strengths are and grow in those areas. (When I talk about strengths and weaknesses, I’m referring to skills. Two weaknesses that must be addressed are a lack of self-discipline and a bad attitude. You could have all the skills in the world, but if you have a poor attitude or you lack self-discipline, you will literally sabotage yourself.) Finally, as you formulate your strategy for self-improvement and begin to work on areas that need refinement (or perhaps even a complete overhaul), ask this question continually: Is what I am doing today getting me closer to my goal tomorrow? If so, you’re on the right track. If not, there’s no time like the present to regroup and start moving in the right direction once again. John C. Maxwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold more than 26 million books in fifty languages. The recipient of the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, Dr. Maxwell speaks each year to Fortune 500 companies, presidents of nations, and many of the world’s top business leaders. He can be followed at Twitter.com/JohnCMaxwell. For more information about him visit JohnMaxwell.com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 15
Billboard Year End Charts For 2019 1 Old Town Road Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus 2 Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse) Post Malone & Swae Lee 3 Without Me Halsey 4 Bad Guy Billie Eilish 5 Wow. Post Malone 6 Happier Marshmello & Bastille 7 7 Rings Ariana Grande 8 Talk Khalid 9 Sicko Mode Travis Scott 10 Sucker Jonas Brothers 11 High Hopes Panic! At The Disco 12 Thank U, Next Ariana Grande 13 Truth Hurts Lizzo 14 Dancing With A Stranger Sam Smith & Normani 15 Senorita Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello 16 I Don’t Care Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber 17 Eastside benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid 18 Going Bad Meek Mill Featuring Drake 19 Shallow Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper 20 Better Khalid 21 No Guidance Chris Brown Featuring Drake 22 Girls Like You Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B 23 Sweet But Psycho Ava Max 24 Suge DaBaby 25 Middle Child J. Cole 26 Drip Too Hard Lil Baby & Gunna 27 Someone You Loved Lewis Capaldi 28 Ran$om Lil Tecca 29 If I Can’t Have You Shawn Mendes 30 Goodbyes Post Malone Featuring Young Thug 31 ZEZE Kodak Black Featuring Travis Scott & Offset 32 Better Now Post Malone 33 Youngblood 5 Seconds Of Summer 34 Money In The Grave Drake Featuring Rick Ross
35 Speechless Dan + Shay 36 Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored Ariana Grande 37 Please Me Cardi B & Bruno Mars 38 Money Cardi B 39 You Need To Calm Down Taylor Swift 40 Panini Lil Nas X 41 Look Back At It A Boogie Wit da Hoodie 42 A Lot 21 Savage 43 ME! Taylor Swift Featuring Brendon Urie 44 MIA Bad Bunny Featuring Drake 45 Pop Out Polo G Featuring Lil Tjay 46 Beautiful Crazy Luke Combs 47 Thotiana Blueface 48 Lucid Dreams Juice WRLD 49 Mo Bamba Sheck Wes 50 Beautiful People Ed Sheeran Featuring Khalid 51 Wake Up In The Sky Gucci Mane X Bruno Mars X Kodak Black 52 Whiskey Glasses Morgan Wallen 53 God’s Country Blake Shelton 54 Be Alright Dean Lewis 55 Pure Water Mustard & Migos 56 The Git Up Blanco Brown 57 Taki Taki DJ Snake Featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B 58 Close To Me Ellie Goulding X Diplo Featuring Swae Lee 59 Envy Me Calboy 60 You Say Lauren Daigle 61 Hey Look Ma, I Made It Panic! At The Disco 62 Circles Post Malone 63 Beer Never Broke My Heart Luke Combs 64 The London Young Thug, J. Cole & Travis Scott 65 Con Calma Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry Featuring Snow 66 Murder On My Mind YNW Melly 67 When The Party’s Over Billie Eilish 68 Act Up City Girls
69 I Like It Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin 70 Trampoline SHAED 71 Leave Me Alone Flipp Dinero 72 Breathin Ariana Grande 73 Bury A Friend Billie Eilish 74 Close Friends Lil Baby 75 Baby Shark Pinkfong 76 My Type Saweetie 77 Worth It YK Osiris 78 Only Human Jonas Brothers 79 Knockin’ Boots Luke Bryan 80 Trip Ella Mai 81 Rumor Lee Brice 82 Swervin A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Featuring 6ix9ine 83 How Do You Sleep? Sam Smith 84 Baby Lil Baby & DaBaby 85 Look What God Gave Her Thomas Rhett 86 Good As You Kane Brown 87 Clout Offset Featuring Cardi B 88 Love Lies Khalid & Normani 89 One Thing Right Marshmello & Kane Brown 90 Cash Shit Megan Thee Stallion Featuring DaBaby 91 Tequila Dan + Shay 92 Shotta Flow NLE Choppa 93 Hot Girl Summer Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign 94 Talk You Out Of It Florida Georgia Line 95 Beautiful Bazzi Featuring Camila Cabello 96 Eyes On You Chase Rice 97 All To Myself Dan + Shay 98 Boyfriend Ariana Grande & Social House 99 Walk Me Home P!nk 100 Robbery Juice WRLD
Ron Ruth Continued from Page 6 makes them feel valued, special, important, and good about having chosen to do business with you. To speak fluent “WOW!,” look at your business from your customer’s point of view and focus like a laser beam on the little details that often get overlooked to remain top of mind in a very crowded marketplace…like providing an escort instead of simply pointing patients (customers) in the direction they need to
go. Businesses that take risks and make unique choices will set themselves apart from the pack---especially when they consider what actions are in the best interest of their customers. Delivering “WOW!” #CustomerExperiences makes a huge difference in every industry that caters to the buying public. By treating people as people and not a transaction, you’ll find it easier to produce experiences that will create a
base of high-spending, loyal, raving customers. To learn more about “How To Speak Fluent ‘WOW!:’ The Language Of HighSpending, Loyal Raving Customers.”--the customers you want to attract most to your business, please visit my website at http://RonRuth.com or email me at RonRuth@DiscJockeyNews.com
Harvey Mackay Continued from Page 10 ny and purchased a wooden barrel large enough for him to fit in. Then he went to a costume shop and rented a Superman outfit, complete with blue tights, red shoes, and cape. He paid two friends to deliver him in the crate to the radio station manager’s office. As it turned out, the manager was in a board meeting, but they insisted he come out, which he did with the entire board. When they finally slid the lid away, Steve flew out of the crate like a jack-in-the-box, gasping for breath. He smiled at everyone and announced, “I’m your new super salesman.” One of the board members said,
“Son, you are the sickest person we’ve ever met. You’re hired.” One of my all-time favorite job stories happened years ago when my youngest daughter was graduating from the University of Michigan. Seated up in the rafters, I watched thousands of seniors parade across the stage, collecting their sheepskins. Suddenly a roar went up from the crowd. A female student was walking across the stage with a placard on top of her graduation cap. In huge white letters were the words, “I need a job.” After the program ended, business people were falling all over themselves
to give her their business cards. Did she land a job because of her creativity? I don’t know, but I do know that 8,333 graduates without jobs sure wished they had thought of it first. Mackay’s Moral: Creativity has no script; it is inspired ad libbing. Reprinted with permission from nationally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us,” and “The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 16
Top 50 Charts for January 2020
The Weekly Printable Charts are available at http://www.DJNTV.com/charts Sponsored by iDJPool.com Pop 1 POST MALONE Circles 2 LIZZO Good As Hell 3 SELENA GOMEZ Lose You To Love Me 4 MAROON 5 Memories 5 LEWIS CAPALDI Someone You Loved 6 LIL NAS X Panini 7 SHAED Trampoline 8 TONES AND I Dance Monkey 9 DAN + SHAY & JUSTIN BIEBER 10,000 Hours 10 HALSEY Graveyard 11 DUA LIPA Don’t Start Now 12 JONAS BROTHERS Only Human 13 ARIZONA ZERVAS Roxanne 14 NF Time 15 THE WEEKND Heartless 16 TAYLOR SWIFT Lover 17 BLACKBEAR Hot Girl Bummer 18 HARRY STYLES Adore You 19 BILLIE EILISH everything i wanted 20 NIALL HORAN Nice To Meet Ya 21 ED SHEERAN South Of The Border 22 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER Teeth 23 WHY DON’T WE What Am I 24 KESHA Raising Hell f/Big Freedia 25 TRAVIS SCOTT Highest In The Room 26 SAWEETIE My Type 27 BTS Make It Right f/Lauv 28 AJ MITCHELL Slow Dance f/Ava Max 29 ZEDD & KEHLANI Good Thing 30 BLACK EYED PEAS X J BALVIN RITMO (Bad Boys For Life) 31 CHRIS BROWN No Guidance f/Drake 32 LOUIS TOMLINSON We Made It 33 PUBLIC Make You Mine 34 BILLIE EILISH all the good girls go to hell 35 MAX Checklist f/Chromeo 36 THE WEEKND Blinding Lights 37 ANT SAUNDERS Yellow Hearts 38 POST MALONE Take What You Want 39 DOJA CAT Juicy 40 CAMILA CABELLO My Oh My f/DaBaby 41 88RISING, JOJI, JACKSON WANG Walking f/Swae Lee,Major Lazer 42 ISABELA MERCED Papi 43 LOUD LUXURY & BRYCE VINE I’m Not Alright 44 AJR Dear Winter 45 TREVOR DANIEL Falling 46 BROCKHAMPTON SUGAR 47 DJ SNAKE, J BALVIN, TYGA Loco Contigo 48 MAJOR LAZER & J BALVIN Que Calor f/El Alfa 49 CHARLIE PUTH Mother 50 JONAS BROTHERS Like It’s Christmas
Urban 1 YOUNG THUG Hot f/Gunna 2 MUSTARD Ballin’ f/Roddy Ricch 3 WALE On Chill f/Jeremih 4 SUMMER WALKER Playing Games 5 DABABY Bop 6 QUALITY CONTROL/LILBABY/DABABY Baby 7 CHRIS BROWN Heat f/Gunna 8 CHRIS BROWN No Guidance f/Drake 9 LAYTON GREENE Leave Em Alone f/Lil Baby ... 10 TRAVIS SCOTT Highest In The Room 11 YELLA BEEZY Restroom Occupied f/C. Brown 12 DOJA CAT Juicy 13 LIL BABY Woah 14 DANILEIGH Easy 15 MONEYBAGG YO All Dat f/Megan Thee Stallion 16 FAT JOE Yes f/Cardi B, Anuel AA 17 RUSS & BIA Best On Earth 18 H.E.R. Slide f/YG 19 TORY LANEZ Jerry Sprunger f/T-Pain 20 ALICIA KEYS Show Me Love f/Miguel 21 MEGAN THEE STALLION Ride Or Die f/VickeeLo 22 GUCCI MANE Big Booty f/Megan Thee... 23 WALE Love...(Her Fault) f/B. Tiller 24 THE BONFYRE U Say f/6LACK 25 THE WEEKND Heartless 26 MISSY ELLIOTT Dripdemeanor f/Sum1 27 CASANOVA Coming Home f/Chris Brown 28 MEGAN THEE STALLION Hot Girl Summer f/N. Minaj... 29 SIR Hair Down f/Kendrick Lamar 30 YO GOTTI Pose f/Lil Uzi Vert 31 TYGA, YG & CARLOS SANTANA Mamacita 32 RUBI ROSE Hit Yo Dance f/Yella Beezy... 33 A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE Mood Swings 34 BABY KEEM Orange Soda 35 KANYE WEST Follow God 36 YK OSIRIS Ride f/Kehlani 37 NLE CHOPPA Camelot 38 JACQUEES Verify f/Young Thug & Gunna 39 ROD WAVE Heart On Ice f/Lil Durk 40 JUICE WRLD Bandit w/NBA YoungBoy 41 SIMXSANTANA Flexin And Flashin 42 BURNA BOY Ye 43 TROUBLE Ain’t My Fault f/Boosie Badazz 44 INTERNET MONEY Somebody f/Lil Tecca & ... 45 EURO GOTIT Turn Up 46 CITY GIRLS You Tried It 47 FABOLOUS Choosy f/Jeremih & Davido 48 CHRIS BROWN Overtime 49 TYLA YAWEH I Think I Luv Her f/YG 50 DVSN No Cryin f/Future
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 17
Top 50 Charts for January 2020
The Weekly Printable Charts are available at http://www.DJNTV.com/charts Sponsored by iDJPool.com Hot Adult Contempory 1 MAROON 5 Memories 2 LEWIS CAPALDI Someone You Loved 3 SHAED Trampoline 4 LIZZO Good As Hell 5 JONAS BROTHERS Only Human 6 DAN + SHAY & JUSTIN BIEBER 10,000 Hours 7 SHAWN MENDES & CAMILA CABELLO Senorita 8 POST MALONE Circles 9 MAREN MORRIS The Bones 10 TAYLOR SWIFT Lover 11 ED SHEERAN & JUSTIN BIEBER I Don’t Care 12 SELENA GOMEZ Lose You To Love Me 13 KYGO & WHITNEY HOUSTON Higher Love 14 JOHN K If We Never Met 15 TONES AND I Dance Monkey 16 NIALL HORAN Nice To Meet Ya 17 HALSEY Graveyard 18 HARRY STYLES Adore You 19 MARSHMELLO & KANE BROWN One Thing Right 20 DUA LIPA Don’t Start Now 21 X AMBASSADORS Hold You Down 22 ILLENIUM Good Things Fall...f/J.Bellion 23 KESHA Raising Hell f/Big Freedia 24 ED SHEERAN South Of The Border 25 P!NK Love Me Anyway f/C. Stapleton 26 DERMOT KENNEDY Outnumbered 27 MADDIE POPPE Not Losing You 28 WALK OFF THE EARTH I’ll Be There 29 PUBLIC Make You Mine 30 COLDPLAY Orphans 31 AJR Dear Winter 32 FITZ & THE TANTRUMS I Just Wanna Shine 33 LUKAS GRAHAM Lie 34 TATUM LYNN Later Baby, XO 35 THE RUA Hey You 36 LEWIS CAPALDI Before You Go 37 ARIZONA ZERVAS Roxanne 38 JP SAXE F/JULIA MICHAELS If The World Was Ending 39 CHARLIE PUTH Mother 40 ADAM LAMBERT Superpower 41 CAMILA CABELLO Liar 42 JONAS BROTHERS Like It’s Christmas 43 NF Time 44 DOMINIC FIKE 3 Nights 45 MEGHAN TRAINOR Wave f/Mike Sabath 46 A GREAT BIG WORLD/C. AGUILERA Fall On Me 47 WHY DON’T WE What Am I 48 TAYLOR SWIFT Christmas Tree Farm 49 THE WEEKND Heartless 50 BILLIE EILISH everything i wanted
Country 1 DUSTIN LYNCH Ridin’ Roads 2 DAN + SHAY & JUSTIN BIEBER 10,000 Hours 3 LUKE COMBS Even Though I’m Leaving 4 LADY ANTEBELLUM What If I Never Get Over You 5 JON PARDI Heartache Medication 6 THOMAS RHETT Remember You Young 7 OLD DOMINION One Man Band 8 SAM HUNT Kinfolks 9 MAREN MORRIS The Bones 10 JIMMIE ALLEN Make Me Want To 11 KANE BROWN Homesick 12 JASON ALDEAN We Back 13 GARTH BROOKS & BLAKE SHELTON Dive Bar 14 LUKE BRYAN What She Wants Tonight 15 JORDAN DAVIS Slow Dance In A Parking Lot 16 BRETT YOUNG Catch 17 INGRID ANDRESS More Hearts Than Mine 18 JAKE OWEN Homemade 19 KELSEA BALLERINI homecoming queen? 20 RILEY GREEN I Wish Grandpas Never Died 21 CARLY PEARCE & LEE BRICE I Hope You’re Happy Now 22 TRAVIS DENNING After A Few 23 RYAN HURD To A T 24 SCOTTY MCCREERY In Between 25 BLAKE SHELTON Hell Right f/Trace Adkins 26 GABBY BARRETT I Hope 27 ERIC CHURCH Monsters 28 LOCASH One Big Country Song 29 CAYLEE HAMMACK Family Tree 30 KEITH URBAN We Were 31 TRISHA YEARWOOD Every Girl In This Town 32 MORGAN WALLEN Chasin’ You 33 KENNY CHESNEY Tip Of My Tongue 34 MICHAEL RAY Her World Or Mine 35 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Blessings 36 GONE WEST What Could’ve Been 37 CARRIE UNDERWOOD Drinking Alone 38 CHASE RICE Lonely If You Are 39 JUSTIN MOORE Why We Drink 40 BILLY CURRINGTON Details 41 MADDIE & TAE Die From A Broken Heart 42 JON LANGSTON Now You Know 43 CHRIS YOUNG Drowning 44 KIP MOORE She’s Mine 45 RODNEY ATKINS Thank God For You 46 ELI YOUNG BAND Break It In 47 RAYNE JOHNSON Front Seat 48 HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH Hold On 49 JAMESON RODGERS Some Girls 50 DILLON CARMICHAEL I Do For You
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 18
When A DJ Association Might Not Be A DJ Association By John Young
WHOIS search results
NOTE: This is an investigative report on a recent situation in the DJ industry. All information reported in this article is supported by screen shots as seen in this article or by screen shots of conversations that occurred in researching this article. Since the time of this article’s writing, the questionable pages referenced in this article have been removed. On December 16, 2019, some women in the DJ industry were surprised by a PayPal invoice they received in their email inbox. They received an invoice from The American Female DJ Association.
https://www.godaddy.com/who
A quick search gave us the information behind the website and I found this:
WHOIS search results Domain Name: afdja.org
Registry Domain ID: D402200000010200196-LROR Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.godaddy.com Registrar URL: http://www.godaddy.com Updated Date: 2019-05-01T03:33:31Z Creation Date: 2019-05-01T03:33:30Z Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2020-05-01T03:33:30Z Registrar: GoDaddy.com, LLC Registrar IANA ID: 146 Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abuse@godaddy.com Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.4806242505 Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited http://www.icann.org /epp#clientTransferProhibited Domain Status: clientUpdateProhibited http://www.icann.org /epp#clientUpdateProhibited Domain Status: clientRenewProhibited http://www.icann.org /epp#clientRenewProhibited Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited http://www.icann.org /epp#clientDeleteProhibited Registry Registrant ID: CR369869427 Registrant Name: Brian Crist Registrant Organization: Hoosier DJ Services Registrant Street: 78 E. Creekside Drive Registrant City: Gas City Registrant State/Province: Indiana
“I was surprised because I hadn’t signed up for anything,” commented one DJ who received this invoice. Others were sharing a similar story of receiving this invoice unexpectedly. The American Female Disc Jockey Association (AFDJA) is a Facebook business page that also has a website url (http:// www.afdja.org) and a Google email address (seen on the Facebook page below). Some concerned with receiving the invoice shared negative reviews on the AFDJA Facebook page. This included one review that read, “Received a random invoice with not even being contacted about what a membership includes. Website does not work. Does not respond to messages asking for me[sic] info. Very strange and alarming.” The review fea2 of 6 ture has since been shut off on the AFDJA Facebook page. To find out a bit more information on what was going on, I started with one of the easiest spots to do your research on businesses with websites. The WHOIS database on GoDaddy.
Registrant Postal Code: 46933 Registrant Country: US The website is registered to Brian Crist of Gas City, IndiRegistrant Phone: +1.7656694235
ana. A visit to the website shows this: Registrant Phone Ext: The domain is owned by Brian Crist, but there isn’t any Registrant Fax: set up for this domain. hosting or website Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email: dj@hoosierdj.com Registry Admin ID: CR369869429 Admin Name: Brian Crist Admin Organization: Hoosier DJ Services Admin Street: 78 E. Creekside Drive
Brian was a Facebook friend of mine since last spring when he friended many in the industry to then ask them to like his AFDJA Facebook page. I reached out to find out what was going on. Brian replied to my inquiry that one female DJ was causing trouble “apparently because she was refused membership.” This led to my asking about who is behind the AFDJA? Brian’s reply, “No, I am the IDJA (Indiana Disc Jockey Asso-
Association continued on page 19
ciation). I am helping in an advisory position. I’ve also helped other DJs in other states with advice on setting up DJ associations.” (punctuation added to separate lines/sentences). Brian continued in our discussion when asked on who is in charge as, “these women,” which had not been identified prior to this point in our conversation. When asked on who is replying to messages, Brian stated, “You will have to get your information from them (these women). They don’t want non-members involved or will not answer to anyone, especially men.” This led me to looking to find out who these women were. Here is a look at the AFDJA Facebook page:
The page uses four images, three of which were put up shortly after the creating of the page, with the logo polo shirt a recent addition. The about page shows the website URL and the email to contact the AFDJA.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 19 the AFDJA; Lindsay Powers, director of communications for the AFDJA; and Kennedy A King, director of operations of the AFDJA. Serian’s profile page has a profile photo, a picture of a child, a logo for the AFDJA, and her cover photo as visible posts on the page.
So, it was time to look up those images. The main profile thumbnail is originally from Getty Images:
and is available to purchase for use on website and in print. A quick reverse search on Google shows:
The Facebook page didn’t lead to the names in any fashion, so I had to dig a bit deeper. Three names were found that claimed on their Facebook profiles to be part of the AFDJA. A Serian Crist, president of
Association continued on page 20
That Serian image is very popular on LinkedIn accounts based in India.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 20 Next we have Lindsay Powers. The Lindsay profile has 5 mutual friends (as does Serian’s) which both include Brian Crist. On Lindsay’s page we find this basic information:
A search of the Lindsay thumbnail image finds the image is used across the internet, and is also found as the thumbnail to one Jessica Jones:
Serian also has a DJ page of DJ Seri. On the DJ Seri page, there is the AFDJA logo, and the same cover photo from her personal profile page.
Finally, the last profile is Kennedy A. King:
That cover photo image is also a popular image being used as far back as 2013 for DJ related articles.
Upon searching Kennedy’s images, you find that the cover photo is an image of DJ Paroma and the cover image was used Association continued on page 21
in promotional pieces for her India based club DJ business. The Kennedy profile’s thumbnail is also a popular photo for women’s suits:
Kennedy King also has a DJ Page as DJ Kenneka, and the image on her page:
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 21 All of this leads to questioning the validity of ‘these women’ that are involved with the association. The reason the ownership of the Facebook page and who was responding to messages came up due to the conversation between the person that submitted a questioning review on the page and the page’s representative. In the conversation, the message refers to the one person who was ‘disgruntled’ and concluded by saying, “We too, have an army of members that can leave negative reviews and sabotage your pages, as well. Please remove this negative review or expect the same in return for your businesses.” When further asked about Brian’s role in the AFDJA, he stated, “I was ASKED to help them set up the organization. I secured a domain and I am developing the website and that is all. I will be an honorary “Associate member” I’m told - NO ADMINISTRATIVE power!” He continues, “This is NOT my battle and I’m respecting their (the women from above) wishes to allow them to form their own association. I’ve told you who started all of this drama and why and if you want to continue being a part of stepping on their association, you do that at your own risk, I have my own business and DJ Association to run. I haven’t THREATENED anyone and I am NOT threatening you...just stating my opinion. People will take sides on this issue and the women will come out being the victim at your hands.” Everything you see here is documented with screen shots of Facebook pages (I am now blocked from seeing the three profiles spotlighted above) and the chat conversations. For the record, Brian Crist also owns and operates the IDJA, the Indiana Disc Jockey Association as seen here:
Which is also very popular:
The IDJA is a registered business within the state of Indiana and was registered by Brian E. Crist Sr.. The IDJA was registered with the State of Indiana in 2008 with that expiring in 2011; and a second time in 2018. The IDJA is using a similar ‘membership drive’ structure as was used with the AFDJA. DJs were invited to join the group page for free for 2019, and were sent a Paypal invoice in December of 2019 for 2020 dues. With the IDJA, local DJs signed up for free, with the understanding that they would be charged for membership in the second year. Some felt the invoices were confusing as they didn’t say they were going to remain part of the group when they initially signed up for with a free membership. But, most were aware that they would need to pay for 2020 membership. Association continued on page 22
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 22
The Paypal invoice is as shown:
The last area that I would like to address before we wrap this investigation article is on Brian Crist’s public profile page About listings. This area showed his involvement in the AFDMike Walter continued from page 1 will be programming and mixing since, as an assistant, she hasn’t been the one making the musical decisions all along. She’s got a bubbly, vivacious personality, so my main job as her trainer will be to show her how to let that persona shine without stealing from our clients’ spotlight. MC training needs to be hands-on. I know some DJs who consider shadowing training. But it’s not. Just showing up at some events and witnessing you or your DJs performing is not enough. It helps (as I said, I imagine Coretta already has most of the things we say stored in her memory bank already). Still, until you get someone on the microphone and hear them say the things you want them to say, how you want them said, and then have the opportunity to critique and polish them up, you’re not really training. It would be like asking a medical student to watch a few surgeries, then releasing them
JA, the IDJA, many other businesses, and his being a ‘contributing writer’ for Mobile Beat magazine. Mobile Beat magazine is an industry publication that was started by Bob Lindquist in the 90s. Bob was very involved with the magazine until the sale of the publication in 2006 to Ryan Burger. While Brian Crist may have attended a local Mobile Beat meeting at one time in Indiana or might have subscribed to the magazine prior to 2008, there is no record or memory of the name Brian Crist as a writer or contributor for Mobile Beat from either of these past or current owners or the long time Mobile Beat editor.
with a scalpel in hand and allowing them to cut open some patients. They’ll have skipped that one important step: hands-on experience before it really matters. For
med students, that’s operating on cadavers. For MC students, that is performing in a classroom setting before actually taking the responsibility of leading their own events. Like I said at the top of this article, I couldn’t be more excited about training
Coretta and Barry. I love to watch the maturation process and seeing an MC go from fumbling their way through bridal party introductions to delivering those same introductions flawlessly. It usually takes a few months of weekly sessions, but by the time it’s all over, by this Spring in Coretta and Barry’s case, I will have the confidence of telling my sales staff that they can start booking these two. They are “Elite Certified.” And I’ll know that when they rock their events, they are representing myself and Elite Entertainment as best they can. The only way I can have that confidence is through hands-on training. Mike Walter is the owner of Elite Entertainment of New Jersey and a nationally recognized expert in the area of multisystem company development and staff training. You can contact Mike at mikewalter@discjockeynews.com.
Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2020 • Page 23
Filling The Void - Convey Value, Trust And Unique Services By Rob Ferre
I often hear the phrase, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I often apply this to furthering my education within the event industry. If you are reading this right now, you are committed to learning and furthering your business. You are wanting to learn more and become more. I often laugh at the entertainers and DJs who say on online forums such phrases as, “I don’t need to go to conferences, I am confident with my skill set.” “I think I have all I need to know when it comes to DJing.” Here’s the one fact, there will always be someone better than you and someone who is getting more money than. So here is my question for you, don’t you want to make more money? Of course you do! Here’s the thing we want our clients to spend more money with us, so we have to educate them and fill the void and educate them on our value. I am continually learning from other wedding and event professionals on how to sell myself and create connections. So here are the three things we need to do to fill the void: create trust, have a compelling USP (unique selling proposition), and convey our value. Creating trust is the first key to connecting with our clients. I am often looking for connection and trust in the people I choose to hire to
help me. When it came to my dentist, it was someone I knew and trusted. When it came to my financial advisor, it was someone I knew through networking and began to trust overtime who eventually I hired. When it came to deciding which business coach to use, it was someone I knew but gave me value without asking for money first. These are people who gave me valuable knowledge, advice, and trust before asking for the sale. Most of the time, they never even asked for the sale. It does take some time to create that trust. Sometimes we don’t have the time to develop that initial trust. So how do we gain that trust? By referrals. A warm referral from someone your potential client trusts almost always ends in a sale. I am always nurturing my network and creating relationships of trust. Have a compelling, unique selling proposition that no one else has. Your experience is one thing, but what you can do that one else can do is a valuable asset to bring to the table. Sometimes you may not know what the unique selling proposition is. This is where you can go to past clients and even trusted associates for advice. Ask them what is something that I do that you don’t see any other DJ doing? Even go on social media and ask, “What are three words you would use to describe me?” Then go ahead and use those words in your marketing and sales process. Your USP could be anything that is your signature performance piece like a Love Story, custom mixing, or custom light show. It also could be your customer service. Your approach to the planning process. The fact you are a full time DJ and have been to industry conferences like Pro Mobile. Or have taken courses like the “Performing Art of Public Speaking.” But build your credibility as someone who is serious about DJing and providing the best entertainment possible. The hardest part is trying to not sound like you are bragging. I often use the phrase, “I tell you all this so that you know that I take my job and your event seriously.” But remember to be authentic to yourself and your talents. No need
to cut down your competition, communicate what makes you unique. Last, convey your value. Your value is not the tangible things you bring to the table like equipment, lights, music, etc. Your value can be communicated the outcomes your client will experience. A great way to do this is through storytelling. You can tell stories of past clients you have helped and how their event turned out. Even better, have your past clients tell those stories through video and reviews. You will see and hear the value they put on your services. Another part of the process is giving value before asking for the sale. I am often advising my clients first. I love to start the conversation by asking what other vendors that have in place for their event. I like to give them solutions to their problems but adding me in as a solution. One way is to give your advice away for free. There are many ways to do that. On your blog list advice on giving toasts, list the top 10 songs you open the dance floor with, top 5 things you should know before booking a DJ. This could be in a blog or even in a video. I have made TV appearances on local TV programming when I have given tips like the ones I suggested. I send videos of these tips in marketing and even initial inquiry emails. Giving value before asking for the sale helps create that trust, that likability, and makes you unique all at the same time. When it’s all said and done, I often conclude by saying, “Let me be a resource, my advice is always free.” More than anything, I want to be a resource to my clients even they don’t book with me. You never know that client may come around again and hire for a different event. My goal is to make sure they have the event they envisioned. If it’s not with me, fine, but I can lead them in the right direction. But when you do convey that value and get the sale, you can charge your value. Level up your game, level your value, and fill that void. You can connect with him at RobFerre@discjockeynews.com.