September 2010 Disc Jockey News

Disc Jockey News SEPTEMBER 2010 • Issue #71

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The powers that be at DJ Times want- clusive upgrades. When Jason said “emed this year’s International DJ Expo to brace the new media or you’ll quickly be be bigger and better than ever. After all, a dinosaur and soon after be a fossil” it in an indus- was as bold as statement as you’ll hear try that has at a convention. He made his point and seen con- also continues to stamp himself as a risv e n t i o n s ing star in the Mobile DJ Industry. Peter come and Merry was brought in by the New Jersey go, twenty Disc Jockey Network to lead a seminar years of Ex- entitled “Make It Fun.” In my opinion pos is some- there is no one better in this industry at thing to cel- MCing weddings (with that great Godebrate. given voice of his) and Merry showed By all off some of the unique things he’s done a c c o u n t s , for couples through the years. It was one they deliv- of those “you had to be there” seminars ered. and if you were, you know what I mean.

T a k i n g Another highlight of the education was place at The a seminar I contributed to. Steve Moody Taj Mahal put together what he called “All-Star from August 16th-20th, The 2010 DJ Wedding Secrets Revealed.” To be Expo (dubbed “X20”) brought thousands on the same panel as Johnny K, Adam of DJs to the boardwalk. This expo tra- Weitz and Liz Daley (to name a few) ditionally attracts everyone from world was a dream for me and I can only hope I famous DJs to the bedroom hobbyist and didn’t embarrass myself compared to all this year was no different. You might those heavy hitters. have found yourself in the same elevator DJ Times also prides itself on their with DJ Jazzy Jeff or Sean “Hollywood” showroom floor and indeed many of Hamtheir atilton. tendees A n d p u r where chase e l s e “ E x can you hibit witness Only” a scinpasses. tillatT h i s ing set year, as

by DJ you apSkribble in a lounge s o small y o u c o u l d Darryl Jake Jacobsen gets literally carried away during his step up DJ of the Year performance on the stage proached the Exhibit Hall you could acand see him mixing? (which many DJs tually feel the walls thumping. How the did.) “quiet booths” like the ADJA can even Seminar-wise, X20 was solid. The ed- carry on a conversation over all that muucation this year was sales intensive with sic is beyond me. Troy Ackermann of DJ Steve Event Moody Plana n d ner was Jerry smart Bazata enough providto take ing two a booth awef a r some away semif r o m n a r s t h e on the fray. He s u b might ject. h a v e Jason b e e n J a n i tougher a l s o to find led a but at semileast he nar that could was a Eight “Past Champions” who performed as part of the Mon- explain p e r - day Night Mobile Party his fine sonal product favorite of mine. “The Brand of You” without a megaphone. But if it’s thumpwas a 90 minute talk that included ev- ing bass and flashing lights you want, erything from SEO to offering more ex- DJ Times has the vendors just for you.

MDJ ad56 10.0827

By Mike Walter

bold move at a competition that features mostly games and dances, but Adam is an incredibly talented DJ and musician and he pulled it off. Congratulations Mr. When you can watch DJ Roonie G mix Weitz and the entire crew from A Sharp one of his incredible sets at the Denon Productions. booth space and then go compare simiThe one night that I can speak honlar products at the Pioneer exhibit, you estly and truly about (because I have know you’re at the DJ Expo. nothing to do with and can’t even get a The last piece of the puzzle at any VIP Pass even though I’ve had multiple good DJ Convention is the night time ac- subscriptions to Promo Only for 13 year tivities. After all we are not an industry now . . . but I’m not bitter) is the Promo of early birds.

Only and PioAs the host of neer party that the Monday happens evNight Mobile ery year on the Party and the Tuesday night We d n e s d a y of the convenNight DJ of the tion. With a jam Year Competipacked line-up tion it is hard highlighted by for me to be Mike Posner, unbiased about Kelly Rowland, these events. So Shaggy, Saltwhen I humbly N-Pepa and say they were Judy Torres, the “amazing nights party went well filled with into the wee more talent on hours of the one stage then morning. Way you’ll ever find past this writanywhere in the ers bed time in universe,” you fact. I can remy good reader, port first hand may think I am that Judy Torexaggerating res still sounds just a bit. You amazing and might also disthat Shaggy is agree that my as entertaining two dogs are in person as he the best look- Mike Walter with DJ of the Year winner is on record. As ing canines God Adam Weitz far as the rest of has ever crethe acts, I might ated, but again, that’s where we’ll agree suggest John Young find a younger reto disagree. The one thing I can report porter to fill in those details. with no bias is that this year’s winner of I attend a lot of DJ Expos and conthe coveted DJ of the Year competition ventions. From the smaller regional is Philadelphia’s own Adam Weitz. His ones (shameless plug: I’ve been booked performance focused on how to entertain to speak at Robbie Britton’s ARM DJs a crowd after you lose power. It was a Mike Walter continued on page 2

PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010

Surprise! It’s Your DJ!

By Mitch Taylor

“HI! How are you? Well…it’s about 2 weeks left to go before your reception….can we go over your Wedding Party names?”

Unfortunately, this is the conversation that many DJs have around that time before the reception.

The sad reality is that they booked that bride and groom about 10 months ago. What happened to communication from month 10 to 2 weeks before? Answer: it was nonexistent.

Why? Why does it have to be that way? It doesn’t. In fact, you are LOSING REFERRALS for every reception that you perform this way. How? How can that be you say….I didn’t perform the reception yet and they haven’t seen what I can do. The answer is that your process BEFORE the performance can earn you referrals as well. Think about

his wedding day. This DJ does a site visit with the bride, groom, her family and/ or coordinator to ensure room layout is the best it can be for the day WAY in adit. How many brides have friends who vance. He meets with the bride, groom are also getting married at the same and/or coordinator at least twice before time? Let’s look at this from the brides’ the day to ensure that every last detail is covered, he has a planning checklist to perspective.

Brides talk…some way more than go through and creates detailed agendas others, but they do. So what if you are so everyone that is working together will giving GREAT customer service with know what to expect and when.

DJ #2 never met the bride and groom your bride, discussing ideas for the flow of the event, making fun suggestions for until the wedding day. He was wondera surprise later in the evening, sending ing which bride was his when two limos her forms to personalize her event. Her pulled up out front of the reception vengirlfriend hasn’t seen or heard from her ue. He will likely “go through the moDJ at all since he got her check and hasn’t tions” at the event, performing this event even thought about the planning aspect. JUST like he has done every event for his They talk at a friend’s house one night whole career. He never called the bride and now the second bride is a little upset and groom in advance because “Hey…. that she hasn’t heard from her DJ at all why do I need to? I’ve already got their while yours is raving about you and how money. That’s what I wanted.” He didn’t much you have helped her. Do you think think that by helping his clients get what the second bride may be having second they want he can ultimately get what he thoughts? Meanwhile your bride is talk- wants.

The bottom line difference between ing you up to all of her friends.

Now let’s look at this from the DJ’s these two DJs and the experience that perspective. What are they doing dif- these two brides will have at their referently? The first DJ has a plan and is ception is this: One DJ will care enough working it. He follows up with his cli- about the event to guarantee its success ents on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, and sincerely wants to make his clients thanks to his amazing tools with www. dream come true. The other just used it djeventplanner.com (shameless as a sales pitch to “get the sale” and will plug). His bride stays informed with ultimately cheat his client out of once in wedding tips sent to her email address, a lifetime memories that could have been the groom gets ideas for how to shine on 100 times better if he had only CARED

more about his client in the first place… and didn’t just look at her as a paycheck.

What can you DO to be better? Your challenge is to produce referrals not only as a result of your performance, but as a result of your planning and customer service. How many have you received lately based on that?

Mitch Taylor is a 18 year veteran of the mobile disc jockey industry and got his start working on the cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines. He is a member of the American Disc Jockey Association, WED GuildTM, and recently earned his ACE of Sales certification from Jeffrey Gitomer. Mitch owns and operates Taylored Entertainment in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and can be reached at 906-786-6967. Mitch can be reached at mitchtaylor@discjockeynews.com

Mike Walter continued from page 1

tainment was star next June) to the larger national shows. studded. DJ Times I attend with an anticipation of wanting has led the way for to learn and recharge my batteries at the this industry for 20 years now, publishing a magazine that keeps us informed and producing shows that bring us all together. I honor The Disc Jockey News for even publishing an article that praises a rival publication in the industry and I thank DJ Times for helping us all become better DJs and business owners.

Mike Walter is the owner of Elite Entertainment of same time. Rarely am I let down which New Jersey and a some might say makes me too easy to nationally recogplease. I prefer to think I am the type of nized expert in the person who looks for the good in any ex- area of multisystem develperience and more often than not finds it. company With all that admitted to and upfront, I opment and staff Virtual DJ Booth; Brad Gertz entertaining the crowd at the DJ of the Year Competition; Looking still feel this year’s DJ Expo (X20) in At- training. You can for the latest in lighting and sound? The DJ Expo has it!; Finalist for DJ of the Year and winner of lantic City was a special week. The edu- contact Mike at the Best Choreography award, George Kramedas. cation was first class, the showroom floor mikewalter@discwas jam packed and the evening enter- jockeynews.com. www.discjockeynews.com 29442 120th St. Grey Eagle, MN 56336 Phone: 320-285-2323 Fax: 320-285-5264 Published by The Disc Jockey News Corporation

Editor/Educational Production Manager: John Young john@discjockeynews.com 320-285-2323 office 612-597-4499 cell Sales: 320-285-2323 office 320-285-5264 fax sales@discjockeynews.com

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Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010 • Page 3

Starting From Scratch

By Jeff Richards

Starting from scratch is a monthly column that will help those new to the Disc Jockey industry. Each article will cover what it takes to be a successful mobile DJ. Today’s topic: Improve your performance.

Recently my wife and I were guests at a wedding where I was not the entertainment. It had been over five years since the last time we attended a wedding at which I was not the disc jockey so we were excited about getting out together, having fun and dancing the night away.

To give full disclosure to this story I will let you know that my wife is a friend of the bridal couple from her church and I was originally asked to DJ their celebration. I offered them a rate that was about half of what I would have normally charged but it was still not in their budget so they found another who was a friend of a friend to the B&G. I personally knew this DJ from a previous factory job of yesteryears and knew he had started his business within the last three years.

I entered the reception with an open mind not wanting any preconceived notions about the quality of the DJ before the event started. When I saw and heard what I did, the actual performance was

much worse than any idea I could have had. I do not wish to “bash” this particular DJ so I thought for this article I would take some of the simple mistakes made by he and other DJs and give some ideas about how to improve your next performance. These ideas have been around for a very long time but sometimes we, including myself, get into a pattern without knowing that we are making these simple mistakes.

1) SMILE! A smile on your face at all times will make the guests feel more comfortable and feel you are approachable for requests and questions. Without a smile you may look angry, bored or unhappy to be there and this attitude can transfer to the guests. A smile will also help when you’re making announcements. It’s strange but if you’re talking on the phone or a microphone, smiling will change your tone and will naturally help you sound enthused even if you are not.

With this also comes eye contact.

Even if you are far away from the guests always make or look like you are making eye contact with them. It’s all part of the “Trust” relationship you need to have with your clients and guests.

2) Tone of voice. The way you say things is just as important as what you say. Some DJs fall into a monotone voice where their tone never changes range. If you talk in a single monotone it comes across as if you are bored, angry or depressed. Some DJs will try to sound like the old 70’s AM radio DJs . Speaking this way can make you sound fake and cheesy. You should always speak with an upbeat, happy sounding tone.

You don’t have to be Michael Buffer but

you also do not want to be Brad Roberts either.

3) Planning. This is one of the couples most important days of their lives and not only are you there as the entertainment, you are also part of the planning team. Have a very detailed plan and timely schedule completed with the couple and make sure they, the bridal party, the parents and the other vendors all know what will happen and when. Information is a helpful tool and the more everyone involved knows the smoother the event will be.

4) Introductions and Announcements. The introduction of the bridal party and the way you make announcements will direct the guests as to the tone of the party as well as motivate them to participate in the event. Print out in a large, easily read font the introductions and announcements along with any phonetic spellings for pronunciations of difficult names. If you need to read off a sheet do not hold it directly up in front of your face. Keep the paper down low, out of the sight of the guests and make it seem like you’re not reading off a paper but have everything memorized and flowing as if it was nothing for you to do.

5) Know the Names: Knowing and using the names of the bridal couple is extremely important. It is also helpful to know the names of the best man and maid of honor as well as the first names of the parents. It will help you sound more professional and also give the image to the guests that you are a friend of the clients.

If needed write the B&G’s names on a stick on note and place it somewhere that the guests don’t normally see but is easily available for you when speaking. Don’t write them on your hand! If you are about to say their names and just

hesitate for a second or mispronounce the names you will lose credibility with the guests and possibly upset your clients.

6) Lighting & Sound Equipment: Know your equipment and how it works. Know how to trouble shoot problems quickly without drawing more attention to the problem. Things can go wrong but if you are educated about your equipment you can solve the problems without stopping the show or causing discomfort for the guests. If you have quality equipment to work with, fewer problems can/will arise. Using cheap equipment bought at Spencer’s gift stores or free computer programs like media monkey or iTunes can cause more problems then they are worth. Lighting is a personal preference so I’ll just say this… cop lights are not cool and went out of style in the 90’s. If you’re still using cop lights remember that they have an off switch and should not be left on all night, especially during the slow romantic songs.

7) Song Sets. Know your music and how to create fun short song sets.

A set should be approximately four to six songs long in one genre, style or theme. I like to create a set of a several fast songs that is ended with a slow song from that same genre/style/theme. I then start the next set with a fun fast song of a new style/genre and continue until it ends with a slow song. Slow songs are the perfect way to end a set or to segue into the next set or a special event.

Dancers have a tendency to tire after a few fast songs so if you slip a slow one into the set it gives them a few moments to rest. Instead of sitting down they are ready to dance the fast tunes again.

9) Attire: Being properly attired is very important especially for a wedJeff Richards continued on page 5

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PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010

Five R’s Of The Best Business And Marketing Planned Actions Pt 2

By Ken Day

Last month I introduced the concept of the Five R’s of the Best Business and Marketing Planned Actions. This month, we will dig into those five areas: Right client, Right message, Right service, Right time, and Right price.

The Right Client Here the basic idea is that companies need to allocate resources toward individuals who are likely to respond favorably—and profitably— to whatever message is directed toward them and away from individuals who are likely to respond unfavorably or favorably but unprofitably. This concept seems to be lost on our industry as we seek all takers of our service at any price.

The Right client may be all customers with a specific value index to the company--and who, for example, may be elevated to higher levels of customer care or receive a special rewards package. The right client may be all consumers who have a certain “style concern” for a specific type of event or single aspect of that event type - and who, in this instance, may be sent an offer for a co-branded service package that reflects his/her affinities regarding one specific element of their style.

Following are some possible considerations regarding “Right client” decisions: • Is the client likely to respond favorably to the message/offer/treatment . In other words, is he/she likely to buy the product or service, appreciate the treatment, respond favorably to the message?

• Is the individual likely to recommend your products and/or services to others?

• What is the customer’s decision-making process?

• What information/interactions are needed for the client to make a purchase decision, and how long is the decisionmaking cycle?

• What key criteria (price, convenience, quality, brand association) are at the forefront of the client’s purchase decision?

• How will the client likely put the product and/or service to use once purchased?

• What type and frequency of support will the client require after the purchase to make them a repeat client?

The Right Message Today there are more ways than ever to interact and transact with prospects and clients, from direct mail, e-mail, texting, bridal show kiosks, phone, and mobile devices. The Right message for directing a particular action depends on any number of factors, including the nature of the action, the economics of using one message modality over another relative to the potential value that could be realized, and both the inferred and the stated message preferences (if known) of the individual being targeted.

Following are some possible considerations regarding “Right Message” decisions: • Which message modality is the most effective and/or efficient in directing the desired action, based on previous campaign results, client situation, etc.?

• What is the target client’s stated message preference, if any?

• What are typical client response behaviors to the message?

• What is the cost-to-serve relative to other message options (tied also to indi-

vidual client value)?

• What is the optimal message mix, if more than one message modality, for interacting with the target client?

The Right Service Directing a service can take any number of forms. These can include sending a message, making a recommendation, presenting an offer, extending an invitation, and providing a solution. The different varieties and permutations of messages, recommendations, offers, invitations, and solutions are practically infinite.

Given Pareto’s Rule, which states that most companies derive the vast majority of revenue and profits from a small percentage of customers, the right service may be no service. Indeed, doing or offering nothing at all—and thereby preserving resources—may actually be the most appropriate service in many cases. You don’t always need to offer or provide every service that you are capable of and more critically – you don’t need to personally own every piece of equipment know to man. Seek out the resources and co-branding with those around you. In other words work together instead of against each other. Decide who will make the expense of purchasing certain equipment that each of you can rent/ utilize from each other for the mutually and financially beneficial aspects of your businesses.

Following are some possible considerations regarding “Right Service” decisions: • To what extent is the service customized to the perceived wants, needs, interests, situation, etc. of the client?

• If an offer, does it make sense to bundle the offer with other company products/ services?

• What actions should follow, based on purchase sequence contexts?

The Right Time An article titled “The Perfect Message at the Perfect Moment”, published in the November 2005 issue of the “Harvard Business Review,” made the following assertion: “When you talk to your clients is just as important as what you say.” The authors envisioned a computer model that communicates with customers “at the exact moments the customer deals with the company, be it during an address change or the purchase of a baby seat.”

Indeed, the most effective driver of Right-time decisions lies in the area of event triggers. Put simply, an event trigger increases the probability of another specific event occurring in the near future.

To cite a common example, an engagement ring company might make a marketing pitch after noticing a customer made a large deposit or a credit inquiry while perusing the ring section of their store. This is merely the beginning of a cascading series of events that typically involve the same types of event professionals. Meaning, the DJ is in this chain of events and yet we wait to become involved in this typical progression of cascading events until far later in the series. Thereby, nearly negating our own value.

The key to setting the event trigger dominoes in motion is pattern recognition.

The moment a pattern changes is often the right moment to take action. Indeed, a deviation from a person’s normal purchase behavior can serve as an excellent early indicator of an impending event in his/her life. The detection and recognition of the deviation can then be used to trigger a specific action.

Observation; How often do you see a man in a jewelry store looking at rings outside of when he is planning to propose?

Advice: seek out these fractures in general patterns of life, which fit into events that have cascading elements involving

your business.

For example, in anticipation of the arrival of a new baby, parents-to-be naturally tend to make a significant number of baby-store purchases. Given the ability to detect and recognize this pattern, a financial services company would be in the enviable position of being able to put forward specific products geared to the new parent, such as a life insurance policy or an educational savings account plan and have those specific offers present in the area that the soon-to-be parents can see them.

Following are some possible considerations regarding “Right time” decisions: • When will the target client have the greatest receptivity to the message/offer/ recommendation/treatment – and be most likely to respond in a favorable way?

• What sequence of client purchases (“purchase career path”) should inform the timing decision?

• What key event triggers should inform the timing decision?

“Just like hitting a baseball, timing is everything when talking to your client” observe the authors of the “Harvard Business Review” article. “If you don’t provide the right message using the right delivery vehicles at the right time, chances are your customer is going to ignore your hardcrafted pitch.” Thus, going to someone else who hit the timing just right.

The Right Price The Right Price is an area fraught with opinion and controversy. I’m not going to provide you with a hard and fast number and yet I will provide you with a way to create a valid pricing matrix that will be ideal for you and your company regardless of what those around you are charging.

The best way to start most things is in

the beginning, but not here. We need to start at the end – meaning; How much do you want to make? Realistically, and not some whimsical number you came up with just by picking a number out of the sky or based on what your competition lied to you about regarding their annual income was.

So here is the smartest way to decide what your pricing should be.

• Decide how much net (after the bills are paid and toys/equipment is purchased) profit you’d like to make per year. It doesn’t matter if you are full time, or part time, or a hobbyist.

• Calculate, as closely as you can, what your monthly bills are, i.e. rent, phone, utilities, gas, insurance, music services, repairs, all the business expense related items, and multiply that by 12.

• Decide what equipment, lighting, audio, office, business, etc. you desire to purchase during the course of the year and total that number.

• Decide how many shows you want to perform per year. This can be you as a sole operator or your team as a multi-system operator.

• Take dollar amount from #2 & #3, add them together.

• Take the total of #5 and divide it by the total number of performances you have chosen from #4. This is the amount of money you need to make at each performance just to cover your expenses. You have NOT made any money yet!

• Now, take the dollar amount you chose for #1 (your desired net income) and divide it by the number of performances you chose for #4.

Ken Day continued on page 6

Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010 • Page 5

Who Do You Trust?

By Kelly Suit

One of the challenges of writing a monthly article is deciding what to share. I’m very thankful that I’ve been given free reign to discuss pretty much whatever I want. When I decided to try to make a living as a mobile DJ I honestly didn’t give it much thought.

I didn’t know what to expect and had no idea of where it would take me. I didn’t have direction and never anticipated all the different hats I’d have to wear to be successful. I became a DJ because I loved the energy that was created by the songs and programming I selected. I didn’t do it to become a business owner, a sales person, an accountant, and so on. One of the biggest rules that I learned very early on is that no matter what you want to believe you are in this business, you are a sales person 1st and if you aren’t a good sales person it’s hard to make a living in this business.

So with that said, I wanted to share a recent experience that illustrated this very clearly. My wife and I decided to do some home remodeling. We have an older home and we knew for quite a while that the plumbing would need to be redone before we had a leak and we also wanted to replace our 50 year old bath tub. We called a company that we had used in the past and where one of our friend’s husband is employed. He came out and gave us an estimate and because we already trusted them and because we liked them, we were pretty certain that we’d be using them. Before deciding, we called a couple other plumbers that we knew to make sure that the price was reasonable. Well, as it turns out their quote was $2000.00 more than the other two companies.

Now, like I said, we already like and

trust the 1st company so rather than just go with the cheaper quote, we called them to share the prices we found. Rather than lose the sale, this company met the other quote. This is called negotiating and learning this technique allowed us to do business with the company that we really wanted to do the work. If they had countered with a still higher price, but with more value (say included installing our new toilet and vanity) we would have still gone with them, but getting the better price was a very acceptable option for us as well.

While we demolished the tub surround it quickly became apparent that we were going to need to get a professional to put down a new tile floor and a tub surround (it was 2 inches of plaster surrounding the tub once we removed the tile). The plumbers gave us the number of two different contractors that they have worked with. This is called getting referrals and is vital if you want to be successful! Since we liked and trusted our plumbers by proxy we trust their referrals.

My wife calls both contractors to set up a consultation. The first guy she calls is the one that the plumbers have worked with the longest and the number that they gave us originally. When he answered the phone, it wasn’t with his company name, it was just hello. My wife asked him if he was “ABC contractor” and he said yes. According to my wife he wasn’t overly pleasant on the phone and she didn’t have warm fuzzies, but she set up a consult. The second contractor my wife called was given to us as an afterthought by the plumber’s office staff (I guess they figured if the first guy was busy we’d have another option). When he answered his phone it was with his company’s name. He was very pleasant and my wife set up a consultation with him as well.

That evening they both came out to see what work we needed done. The first guy brought out his camera to show some of the work he’s done. He looked over everything and takes measurements. He didn’t give us a price since the plumbers weren’t finished. He asked

if he could come back out when they are done to give us a price. He was fairly pleasant, but his attitude changed once we told him that we had someone else also coming to give us a quote as well.

Suddenly he seemed more desperate and even a little agitated, but we agreed to have him come back out when the plumbers were done.

The second guy came out and was very pleasant. He seemed excited to work with us and was very positive even when we told him that he is bidding against someone else. He also took measurements, but he gave us a ball park idea of what some of the repairs will cost and followed up with saying that he is somewhat negotiable in that the more work we have for him the better price he can give us. The next day he comes by and drops off a packet with an itemized list of all the work and prices, his insurance policy, references, and bonding paperwork. The first guy waited until the plumbers were done to call us back and never offered us any of the paperwork Jeff Richards continued from page 3 ding. You don’t have to wear a Tux, but you should wear something professional and/or stylish. Your attire will change depending on the style of event, but you always want to look clean, neat and properly dressed for the event.

10) SIGNAGE: Business signs are taboo to the industry and have been for over ten years. No other vendor at that event has a sign, neither should you. Your DJ signage will forever be in their wedding pictures and no one really wants to look back many years from now to see your sign showing up in every shot of their once in a life time event.

If you’re a good DJ people will ask for your card, if they are not asking then you may need to rethink your performance.

11) Tip Jars: They are tacky, unsophisticated and make it seem as if you’re begging for money. If you need to rely on a “Tip Jar” to survive, just raise your rates. If you do a good job for a client they should naturally tip you at the end of the night. Begging their guests for a

that the second guy gave us.

I’m pretty sure you can guess by now who we selected. I never actually saw samples of the second contractor’s work, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the first guy’s work is better based on what the plumbers told me, but we didn’t like nor trust the first contractor so the quality of his work wasn’t part of the equation. In fact, we never even had him come out to give us a quote so he could have even been cheaper than the contractor we chose.

When all things are equal, we choose to do business with people that we like and trust! When things aren’t equal, we still choose to do business with people we like and trust! The next time you lose a client to a competitor, realize that they did a better job of connecting with the client then you did. Treat your prospects like gold and only good things can come from it.

Kelly Suit can be reached at kellysuit@discjockeynews.com.

few dollars is just not proper or appreciated by the clients.

12) MUSIC: Make sure you have all the designated formal dance songs with you along with back up copies. You don’t want to be missing something as important as the B&Gs first dance song.

I use a PC for my events but also bring along CD back up just encase something should go wrong with the computer.

What would you do if your lap top fails and you do not have music for the party?

As I was leaving that wedding I was embarrassed to be known as a DJ by many of the guests in the presence of this business. Like many others we left early not wanting to suffer anymore of the anguish they called entertainment.

This show was a prime example of the phrase “You get what you pay for” because this DJ told me he did the party for FREE. To respond to Jeff’s column send an e-mail to jeffrichards@discjockeynews. com

PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010

Talkin’ Bride With Tamara

By Tamara Sims

As we head into the end of our summer wedding season in Chicago, I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me further connect with my clients during the sales process and can help you reaffirm the value of hiring a professional DJ entertainer.

Don’t disregard your cocktail hour music! My dear friend and mentor Mike Walter inspired me during his seminar earlier this year to create upbeat, toe-tapping cocktail hour playlists. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was searching for songs with the words love, dancing,

happy and fun and I have received many compliments from my DJ staff (including Jay who can be difficult to impress!).

Some favorites include “Feelin’ Good”

by Michael Buble, “Love Will Keep us Together,” by Captain & Tennille (yes, I am dating myself with this one!), and “Dancing in the Moonlight,” by King Harvest. What a great way to start the party off with positive energy…and I bet as you are reading this you are smiling now too!

You can really sell the value of your DJ Entertainment services by emphasizing your role as Master of Ceremonies. I was shocked at the number of brides and grooms I have met with recently who were surprised that their DJ would also take on the role of Master of Ceremonies at the wedding. “We just thought our DJ would play music and make a few announcements.” How many times have we heard that comment? Take the opportunity to provide video footage

or testimonials showcasing your role as MC. Remember this is probably the only time our clients will ever hire a DJ entertainer, so it is our job as “experts in the industry” to educate our clients on the value of our services.

Make their first dance unforgettable. My clients get so excited when I ask them how they selected the song for their first dance. “Wow…no one has ever asked us that before,” is the typical response I hear. If their song has a special meaning or story behind it, as Master of Ceremonies you can share the background history with their guests, and then simply let the moment breathe as they dance together as husband and wife.

Don’t be afraid to suggest a hint of color. Lighting is often an overlooked element, but it can truly transform your wedding reception into something magical. When meeting with your clients find out what type of centerpieces they are having, if there is a theme and what color scheme they are envisioning. A bride I met with just the other day envisioned her ballroom in the colors of peacock

feathers. So we brainstormed some different ideas and came up with a plan to make her vision come alive with color and light. Whether you provide Uplighting around the entire ballroom, a simple monogram, or a few pin spots, the results will be dramatic…get creative with your clients and remember the possibilities are endless.

I hope these tips will lead to increased sales and will enhance the reception experience for each and every guest. To learn more creative wedding ideas, please visit Tamara’s Blog: http:// www.something2dance2.com/blog/ Tamara is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment in East Dundee, IL, which she proudly owns along with her husband Jay Sims. She has over 20 years experience in the wedding industry and loves to create wonderful wedding memories for her brides and grooms. You can contact Tamara at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.com.

How Last Minute Is Last Minute? Top 30 Clean High School Songs From: John Young Sales <john@discjockeynews.com> Subject: Date: August 31, 2010 4:03:37 PM CDT

SchoolDanceNetwork.com

By Arnoldo Offermann

As our company heads full swing into homecoming season (mind you, we still do weddings year-round), I get a nice long break to sit and gather my thoughts about the year so far. Once that 24 hour break is over (that’s long in this business, right?) I come up with one or two things I can apply from now on.

I’m not sure why, but this year I’ve seen one huge trends in weddings: Lastminute changes. I’m not talking about your small “we changed the time of the cake cutting” or “play this song during dancing” type of change.

I’m talking about “I am changing the entire order of the bridal party five minutes before the grand intro” type of change.

Or how about “I need to redo the entire timeline” change the day before the wedding?

I always try to be accommodating and hate telling someone no. Then I thought… “Why? This does nothing but cause stress. What’s the final consult for, anyways?” Does a cake decorator gladly change a cake design at the last minute?

Does the caterer willingly change the cheese selection in the hors d’oeuvres… without charging extra? How is our craft any different than food to a caterer or a cake to a pastry chef?

Am I saying you should charge for last-minute changes? Nope. I’m asking: do you like working more than expected for free?

Some may argue “you should charge enough in your basic rate to cover these burdens.” If you are in that school of thought, do you price yourself and let your client know that they can change things last-minute, or do you give them a deadline for turning information in. What are the penalties if they don’t?

When we do a video slideshow, I need the CD one week ahead of time for preparation and customization. When a client fails to turn it in at said timeframe, they

are not at my mercy of doing the best job I can with limited time.

Again, I hate saying no.

I also hate staying up until 3:00 in the morning.

I had a client redo the ENTIRE lineup at 1AM on the same morning at the day of the wedding. This wouldn’t be big deal except that for my shows, I like to memorize the order of the names as well as tidbits of info on each couple. When the order is switched around.. I had to re-memorize the order AND practice the script some more.

The day of the wedding, I was informed they switched it again. This was 5 minutes before the grand intro. WHAT??

It seemed this went on and on throughout the season: last-minute special dances, a special toast BEFORE the grand introduction (gee, why would I need to know this tidbit?), and even a changed first dance song.

Last-minute changes open the possibility for a mess-up, no matter how experienced you are. Sure, you could give your client a “last-minute” disclaimer and let them know you cannot guarantee results, and if you mess up or things go less than perfect, they’ll have to understand.

What about the guests? They don’t know what happened; in their eyes, you performed less than your usual stellar self.

I now tell my clients a simple deadline: No more drastic changes a week prior to the reception. If a change needs to be done in less than a week, they are to call me immediately. If I do not feel I can make the change with a 100% flawless execution, then I cannot guarantee that I can do the change. There are always exceptions, and I will try my hardest to make it work… but with a final consultation that often takes 2-3 hours and 24/7 access to my cell phone, there’s very few reasons for a last-minute change.

So what say ye? Have last-minute changes added unneeded stress to your events? How do you handle it? Do you discuss it with your clients? If not, think about adding a policy on how you will handle last-minute changes and stick to it!

Arnoldo can be reached at: arnoldooffermann@discjockeynews.com.

LW TW Artist Title 1 1 Taio Cruz Dynamite 6 2 Eminem Love The Way You Lie 5 3 Usher DJ Got Us Fallin In Love 2 4 Katy Perry California Gurls 9 5 Jason Derula Ridin Solo 3 6 B.O.B Airplanes 4 7 Usher OMG 12 8 B.O.B MAGIC 7 9 Travie McCoy Billionaire 13 10 Enrique Iglesias I Like It 8 11 Mike Posner Cooler Than Me 14 12 Sean Kingston Letting Go (Dutty Love) 10 13 Lady Gaga Alajandro 11 14 Tao Cruz Break Your Heart 17 15 New Boyz Break My Bank 18 16 Flo Rida Club can�t Handle Me 15 17 Black Eyed Peas Rock That Body 23 18 Katy Perry Teenage Dream 16 19 Drake Find your Love 18 20 Ready Set Love Like Woe 22 21 Kesha Take It Off 20 22 3OH!3 My First Kiss 28 23 Bruno Mars Just the way you are 19 24 Nicki Minaj Your Love 25 25 Nelly Just a Dream 26From:26JohnJay Sean 2012 (It ain�t the end of the Young Sales <john@discjockeynews.com> Subject: world� 31, 2010 4:04:55 PM CDT 21Date:27August David Guetta Getting Over You 29 28 Cali Swag District Teach Me How to Dougie 24 29 Ke$ha Your Love is my Drug 27 30 Jay-Z Young Forever Recurrents- (Still popular- but off the chart) 30 Justin Bieber Somebody to Love Jason Derula In My Head Justin Bieber Baby LaRoux Bulletproof Lady Gaga Bad Romance Timberland If We ever Meet again KE$ha Tic Toc Timberland Carry Out Christina Aguilera Not Myself Tonight Selena Gomez & The Naturally Scene Black Eyed Peas Imma Be B.O.B. Nothing on you Trey Songz Say Aah

New

DO NOT PLAYLIST ADDS Rick Ross Chris Brown Drake Richard Vission/Static Revenge Far East Movement Glasses Malone Soulja Boy Kanye West

Blowin Money Fast Deuces Fancy I Like That Like a G6 I Get Doe Pretty Boy Swag Power

Featuring Rihanna Pitbull Snoop Dog Hayley Williams Will I am Rivers Cuomo Bruno Mars Pitbull

Ludacris Iyaz D Guetta

Ke$ha

Fergie & LMFAO

Mr. Hudson

Ludacris

Katy Perry

Bruno Mars

Ludacris

Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010 • Page 7

Succeed In The Marathon Of Life

By Harvey Mackay

I ran my first marathon after my fiftieth birthday. I’ve run nine more since then, including the New York and Boston marathons. I’m proud of that fact for a number of reasons, not because I ever came anywhere close to finishing first, but that I finished them all.

A marathon is 26.2 miles. It is as much of a mind game as a physical challenge.

You train your body to keep going when you think you can’t take another step.

You visualize the finish line and the celebration as you cross. The key ingredient is motivation.

There are more than 500 marathons held every year around the world. Most of the participants are amateur athletes, whose reasons for competing span the spectrum.

Training for a marathon is much like preparing for the challenges in business.

The pace may be different, but endurance is every bit as important.

My good friend and marathon coach, Bill Wenmark, knows plenty about both running and business. Bill says: “If success in business, like a marathon, were easy everyone would do it. Whether you think you can, or whether you think you cannot, in either respect you are always going to be right. When you master this internal strength you will become a respected leader of others.

“People who start a marathon are not the same, and never will be the same, once they cross the finish line. I just finished my 100th marathon. It was just like my first: proud, strong and willing to take on any challenge. Confidence, character, integrity, grit, focus and de-

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termination go a long way in the marathon of life and define many successful people.”

Any business or career that wants to be around for the long haul can benefit from these marathon training tips that I received many years ago.

• Set your goals and share them with others. When you announce your intentions, you are more likely to follow through. Write down your goals and hang copies by your desk, on your bathroom mirror, in your car, on your smart phone, and anywhere else you will see them regularly.

• Keep a record of your training and progress. When you run, it helps to keep a log of the dates, distance, conditions, times and whatever else affects your performance. When you work, your recordkeeping will remind you about project progress, expectations, agreements and factors that could determine outcomes.

• Remember that you are only human. As important as training and preparation are, there will be days when not even your best efforts are enough. Every now and then you need to recharge your batteries and give yourself a rest.

• Use the buddy system. Work out with a few friends to stay motivated and on track. Ask other friends to act as coaches and your support system. Do the same with your career. Use trusted friends as a sounding board, and develop your network with contacts whom you can also help.

• Take it a step at a time. Don’t think about the whole course -- break it into doable segments. You’ve heard the saying, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Well, you can’t get to the end of anything if you don’t start at the beginning and work your way through each phase.

• Have some fun. Exercise or work that is all drudgery saps your energy as well as your spirit. Running a marathon is hard work, but hard work can be fun.

Building a business or career is like a

marathon that doesn’t stop at 26.2 miles.

If you’re going to go the distance, you should enjoy the scenery along the way.

Running may not be your thing, but most all of us have to earn a living one way or another. The majority will work anywhere from 25 to 45 years. The average person will have three career changes and perhaps ten jobs before their fortieth birthday.

Statistics like these make a foot race pale in comparison to the treadmill so many workers must master just to bring home a paycheck. Good training and the right mental preparation will help you find a job you love, that challenges you and satisfies you, and makes you want to

get back in the race every day.

Mackay’s Moral: Start off on the right foot -- preparation is the difference between dropping out of the race and finishing it.

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,” and the new book “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us.”

Ken Day continued from page 4

• Add the total dollar amount from #7 to the total amount from #6. This is how much you need to charge per performance to make the net amount of money you desire to make each year. This is regardless of FT, PT, Hobbyist, or the comfort level you have when you ask your clients to pay you. This is the bottom line for your pricing per event.

Of course you can play with these numbers at any time to achieve the balance you want regarding income, number of performances, family time, and a myriad of other considerations.

But this is the basics of deciding intelligently what you need to charge, what your pricing should be based on, and where you can move within your pricing to accommodate the other “R’s”.

Don’t deceive yourself, there isn’t a successful company out there anywhere in the world that hasn’t basically done these numbers to know the value and pricing of their product or service. How do your think McDonald’s decides to price a hamburger.

Have you ever tried to step up to the counter and tell them that you don’t think it’s worth what their asking for that particular burger. But, you are willing to pay them less because you are on a tight budget.

Yet we hear this pricing objection all the time in our industry and most people

go with it because they have no idea of what it costs them for each performance let alone what it takes to make a profit.

Bringing the Best Business and Marketing Planned Actions to Life Getting to the Best Business and Marketing Planned Actions means continuously optimizing the trade-offs among objectives, constraints, and any number of other decision variables to achieve the desired business outcomes. By the way, it’s unfortunate that the term “optimization” has become such a buzzword. Most companies use it to mean “better.” In fact, it should be used to mean “empirically derived to efficiently maximize stated objectives within specified operational constraints.” I know a mouth full.

At least that’s how we use it at the Gonnello Group, where we build small business decision making models that map the relationship between multiple input variables to the range of decision choices available to the user of the systems and to the business consequences and drivers, such as losses and profitability. The goal is to find the optimal decisions under a stated set of business constraints which we establish with each client in order to identify the optimal action to take on each prospect or client.

Ken Day continued on page 8

PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010

When I Look In The Mirror

By Dean Carlson

Many long time readers know this, but for you new readers of my column I was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 23 years. In the end it was meth that got me.

Not only was I using meth I was dealing and making it.

As late as December 2003 I was actually seeing shadow people. I lived in an abandoned apartment.

And at the worst of it I stayed awake for 30 days straight and I weighed 150 pounds. Not good for a 6’2” man.

Today less than seven years later I would consider myself successful. Now I don’t pretend to tell people what success is, because I think each of us has a different view on that term. Kind of like when you ask a DJ what professional means? For me money is not how I judge success, but when I look in the mirror am I happy about the person who looks back. As a side bonus, it is nice when others can look and me and say the same thing.

Over the last seven years I have spent a lot of time studying success. And maybe I should qualify that statement even farther. I spend a lot of time studying successful people. And it has been my experience that you can look at a person and tell if they are successful or not. I am not saying this can be done at a glance, but pretty quickly.

See they all have characteristics that are similar. And contrary to some beliefs you don’t have to be born into success, just look at my story I was at the lowest of lows not long ago. You can learn some of these patterns that successful people have, and if you implement some of them you too could have a good chance of raising yourself up your personal success ladder.

From time to time I have been asked how I have made this goal or that goal happen. And I can trace almost every one of them back to one of the first key of success I learned. You are your environment.

What does that mean exactly? Well environment in this case can means both physical and mental. However you station yourself in life it will affect your potential for success. Now sometimes you may think don’t have complete control of your placement. But there are always things within your control. None of what I am about to cover is easy. But if you are not where you want to be today you should probably consider a change or two.

First let’s consider the people you surround yourself with. Who are the people you hang with? Of course you can choose your friends and not your family.

Oh how I wish I could pick my family sometimes. (LOL) But realistically everyone else is fair game to change.

I started implementing this key around early 2005. See I had just finished my first DJ convention and I saw this speaker named Mark Farrell, and I said to myself I need to get to that level of excellence, thinking back I actually think he looked like he really enjoyed his life, he looked successful. I looked around myself and found that none or very few of the current people I had in my circle of friends were heading in the same direction. They were all content at just living life as it came to them, not reaching out and taking life by the horns and making things happen. That was not ok for me.

So step one in this key for me was to make a list of people that I thought were the “get its” This didn’t happen overnight. But pretty soon I knew who I wanted to know. This is where networking skills come into play. I didn’t wait to get invited to anything; I physically placed myself close enough so that if I heard of an opportunity I would ask to join in.

But just joining in isn’t enough. You have to participate. This may be the

toughest part. See you have to take a risk. But avoidance of risk is the greatest risk of all. Somehow you have to add to those opportunities or you won’t be asked back. See no matter where you are in your walk through life, you always have something to add. Even if it’s to add something say not to do.

Adding new people in the circle is not enough. You must take even bolder steps. You will also have to remove people from your circle that suck you dry.

The truth is you only have so much time in a day. And people who are not helping you, well they are taking valuable time in your life. This is not to say you have to remove all those type of people from your life. You will need some down time, but if you are trying to become successful in life, the majority of people you attach to yourself need to be likeminded people. This particular success key probably has had the most dramatic effect of any success keys I have ever worked on.

Let me give you an example from my DJ life that might resonate with you.

There are many DJ chat sites out there.

In other words a place where you can meet other likeminded people. DJChat. com, Start.MobileBeat.com, DiscJockeyAmerica.com and more I have not been to. Now I have spent time at these sites. But the one that has propelled me Ken Day continued from page 7

Consider, for example, a decision model for medical diagnostic companies that takes into account a broad array of inputs to determine what set of business and marketing actions to take for each individual physician. The model allows companies to create profit curves that show what the projected increase will be in terms of patient volume being seen by individual doctors. By understanding each physician’s response, companies can understand how to move the needle in terms of patient and physician volume. The output of the decision model informs all five R’s: Right client (which patients do physicians see), Right time (when to visit and how often), Right service, (which treatment levels to adjust), Right time (the number minutes spent with patients) and Right price (what is covered by insurance and what the patient for each procedure and visit pays).

the most was DisckJockeyAmerica.com This is a pay site, which automatically narrows the playing field because, let’s face it, unfortunately the majority of DJs out there think free is enough. My experience says otherwise. Not to say that you can’t get thoughtful responses on other sites, the truth is there are a lot of DJs who are not interested in advancing themselves on those sites. But when you decide to invest something, in this case money well that changes things. I am not sure that I have met a person on DiscJockeyAmerica.com that is NOT interested in advancing themselves.

Like I said the hardest part of this success key was the action part of removing people in your circle that aren’t helping you drive forward. After 6 years of adding people who are likeminded, I have found that this new circle of friends really have become more than just tools for driving my success. They have become real friends, people that I can count on. People that I can talk to about all parts of my life. But the best part of all of this, is when I look in the mirror I am happy with who I see.

Good Luck and great Shows.

Dean Carlson can be reached at deancarlson@discjockeynews.com.

The possibilities of business and marketing optimization are capturing the imagination of many marketers and businesses, according to a recent survey from Forrester, which listed contact optimization technology as the number-two item on professional marketers’ wish list of enterprise technology. I’m willing to predict that the concept of Best Business & Marketing Planned Actions will soon usher in a new era of business and marketing improvement.

Right client, Right message, Right service, Right time, and Right price.

Think – Creatively Act – Responsibly Feel - Passionately Ken Day owns Kenneth Day Weddings at: http://www.kennethdayweddings.com.

You can reach Ken Day at kenday@discjockeynews.com.

Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010 • Page 9

Lessons From Disney: Don’t Believe The Hype!

By Ron Ruth

Walt Disney has been quoted as saying, “I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things. I believe in being an innovator.”

Whether you’re a single-operator like me or you have a staff of DJs, it can be difficult at times to find a need to be more of an innovator if your clients continually tell you that you’re already doing “a good job.”

Where’s the motivation to improve?

You’re already good.

You’ve got the accolades to prove it.

Why fix something that isn’t broken?

If this line of thinking has become your mantra, then “good” is all you will ever be. You may be able to brag about being the best, darn good DJ out there. And, if that is your goal in business and in life, more power to you. You should be applauded for living your dream.

True innovators, however, do not rely on their past successes to carry them into the future. They are never satisfied with their current level of performance. They are always thinking, scheming, dreaming and striving for the next level. In some sense, this is just another way of saying what Jim Collins said in his book “Good to Great:” “Good is the enemy of Great.”

The most successful companies in the world all had to make a very difficult transition...going from good to great. How do you motivate yourself and, perhaps, those in

your employ, if you feel that you and they are already doing a good job? How do you find a way to dream bigger?

The answer, quit believing the hype!

When I was a kid I played the trumpet from the 2nd grade through high school. Because my parents invested in music lessons for me, I was forced to practice an hour a day, every day of the week. By the time I got into my mid-teens, I thought I was pretty good.

Actually, you could say that I was “tooting my own horn” (pun intended) at how good I thought I was. And, why not? I got rave reviews from family and friends at the end of each talent show and concert where I performed. Against my local , trumpet paying peers, I was the “schnizz.”

My motivation to practice daily, which had always been a chore for a young boy, became a huge waste of time. I now spent that hour a day, normally devoted to practicing, telling myself and others just how good I was. My dad, having had enough of my cockiness, tried to remind me that no matter how good I thought I was, there was always going to be somebody that was better. At 16 or 17 years old, his words fell on deaf ears... until I went to audition for bands and orchestras where extremely talented and disciplined trumpet players, all about my age, came from around the country to prove me wrong.

To paraphrase Mark Twain: “When I was a boy, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned.”

I gave up the trumpet right after I entered college. I lost the passion, the motivation to improve. I didn’t want to put in the work to be better than “good.” It’s a decision that I still regret.

Watching the Olympics, I heard people say, “I’m gonna get in shape!” They went out

and bought the P90X Workout video, which now acts a bookend to a dozen other workout videos. My wife and I have a treadmill, which I jokingly refer to as the world’s largest paper weight. I’ve listened to kids that have watched professional athletes, and have heard them say, “I’m going to be like (fill in the blank).” Sometimes, while visiting Walt Disney World, I’ll see a dancer or singer and am dazzled by their talent.

It’s easy to forget how much work they have put in just for one, brief performance, or game. Sure, it takes talent, but how many talented people have not succeeded? I once heard a statistic indicating that for every minute an NFL player plays in a game, he has trained and worked out for at least 100 minutes. That time doesn’t even include the years of training to get into the pro’s. To be great, talent is helpful, but hard work is unavoidable.

It’s easy to look at Disney’s level of organizational excellence, and say “I wish I had that.” It’s easy to read books, attend conferences, watch DVDs and then just go about your business as usual. The often ignored question becomes, “What action am I going to take?”

Last week I traveled to Wichita, Kansas, to attend The Mobile Beat Pioneer DJ Tour 2010. Among the attendees was a DJ that has been in business since 1996. This miniconference was the first educational experience he had ever attended in his 14 years in business. When I spoke to him by phone afterwards, I could hear an excitement in his voice that further enhanced the level of awe that he conveyed in meeting over 100 other DJs from around the Midwest and to hearing 3, top-notch presenters. He shared what he had learned and told me of his plan to become more creative and innovative in his own business. He realized, simply from

attending a conference with other DJs, and even though he had always thought of himself as a good DJ, that he had been operating his business in a self-imposed rut. More importantly, he’s realized the work he’ll need to invest to grow his business. His enthusiasm indicates that he’s up to the task.

What about your DJ business? Yes, there might be some quick and easy improvements you can make to give the impression that you are committed to innovation. But real transformation in companies doesn’t involve short-cuts and gimmicks. It takes hard work... no, it takes hard, smart work. There’s no getting around it.

If you’re honest with yourself and set aside the hype, you’ll want to take action.

You can’t sit around thinking about it. At some point, you have to roll up your sleeves and dive in. Force yourself to get creative.

See beyond your past successes and look for ways to invent new ones. Become an innovator.

Author’s Note: Because of a very busy schedule next month, including a vacation at Walt Disney World, my friend and Chicago’s very own, Peter Merkle, will be writing in my place. I’ve had the opportunity to get a peek at his article and I know you’re going to like it. See you in November!

Ron Ruth is the owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment in Kansas City, a WED Guild™ member and a self-professed “Disney Geek.” As a frequent visitor of Walt Disney World and as a student of Disney’s best practices for business excellence, Ron speaks to wedding and service industry professionals on “Disney’s 3 Keys To Success,” a presentation that demonstrates the steps for becoming a business leader in innovation and customer service. Ron can be reached at 816-224-4487 or via email at ronruth@discjockeynews.com.

LED Touch Controller

By Kirk Holslin

Clients within the formal and corporate markets want something different. They want to stand out from past events. Event lighting is growing more popular within the formal and corporate event markets.

The ability to change the appearance of a room with light is an art form.

American DJ, Chauvet, Martin and Elation have been busy creating new LED light fixtures that can be used for color washes and up-lighting. The changing technology of LED fixtures has been moving at an ever increasing rate.

However, there has been little change to the DMX controllers.

American DJ has made the first jump into the realm of new DMX controllers. They have released the L.E.D. Touch controller, a four channel DMX controller. It is about half the size of the Operator II and utilizes touch keys instead of sliders.

The following bullet points are pulled from the LED Touch user’s manual.

• Controls Up To 6 Individual RGB, RGBW, RGBD, or RGBD/S LED Fixtures • 6 Built-In Chases w/ Adjustable Hold/ Fade Times • 24 Factory Chase Macros

set a unique RGB color setting. I may have prices closer to $300 mark. If you are serimissed something. I know that may take ous about getting into event lighting, this some of you by surprise, but it has been fixture would be worth the money.

If there is a piece gear you would like known to happen. (Just ask my wife) The • 255 Preset RGB Color Levels manual states that you can choose a built in me to review feel free to send me a note at • Auto, Manual, and Sound Active Op- RGB color. It does not say that you are able kirkholslin@discjockeynews.com. I’ll see eration Modes what I can do for you. to adjust and save a unique color setting.

• 18 Programmable Chases, Up to 30 Currently the LED Touch controller is Steps each w/ Adjustable Hold/Fade Times prices around $220. I was expecting it to be • Built-In Clock for Event Triggering The last bullet point is quite intriguing.

According to American DJ you can change to 3 different presets within one 24 hour period. This would work quite well within the structure of a formal or corporate event.

At 4:00 pm the lights could be sent to a light red color. At the appointed time, the lights could change to dark purple. There is no need to have someone standing by a controller ready to change the color at the appointed time.

When adjusting the color levels for one of the six channels you do not have to have a light connected. There are LED indicators next to each channel number. The LEDs display the color that will be output to the lights. If you are programming some dd housands o our ottom ine quick scenes, this feature will be quite handy. Since color emitted from a majority of reate tand lone ntertainment LED fixtures can vary, it would be wise to have a light or two connected. nstantly apture nd rint emories Once you have created your custom chase programs. They can be controlled he erfect arty avor by the adjustable timer, manual touch key selection or audio mode. If your fixtures have dimming capability, you can increase or decrease the level by using the jog wheel or the up and down touch keys.

If you are looking to mix your own RGB colors, I do not believe this controller will work for you. I was not able find a way to

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PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010

The Referral Coach

By Matt Anderson

Your Success: Beliefs that Might Be Getting in Your Way In Robert Holden’s brilliant book, Success Intelligence, he argues that we all have an unwritten success ‘contract’. We develop this unwittingly from our early years and add to it over time.

Simply put, your results are determined by your beliefs.

Your success (whatever your definition of this may be) is determined by your beliefs. Some of these beliefs are obstacles that you have created. Understanding which ones apply to you is the first step in making constructive changes. Here are some of the ‘rules’ or beliefs people create that can get in the way.

The Deserving Law “No matter how intelligent, talented or committed you may be, it is your sense of worthiness that ultimately supports or sabotages your success.”

Some people have all kinds of unwritten rules that they must fulfill in order to feel that they deserve great outcomes. Interestingly in T. Harv Eker’s book, Secrets of the

Millionaire Mind, he states that the biggest obstacle for people to become affluent is that they are poor ‘receivers’.

What do you tell yourself you must do in order to deserve success?

The Work Ethic This is the idea that the ONLY way you believe you can be successful is through grinding it out. I am not going to say that hard work is unimportant or that success is easy. That would be absurd. But I am going to say that some people try TOO hard.

Talent, synchronicity, flow and inspiration happen too!

Sometimes by having more fun with our life, we attract in better opportunities. We don’t sound needy, distracted or stressed – all of which put people off. We convey the message that we enjoy what we do and are open to new business.

The Hidden Cost Many people believe there is a price to be paid for every success. That there are no gifts. Accepting success, happiness and love becomes hard for some people if they think they are going to receive some kind of ‘invoice’ from the universe. “They are often afraid to succeed too much because they believe the bill will be too high.”

Make sure you are clear about what the price of success is for you – yes, so you have healthy boundaries, but also so that you do not get in your own way by not believing in

Attitude Is EVERYTHING

By Dave Winsor

As we get into the “dog days” of summer, it really starts to grind us down. Heat, humidity, tough load-in and outs and clients affected by the heat too. So, how do we react?

I always take the positive side of things, it’s harder to maintain the outlook, but the results are far better than anything negative.

If I’ve got a nervous bride coming up to me during setup and she’s expressing negative things to me, do you know what I’m actually hearing beyond the words she is speaking?

Fear. She fears the unknown. You know what my job is then? To reassure her that everything will be fine. She looks beautiful and then I start asking her non-threatening questions. “How was the rehearsal?” “Are you excited?” I just start her thinking about things and how good they are. It works almost all the time, unless the bride is a diagnosed neurotic.

So, when everything is grinding on you, how do you react? I’ve read some posts on various DJ sites and frankly I find them kind of disturbing. I’ve seen DJs just go postal on unwitting clients. If you stop and think about it, the client deserves to be nervous, they are getting married! They don’t know how things will turn out, but it’s the biggest day of their lives so far. You know what’s really cool? We get to be part of it. I LOVE THAT! If there is any way to take pressure off of me, I always look for it. Here’s one way: If you’re nervous at the start of an event say this to yourself: “I’m here because they chose me to be here. I made the cut. I was their choice!” Now think about that for a

minute. It really does help change the nervous, undirected energy into a focused, positive outlook. So you no longer have fear, but only nervous anticipation. Once the first few words come out of my mouth, I’m all in.

Here’s another fun thought: “We really don’t have to work that hard!” Here we are, invited to their biggest day. We’re paid very well to be there. They feed us. They are supportive of us because they want the party to be great. It’s NO FAIL. Oh yeah, they will be drinking. That amount of alcohol usually breaks down barriers of inhibition and people let loose! That all good, right?

So, which do you choose? Nervous or competent? Happy or cranky? It’s all up to you.

I’ve also read some amazing posts about people who are doing unbelievable things for their clients. Live video, specially created, artistic layouts. Beautifully written and delivered celebrations of family and love.

There are some very talented people in this industry. They don’t rely on gear (although they use the best) and they don’t rely on technology to make them great. They rely on the ONE thing no other person can copy: Talent.

It’s given to you and you have an abundance of it. It just takes someone to help mold it.

Who is your coach? Who is your mentor?

We all have one or two that tell us the truth.

Don’t ask for help in a public forum. The feedback you get will be general, non-specific to you and most likely won’t help. It also won’t be CRITICAL feedback. I read a post where a DJ DIDN’T SHOW UP AT A WEDDING because there was some confusion about a cancelled date. The feedback was generally supportive, and for the most part constructive. They should be commended for even mentioning it, but you’re “private” coach will really lay it all out for you. There is NO excuse for missing a wedding….none.

Get a coach. Develop a “winning” attitude. Have someone guide you. Have someone tell you the truth. You’ll start to believe more in you and your ability. You’ll become a better person when you begin to trust some-

yourself enough.

The Sacrifice Demand Ideally, you are sacrificing what is NOT important for what is important in your pursuit of success. If you find yourself sacrificing what you value most (your family, your health), then that is not true success.

Some people fear more success because they are afraid it will mean sacrificing what they value most. Is there a better way to get what you want that perhaps you have not thought of yet? Sit down with a blank piece of paper and brainstorm 20 ideas. You only need 1 or 2 good ones.

The Perfection Order Perfectionists think that being dissatisfied leads to more progress. “I have never met a happy perfectionist.” Success does not require that you never make a mistake and always do everything perfectly.

The Independence Rule Asking for help is very hard for people who abide by the independence rule. To them, it feels like cheating. Excessive individualism is a real block in western culture, the idea that you have to do everything yourself and figure out all your own solutions to feel like you have succeeded. Holden calls it ‘dysfunctional independence’.

Many successes are only possible with cooperation and synergy. You cannot get there alone.

New Beliefs Once in a while a person will exceed their expectations with a moment of inspiration and accomplish something big. This is beyond their prior ‘success contract’ because

what happened was easier or greater than they believed possible.

What will this person do now?

Many people, feeling out of their comfort zone, will revert back to their old ways of thinking, but some will realize they are capable of more and start to change their beliefs. “The choice is yours because you are the author of your contract.”

As John Assaraf points out in his genius book, The Answer (on how to change your beliefs), “your beliefs don’t simply reflect your reality, they create your reality.”

I hope this helps you shed some light on how your thinking might be getting in your way so you can begin to develop new beliefs that empower you.

Matt Anderson, of the Referral Authority, has grown his business exclusively by referrals, relationship building, and networking.

He specializes in coaching sales professionals how to network effectively and build a referral-based business.

Recent clients include Prudential Financial, US Bank, Virginia Asset Management, State Farm Insurance, and MetLife. He is the author of the upcoming book Fearless Referrals and is regular contributing author to one of the best known resource for financial advisors: Horsesmouth.com and has recorded several corporate training videos for New York Life on referrals and networking.

He lives in Madison, WI but hails from Coventry, England, consistently voted home of Western Europe’s Most Unfriendly and Least Intelligent People as well as the Best Place to Get Beaten Up in Broad Daylight.

one else…with your livelihood!

If I can help you in ANY way, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ve got a resume as long as 1,000 sheets of Scott paper

and I know how to use it.

Dave Winsor can be reached at davewinsor@discjockeynews.com.

Stuck In A Rut?

By Jake Palmer

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re stuck in a rut… whether it’s professionally or creatively. Ever just feel like you’re spinning your wheels, burning out, tired of the “ChaCha Slide”? This industry has a high “burn-out” rate for a reason.

Do you ever feel like you spend all week guaranteeing you’re going to be busy all weekend? Some nights you leave a wedding feeling like you just went through the motions, with no passion or feeling, you hear yourself telling a friend “the wedding went ok, nothing special, just ok.”

Hey we’ve all been there, we’ve all looked a wedding crowd and then at our music and thought…“hhhmmmm, now what.” We’ve all hung up the phone with a bride who just explained they are going to use DJ McCheezy instead of you, because Cheesy has the “Unlimited “ package and the JBL sound system for only $595... And we think really?

What do I have do for these people to realize the skillz. Don’t they know that I have a tux and everything, I mean… I deserve this gig… Darn Craig’s List DJs are killing me!

Sound familiar? I sure hope not, but let’s be realistic here, it happens to the best of us.

The difference between run of the mill, or “former” do’s is all about HOW we deal with these feelings and attitudes.

1) Attitude, Attitude, attitude: If you attitude is not positive then you are not positive. Ever notice the one thing successful and happy people have in common… they all have a great attitude, positive, up-beat, can-do kind of attitude. Tell yourself you suck everyday and eventually you will, wonder what will happen when you tell yourself

you’re great?

2) Fresh Eyes: Learn to look at problems as well as everyday situations through “fresh eyes.” Never be afraid to think out of the box. Have you ever noticed that it’s always the new guy at any company who always has the crazy, wacky, bigger-than-life idea? It’s because he hasn’t been a around long enough to see the boundaries. He has a good ides and says why don’t we do this? He doesn’t say “we can’t do this.”

3) Do something for yourself and your business: So something fun for yourself with friends, or family. Go somewhere and just relax (last month I talked about a family vacation). Go somewhere and experience something new, last year I went to a PGA event with some friends, it was great, and completely non-dj related. Spend time on your business in a small way… design a new business card, update your voice mail. Look for little things you can do to keep things fresh, if only in your own vision. Buy a new toy for your system. You would be surprised how cool it is to get new speaker stands, or a new top case. I just bought all kinds of new gear (it was time for a change and an update) I feel like a kid two days before Christmas, I simply can’t wait to get my new stuff on the street.

4) Take in outside influence. Go to a seminar, or a training course. It can be as simple as joining a community organization, or taking a class at a community college. Influences can come from anywhere at anytime. Go to someone else’s show, tag along with a colleague or go to a dance that someone else is do the work at.

Don’t get down, and don’t let the burnout catch you. We’ve all been there.

Jake Palmer can be reached at jakepalmer@discjockeynews.com.

Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010 • Page 11

Monthly Music Charts

By TMStudios.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Taio Cruz Eminem Enrique Iglesias Mike Posner Katy Perry Jason Derulo Usher Katy Perry B.o.B. Maroon 5 Ke$ha Bruno Mars Travie McCoy Paramore B.o.B. Drake Eminem Flo Rida Miranda Cosgrove OneRepublic

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Chris Brown Drake Monica Nicki Minaj Rick Ross Usher Soulja Boy Tell’em Cali Swag District Drake T.I. Ne-Yo Trey Songz Ciara Drake Fantasia Lyfe Jennings Jazmine Sullivan Usher Eminem Dorrough

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Blake Shelton Billy Currington Keith Urban Lady Antebellum Lee Brice Uncle Kracker Kenny Chesney Josh Turner Easton Corbin Little Big Town Darius Rucker Taylor Swift Sugarland Craig Morgan Rascal Flatts Josh Thompson George Strait Rodney Atkins Band Perry Reba McEntire

Pop

Dynamite Love The Way You Lie I Like It Cooler Than Me Teenage Dream Ridin’ Solo DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love California Gurls Airplanes Misery Take It Off Just The Way You Are Billionaire The Only Exception Magic Find Your Love Not Afraid Club Can’t Handle Me Kissin’ U Secrets

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Deuces Miss Me Love All Over Me Your Love Blowin’ Money Fast There Goes My Baby Pretty Boy Swag Teach Me How To Dougie Fancy Got Your Back Champagne Life Bottoms Up Ride Find Your Love Bittersweet Statistics Holding You Down Hot Tottie Love The Way You Lie Get Big Country All About Tonight Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer I’m In Our Kind Of Love Love Like Crazy Smile The Boys Of Fall All Over Me Roll With It Little White Church Come Back Song Mine Stuck Like Glue This Ain’t Nothin’ Why Wait Way Out Here The Breath You Take Farmer’s Daughter If I Die Young Turn On The Radio

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Urban

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Rock Shinedown The Crow & The Butterfly Disturbed Another Way To Die Ozzy Osborne Let Me Hear You Scream Godsmack Cryin’ Like A Bitch Five Finger Death Punch Bad Company Alice In Chains Lesson Learned Alice In Chains Your Decision Rush Caravan Soundgarden Black Rain Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare Buckcherry All Night Long Tom Petty I Should Have Known It Saving Abel Stupid Girl (Only In Hollywood) Stone Sour Say You’ll Haunt Me Papa Roach Kick In The Teeth Godsmack Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Slash Back From Cali Finger Eleven Living In A Dream Linkin Park The Catalyst Stone Temple Pilots Take A Load Off Adult Contempory Train Hey, Soul Sister Lady Antebellum Need You Now Script Breakeven Uncle Kracker Smile Rob Thomas Someday Daughtry Life After You Adam Lambert Whataya Want From Me Kris Allen Live Like We’re Dying Katy Perry California Gurls John Mayer Half Of My Heart Colbie Caillat I Never Told You Lifehouse Halfway Gone Lady Gaga Alejandro Sara Bareilles King Of Anything Sarah McLachlan Loving You Is Easy Five For Fighting Slice Pink Glitter In The Air Maroon 5 Misery Melissa Etheridge Fearless Love Taylor Swift Mine Alternative Neon Trees Animal Linkin Park The Catalyst Cage The Elephant In One Ear Dirty Heads Lay Me Down Phoenix Lisztomania Brandon Flowers Crossfire Anberlin Impossible Rise Against Savior Mumford & Sons Little Lion Man Switchfoot The Sound Black Keys Tighten Up Muse Uprising Jimmy Eat World My Best Theory Phoenix 1901 Thirty Seconds To Mars This Is War Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare Stone Sour Say You’ll Haunt Me Disturbed Another Way To Die Sick Puppies Maybe Shinedown The Crow & The Butterfly

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PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • SEPTEMBER 2010