Disc Jockey News November 2020 Print Edition

November 2020 • Issue 193

The Monthly DJ Newspaper

Thankful In 2020? Yes I Am

By Mike Walter

Many times, throughout the many years that I have written for this fine publication, I have dedicated my November article to giving thanks. The reason, obviously, is Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday of the year. I love it because there is no gift-giving pressure, and since it’s secular, everyone can be involved. It’s a day set aside every year just to be grateful. Overeating and football are optional. The counting-

your-blessings part is universal.

But when John asked me for this month’s article, I paused for a moment.

Could I really dedicate 1,000 words to being thankful at the end of the year that has been so horrible? After a few moments of hesitation, I answered my own question with a resounding, Hell yes! And I encourage you, dear reader, to do the same this year. Because if not, we’re all front runners. It’s easy to be grateful when times are good. But when the going gets tough, and “tough”

The DJNTV Insider Edition is putting it lightly this year, if you can find the blessings and focus on them, you’ll not only feel better about your predicament but if you let people around you know that you are thankful for them, you’ll likely make them feel better as well. And we could all use some of that these days.

So in no particular order, here’s what I am thankful for this year: Technology In late April, my father was admitted to a hospital with Covid.

No one in the family was allowed to visit.

But because of FaceTime, we were able to have video chats with him every day.

Dad fought hard for three weeks before Mike Walter Continued On Page 3

In This Issue:

Page 1: Mike Walter Page 2: Mitch Taylor Page 4: Alan Berg Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 7: John C Maxwell Page 8: Thomas Heath Page 9: Michael Lenstra Page 10: Brian Kelm Page 11: Harvey Mackay

Page 12: Kristin Wilson Page 14: Anthony ONeal Page 15: Jason Alexander Page 15: Different Spin Page 16: Keith KoKoruz Page 17: Jeffrey Gitomer Page 18: Matt Anderson Page 19: Music Charts

You Just Never Know...

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 2

By Mitch Taylor

In any moment, one can change a life.

I shared this story at a conference I spoke at a while back, and now I get to share this opportunity with you. The story is about the first time I met a now good friend of mine and how that relationship developed after our first meeting.

The place was Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2010 at the WEDGuild Open House, and I was in the back of the room at a table with my very first product for sale on it, Sales Success from A to Z audio mp3. A guy approached the table and grabbed one of my CDs off the table. I turned to him and said “Dude it’s 15 bucks.”, in a fairly short tone. He put it down, looked at it and then he asked me about it again. That started a conversation between us about his business and where he wanted to take it, and led

to specifically why he was at MBLV that year. He was working part-time in his DJ business and wanted to take his company to the next level and maybe even someday full-time.

From there I introduced him to my friend Bill Hermann who also recommended he take a Marbecca Method workshop. In turn, he did bring the Ferrells into his market of Sioux Falls and assist many other DJs in his market to help take their workshops and raise the level of performances of DJs in their market. He’s been world renowned for his work as a lighting designer, and I’m proud to say that it was all from a quick retort to a $15 CD at the WEDGuild Open House.

I can hear the cynic voice in your head now that is thinking “But Mitch, what if I take someone under my wing, train them and they end up being my competition?”

Dean Carlson is a fellow DJ News writer and speaker in the DJ industry, and has trained dozens if not hundreds of DJs over the years. He spoke at Midwest DJs Live 9 a few years back, and while it wasn’t the entire focus of his talk, he had a strong conversation about mentorship. In his talk Dean stated he had three different competitors, people that he has trained in the industry, go off and open their own businesses. On one hand, that’s a proud moment that you helped someone get ahead, you helped them better themselves.

On the other hand, you have now trained your “competition”. Is that how it should

be looked at? Many would argue personal is personal and business is business. I have had the same thoughts. I believe it’s about respect. If the past fellow DJ that you trained wants to go out on their own, there’s a certain way to go about it upon leaving a company’s employ.

How does that relate to being kind?

Being kind comes in because Dean took the high road. He wasn’t looking for “an eye for an eye.” He’s proud of the fact of what he helped create, improving his market by training talent, even though they now occasionally compete for clients.

Dean is looking at the bigger picture, the industry as a whole, even outside of his market. It’s a very interesting dichotomy of business owner, friend, and fellow DJ. Dean’s a great man and I applaud him for taking the high road.

Are you in a similar situation? Are you being a Dean or are you being a Richard? ;). Choose kindness. You just never know the impact you may have on someone else’s 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 • November 2020 • Page 3 Mike Walter Continued From Page 1 succumbing to the virus, so those calls were my last chance to talk to my father and see his face. Every time since then that I get frustrated at a video buffering or a song taking too long to download, I remind myself how fortunate I am to live in this time when technology is so ubiquitous and powerful that it is often taken for granted. Technology allowed me to let my office staff work from home for three months this Spring and enabled me to live-stream from my basement.

Heck, because of technology, I show up to my events with a laptop that contains more music than I used to bring in four, back-breaking, record crates. We should be pausing to thank technology every single day, and the only reason we don’t is that every great advancement becomes so quickly adopted we forget what it was like without it.

Friends After my dad passed, I was overwhelmed by the love and support of friends who reached out to me. I’ll never forget Sean, Big Daddy, McKee, driving two hours from Connecticut just to chat with me. During the height of the pandemic (the first height, not the current one), Sean sat in his car in my driveway while I sat on the hood of my car in my garage. But he was there for me. Just like so many of my friends were. I’ll never forget that, and it helped me through a very sad period.

My Wife Kelly They say you never really know someone till you live with them. After this year, I’d say, you never REALLY know someone till you’re quarantined with them. I know this pandemic has wreaked havoc on some relationships. If you had cracks in your foundation, the pressure of sheltering in place probably exacerbated those cracks.

But Kelly and I have had the opposite experience. I think our marriage is stronger now than ever, and as anyone in a happy relationship will tell you, life is better with someone you truly love.

My family Because of restrictions on gatherings and other logistics, though our father died in May, my entire immediate family (my mom and all four siblings) could not get together for four months. When we finally did, it was for a day at home (my parents still live in the house they raised us in), and it was a magical day. We cried. We laughed. We reminisced. A few weeks later, we finally had a funeral for my dad and again got to hang out together—this time at a small, outdoor restaurant. The emotions

were powerful again that day, and they spanned the spectrum as well. I was lucky to have my dad in my life for fiftyfour years. And I’m lucky still to have a wonderfully supportive mother and three siblings who I cherish dearly.

My Career On March 15th, when the CDC put a ban on large gatherings, our industry was shut down. The comeback has been different for everyone in the industry, based on where you are and whether or not you have any clients willing to move forward within their local restrictions. I did my first event back on June 15th. It was a wedding I was scheduled to do with 200 people

$

in a great North Jersey facility. Instead, there were 40 people under a tent in a backyard. In many ways, it was the greatest gig I ever DJed. I was so excited to work that day, I got there three hours early and played about an hour overtime for free (though I was tipped generously).

During that forced shutdown, I realized that I genuinely do love what I do during the sporadic events I’ve done since that June 15th event. What’s the saying, “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”?

Well, DJing isn’t gone. But it was taken away for a while, and it’s only been returning bit by bit. And it’s been enough Mike Walter Continued On Page 5

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Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 4

It’s My Fault! Whew, That Feels Good

By Alan Berg

When newlyweds and engaged couples ask about the secret to our happy marriage, I often half-joke that I accept that it’s always my fault. That’s usually good for a chuckle, but I said, “halfjoke.” A younger me didn’t understand the power of accepting responsibility.

A younger me had a strong need to be right. Don’t get me wrong; I still like to be right… I just don’t have to be right all the time. It’s a very liberating state of being.

I’d rather be happy I’ve been known to say that I’d rather be happy and successful, than be right.

Being right often means that someone else has to be wrong. If that someone is my wife, how do you think that’s going to work out for us? If that someone is a customer, how do you think that is going to work out? So, you see, there’s a better solution and resolution than aiming to be right. And, unless you’ve never made a mistake, or nothing has ever gone wrong on your watch, you’ve come to that place where it’s your turn to deal with this.

But I didn’t break it!

When I was VP of Sales at The Knot, everything that happened on my watch was my responsibility. When an ad didn’t run correctly in a magazine or online, I wasn’t the one who personally placed the wrong ad or clicked the wrong button, but it was my responsibility to make it right. Sure, it’s easier to blame others, and often it was someone else who messed up. But if that person works on your team, it’s your responsibility.

Do you want them to take responsibility as well? Of course, but that doesn’t absolve you from your responsibility as boss/owner/supervisor, even co-worker.

If your shared goal is happy customers, and you get some, or all of the credit when things go well, then you also need to share the responsibility when things go wrong. You also need to lead by example.

Transparency is your friend I remember a time, years ago, when there was a problem with a listing not appearing correctly. I was being CC’d on a string of emails between sales and customer service and tech, trying to figure out what had happened. Usually, when I’m CC’d I don’t reply as they just want me to know what’s happening, but are not asking for my assistance… yet.

After a few back and forth exchanges I jumped in and asked: “Has anyone contacted the customer and told them what we’re doing?” They said, No. I told them that the customer probably thinks we’re doing nothing, because that’s all they can see. They’re not on this email chain (and should not have been). They can’t see that we’re working on it. They have no expectation as to when it will be rectified. Transparency is everyone’s friend as they’ll know that you’re giving this your attention. A lack of transparency has the customer making up their mind as to what, if anything is being done to fix their issue.

It makes you stronger Too many people don’t want to accept responsibility because they don’t want to appear weak. I totally disagree.

I’ll trust someone a lot more if they’re willing to admit they were wrong, or that something went wrong on their watch, as long as they also work hard to fix it. None of us is perfect. We live in an imperfect world. Things happen.

Most reasonable people will understand that something went wrong if you’re honest with them. People who can’t admit they were wrong, or that they messed up have to be lying to you some of the time. That lack of trust will lead to you losing (or never gaining) their respect in your company or network.

I’ve said and written about this many times, people do business with people they know, like and trust (credit to Bob Burg in the book: “The Go-Giver”).

What do you gain?

While the younger me had a stronger need to be right, the older, wiser me understands that there’s often little to be gained by proving yourself right. Everything doesn’t have to be transactional. There don’t always need to be winners and losers. We often hear about win-win situations, but it’s not always a fair division of the wins.

After all, it’s not whether you think it was fair, it’s whether both parties feel it was fair. That’s why I’ve found more financial success by not focusing on the money I’ll earn, but rather focusing on the benefit to my clients. Most times that I’ve followed the money, it hasn’t worked out that well. For me, it’s misplaced focus. I can’t succeed if my clients don’t get valuable results, and neither can you.

Avoid the fight and get to the solution When something goes wrong which do you focus on first: making it right or finding out why it went wrong? You need to do both, but the more immediate need, almost always, is making it right.

If you’re transparent with the customer (or your partner, family or friend) about what went wrong and how you fixed it (or are going about fixing it), they’re more likely to continue to trust you.

I prefer to avoid the conflict by not making the customer more upset than they already are by avoiding taking responsibility.

You can’t change their mind When someone feels that you did something wrong, and when I say “you” it doesn’t necessarily mean you, personally, it could be your company, telling them that they are wrong isn’t going to get you far. It’s just going to get them more upset. One of the other “secrets” to our happy marriage, and my business success, is that I understand that you can’t change someone’s mind.

It’s not yours to change. You can, however, provide them with information they didn’t have, and they can choose to come to a different conclusion. Learning that skill will serve you well, as it has me.

Can you hear me now?

I first met some of my best friends in the wedding and events industry when they called or contacted me about a problem, whether it was when I was publishing wedding magazines or as VP Alan Berg Continued On Page 5

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 5

Alan Berg Continued From Page 4 at The Knot. A few of them were very “passionate” in our first conversations (he writes with a smile). I believe that these were resolved well because I first listened. I didn’t interrupt and I let them express, in their words, what had happened. Regardless of whether they were partly, or fully, responsible for the error, I let them talk. A key to a positive resolution to almost any situation is letting the other person talk.

The more you interrupt and interject, the less they’re going to feel validated and heard. Pay attention to the words and phrases they use, and when it’s your turn, use those same words and phrases to show them you’ve been listening.

Some people just want to be heard.

They’re not looking for anything else except to have that opportunity.

But it’s not my fault!

After being heard the next thing most people want is for you to apologize.

Whether it’s “I’m sorry this happened” or “I can understand your frustration, we were all expecting everything to go smoothly for you,” some expression of empathy also goes a long way. Teddy Roosevelt once said: “People won’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Have you ever been the customer and felt that the person you were talking with just didn’t care whether they helped you, or not?

Unfortunately, most of us have been there.

What do I have to do to make this right for you?

After listening and expressing empathy, the next thing I like to do is ask: “What do I have to do to make this right for you?” Now, I know that some people cringe at the thought of asking that to a customer, afraid they’re going to ask for a full refund for a minor issue.

Here’s the challenge, you can’t hit a target you can’t see. How do you know what will make them happy if you don’t ask? You might offer them something that you feel is of great value, but it’s not of value to them. I and many of my clients have found that customers often ask for less than you would be willing to give them. Or, they ask for something very different than you were going to offer. You don’t have to give them what they want, but not knowing what that is will make it much harder to satisfy them. Satisfied customers refer others and, when possible, come back to do business with you again.

Think Long-Term Value Not being transactional also means thinking about the Long-Term Value of a relationship. Whether that relationship is personal, in your network or with customers, it’s not just the value that you get today that matters, it’s the value over the life of your relationship that matters. If you get referred by another wedding or event pro, that’s great today.

But if they keep referring you, that’s even better. Over the years, what’s the value of some of those relationships you have in your market? Same thing for customers. Whether they use you

again, or they refer people they know to you, what is the long-term value of all of those sales? When something goes wrong, the long-term value gets paused. If you handle it fast and well, it can continue. If you don’t it can stop.

You’ll no longer have access to their connections, guests at their wedding or event and connections that those people know. Look at the horizon, not at your feet.

Ooops, I did it again!

So, it’s going to be my fault again, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, and that’s OK. I don’t live my life walking on eggshells or being unnecessarily cautious. Good things happen outside our comfort zones and that means that there will be unintended consequences.

If we learn from those unintended consequences, then it was worth it. If we don’t, shame on us. Oh, I’ll be right sometimes as well (hopefully more often than not). I just won’t gloat about it. No victory lap. Just knowing I’m right is enough for me. And when things go wrong, and they will, I’ll fall on my sword, empathize, make it right and continue being happy and successful, in business and in life. I hope you will, too.

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

Mike Walter Continued From Page 3 to make me realize that when I somehow stumbled on this career thirty-two years ago, I had found my calling.

Music Probably the main reason I became a DJ was my love of music.

And during the toughest times in my life, I turn to song to help me through.

There are a few albums I’ve listened to often these past few months like Michael Franti’s “Work Hard and Be Nice” and Taylor Swift’s “folklore” and most recently, Bruce Springsteen’s “Letter to You,” that have taken my mind off of our troubled times and allowed me to get lost in the music.

My Health When the quarantine went into place, my PhDJ Podcast partner Joe Bunn said people were going to come out of this “either a chunk or a hunk.” Well,

I’m far from a hunk, but I’ve actually lost a few pounds since March, and I’ve stayed consistent with my work outs and not glutinous with my diet. Physical health is so much about discipline. You have to be strong enough to dedicate yourself to exercise. And you have to demonstrate will-power not to eat that fourth slice of pizza, or hit the drivethru on the way home. Like my friend Marcello, other people are much better at motivating others and offering strategies to be healthier, so I won’t even try to be their surrogate. For me, health is all about saying Yes to the right things and No to the wrong things. If you do that more than you don’t, you’re on your way.

America I’m writing this before Election Day. You’ll probably read it

after. So I don’t know the outcome of this election. But what I do know, and what I’m thankful for, is that I live in a great nation. Just the fact that we, as citizens, can vote for the officials who will represent us is wonderful. We have a system that rewards hard work and encourages the entrepreneurial spirit.

And that is something I am grateful for each and every day.

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 • November 2020 • Page 6

Don’t Settle On Being A Winner When You Can Be A Champion

By Ron Ruth

I have never been more stoked for another season of pro-football as I was this year.

And, as you might imagine, as a Kansas City homeboy, I’ve been even more excited to see if my Kansas City Chiefs can do what pundits of the game call “an extraordinarily difficult feat” ---making a back-to-back Super Bowl appearance. In the 54-year history of the Super Bowl, only a dozen teams have appeared in consecutive Super Bowls. Of those teams, only seven repeated as a Super Bowl champion.

With a 6-1 record at the time of this writing and a strong hold on first place in the AFC West, I want to believe the Chiefs will prove the pundits wrong and are well on their way to returning to Florida in January for Super Bowl LV. Because of the level of competition, every championship team like the Chiefs and others from the past know that championship titles are only repeatable with constant improvement in every facet of their game.

There are no guarantees that what got a team to the big game one year will get them back the next.

Championship teams never rest on their laurels and constantly strive to take their game to the next level. They must. They’ve got a target on their back put there by every team that also wants to win a championship and take the trophy away. Without a commitment to improvement, a winning team could quickly and easily become a “could have been,” a “flash in the pan,” a “fluke.”

That’s why, at the end of every team win, you’ll hear most head coaches tell the press and their fans, “We’re going to celebrate this win today, but tomorrow morning we’re right back to the hard work of preparing for the next game.”

Businesses that boast of 5-star reviews are like a championship football team. Your customers have designated your operation a winner---but what improvements in

your game will elevate it to championship caliber…where customers will spend more, return more, and refer more? What one thing do you do every day to improve your game plan to prevent your competition from taking your customers… your trophy---away.

Every week every NFL team, whether they won or lost their prior game, is studying their upcoming opponents game film. They take nothing for granted, never assuming one win makes another win inevitable.

Those coaches work overtime looking for weaknesses in their competition, exploring ways they can out-perform opposing players

on game day to capture the “W” that will get them one step closer to a championship.

Unfortunately, in business, you don’t have the luxury of reviewing game film after each customer interaction. And, truth be told, 5-star reviews may make you a winner, but they only tell you part of the story of how a customer felt on their journey with your business. They don’t tell you your weaknesses that opposing businesses can capitalize on. Are your wins blowouts, or do you somehow just manage to squeak by---do just enough to accomplish the task but not nearly enough to celebrate a future referral Ron Ruth Continued On Page 13

Charismatic Leadership

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 7

By John C. Maxwell

William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli were two of the fiercest political rivals of the 19th century. Their epic battles for control of the British Empire were marked by intense animosity that spilled over from the public arena into their personal lives. Ambitious, powerful, and politically astute, both men were spirited competitors and masterful politicians.

Though each man achieved impressive accomplishments for Britain, the quality that separated them as leaders was their approach to people.

The difference is best illustrated by the account of a young woman who dined with the men on consecutive nights.

When asked about her impression of the rival statesmen, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”

What distinguished Disraeli from Gladstone was charisma. Disraeli possessed a personal charm sorely lacking in the leadership style of his rival.

His personal appeal attracted friends and created favorable impressions among acquaintances. Throughout his career, Disraeli’s charisma gave him an edge over Gladstone.

UNDERSTANDING CHARISMA Of all leadership attributes, charisma is perhaps the least understood. At first glance, charisma appears to be an invisible energy or magnetism. There’s

no denying its presence, but it’s hard to put a finger on its source. Some mistakenly believe charisma is a birth trait—embedded in certain personalities, but completely absent in others.

I believe charisma is both explainable and learnable. I also believe charisma helps to boost a leader’s influence.

That’s why I included it in my book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.

In this lesson, I’d like to examine the causes of charisma and teach you how to increase the charisma you display as a leader.

THE QUALITIES OF A CHARISMATIC LEADER Charisma is defined as, “The ability to inspire enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence.” Leaders who have this special ability share four things in common: 1) They Love Life Leaders who attract a following are passionate about life. They are celebrators, not complainers. They’re characterized by joy and warmth.

They’re energetic and radiant in an infectious way.

Look no further than the smile to illustrate the power of charisma. When people see a smile, they respond with a smile. If you’re skeptical, try it. Smile at cashiers, waiters, co-workers, etc. You’ll find your smile earns a reciprocate smile almost every time. We are hardwired to take on the energy of those around us.

Leaders who love life have charisma because they fill the room with positive energy.

2) They Value the Potential in People To become an attractive leader, expect the best from your people. I describe this behavior as “putting a 10 on everyone’s head.” Leaders see people, not as they are, but as they could be. From this vantage point, they help others to build a bridge from the present to a preferred future.

Benjamin Disraeli understood and practiced this concept, and it was one of the secrets to his charisma. He once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” When you invest in people and lift them toward their potential, they will love you for it.

3) They Give Hope People have an inner longing to

improve their future and their fortunes.

Charismatic leaders connect with people by painting tomorrow brighter than today. To them, the future is full of amazing opportunities and unrealized dreams.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” They infuse optimism into the culture around them, and they boost morale. While attentive to the current reality, they do not resign themselves to present circumstance.

4) They Share Themselves Leaders with charisma add value to people by sharing wisdom, resources, and even special occasions. They embrace the power of inclusion, inviting others to join them for learning experiences, brainstorming sessions, or simply a cup of coffee. Such leaders embrace team spirit and value togetherness. As a result, charismatic leaders are not lonely at the top.

When it comes to charisma, the bottom line is othermindedness. For leaders, the greatest satisfaction is found by serving.

They find great pleasure celebrating the successes of those around them, and the victory they enjoy the most is a team triumph.

SUMMARY In closing, charisma has substance.

It’s not manipulative energy or a magical gift endowed upon select personalities.

Rather, it’s an attractive blend of learnable qualities.

Furthermore, charisma compounds a leader’s influence. Without it, leaders have trouble inspiring passion and energizing their teams. With it, leaders draw out the best in their people, give the best of themselves, and find the greatest fulfillment.

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 • November 2020 • Page 8

How Do Your Set Your Rates?

By Thomas Heath

I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that the pricing for DJs is all over the board. The DJ rates, in my market, range from $300 to over $3000 for an ENTIRE wedding celebration. Have you ever wondered why your competition charges a much different price than you do?

There are a lot of things that SHOULD go into the pricing of your services. In this article, I will focus on the outpouring of money or Costs. Costs, both fixed and variable, are a large part of the equation needed to determine what you should charge per event and make money.

As a general rule of thumb, you should know what it costs to run your business from a managerial standpoint. Running your business like a business, and not just a paid hobby, takes thought and time.

Without getting too deep in the weeds, here is a general list of costs you probably have that you aren’t figuring into the equation.

How much do you spend each month or event on the stuff you need to function?

What do you spend each month on music (either POOLs or per song)? What about that brand new light fixture or speaker that just dropped? Repair, replacement, upkeep, and storage costs all factor into what you earn for your services as well. You can’t forget the advertising costs either. Things like business cards, online advertising, and search engine listings also affect what you charge per event. Do you have office space that you are renting (not in your home)?

Do you meet with potential and current clients at the local coffee shop? Do you pay for their beverages? What about your ZOOM subscription?

Return on Investment After you determine your costs, you need to determine what the ROI or return on investment is. Practically all of the spending decisions that I make correlate with my ROI for that particular

expenditure.

For example, When we purchase decor or rental pieces, we calculate how many times we will have to rent it to make sure it pays for itself. Some equipment (Spark fountains, fog machines, etc.) have fixed costs AND variable costs associated with running it each time. Our rule of thumb for ROI is that a piece needs to pay for itself in three events. For larger items, (furniture for example), we shoot for ten rentals.

Some pieces of gear aren’t as easy to calculate an ROI. And quite often, the ROI is not a dollar amount per se.

Because things like your Rock-n-roller

carts, flight cases, cord bags, totes, and cable management aren’t “up-sells,” it is harder to figure their ROI. In my opinion, these items are crucial to assisting in your ROI on a “time is money” basis. If it takes fifteen fewer minutes to set up and tear down, you’ve gained half an hour for every event. If you charge by the hour, you can theoretically say that you have an ROI gain of thirty minutes.

Office Space Another cost associated with running your business might be office space.

Because we have many different offerings Thomas Heath Continued On Page 13

Revisiting Value

By Michael J. Lenstra

THE NEW WAY A recent social media post I saw asked the question, “Does a 25-year-old bride know what a DJ actually IS?” That question has been asked many times, especially by those who have been in the DJ game for a while. To us, the default Gen Z couples of today do not seem to understand the role of a professional DJ. In most cases, they seem to follow this basic path: get your name from a referral or a lead site, do their research by checking out your website and reviews, email or send a message via social media for a price quote, and, if that number is in their preconceived budget, book you… even though they may never have met with or even spoken to you.

It’s a scenario veteran DJ Peter Merry, the former president of the American Disc Jockey Association, is all too familiar with.

“If I can’t find a way to educate [the couple],” he says. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Right now, with the way things are, they just want to communicate by text or email—or a Zoom call if you can talk them into it,” says Peter. “Having a conversation where you can educate them is getting more challenging.”

Suppose you’re fortunate enough, or even willing, to book that couple sight-unseen. In that case, those soon-to-be-newlyweds may even forward you their Spotify playlist and the timeline their photographer put together just a month before the wedding and figure all of the details should now be covered. “What more could you possibly need?” they wonder.

CONVEYING THAT VALUE Get the meeting, show your value has long been the mantra to the path of a successful Mobile DJ business, but with a generation that has been raised making decisions and shopping from the confines of their comfy home, that mantra has been harder to accomplish, but not impossible.

“One of the things that I’ve been working on is creating video content that I can load up

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 9 to YouTube unlisted,” says Peter Merry. “If I get a bride who’s texting me or I’m trying to set up a Zoom meeting, and they only want a price quote before they even meet on Zoom—which should be as non-threatening as possible—instead of giving them the answer right away I’ll say I need some more information first and I’ll plant a couple of seeds with questions that I’m asking that’ll make them go, ‘Oh, what about that?’”

The use of those video bits plants many of those seeds. It’s an alternative way of showcasing your value to potential clients who are apprehensive about making the time or effort to meet, either in-person or virtually.

“If they’re not going to take the time to sit down with me or even do a Zoom call then I have to find a way to educate them and get them to think bigger before I can talk price

because the moment I talk price they’re gone,” he says.

It may be just another product and challenge for us in the digital world. “The digital age has changed the role of the DJ in some ways that is bad because people think it is easier to provide the music because anybody can get it by streaming it,” he states.

“There’s plenty of technology but if you don’t have somebody that is using the right technology and techniques the right way then that client is going to get hosed. They don’t know what they don’t know.”

As for that Spotify list, Peter says it is still a matter of managing expectations. “If you give me The Best of Barry Manilow I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that’s probably not going to get people dancing.

Mike Lenstra Continued On Page 13

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 10

Stop Comparing. Start Differentiating.

By Brian Kelm

Each of us has twenty-four hours in a day.

How you choose to use this non-renewable resource is entirely yours! You can either choose to invest that time competing with others in business, like in a shark tank or differentiate yourself from others. One is highly sought after and valuable. The other is very destructive, creating a race to the bottom and confusing the marketplace.

Remove the stigma by standing up for yourself and who you are in the marketplace. Society and public perception puts us in a box. Nothing in our industry will ever change out of the competition.

Embracing and investing each of your days in studying differentiation from the customer point of view and putting the gold they share to work for you is a much better place to be in.

The prospective customer is the ultimate loser from a fight over a few dollars and greed. You also ruin integrity by not delivering what was promised to the customer.

Step away from all the noise and people telling you what to do when they don’t know themselves. Carve your own niche with great people who challenge you regularly if you want to truly transform your craft and how you are perceived.

Remember, the easiest way to become disempowered is to compare yourself. A better way is to look within yourself for what is there and work on that every day.

Tune out what others are doing because you are not them, and they are not you.

Focus on yourself and look deep inside

every day for answers. Allow for selfreflection. It amazes me how rare it is for us to use our past and present customers as our guide to improving and hearing it right from the people who pay you and possibly create your full-time lifestyle.

Words to consider removing from your vocabulary forever are - status quo, average, and mediocre. These words hold you back, don’t challenge you at all, and restrict you from any action being taken.

Never forget that you are the only one who stands in your way and who you want to become. Blame and excuses don’t work anymore - take full ownership

and responsibility. What you tell yourself consistently is what your life will look like and ultimately become. You are in complete control.

The path of differentiation is a road less traveled. You are in charge of your freedom, authenticity, and self-expression.

Choose wisely in how you will stand out and be perceived.

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 • November 2020 • Page 11

Welcome Competition to Improve

By Harvey Mackay

The dominant sports media personality in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for most of the last 75-plus years never played any of the games he wrote about and never made it to college, much less journalism school. But he became one of the most popular newspaper and radio personalities in town, with a broadcast style that was no more polished than his writing style. And he blew away all competitors because of his network of relationships and pure doggedness.

Sid Hartman went to that great stadium in the sky on Oct. 18 at age 100. Affectionately known around Minnesota and the entire sports world by his first name, Sid may never make it to any sports Halls of Fame, but if they ever get around to building a Networking Hall of Fame, he would be the first one they would call.

Sid never quit working and scooping his competitors.

If you demonstrated any athletic talent in Minnesota, he knew who you were by the time you were in high school because he called you. You became fodder for his column in the Minneapolis “Star Tribune” or he interviewed you on one of his innumerable sports shows on radio or TV. He kept calling. He followed you through high school. He knew your background, your record, your coach. He tracked you through college. He tracked you through the pros. He even tracked you when your athletic career was over.

Once you were a part of Sid’s network, you never got cut. You were a part of it for life, as I was for 70 years. You became a “close personal friend,” his reference to anyone in his vast network. He knew more about athletes, coaches and owners than any sportswriter anywhere.

And when some of these people became really big-time pro stars, coaches, and executives, he had greater access to them – and often through them to other stars – than anyone else because he dug his well before

he was thirsty.

Talent is a gift, but like many gifts, we often take it for granted.

If Sid Hartman had applied equal energy, dedication, and perseverance to another career – such as sales – I’m positive he would have achieved the same great success he attained as a sportswriter.

There is no off switch on a tiger, and Sid was always on a tiger.

Competition is what made Sid Hartman the best sports reporter around. He hated to get beat for a scoop. Show me a person who uses 110 percent of their talent and ability, and they’ll get the job done when no one else can.

Sid was an inspiration not only to legions of sports personalities but also to his readers and listeners who appreciated his work ethic and dogged pursuit of a good story.

He understood that slacking off would take away his edge. He saw sports reporting as a competition in itself. He almost always won.

No matter what industry you are in, competition is healthy. It keeps you sharp.

It makes you better. It improves quality.

Competition is like exercise; it makes you better.

Many people don’t seek out competition Harvey Mackay Continued On Page 13

The Ironman

By Kristin Wilson

I’ve been saying for a while now that running a DJ or entertainment business during a pandemic isn’t a sprint or even a marathon - it’s an Ironman (and I don’t mean my favorite Marvel character).

After doing a bit of research, I’ve learned that many of the traits needed to complete an Ironman Triathlon are the same traits we all need to run a business.

Resilience: Ironmans aren’t for the faint of heart or body. Swimming, biking, and running for 17 straight hours takes a strong mind and an even stronger will to finish. The resilience of an athlete of that caliber is incredible, just like the resilience of a DJ business owner trying to survive during a global pandemic that has limited or shut down in-person events for who knows how long. Remember that song “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba?

The refrain of “I get knocked down, but I get up again” is very relevant to business and life. There will be many things that knock you down, especially this year. The rumors are that corporate events might not fully return until 2022, and we know the wedding industry has already taken a huge hit with guests afraid to RSVP and couples afraid to book with so much still up in the air. But knowing that, and having (hopefully) survived 2020, you can begin to pick up the pieces and create a new plan of action. Music and celebrations will come back! So remember that you might get knocked down multiple times a day, but you’ve got to keep getting back up again and push through it.

Motivation: There is nothing fun about the devastation in our clients’ voices when they have to postpone, and it’s even worse when we are not available for their new date. For some of us, there hasn’t

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 12

been any fun for about eight months now.

So, I have to ask what is the motivation?

What motivates us to continue despite knowing that this is our new “normal” in business for the foreseeable future?

Why should we continue to push onward and be resilient when our calendars are empty, and we’re struggling to make ends meet? But on that same thread, why would someone willingly swim for 2.4 miles, then bike for 112 miles, then run a marathon of 26.2 miles all in a single day? In a word - motivation. Figure out what keeps you going, and keep your eye on that big-picture prize. My motivation is knowing that at the end of the day, we are here as DJs to create moments through music. It’s knowing that I have a team and DJs that rely on me to provide jobs for them. It’s also knowing that there is nothing else in the world I would rather do. DJing and running a business is my passion. Whatever your passion and motivation are, find what drives you and focus on that. It will keep you motivated and will help you find the resilience to keep moving forward.

Time Management: It’s proven that success and diligence come through time management. During an Ironman race, the participants have to pace themselves, making sure they give themselves enough time to complete each segment of the triathlon while also making sure they eat and stay hydrated and wear the proper safety gear for each leg of the race. But before they even get to the starting line, they have to take time to train. Very few athletes are professionals whose sole job is competing. Most people who race also hold down a job, own a business, have a family, have commitments - but they make the time to train for their races. As a business owner and DJ, you’ve got to re-configure your time, making sure to set enough aside for the things you need, want, and have to do while also taking care of yourself and your personal life along the way. There will be times you will have to say no to something because you’ve got to train and practice or take care of clients. There is also a time that you will need to turn it off to take care of yourself, doing something else that brings you joy in a heavy world. And there are probably moments right now where you need to innovate in order to stay motivated and resilient during these months of inconsistency. So I encourage

you to re-think how you’re managing your time and reevaluate it often. This is the only way you’ll figure out how to stay motivated and push through.

Grit - I have to admit, this one might be the attribute I love the most. All of these characteristics are important, just as much as having a board of directors and advisors for your business to guide you. Still, they do not measure the most important attribute needed in this “Ironman,” - which is grit and mental toughness. Grit goes beyond emotions and infatuation - it’s the drive to persist in your passion and persevere when you face obstacles. One of the articles I read about training for an Ironman explained that every athlete has their own perception of what hard work looks like. To some, that’s getting home after working for eight or more hours, lacing up their shoes, and stepping out their front door to go run 20+ miles. Every. Single. Day. In fact, if they don’t get this extra-long run, they feel like they’re slacking and won’t be prepared in time for the race. Different athletes also have different levels of tolerance. Think about the training partner who still wants to compete despite brutal winds or extreme temperatures. The one who seems to thrive as it gets harder and harder and pushes through to the finish line because they know with each passing mile, they’re that much closer to accomplishing their dream. This type of passion and perseverance for long-term goals is grit.

Endurance - At the beginning of this pandemic, the pendulum of give and take was heavy on the vendor side - we needed flexibility for our clients and couples to make sure they were taken care of. I haven’t met a business owner yet who thought this was easy. We’ve endured postponements, cancellations, empty calendars, bills due, a team to take care of, and a live events industry that came to a screeching halt. Now that things are starting to adjust to their new normal and are beginning to reopen, that pendulum is swinging towards the couples and event hosts to be flexible and adjust their original plans. But like I mentioned at the beginning, this is an Ironman we’re running here. Even though things are starting to move in favor of the small business, it will still be some time before we recover. We have to use our strength Kristin Wilson Continued On Page 14

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 13 Ron Ruth Continued from Page 6 or two from the customer?

As a business owner, without instant replay or film you’re left to do the next best thing by going on offense and being courageous enough to ask the most difficult and most valuable question any business can ask of their customers---where can we improve? Where could we have done better?

How could we have made the experience of doing business with us more enjoyable, more efficient, more accommodating, more accessible, more worthy of your loyalty and referrals?

Even with a winning record, these questions are invaluable to you for future performance. Because you don’t know what you don’t know… and the only way to find out is to ask… especially if you want to keep raising the bar and elevating the winning customer experience you deliver now to championship caliber. Retaining the trophy is hard work; it requires study of the customers who patronize your business and of the

other businesses in your “league.” Success is fleeting. Many a successful business has gone from GOAT to DOAT, becoming a “could have been,” a “flash in the pan,” a “fluke.”

Whether through specifically targeted surveys or follow-up calls, every bit of information your customers provide is like reviewing game film. Each frame, each review will point out where improvements and adjustments are necessary. These insights allow you to open your playbook to more options for delivering amazing experiences your customers will talk about forever---to everyone they know. It’s a win-win.

In the words of the legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, “There is only one way to succeed at anything….and that is to give it everything.” Giving everything often means doing something you’ve never done before, like facing the fact that no matter how good you are (or think you are), there is always someone who will prove themselves

to be better. To counter their game plan, your goal today is to focus on improving every facet of your customer’s journey, from first contact through the entirety of their relationship with your business.

If you believe yourself to be a winner, and no doubt you do, utilize every resource available to you to take your game and revenue to the next level.

Today is your day to enjoy a wellearned celebration for yesterday’s wins.

But, tomorrow it is time to get back to the hard work of taking that winning customer experience to the next level. Don’t settle on being a winner when you can be a champion.

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

Thomas Heath Continued From Page 8 (event rentals, planning, and a photo booth), we need a lot of space. With that, we get a moderately expensive rent check every month. Because of the world’s current state, we are transforming part of our home into an office space. We are also having a building built on site. This way, the rent check goes away, and we have improved our property. That’s a Win-Win situation. Great ROI. If, after figuring out what your ROI is,

and it’s a loss, it’s time to either sell or stop offering that particular item or service. One of our most profitable ROI investments has been uplighting. On the other hand, one of the worst ROI spends was our pyrotechnic foggers. We have used these things, over and over, but they still haven’t paid for themselves.

Costs are one of the easier things to monitor. In my next article, I will discuss how the level of service you provide can directly correlate to what you charge now.

I will also talk about how you can increase your rates and a good barometer for WHEN to do so.

Thomas Heath is the owner of A+ Entertains of Boyne Falls, Michigan.

You can reach Thomas at thomasheath@ discjockeynews.com.

Mike Lenstra Continued From Page 9 You hired me to create a result.”

And the photographer’s timeline? “I start creating the timeline with the bride three months out. I’ve never had a photographer beat me to the timeline yet,” he says.

KEEPING UP The way I see it, what Peter is trying to say is times change, technology changes.

However, some things remain the same, like it’s still our responsibility to make an effort to showcase our value, even if that means

forgoing the traditional face-to-face meeting and instead use technology to our advantage.

Educating couples in the 21st century is just another way to keep up with the times, but still as necessary as it always has been. Peter speculates his new approach still enables him to book approximately 50% of the clients that contact him, and at his prices that is still enough to maintain a profitable business.

“I don’t expect everyone to book with me, but what I do expect is by the time I’ve gotten done, I’ve shown them enough stuff they’re

going to have a really hard time being okay with somebody else without feeling like they had to settle.

Until next month, Michael Michael J. Lenstra is a self-described Wedding DJ and is celebrating over 25 years in the Mobile DJ industry. He is a full-time DJ/Entertainer, and is owner of Alexxus Entertainment in Dubuque, Iowa.He can be reached at mikelenstra@discjockeynews.com

Harvey Mackay Continued from Page 11 because of the fear of losing.

They give up too easily and then never really find out how good they can be.

Welcome competition so you can gauge how good you are and where you need to improve.

If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

I like to say, if you can’t win, make the person ahead of you break the record.

I wonder if Confucius was referring to Sid when he said: “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock

the door to personal excellence.”

Outsmarting the competition has taken on a whole new meaning, with competition being stiffer than ever. As we watch longtime successful businesses crumble under economic pressure, we must constantly look for ways not only to survive, but to thrive.

Consider the two hikers who spotted a mountain lion stalking them. One of the hikers calmly sat down, took off his hiking boots and began putting on his running shoes.

“What good are those shoes going to do you?” asked his buddy. “You can’t outrun a mountain lion!”

Lacing up his shoes, the friend responded, “I don’t have to outrun the lion. I just have to outrun you.”

Sid outran the lions every day. He was a competitor to the end.

Mackay’s Moral: The breakfast of champions is not cereal, it’s competition.

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 • November 2020 • Page 14

How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

By Anthony ONeal

I know how hard it is to succeed financially when you’re barely getting by and living paycheck to paycheck. I’ve been there. The truth is, there will always be factors that are out of your control.

But it is possible to take control of your finances and change your life—even if it seems like the odds are stacked against you.

Here are four ways to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck so you can start winning with money: Shift your mindset Good money habits start in your mind. Right now, you’re probably in survival mode. But I want you to go from surviving to thriving.

Make the decision that you won’t be a victim to your circumstances, and that you’ll do whatever it takes to handle money the right way. Start having a winning mindset!

Increase your income I don’t know all the details of your current situation. But I do know if money is tight, and you’re already doing everything you can to live on less than you make, you need to earn more money. That’s just the simple, basic truth. This could mean applying for a higher-paying job, or picking up a side hustle or part-time job on weekends or at night. I understand it can be really hard to take on more work, but I promise your sacrifice will pay off.

Get out of debt (and stay out) If you have any debt right now, you need to know that debt is stopping you from breaking free of the paycheck-topaycheck life and reaching your financial

stashed in a separate bank account. Then, it’s time to attack your debt using the debt snowball.

Do this by listing out all your debts from smallest to largest (no matter what their interest rates are). Tackle the smallest debt first with the extra money you’re bringing in until it’s completely paid off. Then, take the money that used to go toward that debt and roll it into paying off the next largest debt. Rinse and repeat until all your debt is gone!

Build a fully funded emergency

fund After you’re completely debt-free, the next step is to build a fully funded emergency fund with the money that used to go toward all your debt. This fund should have enough money to cover 3 to 6 months of expenses (housing, food, etc.). That way, an emergency becomes more of an inconvenience than a big disaster. You can rest easy knowing you’re prepared for the future.

Once you’ve finished these steps, you’ve officially broken the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck and you’re free to start building serious wealth! Stick with it and don’t give up. I know you can get there.

For more encouragement and wealth-building advice, check out my free 6 Tips for Building Wealth PDF on theresources page of my website!

Anthony ONeal is a #1 national best-selling author, financial expert and host of the popular online series “The Table” on his YouTube channel.

He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Tamron Hall Show, The Tom Joyner Show and Rachael Ray, among others. Since 2015, Anthony has served at Ramsey Solutions, where he teaches young adults how to budget, live without debt, avoid student loans, and build real wealth for their future. Follow Anthony on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube or online at anthonyoneal. com.

Kristin Wilson Continued From Page 12 to endure this difficult process without giving way. Your limits will be tested, but this is where every trait I’ve listed will help you survive and thrive.

So it’s with these five traits that I leave you. All are important, and each one needs the others to truly make your business thrive. Find your motivation, manage your time wisely, stay resilient, rely on your grit to make it through the tough times, and your endurance will bring you through to the other side. Things may not look the same as they used to, but use this as a learning tool to really discover who you are and the dreams and passions you want to follow.

Kristin Wilson is the CEO for Our DJ Rocks, an all-female DJ company that she started 10 years ago. She now has 10 DJs on her roster, a team of over 35 employees, and two companies. Kristin is a Wedding Pro Educator and serves on the Deans Advisory Board for the Rosen School of Hospitality at the University of Central Florida. She is well-known in the event industry as someone you ‘have to know’ and continues to expand both businesses through constant recruiting and training, seamless operations, a laser focused sales management and leadership. You can reach Kristin at kristinwilson@discjockeynews.com

goals. Just think about what you could do with the money you normally spend on those monthly payments. That’s why I want you to get out of debt as fast as possible, and never look back.

First, save up a $1,000 starter emergency fund so you can have a buffer while you’re paying off debt. You can do this by going through all your stuff and figuring out what you can sell, working some overtime, or finding ways to cut back on expenses until you have $1,000

DJs: It’s Time to Get Creative

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 15

By Jason Alexander

This year has certainly been a tough year for DJs and the entertainment industry as a whole. We’ve seen lockdowns literally kill our entire business. Our entire calendar was wiped out from mid-March until about June. In June, we began to slowly book events, but far fewer than before.

I noticed that events began to happen again, but they look very different from pre-Covid. Events are much smaller, and many are outdoors. For a few weeks, it seemed like things were going back to the way they were. However, that may be wishful thinking.

Now, many European countries are locking down again. I can’t help but wonder if the US will be next with a new wave and more shutdowns. That being said, it’s time to get creative. We have to adapt or get left behind!

Getting Creative to Stay Profitable So you may be wondering, well, what exactly do you mean by get creative?

Well, it’s time to think “outside of the box,” as they say. We all know that the DJ

market is very crowded. We also provide photo booths, and it seems as though the Covid loans helped many DJs buy more equipment and begin offering photo booths, too!

It’s perfectly fine to have competition.

It’s a good thing, honestly. Without competition, you can get complacent, and your services may not be as great as they could be.

To thrive during these times, and any time, you have to be innovative. What can you offer that far fewer competitors offer?

Maybe it’s special venue lighting, games, hosting online events, equipment rentals, etc. The possibilities are endless.

We are now doing more rentals than DJing. The profit is better since we don’t have to pay DJs to be there all night. We simply set up our rentals, leave, then return at the end of the night!

Streaming Events Streaming is becoming very popular, and we’ve seen a few DJ companies offer streaming services for weddings, parties, events, and even funerals! After Covid, it’s likely that we will have adapted to some of the changes.

Streaming is likely here to stay. It’s a cheaper option for out of state and international guests. With Europe going back on lockdown, it may be the only option for some guests.

You may have to invest in some equipment, but you can easily make your money back with just a few bookings.

We’re looking into this option right now, too.

Add-ons Can Add Up! In these times, smaller events are the

new normal. Most of our events average about 60-80 guests. This is half of what it used to be. So DJ setups can certainly be smaller, which is nice.

The challenge is, the clients may book less time since dinner and cocktail hour will likely be shorter. This is where addons come in. What can you add-on for your clients?

Some ideas include uplighting, pin spot lighting, monograms, projector and screen rentals, hosting trivia games, lawn games, etc. Sure, you may not be able to charge as much, but add-ons can certainly add up!

Some clients may only book your lighting, or whatever else you’re offering.

Just be sure to set your prices to include the delivery, setup, and pick up times.

Feel free to price it however works best for your market.

Pro Tip: build everything into the price and only show your client that price. If you show them delivery charge, set up charge, etc., this may lead them to look elsewhere.

Hidden charges never work well.

Overall, don’t be scared to get creative with whatever you decide to offer. Just be sure to market it well, and you can then start to see the profits come in. At this point, what do you have to lose? You can sink or swim. I choose to swim!

Jason Alexander is the co-owner and founder of Austin’s Best DJs, a professional DJ & photo booth company that provides music and entertainment for hundreds of weddings and events in the Austin and central Texas area. Jason can be reached at jasonalexander@discjockeynews.com

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 16

Home of the Jumbo Slice

By Keith KoKoruz

Recently I was delivering for the flower décor company I own on Saturday morning, and I found myself finished about 11:15 a.m. I hadn’t eaten breakfast because my first delivery time was at 8:00 a.m., and I was hustling all morning. As I passed a series of lunch options, I was drawn to one fast-food pizza joint that advertised “The Home of the Original Jumbo Slice.” My head was curious, and my stomach was insistent.

I walked into this little 800 square foot joint and saw my options neatly displayed New York style behind a series of protective glass facades bolted to the counter. The thing that made this so different is that a large pizza in the city of Chicago is generally 18” -which means a slice is 9”. The pizzas that you buy slices from at this joint were 28”. They were massive. The presentation was very clean, well lit, and inviting. The pizza slice was

14” long. I ordered a meat lovers slice, which was $5.75 plus tax. One slice completely filled me up. The quality of the pizza was excellent. The crust was nice and crispy, which is the way that I like it. The ingredients were fresh and delicious.

I know what you are thinking.

W H O C A R E S ?

Here is my point. In any industry, you are either the first to market with your product or service or one of many. Even if you are first, you will eventually find yourself filled with competition. What is one of your differentiation points that makes you different than anyone else?

For this pizza joint, it is the 28” pizza.

Upon talking to their staff while eating, they said they do a ton of football game get-togethers, birthday parties, Cub/ Boy Scout troop events, etc. They said Super Bowl is sold out weeks in advance

with pre-orders. I would love to be on a delivery the first time someone sees a 28” pizza arrive. I can imagine a family room of little kids screaming as this huge pizza gets placed in the middle of the table.

Saturday, I wished I had somewhere to be with people just to bring them one of these huge delicious pizzas.

A lot of people think they are distinctively b e t t e r than their competition, and I do not doubt that a lot of you are.

The question becomes, is it obvious?

Are you supplying a Super Slice, or are you blending in with the rest of your competition? The Super Slice got me in the door; the excellent pizza will keep me coming back.

KC can be reached at keithkokoruz@ discjockeynews.com

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 17

Making Sales Meetings Memorable. OK, Tolerable

By Jeffrey Gitomer

Every sales team has a weekly meeting.

Most salespeople think they’re a waste of business time. Mostly because the meetings are boring, or chastising, or threatening, or lack inspiration, or all of the above.

Managers feel as though they “have to” have them, yet struggle with the content and flow.

Well now, that sounds like a positive way to get the week started. What’s a sales team to do? Here’s what to do…

Have a set (printed) agenda for the meeting. All meetings should have one.

Important items you want to cover, and exercises for the team. Start out positive, end upbeat, and have great content in the middle.

Here’s a sample agenda that will make your meetings more fun and profitable for all: 1. Morning mirth. Someone on the staff tells a funny story. This acts as a kickoff, and also gives someone storytelling practice in front of a group.

Pre-assign it so they can prepare. Not a joke, a story. This makes it more real, and more personal.

2. Success announcements. Give everyone a chance to brag about their current accomplishments. Sales and personal events are acceptable.

Successful big deals, goals exceeded, achievements made. Talking about success makes people feel successful.

3. Frustrations shared. One or two minutes of bloodletting. Don’t react immediately. Let solutions be offered

later in the meeting. Get the crap off your chest, and let everyone help create solutions and answers as the meeting progresses.

4. Two minute administrative details talk. No more. The rest can be emailed.

Salespeople hate details.

5. Five to ten minutes of product

knowledge. No more. Important transferable bits of information that customers can use, benefit, produce, and profit from.

Idea: Test or challenge salespeople to come up with an idea on how to present the knowledge, and reward the best idea with lunch for two.

6. Best of (examples). How someone succeeded. Made a tough appointment, successful follow-up, completed a sale.

Sales meetings should emphasize sales.

Hello!

7. Sales subject/lesson of the week.

Sales training. Someone on the team prepares and delivers a 15-minute presentation of an important aspect of your selling process. You can even invite customers to participate.

8. Solutions to frustrations. Ten minutes of ideas to present frustrations and barriers. Get it out in the open so that answers can create better understanding.

9.

Networking opportunities discussed. Prepared by someone weekly.

Where you can go to meet new people and prospects. Assign people to important events. Report on last week’s events.

10. Top ten prospect review of each salesperson. Rapid-fire talk that names the prospect, the status, and the expected result this week. Make each person verbalize his or her goals and expectations.

11. Expectations of the week. Each person affirms what he or she seeks to

accomplish this week with respect to their sales effort to build their pipeline.

12. Generate an idea for one major prospect of each salesperson. As the sales leader, you offer the first idea. This shows the team that you have prepared as well. Give them something creative to take or say to their appointment that separates them from the competition, gets them in the door, or helps them complete a sale.

12.5 END UPBEAT. Two minutes of something motivational and inspirational -- a recording, a reading, a story shared, a video clip.

Something that will energize each salesperson to leave through the wall, not the door.

This agenda will win, and create winners. It involves everyone, and creates a positive anticipation for a week of success. It also challenges each salesperson to learn, participate, communicate, present, and make sales.

The object of any sales meeting is to have a favorable outcome. One where the team of individuals is somewhere between inspired and pumped. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of the sales leader -- the sales manager or owner of the company.

OH YEAH… Serve great food.

Make the sales team feel first class by providing first class eats. I promise, it’s worth every ounce of caffeine, and every gram of carb.

The Best Sales Meeting Idea… Make an appointment with a hot prospect that starts one-minute following the sales meeting. You should be pumped…why not take it out on a prospect?

You should close that sale 110% of the time.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude.

His real-world ideas and content are also available as online courses at www.

GitomerLearningAcademy.com.

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 18

The Four-Step Fearless Referral System

By Matt Anderson

Here is a system for you that makes it easy to remember the referral process’s four crucial parts. It applies to ALL the people you know.

If you are ready to get more and better referrals for the rest of your professional life, implement the four-step fearless referral system.

Memorize the following four steps, practice them until they become habits, and ask, ask, ask.

1. Earned, 2. Who, 3. Ask How, 4.Control 1. EARNED You do not recommend someone that does average work, and neither does anyone else.

Statistically, we have to concede that much of our work has to be average, at least in the eyes of others – even if it seems incomprehensible that our work could ever be considered ‘average.’

You have to EARN the right to ask for a referral, exceed some expectation, and/or have a strong emotional connection with the other person. There has to be water in the well in your relationship before anyone will be opening doors for you.

This is a grey area: people vary in how long it can take for them to trust others. There are a few people who are enthusiastic quickly and refer you early on. There are a few who can take years. Most people fall in the middle.

How do you know if you’ve earned it and can ask for a referral?

Sometimes you can trust your gut on this: you sense that the other person knows, likes, and trusts you. Sometimes you know from experience that you’ve done good work.

If you are uncertain about whether to ask, then get some feedback from them. This takes courage. The advantage to getting feedback is that you won’t shoot too soon and ask when the other person is not that impressed which makes the asking awkward. Most of what you hear will be complimentary!

Ask an open-ended question such as: “What have you found most helpful about the work we’ve done over the past (time period)?” You will hear in the tone of their voice whether they are genuinely pleased.

Now, if you want to get feedback on ways you can improve (and this is a great idea): “What else could I do that would help you more?” - you may put yourself in a position where you need to

address their suggestions first before asking for a referral at a later date.

2.WHO There’s a very good chance that many people have not referred you because they need your help identifying WHO you want to be introduced to. They’re not going to take a week off work to sort this out on their own!

The most important thing about getting referrals is being so clear about what you want that the other person does not have to think about it. It is your job to identify what (WHO) you want so that it is easy for others to help you.

Never again say: “If you can think of anyone else that might benefit from my work, please have them give me a call.” This is not an ask; it is a throwaway line.

The question to ask yourself before every meeting is: What would I love to ask this person?

There are seven ways to come up with names: a) Pre-plan your ask based on past conversations or online research (e.g. LinkedIn) b) Listen for names of people mentioned who sound like good prospects and are people they like – and write down these names! c) Ask different questions to find out who is in their network d) Use generic specifics such as close friend, sibling, favorite client e) Tell stories of others you’ve helped in different situations f) Share a list of companies/prospects you’re looking to help or of very specific situations you’ve worked on recently g) Share highly specialized subject matter that only applies to a small number of people they know 3.ASK HOW Step 3 is where you actually ASK for the introduction. If you’ve earned it and know who you want to meet, all you really need to do is ASK HOW your referral source would be most comfortable introducing you.

A good referral is like sales: it is a transfer of enthusiasm from both you and your referral source.

There’s a very good chance that many people have not referred you because they don’t know how to introduce you – and they’re not going to admit this to you.

Except for current referral sources, play it safe and assume the other person could use some direction in HOW best to introduce you – even if they tell you: “I’ll have a word with her.”

Craft language to share in an email that others can use too. The basics are always the same: “Julie’s great. Talk to her. Can she call you?”

Nowadays, we spruce it up: “Julie has done excellent work for me and my wife. She specializes in working with (fill in relevant scenario). I’m not sure how impressed you are with the (e.g.) financial planning that you’ve done in recent years, but we regard her highly. Would you be open to hearing from her some time?”

4.CONTROL There’s a very good chance that many people have not referred you because you left it up to

them and they never got around to it.

You cannot expect other people to care about your business opportunities as much as you.

They need your reminders. a) You must hold people accountable for their word.

People hate to be inconsistent with things they have said they will do. Your job is to treat people’s word as if they are reciting some holy scripture. I know that sounds like a stretch but when you do this, the other person feels a greater obligation because they can sense its importance to you.

There are non-threatening ways to gently remind people of things they said, and when they mentioned it: “I hope life is treating you well. When we had coffee on February 21st, you’d asked me to get back to you about (fill in the blank: working with your business partner, meeting up with Denise etc.). Have you made any progress with that?” You can always recoach the person using wording from the HOW step. b) You must be patient and persistent. 6080% of sales are closed after we ask for them five times or more. Most people give up after two requests. Track your follow up and spread it out.

You don’t want to be a pest but, as importantly, you will want to remind yourself of the value you bring so you do persevere (see the first five mindsets and actions at the heart of referrals). c) Ask questions that help you keep control: “When should I get back to you to see if Denise is interested?”

“What’s a reasonable time frame for me to get back to you to see if Denise is interested in hearing from me?”

Don’t let people get away with: “Let me get back to you.” Let the conversation move on so it appears that you have acquiesced, but before you part ways, say: “If for some reason you just get really busy, and I’ve not heard from you, when should I get back to you about Denise?” d) Detach from expecting quick results: Because our limiting beliefs tell us we are not really good enough, we have unrealistic expectations about when the results will come.

We are impatient. We plant the seeds but all we can think about is: Where are the results?

Where are the results? Where are the results?

I truly empathize on this and know it can be very hard to do.

We need to detach and not worry when our seeds will flower; it may take a lot longer than you wish it would. But have the faith that it will come back to you.

If you truly want to get more and better referrals for the rest of your professional life, I repeat: memorize: Earned, Who, Ask How and Control, practice them until they become habits and ask and ask and ask.

Thank me later!

Good luck! And never give up!

Matt Matt Anderson can be reached at http:// www.matt-anderson.com

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 19

Top 50 Charts for November 2020

The Weekly Printable Charts are available at http://www.DJNTV.com/charts Sponsored by iDJPool.com Pop

Urban 1 24KGOLDN Mood f/Iann Dior 1 DRAKE Laugh Now Cry Later f/Lil Durk 2 JAWSH 685 X JASON DERULO X BTS Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat) 2 POP SMOKE The Woo f/50 Cent/Roddy Ricch 3 SURF MESA ily (i love you baby) f/Emilee 3 CARDI B WAP f/Megan Thee Stallion 4 HARRY STYLES Watermelon Sugar 4 CHRIS BROWN X YOUNG THUG Go Crazy 5 GABBY BARRETT I Hope f/Charlie Puth 5 YOUNG DOLPH RNB f/Megan Thee Stallion 6 LEWIS CAPALDI Before You Go 6 MONEYBAGG YO Said Sum 7 AVA MAX Kings & Queens 7 CHLOE X HALLE Do It 8 THE WEEKND Blinding Lights 8 LIL BABY We Paid f/42 Dugg 9 BTS Dynamite 9 JHENE AIKO B.S. f/H.E.R. 10 JUSTIN BIEBER Holy f/Chance The Rapper 10 RODDY RICCH High Fashion f/Mustard 11 KANE BROWN Be Like That f/Khalid,Swae Lee 11 BEATKING Then Leave f/Queendome Come 12 JUICE WRLD Come And Go f/Marshmello 12 NE-YO & JEREMIH U 2 Luv 13 DABABY Rockstar f/Roddy Ricch 13 DABABY Blind f/Young Thug 14 AJR Bang! 14 MULATTO Muwop 15 SHAWN MENDES Wonder 15 K CAMP What’s On Your Mind f/Jacquees 16 DUA LIPA Levitating 16 MEGAN THEE STALLION Don’t Stop f/Young Thug 17 DRAKE Laugh Now Cry Later f/Lil Durk 17 TRAVIS SCOTT FRANCHISE f/Young Thug/M.I.A. 18 SAM SMITH Diamonds 18 SZA Hit Different f/Ty Dolla $ign 19 ARIANA GRANDE positions 19 ROD WAVE Rags2Riches f/ATR Son Son 20 MILEY CYRUS Midnight Sky 20 LIL BABY The Bigger Picture 21 CHRIS BROWN X YOUNG THUG Go Crazy 21 CITY GIRLS P***y Talk f/Doja Cat 22 JUSTIN BIEBER & BENNY BLANCO Lonely 22 BRS KASH Th***t Baby (Go Baby) 23 ZOE WEES Control 23 BIG SEAN Body Language f/Ty Dolla/Jhene 24 WHY DON’T WE Fallin’ 24 21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN Mr. Right Now f/Drake 25 SAWEETIE Tap In 25 TOOSII Love Cycle f/Summer Walker 26 JOEL CORRY X MNEK Head & Heart 26 INTERNET MONEY Lemonade f/Gunna, Toliver, Nav 27 BEBE REXHA Baby, I’m Jealous f/Doja Cat 27 TYLA YAWEH Stuntin’ On You f/DaBaby 28 HARRY STYLES Golden 28 LIL DURK 3 Headed Goat f/Lil Baby,PoloG 29 TRAVIS SCOTT FRANCHISE f/Young Thug/M.I.A. 29 MONEY MAN 24 f/Lil Baby 30 CONAN GRAY Heather 30 POPCAAN Twist & Turn f/Drake,Partynext 31 TATE MCRAE You Broke Me First 31 POP SMOKE For The Night f/Lil Baby/DaBab 32 ZARA LARSSON WOW 32 POLO G Martin & Gina 33 MACHINE GUN KELLY & BLACKBEAR My Ex’s Best Friend 33 CORDAE Gifted f/Roddy Ricch 34 JASON DERULO Take You Dancing 34 SAWEETIE Tap In 35 DIXIE D’AMELIO Be Happy 35 DJ KHALED Popstar f/Drake 36 ASHE Moral Of The Story f/Niall 36 YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN Kacey Talk 37 G-EAZY Hate The Way f/blackbear 37 TREY SONGZ Circles 38 MARSHMELLO & DEMI LOVATO OK Not To Be OK 38 TY DOLLA $IGN Expensive f/Nicki Minaj 39 POP SMOKE What You Know Bout Love 39 CHRISSY Relax 40 INTERNET MONEY Lemonade f/Gunna, Toliver, Nav 40 ELLA MAI Not Another Love Song 41 MADISON BEER Baby 41 NLE CHOPPA Make Em Say f/Mulatto 42 JACK HARLOW What’s Poppin 42 CHRIS BROWN X YOUNG THUG Say You Love Me 43 SALEM ILESE Mad At Disney 43 BRYSON TILLER Outta Time f/Drake 44 BLACKPINK & SELENA GOMEZ Ice Cream 44 MONICA X LIL BABY Trenches 45 BASTILLE survivin’ 45 TEYANA TAYLOR Wake Up Love f/Iman 46 JULIA MICHAELS Lie Like This 46 JEEZY Back f/Gotti 47 JOJI Your Man 47 SADA BABY Whole Lotta Choppas f/N. Minaj 48 ARIANA GRANDE 34+35 48 T.I. Ring f/Young Thug 49 CLAIRE ROSINKRANZ Backyard Boy 49 SAWEETIE Back To The Streets f/J. Aiko 50 BEA MILLER Feel Something 50 FLO MILLI Weak

Disc Jockey News • November 2020 • Page 20

Top 50 Charts for November 2020

The Weekly Printable Charts are available at http://www.DJNTV.com/charts Sponsored by iDJPool.com Hot Adult Contemporary 1 THE WEEKND Blinding Lights 2 GABBY BARRETT I Hope f/Charlie Puth 3 LEWIS CAPALDI Before You Go 4 JAWSH 685 X JASON DERULO X BTS Savage Love (Laxed-Siren Beat) 5 HARRY STYLES Watermelon Sugar 6 AJR Bang!

7 POST MALONE Circles 8 DUA LIPA Break My Heart 9 AVA MAX Kings & Queens 10 TAYLOR SWIFT cardigan 11 SHAWN MENDES Wonder 12 KYGO Lose Somebody f/OneRepublic 13 KANE BROWN Be Like That f/Khalid,Swae Lee 14 SAM SMITH Diamonds 15 JUSTIN BIEBER Holy f/Chance The Rapper 16 SURF MESA ily (i love you baby) f/Emilee 17 BTS Dynamite 18 DAN + SHAY I Should Probably Go To Bed 19 MILEY CYRUS Midnight Sky 20 24KGOLDN Mood f/Iann Dior 21 MAROON 5 Nobody’s Love 22 JUSTIN BIEBER & BENNY BLANCO Lonely 23 BASTILLE survivin’ 24 MARSHMELLO & DEMI LOVATO OK Not To Be OK 25 BANNERS Someone To You 26 DUA LIPA Levitating 27 LUKAS GRAHAM Share That Love 28 ARIANA GRANDE positions 29 KEITH URBAN WITH P!NK One Too Many 30 ZOE WEES Control 31 ALICIA KEYS Love Looks Better 32 FOR KING & COUNTRY TOGETHER f/K.Franklin, T.Kelly 33 HEAD AND THE HEART Honeybee 34 JOHN K Happiness 35 LANY If This Is The Last Time 36 HARRY STYLES Golden 37 MORGAN WALLEN 7 Summers 38 TREVOR DANIEL X SELENA GOMEZ Past Life 39 GAVIN JAMES Boxes 40 SASHA SLOAN Lie 41 WHY DON’T WE Fallin’ 42 JP SAXE A Little Bit Yours 43 JUICE WRLD Come And Go f/Marshmello 44 CONAN GRAY Heather 45 MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD I Got You 46 BEA MILLER Feel Something 47 ZEDD & JASMINE THOMPSON Funny 48 NEEDTOBREATHE Who Am I 49 JASON DERULO Take You Dancing 50 ALL TIME LOW Monsters f/blackbear

Country

1 MATT STELL Everywhere But On 2 RUSSELL DICKERSON Love You Like I Used To 3 MORGAN WALLEN More Than My Hometown 4 JASON ALDEAN Got What I Got 5 BLAKE SHELTON Happy Anywhere f/Gwen Stefani 6 JAMESON RODGERS Some Girls 7 HARDY One Beer f/L. Alaina/D. Dawson 8 CHRIS LANE Big, Big Plans 9 PARKER MCCOLLUM Pretty Heart 10 JON PARDI Ain’t Always The Cowboy 11 KENNY CHESNEY Happy Does 12 DAN + SHAY I Should Probably Go To Bed 13 LADY A Champagne Night 14 KELSEA BALLERINI Hole In The Bottle 15 DARIUS RUCKER Beers And Sunshine 16 CHRIS STAPLETON Starting Over 17 NIKO MOON Good Time 18 RASCAL FLATTS How They Remember You 19 DUSTIN LYNCH Momma’s House 20 LUKE COMBS Better Together 21 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Long Live 22 KIP MOORE She’s Mine 23 TENILLE ARTS Somebody Like That 24 JORDAN DAVIS Almost Maybes 25 DYLAN SCOTT Nobody 26 BROTHERS OSBORNE All Night 27 MORGAN WALLEN 7 Summers 28 LUKE BRYAN Down To One 29 MAREN MORRIS To Hell & Back 30 GABBY BARRETT The Good Ones 31 PARMALEE Just The Way f/Blanco Brown 32 BRETT YOUNG Lady 33 KEITH URBAN WITH P!NK One Too Many 34 TAYLOR SWIFT betty 35 SAM HUNT Breaking Up Was Easy In The...

36 TIM MCGRAW I Called Mama 37 BRANTLEY GILBERT Hard Days 38 BRETT ELDREDGE Gabrielle 39 RUNAWAY JUNE We Were Rich 40 LITTLE BIG TOWN Wine, Beer, Whiskey 41 MIRANDA LAMBERT Settling Down 42 JAKE OWEN Made For You 43 JIMMIE ALLEN & NOAH CYRUS This Is Us 44 ROBERT COUNTS What Do I Know 45 COLE SWINDELL Single Saturday Night 46 DIERKS BENTLEY Gone 47 PRISCILLA BLOCK Just About Over You 48 CARLY PEARCE Next Girl 49 CAROLINE JONES All Of The Boys 50 OLD DOMINION Never Be Sorry