Disc Jockey News December 2017 Print Edition

Disc Jockey News DECEMBER 2017 • Issue #150

Subscription is valid thru date above on the label

The Monthly Disc Jockey Newspaper

$25.00 for 12 issues

PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

Let’s Start Training

By Mike Walter

I had a great recruitment class a few months ago. Brought in some amazing new talent that I am excited to start training this winter with an eye towards spring, 2018 debuts. I know some people think it’s insane to hire people with no DJ experience and get them started from scratch, but I’ve been a longtime proponent of it, and I’ve seen no evidence through the years that would make me change my mind. So if you are wondering what it takes to go from zero to hero here at Elite, here are the steps a new DJ has to take: Interview: In September, I placed an ad on Craiglist looking for new talent. Under the title Mobile DJs / MCs / Party Motivators the ad asks for “funloving, out-going individual with weekends free and reliable transportation” and promises “this will be “funnest” job you’ll ever have!” I received a lot of emails asking to set up interviews, and as usual, about 50% of those that in-

quired actually showed up to meet with me. From these interviews, I hired five new assistants even though I only really needed 3. The talent was that deep, and I figured I’d lose one or two through attrition in the first few weeks.

Assisting: The Craiglist ad promises a job with a starting pay of $12 / hour, so it is definitely “entry-level.” This can be a stumbling block for someone with a lot (or even a little) experience in the business which is a big reason why I like to find people with the right personality who haven’t DJed professionally just yet. I did make one exception this year as someone interviewed with me who ticked off all the boxes. I believe he has a chance to be a true superstar, but I didn’t think he’d take the job at $12 / hour, so I started him at a higher rate.

He took the job and so far my instincts have been pretty prescient. All of my veteran MCs love working with him, and he continues to show true potential.

Aside from this gentleman, two others have emerged from the pack that I am excited to start training.

All in all, before I invite anyone into training, they’ll have 15-20 assisting jobs under their belt. I’ve also spoken to each one and explained that when they are working, they should be observing as well. I want them to view the assisting jobs as learning opportunities, and if they do this, I know from experience

What Do YOU Love?

By Tamara Sims

As I was contemplating what to write about this month I stumbled upon a quote that I had saved back in 2014 from NYC Restaurant Guru and Shake Shack King Danny Meyer: “Life is too short to not do what you love. The thing I always loved was restaurants.” For me, since I was a young teen, the thing I’ve always loved was weddings.

Today more than ever this quote speaks to me as I find more and more couples asking me why I am in the wedding industry and how we started our DJ Entertainment business.

I always start by saying, “You never know where your path will lead you.”

Who knew that from all of my years slinging chicken, double baked potatoes, and green beans at a wedding event space to earn money for college would turn into a life-long career. I met my business partner and life partner Jay while working at that very banquet hall 30 years ago. And back in 1993, while attending college at Northwestern to become a Chemical Engineer, Jay started Something 2 Dance 2 out of his college dorm room to earn money for books. His senior year he started a job at a chemical processing plant which meant working crazy shifts, often the overnight shift, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion as a DJ on weekends even after only a few hours of sleep. He never felt tired because he was so energized to DJ a wedding and create magic and memories for his couples.

Fast forward to 2002. Jay was a successful chemical process engineer, and I was thriving as a corporate recruiter.

We were the quintessential “Dinks” (double income no kids). But Jay was drowning at his job, unhappy, unfulfilled and at a crossroads as to where his career path with the company would go.

In order to move up, Jay would need to travel, work weekends and quite possibly move overseas. No more weddings, no more performing as a DJ on the weekends. What to do? Stay in an unfulfilling career with job security, paid vacation, 401K, and health insurance or take a risk, leave his chemical engineer-

that their training will go smoother and faster.

Training: Though I’ve had casual conversations with all three new prospects about training, at some point before the New Year I’ll call each one in for a more formal meeting. In that meeting, I’ll reiterate that if they are to train with me, they’ll be expected to work exclusively for Elite Entertainment. This is something that I brought up back in their initial interview, but now that we’re about to get serious, I want to make sure they completely understand.

I don’t ask them to sign a contract or give me a blood oath. Just simply look me in the eye and shake my hand. Some have told me I am very naïve in this regard, but I’ve had way more success in the last decade (since I stopped using a non-compete) then I did years ago when I did. I don’t have the space to go into why that is (I discuss it extensively in my book “Running Your Multi-Op”) but suffice to say it works for me and I think it would work for you as well.

Continued Assisting: Training will take place this winter, but during that time I still want my trainees assisting.

The combination of mid-week, classroom-type training, with real-world weekend events, is the one-two punch that solidifies training for me. What they focus on during the week they get to see in action at the gigs. I only wish winters weren’t so slow here in the North East because they won’t each get to work every weekend. But they’ll get the events when they can, and those will help them

get ready to take on their own events.

Co-MCing: As training continues they will have the opportunity to get on the microphone at some of the events that they assist at. It’ll only be in small, limited spots (they won’t be doing bridal party introductions!) but even these opportunities are invaluable towards their growth.

Putting Together a Sound System: Towards the end of training, which will be like mid-March next year, I’ll sit down with each guy individually and start laying out their sound system. I encourage my DJs to own their own gear, and most do. It enables them to make more money, and I know they’ll take care of it better than they would company-owned equipment.

Their Debut: Assuming all goes well, by spring of 2018 we’ll start looking for opportunities to get each one of these guy’s careers started. I don’t usually like to launch three new MCs in one season, but Elite has lost some talent in the last few years, so there are holes to be filled. If one of these guys doesn’t make it through training, I’d be okay with that, but it would be a help to our roster to add two or even three new MCs by mid-2018.

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.

ing job and start Something 2 Dance 2 as a full-time business. The decision came pretty easy for us—15 years and counting! Has everything been rainbows and roses these past 15 years? No. Would we change anything? Of course. Have we learned from the mistakes we have made along the way? Absolutely! Do we love working in the wedding industry?

Hell Yes! Do we know where the next 15 years will take us? One never knows the exact path, but I can guarantee it will be filled with beautiful couples starting their life’s journey with “I Do’s,” “First Dances,” “Cake Cutting,” and “Bouquet Tosses.” And I wouldn’t change that for a minute.

Don’t be afraid to steer away from your expected path…who knows what

the unexpected may bring...

Thank you for another wonderful year and I look forward to seeing you all in 2018!

Please feel free to share your comments with me at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.com or tamara@something2dance2.com Tamara is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment in Schaumburg, IL, which she proudly owns along with her husband Jay Sims. She has over 20 years experience in the wedding industry and loves creating wonderful wedding memories for her brides and grooms.

DECEMBER 2017 In This Issue: Page 2: Mike Walter Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 4: Brian S. Redd Page 5: Justin Miller Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 7: Dean Carlson

www.discjockeynews.com 29442 120th St. Grey Eagle, MN 56336 Phone: 320-285-2323 Published by The Disc Jockey News

Editor/Educational Production Manager: John Young john@discjockeynews.com 320-285-2323 office 612-597-4499 cell Sales: Rob Drachler 972-325-4470 Cell robd@discjockeynews.com

Page 8: Alan Berg Page 9: Chris Politylo Page 10: Joe Bunn Page 10: Brian Kelm Page 11: Mike Lenstra Page 12: Dave Ternier Page 13: Jeremy Brech

Page 13: Keith KoKoruz Page 14: Dan Carpenter Page 14: Top 25 Charts Page 14: Different Spin Page 15: Brian Buonassissi

Deadlines: Advertisement deadlines are the 20th of the month. The publication is distributed on the 1st of every month.

Subscriptions: Subscriptions to the Disc Jockey News are $30.00/year for US addresses. Subscription forms and foreign rates are available on the website.

Photos: Photos can be submitted to the Disc Jockey News via email. Photos must be in jpg format with a minimum of 1500 pixels (300 dpi at 5 inches wide) for publication.

Advertising: Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of the advertiser’s order.

Press Releases: Press releases can be emailed to the Disc Jockey News at pr@discjockeynews.com

Disc Jockey News is published monthly by John Young DBA the Disc Jockey News, 29442 120th St., Grey Eagle MN 56336. Periodicals Postage Paid as Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to Disc Jockey News, 29442 120th St., Grey Eagle, MN 56336.

NE W !

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 3

DOES MORE. WEIGHS LESS.

E EV LX OL 20 VE 0 50

The ELX200 series combines real professional audio quality, precision control, and robust, EV-engineered components in an ultra-lightweight package – a truly potent blend of performance and portability.

• Wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®*

QuickSmart Mobile app

• Perfect for both portable and installed applications

• Lightweight package with heavyweight performance • QuickSmart DSP provides best-in-class

processing via EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD

• Electro-Voice-patented SST (Signal

Synchronized Transducer) waveguide design combines a more compact foot print with enhanced acoustic performance

SLEEK

SOUNDS STUNNING

Designed to deliver an uncompromising combination of light weight, low-profile looks, and superior audio quality, the EVOLVE 50 sets a new performance standard for powered column systems.

• Clean, compact design, built to blend in • Easy transport and setup • Real PA performance with wide, even coverage •

High-quality Bluetooth®* audio & wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®* QuickSmart Mobile app

• QuickSmart DSP provides best-in-class processing via

*Bluetooth® is available in select countries. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Bosch Security Systems, Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. ©2017 Bosch Security Systems

NE W !

EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD

PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

How Star Wars Applies To Business

By Mitch Taylor

How does Star Wars apply to your business? Recently a close friend of mine came up from Metro Detroit to my house to hang out for the weekend while my wife was away visiting her parents. My son wanted to do a Star Wars marathon, so we thought, “Cool! Guys weekend… let’s watch.”

Of course, the big question for some is “Where do you start in the saga? Do you start at 1 or start at 4?”

As we are sitting there watching, all the movie lines start popping into your head.

“We’re doomed” “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” I’ve probably seen the Star Wars trilogies and full saga several dozen times. Since I know the series inside and out and I’m always thinking like an entrepreneur, my mind began to wander to how to apply this to business. I began to think “How often do you go back to the books you’ve read? The seminars I’ve taken notes at different Vegas conferences over the years? The workshops I’ve taken?”

Movies you go back to because you loved the movie. If you had a GREAT workshop or seminar experience, don’t you wish you could go back to it? With a workshop you can’t do that (aside from taking the workshop again, which you should), but when was the last time you went through your notes from a seminar? A book you loved? A podcast you listened to?

All of these educational opportunities

Wedding Reception Coordinator

By Brian S. Redd

When most of us are doing our prep work for a wedding reception, part of the job usually involves creating some form of a timeline. This is a great way to help keep the evening on track and to

avoid leaving out any of those little details that make each of our events a true one of a kind experience.

Some of us use software-based tools where the client can log in and fill out an online form. Others may meet with the client, gather information and type it all out in a Word document. Many DJs are doing a combination of both. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, but most of us will agree that timeline creations are a big part of our job.

However, there are some of us who say: “This is just not our job. That’s what the wedding coordinator is for, right?”

Before I blow a gasket on social media

aren’t meant to be a one and done. They are meant to be RESOURCES. They are meant to be referred back to, looked at with a fresh or refreshed perspective. It’s been stated that you cannot step in the same river twice.

Your knowledge base currently I’m sure is different from your last experience with that content as you have had different life experiences since then. Go back and glean MORE knowledge and information from the content you previously enjoyed and take it in from a new perspective.

One of my favorite apps to use to take notes at a seminar is called AudioNote2. I love AudioNote 2 because it allows me to type notes during the seminar and also record it at the same time on my computer.

Then, when I want to refer back to something that the speaker said, I can just click the time code, and it will bring me back to that part of the seminar or information being shared and I can re-listen to it again. This way you’re not fast-forwarding (I just related to all of the age 40 plus readers thinking about a VCR now) or trying to find WHERE in the speech or talk that the nugget you

want to listen to again is. It’s kind of like having tracks on a CD kids. :) Just search for AudioNote 2 in your device’s app store and thank me later the next time you see me at a conference.

Any and all of your educational opportunities can be turned into resources. Resources that you can and should use over and over again to help you at different stages of your business and in life. Realize that almost everything in your life (including Star Wars) can be learning and growing experience for you and your business. You just have to be open-minded enough to realize it, see it and grow into it. If you don’t, “you’re doomed.”

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.

and tell them how wrong they are, I need to take a step back and figure out where they are coming from.

Maybe they have the pleasure of working with experienced, talented wedding coordinators, on a weekly basis, who understand things like how to get 150 guests thru a buffet line efficiently when the food is still hot and ready to be served. They might understand the importance of entertainment floor planning and how to properly execute it, even if that means that the wedding cake doesn’t end up with the prime real estate in the room.

In my market, these things are unfortunately just not happening. I’m not suggesting this makes the wedding coordinators in my market bad. It’s just that they are usually focused on a very different set of duties, tasks, and objectives; many of

which I know absolutely nothing about.

Food and beverage, photographers, photo booth operators and every other industry professional on-site have their own set of objectives as well.

Most wedding coordinators in my market tend to exit after they’ve had a piece of cake for dessert. This leaves the rest of the evening up to me, which is why timeline creation is such an important part of my job.

Here’s the strange part. Most of my clients don’t even know I provide this kind of service until after I tell them about it in a consultation. They always love the idea. It takes a lot of the stress away and plays a big part of ensuring a successful event.

So, why are many of us not effectively Brian S Redd continued on page 5

The REAL Reason Customers Don’t Return

By Justin Miller, Profit 911 Consulting Many small business owners are missing out on a great deal of “free money” in the form of repeat business and repeat customers. You do a great job; the customer loves you and thanks you, then they never call again.

Maybe you even see them post on social media about an event that your company could have helped them with. The big question is, Why? Why didn’t they come back to you?

Obviously, if they are wedding customers, they probably aren’t getting married again anytime soon (though we all have the stories of also getting the second wedding). What about school and corporate events? What about meetings and conferences if you also do av production type work? Why do they not bring you back?

There are several possibilities including: Dissatisfied with service No longer need what you offer or are not in your service area They switched to using another company They don’t think you work other types of events The real reason that 68% of customers leave is that of indifference. They simply don’t think you show interest or care about them. This is true of all business categories. It has nothing to do with how well or poor your performance was.

They did just not feel you valued them as a customer. This is your fault.

Another somewhat related reason that also affects many companies is that they simply forgot about you. They are busy running their company, and as much as you think you made a huge impact on their last event, it is still a small part of their world and the problems they must deal with. This is also your fault.

The solution to both former reasons is that you must do more outreach. There are many strategies you can implement (and I recommend using multiple). We have been very successful with multiple step direct mail campaigns. We also implement automated email sequences to stay in touch with prospects. The interesting part is that while important, the message is almost superseded by the fact that you cared enough to reach out and continue building that customer relationship after the check had cleared the bank.

Yesterday I was reminded of this even more when talking to the new owner of the event company I founded. He recently did some outreach to all the past holiday party customers. The result? All but one rebooked the company for this year. These were also very easy sales as the customers were happy customers. They were just not going out of their way to contact us for services. What would happen if he didn’t do this outreach? How many would have returned this year? What if another company contacted them first? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I would rather not find out.

As an aside, can you guess the method of outreach that was used for these past clients? Answer: good old-fashioned telephone calls. Not pushy sales calls. Just a simple call to say hi, reintroduce them to

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 5

our company, and ask if they have a need this year. That is it. This is about as close to “free money” as there is in this industry. The phone is all it took in this case though I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you to also implement an automated and systematic procedure to make sure that nobody ever feels your company is indifferent to having them as a customer. So

Brian S Redd continued from page 4 advertising this, up front, as a standard service to potential clients?

Maybe we are just so used to doing it, that we fail to see the value in it ourselves? Look, just because it’s a piece of cake for your plumber to fix a leak under your kitchen sink doesn’t mean it’s not an important skill or without value.

Perhaps one problem is trying to define it. If we say that we also act as wedding reception coordinators (which is what we essentially do), we stand a chance of ruffling the feathers of the professional wedding coordinators out there.

I wish I could tell you that I had some answers here. Unfortunately, so far all

if you haven’t done so lately, pick up the phone. Remind them you are still around, and you care about having them as a customer. Your bank account will thank you.

You can reach Justin at: justinmiller@ discjockeynews.com. For more DJ business tools, tactics, and training from Justin visit http://www.profit911.biz/just4djs

I’ve got as an observation, but I think it’s a good one, and hopefully, it’s got you thinking about it, too. We’ve been exploring different possibilities and solutions to this, as a group, in the DJ Video Cave this week. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please let us know. In the meantime, give yourself a little credit for being a professional DJ: The virtual catch-all of the wedding industry.

Practice & Enjoy!

Brian S Redd is a Mobile/Club DJ in Milwaukee WI, DJ Youtuber and an official “American DJ” Artist/ You can reach Brian at: brianredd@discjockeynews. com/

Sign Up For The

12 DJ Gifts For Christmas 2017

http://www.discjockeynews.com/holidays Each Monday and Tuesday in December we will be giving away one big prize per show and some door prizes to those watching that night’s shows on DJNTV

PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

How Domino’s Is Going After A Bigger Slice Of The Pie

By Ron Ruth

In mid-November, Domino’s Pizza released a new TV commercial showing a customer getting out of his parked car in the driveway of his home. Suddenly, a tree weighted down by snow next to the driveway crashes onto the car.

The man panics for a moment, worried that the Domino’s carry-out pizza sitting in the back seat may have gotten damaged. Fortunately, as he’s seen removing the box from the car and opening it, he discovers that the pizza survived the accident unscathed. But, as he carries it toward his house, he slips on a patch of ice on the sidewalk, and the pizza flies into the air, landing face down in the snow.

Luckily though, as the commercial concludes, the customer is seen back at his local Domino’s getting a fresh pizza at nocharge because Domino’s new Carryout Insurance promises a replacement if a customer’s pizza is ruined after they leave the store.

I love this commercial because it exemplifies a key ingredient to delivering an extraordinary customer experience; making a difference in the lives of your customers especially at times when they (or even you) may not think you have that responsibility. If I drop my pizza after I’ve left the store and all the cheese sticks to the top of the box, should I reasonably expect the store to replace it at no additional charge?

No. Of course not. It’s not their fault I’m clumsy. I wouldn’t even think about returning to the store for a free replacement. Who does that?

But, that’s what makes Domino’s Carryout Insurance so genius. They are defying the status quo of placing blame on the consumer and adding insult to injury by forcing their customers to make another purchase. Instead, Domino’s offers a little comfort by saying, “We respect you as more than just a transaction. We’re all human, and we make mistakes. Not to worry.

We’ve got your back.” Consumers will proba-

bly label this policy as a pizza replacement program. Domino’s, on the other hand, most likely sees this as a customer retention program. And, here’s why.

According to the Harvard Business School, increasing customer retention rates by 5 percent increases profits by 25 percent to 95 percent.

Pizza has got to be one of the most highly competitive food products in the world. There are tons of franchise and local pizza restaurants in every city. And whose mailbox doesn’t get hit with pizza coupons at least once a week?

That could well be why Domino’s is looking for even the smallest way to make a difference in the lives of its customers. They know you can’t create loyal customers if there’s nothing special about your business. It is imperative to search for ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace. How many pizzas will Domino’s get stuck replacing over a month’s time? That’s not important. What is vitally important, though, is how many of Domino’s customers (and others like me) will be doing what I’m doing right now---telling their friends and family about the very cool way this business takes care of their customers?

Domino’s cost to maintain this program is negligible compared to the rewards. It’s a very inexpensive way of making and keeping customers happy---to increasing customer retention rates by that valuable 5%. In an article on HelpScout.com, “The Frugal WOW: How Small Gestures Create Lasting Loyalty,” marketing strategist, Gregory Ciotti writes, “The essence of the ‘frugal WOW’—is the creation, practice, and implementation of small gestures that create lasting loyalty.” We all love it when someone does something unexpected for us. It makes us happy and feels better about ourselves and others. And, that “something” doesn’t have to be epic. It’s the thought that counts often carries greater value if it gives your customers the feeling that something positive happened to them.

What “frugal WOWs” can you provide to your customers that will make them feel valued, special and important? What little differences will set your business apart from the competition and produce customer loyalty and increased retention?

“In an era when companies see online sup-

port as a way to shield themselves from ‘costly’ interactions with their customers, it’s time to consider an entirely different approach: building human-centric customer service through great people and clever technology. So get to know your customers. Humanize them. Humanize yourself. It’s worth it.” — Kristin Smaby, “Being Human is Good Business” Get more personal than ever. Treat customers as part of your business’s extended family.

Research studies have found that 64 percent of consumers point to shared values as the main reason they have a strong relationship with a business. Loyal customers are the result of mutual respect, trust, and care. As humans, we tend to gravitate towards other humans who genuinely have our best interest at heart. That type of relationship makes us feel valued, special and loved.

Just like Domino’s, create a solution for your customers---a solution they’ve not yet discovered they need or that they never thought possible.

“Increased competition is eroding traditional product and service advantages, making the customer experience the new competitive battlefield,” says researcher, Jake Sorofman.

“With an overabundance of alternatives and ubiquitous access to pricing and product information, consumers have little reason to remain loyal to a particular brand.”

In other words, if you don’t deliver the personal experience your customers demand, they’ll simply look for it somewhere else.

One good deed leads to another. The cool thing about loving your customers is how it generates a trickle-down effect. If you truly love your customers, your work will reflect that love and your customers will be more inclined to reciprocate by loving you back. Reciprocity, a shared loyalty, creates an emotional connection where customers will more likely feel a subconscious need to repay an unselfish gesture by sharing their experience with a friend or by continuing to do business with you---and it’s the reason loyalty is so very valuable to a business.

The first time Domino’s saves me the embarrassment of serving my family a pizza that landed face up on the sidewalk, they will have won a customer for life. Not because they re-

placed it, but because they treated me just like any other, vulnerable human being.

It is 6-7 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current customer. If loyal customers feel that they are getting excellent value, quality and service from you and they feel a connection to you and your brand, they are less likely to stray towards the competition.

Average ain’t gonna cut it. In an article describing what it takes to be remarkable, Wharton Professor Jonah Berger says it only takes something like black toilet paper to get people talking.

“Toilet paper? Hardly seems remarkable.

But a few years ago, I made toilet paper one of the most talked-about conversation topics at a party. How? I put a roll of black toilet paper in the bathroom. Black toilet paper? No one had ever seen black toilet paper before. And that remarkability provoked discussion. Emphasize what’s remarkable . . . and people will talk.”

“Frugal WOWs” rely on the same principle. They aren’t “valuable” to customers for any monetary reason, but they are valued and remembered because they create an experience that customers aren’t expecting and where they find some benefit.

“You mean Domino’s will replace the pizza I dropped in the street free-of-charge even though it wasn’t their fault? Who would have thought?”

Coming up with a “frugal WOW” for your business isn’t as hard as you might think. Provide a service that is far above and beyond what customers will receive anywhere else in your industry and like Domino’s---insure a solution to a problem they haven’t even discovered they have yet.

Ron Ruth has been on the front lines of weddings celebrations for over 25 years as a Disc Jockey and certified, Wedding Entertainment Director®. He’s a well-known speaker and workshop facilitator in the DJ and wedding industries, a client experience designer and coach and a self-described Disney “Geek.” Get Ron’s FREE e-book, “The Client Experience Demystified” at RonRuth.com. You can reach Ron at 816-224-4487 or RonRuth@ DiscJockeyNews.com

JULY 9-11, 2018 CHICAGO | MARQUEESHOW.COM The business conference for dj and photo booth company owners

SAVE $50 ON YOUR SHOW PASS by using promo code:

PRESENTED BY:

DISCJOCKEYNEWS

One Thousand Words...

By Dean C. Carlson

I was so mad this weekend at my latest wedding event. I was traveling out of state to DJ a wedding and was chatting with the photographer right before the grand entrance when all of a sudden I could tell a riff had come between us.

See if you can relate.

It all happened when I asked, what time are you here until? Her response, 8 pm.

It was 20 Minutes to 6 pm when the grand march was supposed to begin. The room was set for 300 guests, and it was a buffet dinner with only two lines. She let me know that she wanted photos of the specialty dances, and asked could it be done by eight which was the end of her contracted time. I had never worked in the room or with the caterers, but past experience plus the timeline that the bride, groom and I worked on all seemed to make this doubtful.

Here was the timeline. 5:55 pm I would warm up the crowd and start the enhanced intros grand march entrance, but with a small wedding party. Father of the bride speech followed me giving the blessing for dinner. Dinner would start after that, and after everyone has gone thru the line, the best man and matron of honor would give their toasts. Immediately after the toast, we would do the cake cutting ceremony.

Now the reason the bride and groom

hired me is that I am very good with kid games, so that was scheduled next. Once we wrapped those up the groom wanted to do a thank you speech himself, along with three worship songs that he felt were important to his relationship with the bride. As soon as those were completed, we would bring their Love Story to life and finally the first dance would begin.

I told the photographer that I wasn’t sure that would happen based on what I saw in the room. The best-laid plans are only good until the battle, or party in this case begins.

Well, then the photographer asked me if I could release her table second so she could eat right after the wedding party and get back to taking photos, and follow this with she still need to take a few more photos with the bride and groom before the grand march can begin. Because all of that dinner didn’t begin till 6:30 and the last guest went thru the line at 7:40. By this time I have the photographer breathing down my throat about time again, and this time I decided to take it to the bride and groom and lay out options. We skipped the kid’s entertainment (40+ kids in attendance) and did the toasts, cake, groom speech, songs and Love Story along with the specialty dances finishing them all by 8:15.

But by then the damage was done, I was beyond mad.

Why was I mad? The better question was who was I mad at, and the answer might surprise you. It was me. I had failed on several levels. I get it; photographers are there at the event most of the day. I have no control over how they book events, and it should not surprise me after so many years that they have their own agenda.

The truth is I failed in making sure I understood the needs of all parties involved in making this bride and grooms day. In my 28 years of DJing, I have received schedules from other vendors on two occasions; and both of them were wedding planners.

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 7 Over the last 5 years I have progressively been raising my rate to get into that livable income area. But there comes the point where if I am to continue to do that I need to step up my game on all level and become the player that united everyone in the common vision of the day.

To do this, I first need to have even deeper discussions with my clients about how long things should take. I already make timelines with my clients, but I need to start asking the question “why” more, with myself and the clients. In this case, I was sure the clients hired me to handle the kids at their event, and it is what we moved first to make everything else work.

I failed to understand that. “What is the most important thing to you” followed by more whys.

Second I need to contact all vendors and understand their needs because in most cases the clients already are relying on me to create a timeline. This includes understanding all the moving parts. I find it easy to be lazy with vendors I work with all the time, or venues I perform at a lot, but things and people change. If I had known, there were only two lines for 300 people, and the photographer wanted to be out of there at 8 pm sharp it might have changed how the

discussion with the client went.

My friend Bill Hermann taught me while having conversations that all things are possible, but doing things one-way verse another could result in different endings. “If we do this…” then this is possible, or that is possible.

Once I have created a timeline with the clients, I need to make sure all parties involved get the timelines several weeks in advance, and then I need to seek their feedback. Not only would this stop that riff that I experienced at this wedding from happening, but it would also give the vendors a sense of ownership and part of the team dedicated to the success of the event. Vendors never get this team feel from other professionals. How likely will this help them think of me when they have future clients who don’t already have my services?

I realize it’s not my day, but Jim Cerone once told me to act like it’s my party and that will change how I prepare. My goal is to be a cut above, someone my clients can count on!

Wow, this article is a thousand words!

Good Luck and great shows.

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

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE AT: PROFIT911.BIZ/25THINGS

PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

The Photobooth Section Who’s Vision Of Success Are You Living?

By Alan Berg

Check out the E-Edition For Clickable links!

More Bang for Your Booth

Impressive software. Unrivaled support.

Try it for free: www.darkroomsoftware.com/booth

As I travel from conference to conference, event to event, I often hear wedding pros talking about different speakers and well-known industry people. They often debate the success of that person; but, hang on – who are we to debate someone else’s success? Success, as with beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Each of us gets to define our success. For some, it’s monetary value.

For others, it’s quality time with family.

Choose your benchmark The key is that no one can tell you if you’re successful, or not. Only you can determine that, using your benchmark. A problem I see, all-too-often, is when I see someone trying to achieve what they perceive to be someone else’s success. It may be trying to do a certain number of weddings or events, or reaching a certain dollar value of sales.

The thing is, it took that other company time to get where they are. Along the way, they may have stumbled. The economy may have taken a swing, up or down. They may have had help from family and/or friends. Maybe they own their building. Maybe they rent. Maybe they’re getting free space. All of these seemingly minor factors can make a big difference.

And then, of course, there’s “being in the right place, at the right time.” Is it luck? Maybe. But luck isn’t always about luck. It’s often about being ready when an opportunity arises. You have to have done the work, before the opportunity showing up; you have to keep your eyes open for those opportunities.

Back to success I had a consulting client who wanted to increase his sales volume, so he’d be seen as a more substantial player in his market. He had a boutique business and had achieved a level of success, but he felt that reaching that higher sales volume would make him more successful.

Of course, only he could make that determination, because his success is only for him to determine. So, he took on lower-dollar business to reach the higher volume. He only profited a little from that additional business, and – in my estimation – it was more of a distraction than it was worth. I remember telling him that I was interested in helping him feed his family, not his ego!

What is your goal?

I had mentioned in a prior article that my uncle once told me not to use the word ‘goal.’ He said that goals, by

their nature, are self-limiting. They’re caps on what you’re trying to achieve, rather than your actual potential. If we always do the best we can do, then goals are unnecessary. Of course, that’s simplifying things. Some people are selfmotivated that way; while others need the focus and encouragement. In my sales career, I don’t remember having self-imposed goals. I just got in my car, drove around making cold-calls, having appointments, and trying to close every sale that I could. I guess my only real goal was to do more than I had done before.

When I was publishing magazines, we wanted to sell more ads than we did in the last issue. We wanted to renew more customers than we had done before. It’s a mindset that I learned while doing Tae Kwon Do, and one I’ve spoken and written about. I don’t want ever to be the best I can ever be – I want to be the best I’ve ever been, every time.

How do you know if you’re successful?

So, are you successful? How do you know? We can only make that determination if we have something to compare it to. Is success putting a roof over your head and feeding your family? If we lived in a third-world country, the answer would more likely be yes than it is here. What I don’t want you to do, is judge your success by someone else’s benchmark. There will always be someone who makes more money than you do – and plenty of people who earn less.

There will always be another wedding pro, in your market, in your category, who does more events than you do. The thing is, you can’t control what they do any more than they can control what you do. It’s wasted effort. So, stop focusing on them, and focus on what you can control… and that’s you and your actions.

Put your focus in the right place What I’ve found in my career, is that when I focus on providing value to my customers, the money follows. When I put the money first, it falls short. In my position, as an international speaker, I’m often approached with opportunities.

The ones that come at me with “how much money I can make” get very little of my attention. The ones that come to me with how it will help my customers (audiences, consulting and training clients), are the ones I want to explore. The more value I add for you, the more value I’ll get in return.

So, where is your focus?

As we near the end of another year, reflect on what’s working. Reflect on what didn’t work, and see if you can figure out why; not to beat yourself up, but rather to determine if you should put in more effort or cut your losses. Knowing when to move on is important. Not Alan Berg Continued On Page 9

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 9

The Photobooth Section How To Find Photo Booth Gigs And Get Paid

By Chris Politylo

As photo booth business owners we often wear many hats; sales, customer service, attendant, technician, prop master and so on. The most important of these roles is arguably sales, as without sales none of us would be able to continue in the business. Many of us put websites and ads out there, and sit back and wait for customers to contact us, and sometimes they do. However, we all have dates on the calendar that just don’t seem to book or customers who want a free photo booth rental.

So I recently had the thought, why not pro-actively book some gigs? Instead of waiting for a customer to come to me, I’ll reach out to them, cold. Many other industries employ the sales technique of cold outreach, contacting potential customers whom you have no prior relationship or prior contact. Here’s how, it’s not easy, but it is simple.

1. Search Facebook for local events.

Facebook has a search bar, and it’s your friend. Search for the names of cities and towns that you are willing to work in (one at a time) and then click on the events tab.

This will bring up a list of upcoming events in the city that you searched.

Many of these events are looking for vendors, and you know a photo booth would be a fun addition.

2. Find the RIGHT event.

Find an event that meets the following criteria: Appropriate for a photo booth to be present. At least 30 days away, so you have some time to sell.

Event will be well attended. (Facebook tells you how many are planning/ interested in attending.) The event is specific to something; a group, cause, fundraiser, etc.

3. Sign-up for the event as a vendor.

Contact the event coordinator, explain that you own a local photo booth company and you’d like to bring your photo booth to the event. Explain that you’ll provide free 4×6 prints for the attendees and you’d be glad to place the event logo on the print. You will likely have to pay a vendor fee of $25$100, gladly pay the fee. I have not had anyone turn me down to date.

4. Sell sponsorships.

This is where you employ the technique that was discussed on ProBoothTalk by Clay Moore and Jason Whaley, read the blog post or listen to the podcast HERE. In summary, there is plenty of space on a 4×6 print to have the logos of sponsors. Also, I have increased the amount of potential sponsor space by offering sponsored logos on a custom, step and repeat backdrop.

Depending on how many photos you place on the prints (2-3 is best) and how many logos you desire on the step and repeat, there is the potential for 6-8 Alan Berg Continued From Page 8 cutting and running too soon is important, as well. Successful people stick with ideas through the tough stages, but they also know when it’s time to pack it in and put their focus towards something else. Take a step back and figure out where you are on your journey. Set mileposts, not destinations. Enjoy the journey and the successes that come

different sponsors.

Start contacting every business, local, regional or national that is in any way related to the nature of the event and pitch them a sponsorship. For example, a few weeks ago I had my photo booth at a local dog walk. I contacted every dog or pet related business I could think of locally. Veterinarians, dog grooming, dog walkers, kennels, pet insurance companies, pet food/supply companies, dog fence businesses, pet ID tag companies, pet apps, etc. Many of these companies, didn’t respond, responded “no thanks,” or indicated that they’ve already spent their “donation” budgets for the year. Then I just started pitching the sponsorship to nonpet/dog local businesses, and in the end, I got two local banks to say “yes.”

Structure the pricing of the sponsorships so that you receive your regular retail booking fee for the number of hours you’ll be at the event. $199 – $299 is a good aim for placement on the print or step and repeat banner. You could offer a better rate if the business would like to be placed on both the print and step and repeat or even be the exclusive sponsor of the entire event.

For a certain price point, you could also offer exclusivity for a certain type of industry sponsor (financial institution, insurance company, restaurant, etc.).

The pitch to the business is that the event is going to be attended by hundreds of people and every who uses the photo booth will walk away with a print featuring their logo. Some businesses may even be interested in placing a promo, coupon, QR or barcode to entice event patrons to shop at their business.

How to contact potential sponsors?

To date, using this strategy, I have not made any phone calls. Granted, it may be easier to sell these sponsorships on the phone, but I’m just not a fan of phone calls. I contact the potential sponsors via email, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram direct message.

I’ve found the most effective opening line to be, “Hi *insert business name*, who would I contact about a marketing/ sponsorship opportunity.” You’ll be directed to the correct person, and then you can explain your pitch. A bonus is that even if they say “no”, you are creating a contact list of all of these people for the future.

Post-event.

Treat your sponsors like gold. Tag and thank them publicly in post-event social media posts, send them a thank you email and send them a snail mail thank you card. Many of these events are annual, so keep up relationships, and hopefully, you can repeat the event next year.

Conclusion.

This strategy is simple, but not easy.

It’s easy to find the right event, but sellalong the way. Don’t wait for an endpoint to assess your success.

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

ing potential sponsors is more difficult.

You might get 20 “no’s” before you get a “yes.” Pay the vendor fee before you have any sponsors. This will force you to keep hustling for sponsors because you’ve committed to being at the event.

Here’s a breakdown of the finances of my last event with this strategy: Total Costs: $250 Vendor fee: $40

Step & Repeat backdrop: $185 Paper & ink: $25 Total sponsorship sales: $800 Net profit: $550 Not bad for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

You can contact Chris at chris@ photoboothtraining.com.

Your Photo Booth Partner

Professional Printers, Supplies, and Expertise.

800-342-9294 | www.imagingspectrum.com

PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

Lessons I’ve Learned

By Joe Bunn

Over the past few weeks, my oldest son Colin has DJd a few parties. He is only 12 so of course I have to take him, set up with him, help with the playlist, etc. but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

On the way home the other night, he tried to give me $20 of his tip money, but I just couldn’t take it from him.

I’m not even sure that he wants to be a DJ. I know that he loves music and technology, but I think what he really loves is that he is only 12 and can make $250 or more for a couple of hours at a ten year old girl’s birthday party! Whether he wants to be a DJ or start his own business, there are some things that I’ve learned as a small business owner that I will definitely be passing along to him. In this article, I’ll share them with all of you as well.

The customer is king (or queen). If you don’t believe that, then you truly need to go back to working for someone else and sit in a cubicle all day and take orders.

You may think that as the owner of the company, you are the boss, but you’d be wrong. You ultimately report to whoever hired you! They are the toughest bosses to have sometimes, remember that. Great (not good) customer service is a huge piece of the success of Bunn DJ Company.

Watch your money. If you have to take on a loan to get started, that’s understandable, but don’t be in debt forever. It will feel like you’re never making any money if all that you’re doing is paying back

loans. Trust me, I’ve been there and it’s the worst! Try and operate lean. Instead of hiring a salesperson for this, a manager for that, do it yourself, at least at the beginning. I mean, I still do it all myself and I’ve been in business for 30 years! It’s all about how organized you are and what you can humanly handled. I’m not human though.

Don’t take on a partner. If you’re struggling with money or work overload or all of the things that come with being a small business owner and are approached by someone that wants to “partner” with you…don’t do it. Think about it for a minute, how many partnerships have done really well? You can look at Fortune 500 companies or even local DJ companies in your area and I’m betting that you can think of more failed partnerships than successful ones. I know that I can. The only partner I ever had was in a house flipping experiment I did in the early 2000s and that idiot robbed me of $30,000 because I didn’t have my eye on the money. I was too busy growing my DJ business to focus on what he was doing with that project.

Just don’t do it. You’ll thank me later.

Be yourself. I have come up with some really crazy ideas over the years-from building insane wedding show booths (that had nothing to do with weddings) to cutting the top off a car and installing a DJ booth for the Christmas parade. I make no apologies though, that’s me. I think that creativity and being unique are key pieces of Bunn DJ Company’s success. Life is too short to be boring! If you have a great idea, do it! Don’t wait on someone else to beat you to the punch, just do it!

I’m sure I will do a part two on this article on this subject at some point because I have learned so many lessons (many the hard way) after years of doing this. I hope that some of the tools and articles and things that I say will keep the next gen-

eration of DJs and small business owners from making my mistakes. Good luck out there! I’m here when you need me!

Joe Bunn is the owner of Bunn DJ Company in Raleigh, NC. He is available

for consulting and speaking engagements.

His DVD “Marketing the Music” is now available at www.djjoebunn.com. Contact him at joebunn@discjockeynews.com.

Train, Develop, Repeat! (For A Lifetime)

By Brian Kelm

There is NO LIMIT to how skilled and talented you can become! The answer is and will always lie within you and your willingness to develop your craft. Make it your fix and something safe you crave to do as much as you can! Any training is better than none, and some consistently is better than a lot at once.

Actors, professional athletes, and other talent-based disciplines are always working at their craft. They are humble about their level of proficiency and know internally that they must not get lazy or complacent!

One of my good friends, coaches, and mentors Bill Hermann says, “Always be on stage or in a class.” I couldn’t agree more! You are working on your instrument, and this is the main differentiation between us all as entertainment professionals.

Dedicate yourself to always getting better and having a beginner’s mind that I don’t know what I don’t know and continue to evolve! For the past 5-10 years, I’ve committed myself to taking all the workshops and training I possibly can. Never to return to the way I was before I started this process.

What are you willing to do for your craft?

No one knows it all and if you find yourself questioning what could somebody teach me – the short answer is A LOT!

My favorite author on the planet, Jeffrey Gitomer shares, “Every dollar I’ve ever made was because of something I wrote.”

Which speaks to the fact that his skills, talents, and expertise created his lifestyle, popularity, which brought him to being a New York Times bestseller.

Anything reputable you can get your hands on about business, acting, sales, technology, and performance is a good start! Always push yourself for what’s next and be a sponge! If you become relentless, passionate, and disciplined consistently for years, then eventually you will raise your game!

When you are ready, conferences are a great way to improve, knowledge-base, and experience the industry at large. Next up is my favorite – workshops! Where you are in a room, working on your skills, and talents in front of your peers, with an instructor, and a video camera. If you are willing to be vulnerable, challenged, and set your ego at the door for who you can come out to be after the workshop, these life-changing opportunities are available to you!

Your success is in your hands! Create your own opportunities, always be looking ahead to what’s next for you, and be unreasonable with how much development you invest and take on!

Mentor, coach, trainer, and industry voice, Mark Ferrell asked it best, “How hard do you want to work? How good do you want to be?

How fast do you want to get there?”

Brian Kelm, CWEP, CGWP, WED Guild is a 20+ 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

TECHNOLOGY simplified

INTRODUCING CVE POWERED LOUDSPEAKERS

Where mature sound technology is key Even though the CVE series is driven by advanced DSP and loaded with lot´s of technology, the simplified yet effective control panel allows for quick, efficient setup. There is no complicated display, dial-knob or endless menus to scroll through. Just access all controls with the push of a button. Stream audio from any smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, even stereo paired. With 3 full-range Polymer enclosure tops and one 18" Plywood subwoofer, the 1000 Watt Class D Amplifier delivers professional, accurate sound with exceptional clarity, wide dispersion, rich bass, and plenty of headroom when the party gets hot.

Listen for yourself to Cerwin Vega’s 65 years of experience.

Find out more at www.cerwin-vega.com

Cerwin-Vega is a member of the Gibson Family of Brands. ©2017 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Way I See It: Have You Noticed These?

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 11

By Michael J. Lenstra

With just three more weddings on the calendar, I’m about to complete my 26th wedding season—24 as the owner of my own business. The thrill of sharing the moments, seeing a packed dance floor, completed with a grand finale, has not yet subsided.

But the late nights— those weddings that go to midnight or beyond— or those that may be a stretch away from the home base are something I can now live without.

A few milestones and observations from “Wedding Season 2017”: •We received our seventh Couples Choice Award in the past nine years from Weddingwire™ this year. We also were named the best of our business in our community’s “Best Fest” contest for the third year in a row. Our online reviews have been stellar, and while I can say that not every survey gave us a perfect 10, those that did score us less gave us an opportunity to see where we can continue to improve and maybe even help keep us grounded a bit.

•2017 was a record-breaking year regarding weddings booked, for us, the second straight year we broke our previous record. With the exception of a half a dozen weekends that I took off for family events (please remember to do this), I have performed at a wedding reception every weekend but one since April 22nd up until the end of November.

•Getting back to the late nights and long road trips, I’m happy to say that none of our weddings went past the midnight hour this year. In fact, I talked to two different banquet managers who told me that they had seen an increase in the “lunch hour” receptions in 2017—those receptions that

begin around noon and end at approximately 5 p.m. They were very common in the early 1990s when I began. Oh, how I would enjoy seeing some of those again.

We did just one this past year. As for road trips, I took just one wedding outside of our local area this year, and that one was just an 80-mile trip over the Thanksgiving weekend for the daughter of a cousin.

OBSERVATIONS •The wedding cakes have gotten smaller over the years. Long gone are the five-tier cakes with water fountains. The Candy Bar or Sweet Treats table has also seemed to disappear, along with the chocolate fountains.

•In apparel, the bow tie seems to be making a comeback, both with the wedding party and the guests. Wedding dresses with sleeves are also making a resurgence.

•The garter toss at the wedding is happening less and less. Some couples opt to skip out on both that and the bouquet toss, while others still toss the bouquet but not the garter.

•Photographers are becoming the new self-appointed day-of coordinators. More often I am receiving a timeline from the couple that their photographer has put together which covers everything from the moment they begin pre-ceremony pictures up to the time that their coverage ends, which includes what time toasts should be done when dinner is served, and what time the bouquet should be tossed. It’s a good reminder that the wedding has a lot of moving parts that need to work together, and to be mindful that while you have a schedule and way of doing things you prefer, other vendors have theirs as well.

There’s no reason why one should take precedence over another—the ultimate goal has to be the couple and giving each vendor the ability to do their job and ensure the couple gets the reception they desire. Working with the other vendors—and not against them—gets that done.

•As the end of the year nears, our marketing figures tell us that the lion’s share of our wedding business has come from past weddings, referrals from other wedding professionals, then online searches.

Bridal shows are a small piece of the pie.

In fact, I have done one annual bridal show in the area for the past ten years. The final tally this year revealed that the show is only drawing 50% of the couples it did just five years ago. Our weddings are up.

Wedding show attendance is down. How does this equate? Has Pinterest replaced the bridal show?

As for the persona of our millennial couples: •Very few have come by to say “Thank you” to me at the end of the reception, but their parents do.

•Today’s couples are not used to waiting. I had one bride e-mail me and call me three times within a two-hour time span requesting information. When I e-mailed her back with some preliminary information and asked if we could get together or talk on the phone, she was not nearly as anxious to get back to me.

•A good number are also more likely to be last minute as well, more so than in years past. After chasing one particular bride down for nearly two weeks, she finally got back to me and told me that they would not be back in town and wanted to know if we could get together for the first time ON THE MORNING OF HER WEDDING to go over details and give me her request lists.

•I talked to one of the cooks at a rather large event facility in the area and asked him when couples usually supply him with the recipe that they want him to use for the food he will be preparing for their wedding. He looked kind of dumbfounded. No one, he explained to me, has ever done that. In fact, he didn’t know if they would even allow that. I also asked a photographer friend if couples required him to let them know what aperture settings he would be using and at what speed he would be shooting. He also looked a bit confused. He explained that some couples had had a preference for where they want people to be standing in the picture, but that’s pretty much the extent of it.

We have noticed that, more and more often, some couples seem to have moved away from the days of requesting a hand-

ful of personal favorite songs and trusting us to mix them in with a danceable program of music. They are more likely to want to determine every song played, and the exact sequence they are played. They are playing the role of the DJ themselves and leaving us as little more than a breathing jukebox. However, in the same way, that couples don’t cook their food (chefs do) or take their pictures (photographers do), couples shouldn’t be their music programmers. Rather, DJs need the freedom to mix and match songs to cater to the entire guest list of the party. One thing that’s worked well for us in helping couples understand that point is to have a comprehensive consultation with our couples.

This gives us a chance to hear what types of music they and their guests like and allowing us to make some suggestions on other songs and genres that will fit in well with them; kind of like a human version of Pandora. We then go into a reception understanding and respecting each other’s views; you can see the results on the packed dance floor from that extra effort.

We’re happy to hear couples like country music or “Despacito,” just like they tell a chef they prefer chicken or beef, but like the chef has his recipes, we as DJs have our own “mix” when playing music that works.

•Speaking of music, why is it that tunes like “YMCA,” “Macarena,” or “The Chicken Dance” are labeled cheesy and lame? (I never play them these days unless requested by the couple.) Yet, other oldies/standards like “Footloose,” “Dancing Queen,” or “You Shook Me All Night Long” still work?

The way I see it, times change, customs change, and then some come back.

I’m looking forward to seeing what 2018 will bring. Happy Holidays!

Until next month, ~ Michael ~ Michael J. Lenstra is a 20-plus-year veteran of the Mobile Disc Jockey Industry, a full-time entertainer, and owner of Alexxus Entertainment in Dubuque, IA. He can be reached at mikelenstra@discjockeynews.com

PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

For The Record Part II

By Dave Ternier

I often field questions along the line of “Dave, what — exactly — do you include in your base wedding DJ/MC pricing?” I also find that there is a general mistrust in the mobile DJ world that, whenever a “high priced” DJ might share what he or she charges for a wedding, it is often met with a fairly high degree of skepticism.

Without much for context or details, most DJs are simply left to wonder if the DJ books work regularly at that price. (Actually booking weddings is much different than simply quoting on weddings). Other thoughts that often follow are things such as: If they can book a few weddings, how often are they out working events…really?

Or, maybe they are only working a few weddings per year because they have another source of income to prop up their DJ business and pay the mortgage.

There is nothing wrong with any of these questions, nor is there anything wrong with almost every possible answer to them.

For my part, as a follow up to my first For The Record blog post, here are my answers to the above common questions.

Telling you about the frequency of my work is a short and easy answer. I am hired for between 20 and 25 weddings per year. (Remember from my earlier For The Record, I don’t live in a large metro area.) After adding in a small handful of corporate work during the holiday season, fundraisers throughout the year and something we Manitobans call “prewedding socials,” my average annual event count is usually around 40 events.

My goal is to bring this total down to between 30 and 35 events per year, without compromising overall gross revenue (six figures for three years now).

As for what people get when hiring me for their wedding, following the initial inquiry and sales consultation, this is an outline of what comes with my base wedding fee of $4000 + travel + tax.

Audio equipment: two speakers (or more, if required), a pair of wireless microphones, and a DJ controller/mixer.

Lighting equipment: one pair of moving heads on totems and 8 – 10 par uplights for dance floor ambiance (only turned on for the dance, not earlier in the night for decor purposes).

Video equipment: one projector and screen (if the venue has none) with a standalone computer for playing a slideshow (no discount provided if this is not used/required).

Planning and personalization: planning sessions and idea generation completed through a variety of in-person/ email/video chat communication, timeline creation, pre-wedding communication with all vendors, parents and all people sharing toasts and speeches, audio edit or special activity creation, access to planning forms and music request system through DJ Event Planner.

Wedding day: morning setup of equipment, full MC and DJ performance, coordination as required for my MC role, tear down of equipment (typically be-

tween 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM).

Miscellaneous: bring my own 4’ table for DJ booth setup (no facade, just a white or black Scrim King fitted table cover) and no employees (just me, the guy that does everything!).

(Obviously, all of this is subject to change, pending specific wedding requirements, but this represents how the majority of my work is completed.)

In addition to a wedding ceremony add-on (additional fee of $600, separate equipment, extra planning time, production, etc.) I have three other add-on production items. Those items are Dancing on a Cloud ($275), Custom Monogram Projection ($150 – $450) and Decor Uplighting ($750, limited to the 20 basic

fixtures I currently have). These options are only mentioned in passing at the sales consultation because my goal is to have them book my basic services, with the add-on items to come up later. Admittedly, I don’t do a great job of selling my production add-ons, but typically, I will bring them up during our first planning session.

With the exception of some rare circumstances, my production items are never included for free, just to try and make a sale.

That’s it. That is what people get when they book Dave Ternier for their wedding.

I hope this helps to better understand the context from which I share here on aDJthought.com and elsewhere online (such as my new series of memes on Facebook or my DJNTV show with Jeremy Brech, Wedding Chat).

Secondly (if this matters to you), I hope this adequately illustrates that I am

indeed, an active and working, full time, mobile DJ. Should the frequency of my work begin to dramatically rise or fall, I’ll be sure to update this post accordingly.

Now…go and have a kick-ass day!

Read a little more, watch a little more, learn a little more and keep hustling toward your version of success.

You define success according to you and answer to no one but yourself. I am only one of your many cheerleaders, along for the ride.

That’s me, For The Record, part II. (If you missed it from earlier in the year, check out part one of For The Record.) ~ Dave Based in Manitoba, Canada, Dave Ternier is a single operator DJ/MCfor his company, Special Request Weddings and he is the founding author of aDJthought. com. Dave Ternier can be reached at DaveTernier@discjockeynews.com.

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 13

Brand Loyalty

By Jeremy Brech

Dave and I talked a little bit about this in our show on Wednesday nights. Oh yeah, by the way, Dave Ternier and I have a show on DJNTV at 10 pm Eastern Standard T i m e where we typically talk weddings, but we seem to get sidetracked a little sometimes. Anyways, back on track, I am one of those people that when I find a brand that I can trust and count on, I will stick by them as long as they stick by me. In other words, if they keep up the quality that I prefer, I don’t care how much the new item or service is because they have built value around the service and product. My last article was about building trust, and this is no different from the brands we use every day.

Think about the last pair of tennis shoes you bought that were just not right for you.

They gave you blisters, or your legs would fatigue too easy while running. Well, you probably didn’t go back to the store and pick up the same shoes thinking that would solve the problem. During our discussion in our show, DJ Mikey Mike made a good point. He goes with the brand that best fits his need. I feel once you have found that fit than everything from there seems comfortable. I was an Adidas guy for years until I found Puma. I then went through 12 pairs of Pumas until my wife told me to try Under Armor. I hate when the wife is always right.

My first DJ lighting setup consisted of the Chauvet Comet, a mirror ball, American DJ Avenger II, and a couple of other special effects lights. My sound setup started out

with Gemini speakers, crown amp and so on.

Well, I soon found out which brands I would stick with the rest of my career.

As our company was soon building from a hobby to a job, I needed to step up my game and realized that my Gemini speakers were not going to cut it anymore. I then dove into Peavey but soon realized it still didn’t have what I wanted and needed. I then stumbled upon a little brand called Electro-Voice.

I then fell in love with the line and had been using them ever since; until I needed something different. I wanted something clean and sleek which would blend in, instead of looking like big speakers on the sides of the head table. I decided to try the Bose L1 system and ran with that for a good three years.

I always told myself that I would never go back to anything besides my Bose; until Electro-Voice came out with their Evolve 50 speaker line.

These speakers are truly legit and let me tell you why. Electro-Voice took the time to be a part of DJ shows across the country. To support the education which we all benefit from at these conventions. They have given back so much to the DJ community, and in return, they took the time to listen to DJs like you and me. They didn’t just launch a column speaker to sell speakers that looked and sounded the same. They researched by sending their product developers to shows and asking DJs what they want from them. They took three years of notes until they found the perfect solution for cost efficiency, quality, and portability. This article should be called “Loyal Brands” because they have put the time and dollars into making DJ shows successful which bring us educational opportunities.

My lighting? Well I tried many different options after my first setup. I tried Eliminator, I bought ADJ pocket scans and I even tried Martin. For longevity and functionality, I went down the Chauvet path. I have tried

a couple lights here and there, but I always found myself coming back to a brand that I can trust and also trusts me. I have built a great relationship with the Chauvet team, and they have allowed me to inspire others at tradeshows, conventions, and I even seem to be a customer service rep when people have questions. I am perfectly cool with helping others when in need because I know that someday I will need to call upon others in time of need.

My words of wisdom would try different options before you go all in or you buy your complete system. Go to tradeshows and play

with the new DJ controllers. I know that once you get comfortable with the brand that fits you best you will know. Like Mikey Mike said find the brand that fits you best. If you find that brand that seems to have read your mind, it probably means they just took the time to invest in the DJ industry by being involved and listening to you and other DJs across the world.

Jeremy Brech is Owner/Entertainer/ Lighting Designer of DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design. Jeremy can be reached at: jeremybrech@discjockeynews.com.

December Is A Time For Reflection

By Keith ‘KC’ KoKoruz

It is the holiday season, and this is typically a time of reflection as we say goodbye to 2017 and make our new year’s resolutions and goals for 2018. I am not going to offer you any personal reflection and life goals, but I am going to provide you with advice on business reflection.

If you are serious about your business’ success, I would expect that you are organizing it with a Customer Resource Management system. If you aren’t, you need to start right now. The reason is that STATISTICS DON’T LIE. I use Dj Event Planner. The reason for my use of

a CRM is to track every possible piece of data I can to measure various aspects of my company at any given time. Using a CRM, it allows me to track the number of inbound leads that I am receiving. It allows me the opportunity to see how I am billing out my average events rate wise. It allows me to track specifically every lead source. It allows me to see my closing rate based on the number clients I have met with or at least spoken to. It allows me the opportunity to compare year to year so that regardless of what is happening in the world, I can make adjustments to ensure my company’s success.

Currently, the United States is seeing the lowest marriage in the past 100 years.

In addition to this, there is more competition in all aspects of the wedding and special event industry. Simply put, this means you are going to have to work harder and of course be better than you ever have had to in years past. You need to work harder to stand out, and you need to wow your clients so that they go out of their way to refer you. Having a CRM allows you to pull up your referring client’s information Keith KoKoruz continued on page 15

PAGE 14 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

PTDJ: Busy Weekend

By Dan Carpenter

It may be hard to think about this type of thing during those “slow” months, but it’s because of the crazy busy ones that I’m just now being able to think back, reflect and write about this. Back in September and October, I ran into something that usually doesn’t happen to me.

I had two weddings in one weekend. For a lot of you full-timers, this may be a common occurrence, but I typically run into Saturday weddings only. Maybe the occasional holiday weekend I’ll pick up a Sunday, but that’s about it. This year, it happened three different weekends, and I realized just how unprepared I was. And while

two weddings in one weekend might not sound all that bad, trying to do that on top of family life and my regular Monday to Friday job, it was a bit overwhelming.

The first weekend wasn’t so bad. It was a Friday evening at the beginning of September. Being a teacher, I had prepared for this weekend before the school year started. In fact, I almost felt over prepared. I had practiced pronunciations and made sure I had the right songs weeks in advance. So by the time the events happened, it mostly went off without a hitch. However, two weeks later I had another two wedding weekend. By this point, I was farther into the school year but still prepared a couple of weeks ahead. One problem I almost created for myself happened because I was so focused on this two event weekend that I missed a special song for my wedding the weekend in between the doubles. Fortunately, I caught it last minute and was able to fix it before it created a real problem. The last double wedding weekend was mid-October. This was the one that kicked my butt. I had a school dance Fri-

day night, then a wedding Saturday and Sunday. Very different type of events, looking for very different styles of music (and not just the school dance versus the weddings), and by Sunday’s wedding, I was drained. I had little to no energy and couldn’t help liven up the crowd either.

I firmly believe a lot of the issues I had came as a result of working full time and trying to do multiple full events back to back, so a lot of the suggestions I have for improving on what happened are with the part-timer mindset in place.

1. Know your limitations.

If your personal life is normally crazy during a particular time of year, it’s probably not the best idea to take on multiple events near each other. If you are wiped at the end of a single event and typically have that event hangover (not from alcohol) the next day, it’s probably not a good idea to have an event lined up the next day. Know how much you can do, and try not to do more than that.

2. Take care of your body.

I mentioned the after event hangover.

Often that comes from not having yourself in the right shape to keep going hard day after day. For some you need to eat better, others need to hydrate more, and others may need to start a workout regime

to stay ready.

3. Get some help It’s not easy doing what we do. Setting up the gear and performing can take a lot out of you. If you don’t typically work with a two-person team (or more), it might be time to start. At the very least, get some help for setup and tear down. You’ll stay more refreshed and have more energy at the end of the events as well as at the start of the next ones.

4. Be prepared I mentioned that the first double weekend, things went pretty well because I was able to prepare weeks in advance.

What I didn’t do was continue that preparation schedule for both the remaining double weekends as well as the events in between.

I don’t foresee that many double weekends coming so close together again anytime soon (it was abnormal for this area), but when it does I will be ready.

Do you have any tips or tricks you use to be ready for double weekends? Feel free to share them; I’d love to learn other ways to make sure I’m ready for the next time.

Dan Carpenter can be reached at dancarpenter@discjockeynews.com.

Top 25 Charts for DECEMBER 2017

The Weekly Printable Charts (Top 50 and Recurrent) are available at http://www.discjockeynews.com/charts for Subscribers Pop

1 CAMILA CABELLO Havana f/Young Thug 2 IMAGINE DRAGONS Thunder 3 MAROON 5 What Lovers Do f/SZA 4 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Feel It Still 5 DEMI LOVATO Sorry Not Sorry 6 HALSEY Bad At Love 7 ED SHEERAN Perfect 8 SAM SMITH Too Good At Goodbyes 9 LOGIC 1-800-273-8255 f/A.Cara/Khalid 10 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 11 KESHA Praying 12 TAYLOR SWIFT Ready For It 13 DUA LIPA New Rules 14 CHARLIE PUTH How Long 15 P!NK What About Us 16 SELENA GOMEZ X MARSHMELLO Wolves 17 MAX Lights Down Low f/Gnash 18 J BALVIN F/WILLY WILLIAM Mi Gente f/Beyonce 19 MACKLEMORE Good Old Days f/Kesha 20 NIALL HORAN Too Much To Ask 21 HAILEE STEINFELD & ALESSO Let Me Go f/FGL & Watt 22 NF Let You Down 23 TAYLOR SWIFT End Game f/Ed Sheeran/Future 24 KHALID Young Dumb & Broke 25 BLACKBEAR Do Re Mi Urban 1 G-EAZY No Limit f/A$AP Rocky, Cardi B 2 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 3 GUCCI MANE I Get The Bag f/Migos 4 KENDRICK LAMAR LOVE. f/Zacari 5 SZA The Weekend 6 CARDI B Bodak Yellow 7 GOLDLINK Crew f/Brent Faiyaz/Shy Glizzy 8 CHRIS BROWN Pills & Automobiles

9 MIGOS MotorSport f/N. Minaj & Cardi 10 YO GOTTI F/NICKI MINAJ Rake It Up 11 MIGUEL Sky Walker f/Travis Scott 12 TRAVIS SCOTT Butterfly Effect 13 LIL PUMP Gucci Gang 14 21 SAVAGE Bank Account 15 A$AP FERG Plain Jane 16 WIZ KHALIFA Something New f/Ty Dolla $ign 17 YO GOTTI Juice 18 PLAYBOI CARTI wokeuplikethis* f/Lil Uzi Vert 19 N.E.R.D. & RIHANNA Lemon 20 LIL UZI VERT The Way Life Goes f/N. Minaj 21 JHENE AIKO While We’re Young 22 BAKA NOT NICE Live Up To My Name 23 MONEYBAGG YO Doin’ It 24 REMY MA Wake Me Up f/Lil’ Kim 25 THE WEEKND Die For You Adult Contempory 1 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me...

2 THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY Something Just Like This 3 P!NK What About Us 4 SIA Santa’s Coming For Us 5 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 6 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 7 KELLY CLARKSON Christmas Eve 8 JOSH GROBAN Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 9 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 10 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 11 SAM SMITH Too Good At Goodbyes 12 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 13 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Feel It Still 14 ED SHEERAN Perfect 15 JANE LYNCH F/FLANNERY & DAVIS A Swingin’ Little Christmas...

16 FIVE FOR FIGHTING/JIM BRICKMAN Christmas Where You Are 17 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands

18 GARTH BROOKS/TRISHA YEARWOOD Santa Baby 19 ELIZABETH CHAN Ghost Of Christmas Past 20 GWEN STEFANI You Make It Feel Like Christma 21 SEAL Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let 22 98 DEGREES Season Of Love 23 KELLY CLARKSON Love So Soft 24 MAROON 5 What Lovers Do f/SZA 25 ROD STEWART Da Ya Think I’m Sexy f/DNCE Country 1 LANCO Greatest Love Story 2 GARTH BROOKS Ask Me How I Know 3 LUKE BRYAN Light It Up 4 BLAKE SHELTON I’ll Name The Dogs 5 BRETT YOUNG Like I Loved You 6 ERIC CHURCH Round Here Buzz 7 MAREN MORRIS I Could Use A Love Song 8 CHRIS YOUNG Losing Sleep 9 CHRIS JANSON Fix A Drink 10 RUSSELL DICKERSON Yours 11 AARON WATSON Outta Style 12 EASTON CORBIN A Girl Like You 13 KELSEA BALLERINI Legends 14 WALKER HAYES You Broke Up With Me 15 CARLY PEARCE Every Little Thing 16 DEVIN DAWSON All On Me 17 OLD DOMINION Written In The Sand 18 BIG & RICH California 19 GRANGER SMITH Happens Like That 20 SCOTTY MCCREERY Five More Minutes 21 KEITH URBAN Female 22 MIDLAND Make A Little 23 MIRANDA LAMBERT Tin Man 24 BRETT ELDREDGE The Long Way 25 HIGH VALLEY She’s With Me

Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017 • Page 15

Increase Reviews By Changing How And When You Ask

By Brian Buonassissi

Great reviews are important. It’s almost become a pre-requisite to get clients just to look at you much less book you. I always felt slimy asking for reviews after an event.

It felt as if I was a used car salesman and if I’m honest, it was like pulling teeth to get clients to post those reviews. We’d graze the subject on the first e-mail post-event and then with subsequent e-mails (up to three), we’d put a little more weight behind them, trying to coerce them to write one. We went back to the drawing board to see what we could to provide a better experience for the client with the review process.

The first thing we did was to cut the word “review” out altogether in our company’s vernacular.

I don’t know about you, but if a company asks me to write them a review, it feels like a chore and a bit disingenuous. They’re not interested in me as a client – they’re interested in what I can do for them. I don’t like the pressure, and when I do get around to writing it, I may not be as inclined to write as great of a review because they’ve nagged me constantly.

We now refer to it as “sharing your experience.” That little change may seem subtle, but it’s been big for us. It takes it away from being about us as the DJ company and makes it to them and future clients. I’ll get an example of the verbiage we use a little later.

The other change we’ve made is when we ask for the review. It used to always be after the event – we initially would send

them a thank you note and ask then. Then follow up with an e-mail. We didn’t see big returns. We now make the “ask” during what we call our “creative planning appointment” (where we sit down with the client and go through the event from top to bottom). Unless they found us through a review (more on that below), we’ll talk about the review at the end of that meeting.

We also ask their permission. This shows much more customer/client care than feeling processed through the system.

As I alluded to above, another important thing is how they found you. I know that can be tough to precisely ascertain but assuming they found you through a thirdparty review site (Yelp, WeddingWire, The Knot, etc.), then there’s a good chance that the reviews played a huge part in them choosing you as their wedding DJ/MC. That is the perfect set-up for asking for a review because they already know (even if it is just subconsciously) how important those reviews are. You just might to need to point that out. So here’s the verbiage we’ll typically use. Obviously, it’s not a script, and we tweak per client, but this will give you a good idea of how to phrase things: If they’ve found us on a 3rd party review site: “I couldn’t help but notice that you found us on The Knot. When you selected me, was any part of that decision based on what past clients shared about working with me? {they almost always say yes Well, I can’t begin to tell you how many previous clients have sat in that exact seat and said the same thing. If you’re OK with it, once the event is over, I’d like to send you an e-mail and ask if you would share your experience in working with me. In the same way, it was helpful for you, it will not only help others who are considering us, but it also helps me and my company get a real sense of what it was like for you so

we can continue to hit the mark. I’m not asking for anything more than an honest assessment. Would you be willing to help me (us) out with that?”

If they didn’t find us on a 3rd party review site, I’ll strike the first sentence and keep everything else pretty much the same.

Since we’ve gone to this model, they now expect the e-mail, and if our DJ is a little late in sending them the link, they’ll beat us to the punch and ask for it. In some cases, the appointment has gone so well that they’ll ask us to send them the link before the event. If you have never tried this ap-

KC KoKoruz continued from page 13 and WOW that potential client by calling up details of their friend’s wedding or special event with your company.

With that all being said, let’s take a look at some the various things that you should reflect on at this time to be better in 2018. If you don’t have this data, you are not running your business properly. Now would be the time to put the data process together to study it in the future.

1. Who specifically referred you to my company today? Even though you may be advertising everywhere, what/who pushed them over the edge to contact you today?

2. What planning tools are you using to plan your wedding? Once again this helps with the branding of your company. If you see that they are naming all of the places you are advertising, they are a good investment. If you see a series of places you don’t advertise in, but a majority of your clients are using these for planning, perhaps an investment would be worthwhile.

3. What is your conversion rate from prospects to clients? Marketing helps people contact you, after that, it is the business owner’s job to convert. What is your conversion rate?

proach, I encourage you to test it out. It’s much more disarming, and I think you’ll see a huge uptick in you reviews.

Based out of NYC, DJ Brian Buonassissi is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury destination private events. He runs a multi-city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Southern California, Destin, FL and New York City.

You can connect with him at brianbuonassissi@discjockeynews.com.

4. What staff members are specifically requested the most? Every DJ I have ever met is the best. The question is who is the most requested in your company. That is where the rubber hit the road.

5. What package and add-on services are truly selling the most? You spent thousands of dollars on lasers that you were sure everyone would want. You have sold them twice since you bought them. Now it is time to sell them and find something else that will give you a bigger return on your investment.

6. What is the average score of the evaluations I am receiving back on my company and my specific staff members?

This allows you to tweak any customer service issues moving forward. This is even true if you are a single op company.

These are simply a few ideas. Everyone has different things that are important to them, however, tracking everything truly shows you the blueprint of your business.

Happy Holidays.

KC can be reached at KC@discjockeynews.com.

PAGE 16 • Disc Jockey News • DECEMBER 2017

™

POWER THAT DEMANDS ATTENTION More power, more time-saving technology, plus available wireless control, streaming and linking means you can sound better, get louder, and have more control than ever. Break through and get noticed with the insanely powerful and ultra-affordable Thump Series.

1300 WATTS

|

CLASS-LEADING BASS

©2017 LOUD Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved. “Mackie.”, the “Running Man” figure, “Sound Like You Mean It” and “Thump” are trademarks or registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies Inc.

|

BUILT-IN MIXER