January 2011 Disc Jockey News

Disc Jockey News JANUARY 2011 • Issue #76

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The Q Corner, Where Quality Meets Quantity

By Mike Walter

other. 2010 says to the other years: “I was the BEST year ever,” and then 2009 shouts, “Oh yeah, well he got married in my year” and then 2007 yells, “yeah well he met his wife in my year” and then 1987 stands up and says, “he lost his virginity in my year,” and that pretty much quiets everyone. And meanwhile 2011, young baby of a year still in diapers and holding a bottle, sits there crying knowing it has no chance to compete (sorry but I have a vivid imagination.)

I’d rather wish you a great year without comparing it to any others, past or future.

So I begin this January article by asking you a simple question, “what goals have you set for yourself to make it a great year?”

If you are a regular reader of mine you know I abhor New Year’s resolutions. I wrote about them two years ago

Talkin’ Bride With Tamara

By Tamara Sims

grooms LOVE the “one stop-shopping concept!” And we do too!!!

Be a trusted wedding resource for your client by providing a list of Preferred Vendors. This is a win-win situation for you AND your client. How many times has an unprepared or unprofessional vendor caused stress for your client on their wedding day? Wouldn’t it be great if we could work with our favorite photographer, videographer or wedding planner every weekend? By providing a referral list to your clients you can help steer them in the right direction. This also helps reinforce your relationship with your client as being an expert in the wedding industry.

Never stop learning. Make it your goal to attend at least 1 new seminar or read 1 new business book each quarter.

I look forward to the Mobile Beat Show in Las Vegas every year, and there are many regional conferences that you can attend in your market. We have so many amazing speakers in our industry who are open to sharing their sales tips, training methods and knowledge.

I have heard from numerous DJs over the years (including my husband Jay) that Mark Ferrell’s “Getting What Your Worth” seminar changed the way they do business and also changed their life.

The more you know, the more confidence you will have when meeting with your clients.

Please feel free to share your best customer service tips with Tamara by visiting her Blog: http://www.something2dance2.com/blog/ Tamara is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment in East Dundee, IL, which she proudly owns along with her husband Jay Sims. She has over 20 years experience in the wedding industry and loves to create wonderful wedding memories for her brides and grooms. You can contact Tamara at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.com.

on his page: “You’re also doing one of the best things you can do when you start a diet or fitness program: TELLING EVERYONE. First time you think about missing a workout or eating that Twinkie, remember we’re all pulling for and we’re gonna be terrifically disappointed if you don’t succeed at this (how’s that for some good old Catholic guilt?)”

“Telling Everyone” is a key to really committing to change. So while I’m certainly not “everyone” I want to make you this offer: email me your goals for the year. I will do what I can to help you keep them. Quarterly, I’ll send your goals back to you to find out how you are doing with them. Also, like my favorite line from The Titanic (“you jump, I’ll jump”) if you send me yours I’ll send you mine. And this way I too will have someone (hopefully lots of people) keeping me honest about the goals I have for this year.

So think about 2011. What goals do you? Personally and or Professionally.

I certainly have both. Type them out and then if you’re game, send them to me at mikewalter@discjockeynews. com. Put “2011 Goals” in the subject line and I’ll return your email with my own. I look forward to hearing from you and being a partner in both of us having great years (but not the best year ever, I’ll let the year I lost my virginity own that title forever.)

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.

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Happy 2011!!! I wish you an amazing and prosperous year. As with every year, our goal is to exceed client expectations and create wonderful wedding memories for our clients. So with that in mind, I would like to share some great customer service tips that will start your year off right.

Providing proactive customer service is a necessity in any industry, but especially when dealing with brides and grooms. If you don’t respond to a client in a timely manner, believe me, someone else will. I recently saw former CEO of McDonald’s Ed Rensi, speak in Chicago and when addressing the importance of customer service he said, “Get caught doing something unique and great for your customer!”

Ed definitely took his own advice when he recently opened up the Tom & Eddie’s burger chain in suburban Chicago.

His first 9 days in business he offered free meals to anyone who “dressed to the nines” when visiting his restaurant.

What a unique concept and a great way to create buzz for his business!

To tie in with the McDonald’s theme, his second tip was about up selling. “Would you like fries with that?” Don’t laugh…how many times have we been so excited to “close the deal” with a client only to realize we forget to up sell our additional lighting, photo montage, party props, or video services. Don’t let this happen to you!

Make sure you ask your client about additional needs they may have for their wedding and let them know how you can help. Today’s busy brides and

so I won’t repeat my entire argument about why they are doomed to failure, but suffice to say I’m a believer in making changes in your life whenever you choose. Don’t wait for the first of January or your upcoming birthday or the 40 days of Lent. You want to start being healthier or spending more time with your children or showing your spouse how important they are? Forget what the calendar says. Start now.

In fact if you made a New Year’s resolution this year and you’ve already blown it by the time this copy of The Disc Jockey News showed up in your mailbox, that’s fine. Start over. Make a January 18th resolution this year.

Back to my question. And notice I said “goals for the year.” Those are better than resolutions because they give you 12 months to accomplish them.

Instead of: “I’m going to start going to the gym 3 times a week” (which by this point you may have blown) a better goal is, “I’m going to end 2011 in better shape than I began it.” Instead of “I’m going to be more serious about my business this year,” (which is too vague to hold yourself accountable to) a better goal is, “I’ll attend 2 conferences this year and implement 5 new ideas to make my business better.” Those are concrete goals that force you start looking at the year as a whole and planning for improvement.

Recently a friend of mine started a new health and wellness program.

He’s about 25 pounds over-weight and is thinking about his long term health.

So he started eating better, counting his calories and going to the gym. He also put up a picture of himself on Facebook from his first day in the gym and announced what his goals were. I wrote

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First of all let me begin by wishing you, dear reader, a very happy New Year. I hope your 2010 was happy and healthy and prosperous.

And I hope your 2011 is off to a great start.

There’s a motivational speaker who has worked the DJ expo circuit who invites people to have “your best year ever.”

I always cringe when I hear things like that because I picture the years of your life becoming competitive with each

!

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PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011

Three Magic Words

By Mitch Taylor

Toastmaster has been a HUGE benefit to me in my professional career. I am constantly amazed at the diversity of people and subjects that are broached in my club. Although we have a small club, we just achieved our 20th member for the first time since, ever…we are very passionate and driven. Those are great qualities to find in any Toastmasters club that you search for in your own markets. If you are not yet a Toastmaster, I highly recommend it.

To a s t master Maggie Nelson recently gave her Speech #9 in her Competent Communicator manual, and the speech was very inspiring and titled “Three Magic Words.” I’d like to share with you now those three magic words and how I feel they apply to our industry. By integrating these 3 words and philosophies into your presentation, you can dramatically improve your connection with your clients.

The first word is “Choice.” Choice is what our country was founded upon, the freedom of choice and equality for

all. Choice is also important in your offerings to your clients. Do you give them choices or is it an “all or nothing” proposition? I’ve been on both sides of that fence in my career and Dean Carlson wrote a great article in last month’s Disc Jockey News discussing exactly this. The “Rule of 3” applies here as well. Give your clients an option of low, middle, and high… and ensure that you still make a profit in each offering. For multi-ops, let your client pick their entertainer ahead of time and have the confidence to put their name on the contract.

Choice also applies to your sales consultation. Ask your clients what other “choices” they have made so far for their wedding. Why did they go with those “choices?” What was the deciding factor? This information can tell you a LOT about your client’s motivation and also the key to their buying motives and why they might or might not hire you.

Fairness is the second word in the 3 magic words equation. Think about the last customer service situation you found yourself in. Was the company fair to you…or were you left upset and frustrated? Explaining to a client that in order to be fair to everyone is WAY better than saying “It’s company policy.” People don’t care TWO RIPS about your company policy but it can help temper their expectations and ensure they understand if you HAVE to tell them no.

Let’s talk more about that. DON’T EVER start a conversation with a cli-

ent with the word “No.” ALWAYS start from a positive. “Yes, however, in order to be fair to everyone…” By answering this way you don’t force your client on the defensive as soon as they hear the word “No.” They are hearing a positive first and are therefore will listen and understand what you are saying and will hopefully be more accepting of the situation. The best scenario for this in the DJ world is taking requests. “Yes, but to be fair to everyone who wants to dance, GWAR may not be the best choice while Grandma is still here.”

Accountability is the third word and is your insurance policy on a promise. Checks and balances must be in place to ensure that what the customer wants comes to fruition. If no one is accountable and the customer feels that each representative of your company is “passing the buck,” or worse yet is stuck in “voice jail” being passed around to different representatives (DJ, Salesperson, Manager, Owner) then they will not be happy, will NOT refer your company and worse yet will spread a bad reputation about you around to all of their friends.

The key to accountability is to empower your people to handle situations BEFORE your customer reaches the boiling point. Make a series of small gestures that you can do to take care of the customer and ensure that they have to be given to you the owner for approval afterwards of how the situation was

handled so that your employees aren’t taking advantage of your “freebies”.

Maybe your DJ forgot to meet with his clients for a planning meeting, or worse yet you were late to an appointment. Empower that person to immediately resolve the situation by profusely apologizing and sending out a $25 gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. This will head off any bad publicity that you may have received from this and put the client back in your favor again.

The magic paragraph that combines all of these words. “I just want to make sure you have choices so that someone who is held accountable ensure there is fairness for all.”

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 and his local Chapter President. Mitch has also earned his Advanced Communicator Bronze and Competent Leadership award in Toastmasters and is a member of WEDGuild. Mitch owns and operates Taylored Weddings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and can be reached at www.MitchTaylor.net or via email at: mitchtaylor@discjockeynews.com

Happy New Year! What’s In It For You?

By Dave Winsor

It’s 2011, the first year in the new decade. What’s in it for you? New gear?

New lights? New website? Cool, those things will really help you. Or, will they?

If you don’t have a common thread to all your communication, y o u ’ l l be sending mixed messages. How about this one: Your website states that the bride’s wedding will be “elegant and formal.” That’s what YOU state on your website. Now the prospective bride decides she likes that approach and contacts you. How long will it take for you

to respond? If it’s longer than say, 24 hours I think you’ve lost the sale, or will at least be at a competitive disadvantage.

Want to know why? Because there is someone like ME in your market who will respond immediately. OK, so let’s go back to our bride. She likes the way you laid out the picture for her wedding reception so she contacts you. How do you respond? Are you elegant? Are you formal? Who exactly are you?

Here’s what I see as a problem in our business: We all seem the same when someone comes looking for a solution to their entertainment problems. How do you differ from me? BTW, I tell my brides and grooms that I write a column for a national DJ newspaper. THAT sets me apart. What sets you apart? Are you the best talent in your market? Are you an adequate talent? Are you just getting by? How many new concepts for your business have you developed in the past year? How is your communication to your client different than your competitors? Why should you care?

I’ll tell you why, because it’s really easy to see against someone who doesn’t have a consistent message. I’m a single Op and I LOVE to sell against Multiops. Why? I create a reason for them to come to me. I won’t tell you exactly what I say, but let’s say it’s easily understood by my brides and grooms. Do I win every sales battle against the Multiop? No. That’s just the way it is, but I’m in the game and I LOVE IT. So, how do you compete? Can you sit down with a bride and groom and not use any sales aids? No photos or video?

The reason why I ask is because it’s really easy to let those things do the “talking” for you. The client never really learns about you. Can you sit down with two complete strangers and talk for 1520 minutes without bringing up the wedding? Try it. It’s a great way of learning about them and vice versa. Now, 15-20 minutes might be a stretch to start, so try talking about anything else except the reason you are meeting, for say 5 minutes. Let them get to know YOU. Get

my point yet?

It’s a new year, it’s a time to take a look at your “message” from A-Z and that includes your appearance and your speech. The reason why your speech is so significant is that it tells a story about you even though you are not specifically speaking about YOU. Get that? This year it’s all about YOU. So, get out there and take a good hard look. If you can’t, I can help. Let me know if you are interested in learning what you look like from a complete stranger.

Contact me at davewinsor@discjockeynews.com and say “Dave, I need a really good examination!” I’ll be happy to help.

Oh, I’ll see you in Vegas and I really hope you’ll sit in for my seminar: “Mic Technique and Voice Over Training.”

C’mon 2011….I’m READY!! .Dave Winsor can be reached at davewinsor@discjockeynews.com.

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Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011 • Page 3

Starting From Scratch

By Jeff Richards

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

It’s a new year and hopefully it will be better than the last few for all of you.

For me, it’s the end of the road. If you haven’t already heard (then you must not be a Facebook friend) In July of 2010, after thirty years as a disc jockey I hung up my headphones and closed my business. Several things contributed to my decision to bring this party to an end, but for the most part it was personal health problems along with the downturn in the economy that helped me make that final decision.

I’ve been a diabetic for 38 years (type 1 – Insulin dependent) and have tried to keep that from interrupting my life but the years have caught up to me making it more difficult to keep myself in check.

Working 12 to 18 hour days at an event and trying to keep the blood sugar level correct caused highs and lows that sometimes became a real burden. After a long day I would get home, soak in a hot tub to comfort the sore muscles then get into bed only to be awakened with extreme leg cramps in one or both legs. It would take many hours of hell before the muscles would ease up and allow me to sleep.

In the last few months of my career the doctor and I finally found the reason why and how to ease the leg cramps.

In the fall of 2007 I was setting up my light show which consisted of a ten foot truss with 12 lights held up by the standard poles. I had the truss up on the poles with all the lights attached and was standing in the center area connecting a cable when the truss slipped off of the pole on one end. I stuck my arms out at waist level and caught the truss on the tops of my arms as the other side also fell off the pole. Locking my arms vertical to the floor kept the truss from crashing down but then there was a sudden, very sharp pain in my shoulders. With no one in the room to help I ended up struggling for what seemed like twenty minutes to lift the truss back up onto the poles and lock them down. Continuing with the set up I ignored the pain in my arms (cut and bleeding) as well as the extreme pain in my shoulders. I believed that I only had pulled a muscle or two and after a few weeks everything would be alright.

But then one night at a wedding a conga line was passing by me when one of the guests in the line tossed his hand up for a high five. Without thinking I responded by slapping him back that five.

The pain in my shoulder was so great that I took two steps back to hide behind my podium and immediately dropped to my knees. As the song was ending I struggled to my feet and pressed play for the next song. After several months of agonizing pain I went to a doctor to have it checked out. Unfortunately I actually popped my shoulders ever so slightly out of their sockets. The x-ray showed that it wasn’t bad enough for surgery but instead I would need physical therapy to try

to correct the problem. After 13 weeks of physical therapy things were not any better, especially when the therapist told me that we were done due to a cap on my insurance coverage. (Pre-Obama Care) I could continue with treatments but the several hundred dollars each visit would have to come from my pocket. My only choice was to try to continue on my own and hope things would get better. To this day one of my shoulders still gives me extreme pain at times doing simple everyday things.

To add to the shoulder problem I also suffer from arthritis in my knees which makes it extremely difficult to get down the floor to tape cables and get back up again. Getting up out of a chair can be a painful and difficult accomplishment.

The bad knees contributed to falling down a flight of steps on two occasions which lead to hip problems.

As you all know in the fall of 2008 the stock market collapsed. Luckily for me I had taken all my investments out of the market earlier or all of that would have been lost. As many of you know this put an already real tight situation into an even more desperate situation for the American public. People were and still are holding onto their money as if the world was about to end. Shortly after the housing and stock market collapse the business credit card that I had been using since 1997 sent all of their customers a notice saying they had closed up and our accounts were handed over to a “collection agency” thus drastically affecting my credit rating.

Other cards then sent me a notice saying due to the change in my credit score they were closing those accounts. I went from having an excellent rating with a credit limit of $45,000 (just on one card) to a person with a poor rating and no cards for capitol, investments or emergencies.

Months later this problem would then

lead to my home, car and life insurance policies to also have a steep increase in the monthly rates.

In a tight economy, entertainment is typically one of the first things people stop spending their money on. It was getting harder and harder to find clients willing to spend more than a few hundred dollars for a DJ. 2010 will be known as the year of the “Discount DJ.” What I mean by this is that those of us, who were established in our areas as a “qualified” higher priced DJ, had to lower our rates to find clients to purchase our talents and continue in business. At the same time the numbers of DJs in the area jumped significantly as everyone was losing jobs and/or getting cut back in hours. I went from $1200 to $2000 for a wedding to half that rate and still had too many “qualified” competitors beating my rate along with the startups and amateurs cutting those lower rates by half. It was a real “Dog Eat Dog” situation. One of my competitors told me that the multi-op companies were all in a competition to see who could lower their rates the most and still keep the doors open long enough to drive the other guy out of business. In the fall of 2009 between the health problems and the drop in business I decided to bring the DJ business to an end. I stopped taking bookings for events after July of 2010. My last booking was for the National Night Out event in my neighborhood. It would be my fifth and last time.

The night before the event I was loading new songs into my DJ computer when the electrical socket popped and sent me and my computer into darkness. I had a battery backup but that didn’t seem to keep the computer from shutting down.

When I got the power back on the computer had the screen of death and would not respond to anything. I panicked and called a few of my DJ friends who know Starting continued on page 9

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PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011

Lessons From Disney: Best Practices For Business Excellence

By Ron Ruth

By the time you read this article, the holiday season has come and gone and you’re already focused on making 2011 your best year ever. However, as I write, Christmas is still a few days away and even though I’ve not opened the presents under the tree, I’ve already enjoyed my best gift.

No. I didn’t take an unscheduled trip to the “House of Mouse,” although that would have been pretty cool.

Over the past year you’ve indulged me and my fascination for the Disney way of doing business. It all started 20 years ago with a trip to Walt Disney World on my honeymoon.

And, as you may have read here before, my wife and I have returned to WDW about 40 times. Yes, we love all of the fun stuff there is to do at Disney World, but equally important, we’ve never had a bad experience. Actually, our expectations are exceeded with each and every visit. The quality of guest service that Disney delivers is one that is hard to find in so many businesses you and I come in contact with on an everyday basis.

Since my very first visit, I’ve read just about every book that has been written about Walt Disney, the Walt Disney Corporation, its leadership and business model.

And, I’ve zeroed-in on the way that the organization has made delivering quality guest relations a non-negotiable service standard for every cast member, regardless of the role they play. Although there is a very well defined quality service cycle in place, in my opinion Disney has transformed the delivery of exceptional custom-

er service into an art form.

In 1986, at the prodding of business people who had enjoyed the same level of excellence in service as my wife and I, the Disney Institute was founded. It is the professional development and training division of the Walt Disney Company and its purpose is to allow business professionals an opportunity to learn Disney’s best practices for business excellence. Since its inception, the Disney Institute has hosted a million or so individuals, representing some 40 industries from 35 countries that have invested heavily in learning the business behind the magic.

So what was my best gift of the holidays? In early December, 2010, I became an alumnus of the Disney Institute after completing the national touring program of “Disney’s Approach To Business Excellence” in Kansas City. This full-day, classroom experience was hosted by the University of Kansas - School of Business and facilitated by instructors from the Disney Institute. My reason for attending was like so many others. I was eager to discover more about how to incorporate a little of the Disney magic into my business.

I was joined by 150 “guests” at the workshop, representing a dozen or more industries. At my table, alone, there was a plumbing valve salesman, the owner of a foundation repair business, an employee of an eye glass company, 2 business students from KU and an executive from Garmin.

An equally diverse crowd of engineers, bankers, health care and hospitality workers, among others were scattered around the room. Even with such diversity, everyone was there to learn one thing...how to forge and strengthen the bond between customer and company from the only business that has successfully built its brand on delivering happiness.

Our Disney Institute facilitators, Kendal and Nicole, shared the strategies that are important to the success of the Walt Disney

Who Are You?

By Jake Palmer

Another round of bridal shows is about to take over the wedding industry. DJs, photographers, caterers, and all those dresses, packed into a ballroom, clamoring for the brides’ attention.

Does it feel like the bride and her entourage only came to see the fashion show?

They’ll stop by your booth to see what your giving away, but what they really want is the cheapest price they can find. Suddenly, before you know it the show turns into “he who goes the lowest gets the bride”. The last few bridal shows I have been in, there are DJ companies that literally hang 8 foot banners at the top of there booth, that say “$695 Unlimited Time”. You’re standing on the other side of the room looking at the brides stacked up at this banner, wondering if you’re charging too much. Now, please, bear with me, this is not an article about bridal shows, and this is certainly not a sermon about how you should be charging more than you are, this is merely an observation.

As a full-time Mobile Entertainer/ DJ, who is livin’ the dream, I can tell you first hand the Mobile DJ price question… or should I say controversy, has been around as long as portable music. Now as a guy who makes a living doing this I see, (and understand) all sides of the coin, and you might

be surprised to learn, there are more than two sides to the coin. I am a firm believer that every coin has 3 sides, go ahead take a look, I can wait. Heads, tails, and that little skinny edge, the coin is 3 dimensional, not just heads and tails.

When I look at my coin I see all three sides, there’s what I call the wife side, because at my house she does all the money stuff, and those of you who know me, know it’s better this way. So what she sees is a booked or un-booked date. In her mind I should book every bride and every show until I have no un-booked dates, regardless of the price. How many of us have heard or even said “695 is better than no-95”?

Now you’re cutting your price, caving in to the “they said they can do it for this much” game, where the bride plays one guy against the other. Now your working every Saturday, but never feel like you gain any ground, and worst yet, you’re doing shows that are not a good fit for you, so you’re not even having fun.

Then there is the idealist side of the coin, this is the side controlled by a smaller group of DJs who insist they are not “djs” they are “Entertainers” and they are going to change the world, and you can change the world too if you would just charge more. We all have these friends in the business, they are convinced that if we charge $2500 and they charge $2500, brides will start to pay $2500, and slowly we will change the industry and the world.

Jake continued on page 5

Company and that are applicable to every business, regardless of the industry. We were all challenged to make the connection back to our own organizations while finding ways to adapt the Disney business approach.

This one-of-a-kind workshop consisted of five, 90-minute sessions that addressed the core elements of Disney’s “Best Practices.”

• Disney’s Approach to Inspiring Creativity – How Disney maintains its creative and innovative culture in good times and bad, a strategy that can help other companies be equally successful.

• Disney’s Approach to Leadership – How effective leadership at Disney has been the catalyst to drive employee/customer satisfaction and bottom-line results.

• Disney’s Approach to People Management – How Disney incorporates its company culture into the hiring, training and treatment of employees.

• Disney’s Approach to Quality Service – How Disney approaches their world-renowned principles for guest service excellence.

• Disney’s Approach to Brand Loyalty – How Disney exercises the key practices of building and sustaining loyalty, a quality that has made it a trusted and admired brand around the world.

As a wedding entertainment professional, connecting the dots between Disney’s “Best Practices” and my business was fun and educational. There are so many things I thought I was doing right that I’m now prepared to do even better. I want my clients to know my company as being one that exudes excellence in every facet of the service I deliver. What I’ve learned will help me provide my own special kind of magic and a unique brand of happiness.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering what my experience at the Disney Institute has to do with you or your DJ business. The answer is simple, “knowledge.” There is so much to learn from a company that has an 85 year history of success, especially one that I can’t wait to give my money to year after year. But, that success didn’t come easy and there are valuable lessons to be learned about adversity and survival. Disney evolves to consistently exceed the expectations of its guests and

thrives on the strength of its core values. It sits on a foundation for continued growth and, as it was with Walt Disney, will still be around long after you and I are gone. The Walt Disney Company is worthy of emulating because of its undying, successful commitment to excellence in every facet of its business operation.

What about you? What company or organization do you patronize that not only makes you feel special, but has you praising their name to everyone you meet? What makes that company so great and what is it about the way they conduct business that moves them to the top of your list when it comes to a particular product or service?

Are you investing in the knowledge that comes from their accomplishments and, yes, even their failures?

If you are passionate about doing business with a specific company, odds are you are not alone. Learn from companies that have a track record for continued success and thrive on the loyalty of customers, just like you. Find ways to adapt their business approach into your own to achieve a like result. And then, continue to learn how to consistently exceed the expectations of those who have beat down your door just to experience the magic that only you and your business provide.

You’re Invited! Please join me at the 2011, Mobile Beat Conference for “Disney’s 3 Keys To Success and Your Wedding DJ Business.” My presentation will be on Monday, January 31st, beginning at noon.

Through photos, video and my personal stories as a frequent Disney guest and selfprofessed “Disney Geek,” you’ll learn how to include Disney’s unprecedented guest service standard into your wedding DJ business.

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

Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011 • Page 5

A Quick 5 Ideas for 2011

By Kelly Suit

Happy New Year and congratulations, you’ve survived 2010! It was a difficult year for many, but it’s over and as with every New Year, there is hope.

Don’t believe it? Check out your local gyms and health clubs, I’m sure they are packed to the gills right now. For my company we see a large increase in inquiries and sales over the next few months as couples that have put their wedding plans on hold for the holidays join the newly engaged looking for a DJ to help create an amazing reception.

I hope you created and started implementing your marketing plans before Christmas as that would have given you a head start over most of your competitors, but if not don’t despair as there is still to get your ducks in a row. Here are 5 ideas that won’t cost you much (if anything), but will have a huge impact on your bottom line for 2011.

Idea #1 – Shake your referral tree! One of the most overlooked and underused resources available to all of us is our past client and preferred vendor list. Think, if all of your past clients and preferred vendors referred just one new client to you this year, how many bookings would that create for you alone? I’ll be honest; this is an area that I haven’t done a great job in the past so this idea is something that A Premier Entertainment will be using this month as well. We all know that referrals

are the best way to get new clients (other then repeat clients, but contacting your previous clients could always lead to repeat clients as well). They usually don’t beat us up on price and are typically our easiest sales. Don’t hold off on this idea. Send out some thank you cards and emails. Ask the vendors that you send your clients to if they have any leads you can contact or if they would touch base with their clients on your behalf. I’m getting excited about this idea as I type, potential gold mine!

Idea #2 – Freshen up your website! I’m not suggesting a total overhaul especially if your site is generating you business, but look your site over and compare it to your competitors. Do you have any new photos that have WOW factor? Have you added any new income sources (up lighting, photo booth, karaoke, etc.)? If you have any time-dated material (like you’ve been in business for 8 years, but that is 3 years ago) that needs to be updated, don’t forget if you have a copyright line with a year date on it?

Also, don’t forget to optimize your website for search engines. You can have the best site ever, but if no one can find it, it’s not reaching its potential. We’ve done this ourselves and have paid for SEO, if you are in a small market try it yourself, but if you are in a large one I’d recommend investing some money so that you can get 1st page exposure.

Idea #3 – Press some flesh! Nothing is easier or can give you an instant ROI like networking. We have gone to networking meetings and received instant referrals. For us the best meetings have been ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants), but there are so many different networking groups out there. Make sure you are prepared and presentable at these meetings and don’t come with your hand out, but rather looking to help. I have also had great suc-

cess in the past by stopping by facilities and meeting with the people in charge. This is a great time of year because you can come bringing gifts! Make sure to not only go to places you want to work, but even more so places that currently refer you. Drop off a basket of muffins or some other goodies, it’s appreciated and leaves an impression.

Idea #4 – Use social media to your advantage! I’m not the king of social media by a long shot, but I respect it’s power and try to leverage it to my benefit when possible. Add your friends, family, colleagues, and clients. Invest some time in their lives and share some of yours. I won’t debate with you how often you should be posting and how much you should share, but don’t be a hermit and don’t be a tool, try for balance. Mention occasionally that if anyone knows of someone that could benefit from your services, you’d greatly appreciate the opportunity to help! Don’t go overboard since if all you ever post is business stuff, don’t be surprised if people start blocking you or at the very least ignoring your posts.

Also make sure to post on others walls, as that is you investing in them, not just badgering them for business. Don’t forget to say happy birthday (or for your clients, Happy Anniversary!).

Idea #5 – Look for alternative revenue streams! I read an article not too long ago about what is wrong with just being a DJ and the answer is nothing. Still, why put all of your eggs in one basket? Always be on the look out for ways you can generate more money off of what you do. I know there are companies that offer photography and video as an all in one package for their wedding clients. Look into adding lighting, not just dance floor lighting but décor lighting like up lights. Check out photo booths, game shows, karaoke, and temporary tattoos. I have a close friend in the business that has added high-end lasers to his offerings. Don’t forget about smaller events that can add up like nightclubs / bars / and restaurants for weekday events.

If you have lots of inventory, consider rentals as another way to increase your bottom line.

Well, there you have it, 5 ideas that you can use to make 2011 the best year yet.

Don’t read this and procrastinate, remember that timid business people have skinny kids! Get on it right now and drop me an email to let me know about your successes.

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

Jake continued from page 4 Then there is the skinny little edge side of the coin… I call this the LIFE side. This is where we should live, and this is the hard part. Have you ever flipped a coin, which side did it land on? Pretty hard to get it to land on the skinny little edge part, and here’s why I think it’s so hard to hit. I know you can book every show you get a crack at by simply adjusting your price to fit the client, and you would work every weekend.

I know you can charge a firm, no wiggle $3000, and explain to every client why you are completely different from everyone else, and work a couple weekends.

The sweet spot is to charge what YOU

are comfortable with and what your CLIENT is comfortable with. Not every DJ/Entertainer is right for every client, not every client is right for every DJ. The trick is to identify YOUR target client, based on what you do, how you do it, and what your comfortable with. Then simply charge accordingly. Next month we will talk more about defining your client and target customer, until then, remember. Not every bride wants their DJ to change the world, not every bride wants a $600 DJ. There is a place, a purpose, and a need for both… figure out who YOU are and do it the best you can.

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

PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011

Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011 • Page 7

The Perils Of Being Anti-Social

By Harvey Mackay

“Is social media a fad or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?” asks Erik Qualman, author ofSocialnomics. Consider these statistics he presents, and my analysis of them, and then decide how connected you should be. Hint: Your company website alone is no longer enough!

As of 2010, Generation Y -- those born between 1980 and 2000 -outnumbers baby boomers. And 96 percent of them have joined a social network!

There was no initiation, no dues, no recommendations. Just a few taps on the keyboard and voila! Instant connection to friends and family, immediate information sharing, finding the kid who sat next to you in kindergarten story-time.

As technology improves and changes, it also changes the way we live. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users.

It took TV 13 years, the internet four years and iPod just three years.

Perhaps the star of the social media show is Facebook, which added 100 million users in just nine months and now has over 500 million users. Not bad for a company that began in a dorm room. If Facebook were a country, it would have the third largest population behind only China and India. The fastest growing segment of Facebook is women ages 5565. (The jury is still out on how many of those women’s children have accepted a “friend” request from their mothers.)

We no longer search for the news; the news finds us. More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook daily. In the near future we will no longer search for products and services. They will find us via social

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media.

One out of eight couples married in the United States last year met via social media.

Generation Y and Z -- the youngest techies, born after 1995 -- consider e-mail passé. In 2009, Boston College stopped distributing email addresses to incoming freshmen.

For those who prefer their communications in 140 characters or less, a Twitter account is a must. Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Ireland, Norway and Panama. Approximately 80 percent of Twitter usage is on mobile devices people update anywhere and anytime. The apps for Black Friday sales changed the way shoppers planned their retail strategy. On the downside, imagine what an unfavorable tweet means for bad customer experiences.

As a business person, I often wonder how we functioned before LinkedIn. One of the most remarkable employment statistics I discovered while researching my last book, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot in the Door, is that 80 percent of companies are using LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees.

Remember the advertising slogan “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?”

That’s a little misleading, because it also stays on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, My Space, YouTube or any other social media you use.

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. It contains 100 million videos and receives two billion viewers each day. Wikipedia has over 13 million articles. A whopping 70 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds have watched TV on the web, while only 33 percent have ever viewed a show on DVR or TiVo. And 25 percent have watched a video on their phones in the last month. With a growing number of e-readers, 35 percent of book sales on amazon are for the Kindle. Some publishers estimate that eBook sales will reach 50 percent in the next five years.

There are over 200 million blogs,

and 54 percent of bloggers post content or tweet daily. Without knowing who or what organization is actually behind the blog, here are some facts to consider: • 34 percent of bloggers post opinions about products or brands.

• 78 percent of consumers trust peer recommendations.

• Only 14 percent trust advertising.

Perhaps the most astonishing fact of all is that social media have overtaken porn as the number one activity on the web.

Successful companies in social media have learned the importance of listening first and selling second. Qualman says, “They act more like party planners, aggregators, and content providers than tra-

ditional advertisers.”

Social media represent a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. To stay current -- and competitive -- in business, don’t be a “twit.” Put on your best “face” and “link” into these tremendous opportunities.

Mackay’s Moral: If you want to have the world at your fingertips, brush up on your “social” skills.

Reprinted with permission from nationally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” and the new book “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us.”

Top 30 Clean High School Songs SchoolDanceNetwork.com

LW TW Artist Title Featuring 1 1 Rihanna Only Girl (In the world) 3 2 Pink Raise Your Glass 10 4 Bruno Mars Grenade 2 5 Nelly Just a Dream 15 6 Katy Perry Firework 13 7 Pitbull Hey Baby 4 8 Enrique Iglesias I Like It Pitbull 5 9 Katy Perry Teenage Dream 8 10 Kesha Take It Off 17 11 David Guetta Memories F/Kid Cudi 6 12 Mike Posner Please Don’t Go 9 13 KE$HA We R Who We R 23 13 Black Eyed Peas The Time (Dirty Bit) 11 14 Usher DJ Got Us Fallin In Love Pitbull 7 15 Bruno Mars Just the way you are 25 16 Chris Brown Deuces 12 17 Will.I.am Check it Out Nicki Minaj 18 18 Willow Whip My Hair 28 19 Rihanna What’s My Name 21 20 Nicki Minaj Right Thru You 14 21 Jay Sean 2012 (It ain’t the end of the world” 20 22 Ne-Yo One in a Million 16 23 B.O.B MAGIC Rivers Cuomo 29 24 Chris Brown Yeah 3X 19 25 Justin Bieber U Smile 22 26 Eminem Love The Way You Lie Rihanna 30 27 Michael Jackson Hold My Hand Akon New 28 Enrique Iglesias Tonght Ludacris New 29 Far East Mvmt Rocketeer Ryan Tedder New 30 Ditty-Dirty Money Coming Home

PC # 201037 201041 201044 201032 201041 201037 201019 201031 201028 201012 201034 201043 201045 201029 201030 201031 201037 201042 201043 201040 201032 201035 201028 201044 201032 201027 201047 201047 201047 201047

BPM Notes 126 EDIT 122 EDIT 111 90 124 128 129 120 125 130 Edit 121 120 Edit 128 120 Edit 109 74 EDIT 130 edit 82 100 H.S Only 81 127 100 83 129 75 87 Edit 90 126 Edit Sh*t 96 84 Edit sh*t

PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011

Be The Ant, Not A Fly

By Dean Carlson

So 2011 is officially here. And as with any new year, there is great hope in the air about what cloud be. The problem is insane thinking. Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

Which brings me to the Fly. Have you ever noticed a fly buzzing at your window?

It will buzz buzz buzz, and bang bang bang its tiny fly head up against that window a thousand times.

Flies have an amazing type of eye. They can see things pretty clearly. That fly can see where it wants to go, outside. But there it sits buzzing and banging its head.

This can go on for a day or more. Until the sun and heat magnification of the window, not to mention the constant banging of its head finally kills the fly.

What the fly doesn’t comprehend is the near invisible window. In this case it represents problems in our lives that are there. Other people can see them, but we are blind to the fact that they are there.

And insanely enough we keep trying to break our way through, expecting different results, when in the end exhaustion and depletion are all that happen.

What the fly needed to do was look around at its environment and see what else is going on. In this case if it had just looked across the room it would have noticed and open door leading to the same outside. Instead it took what appeared to be the shortest path and a insurmountable problem. The answers to our problems most often are not the most direct and easiest looking.

I may be classified as a conference junky. I love almost everything about them. The networking, the learning and the new stuff. And I try to go to at least 3 or 4 a year. I try to mix up the type of

conferences into business, spiritual and personal growth. Truth be told I may have learned more about my business going to Non DJ conferences.

It was at a spiritual conference that I first heard Dr. Henry Cloud speak. At that conference he quoted a Bible verse that changed my who perspective on life.

“Take a lesson from the ants, you sluggard; Learn from their ways and be wise!”

Proverbs 6:6 Even if you don’t believe, the Bible is full of great advice. I can tell you I find it interesting that it uses this example, and how this one verse can change your approach to business.

I bought Dr. Cloud’s book called “9 Things You Simply Must Do” and chapter 7 is titled ‘Act Like an Ant.’ He goes on to explain that after reading this verse he bought an ant farm. You know the ones, it’s full of sand has glass on two sides so you can watch your ants work. After you get it you pour in the ants, and pretty soon they shake off their lethargy and start moving around.

At first glance the ants don’t look like they are doing much. They are moving but nothing seems to be getting done. After a day or so you start to notice little hills taking place, and a few holes in the ground.

After a bit more time passes things really start to take shape. They have developed an incredible network or tunnels and hills, and finally after a bit more time has passed they have created this amazing place to live.

How do they do it? If you look really closely you will see that each ant only carries one bit of sand at a time. They pick a place to start and grab one task at a time and carry it out until that small task is complete. And then they do it again. Henry Ford once said “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide into small jobs” and that is what an assembly line does. One small job then it moves it to the next small job until the overall car is complete.

Probably the biggest problem we as a humans have created is the word multitasking. We say it with pride, thinking that we are good because we can handle several things at the same time. All you have to do is look at people driving; I

swear I saw a lady one time on the phone, applying make-up eating a french fry while driving. That is an accident waiting to happen. Another problem right now is impatience. Not only do we want it all we want it right now.

I don’t know about you but sometimes looking at the big picture freezes me. I think to myself, man there is no way I can complete that. Take for instance I want to write a book. And unfortunately I put the tag on there of someday. But if I broke that down to say today I will write 500 words. And I did that for 5 days a week that would equal 2500 words, take that out a month that would be 10,000 words and in a short period of time I would have that project complete.

So 2011 is under way, and I would guess like most people you have set goals

for the year. Some are small several are large. I would encourage you to stop looking at the big picture and start looking at the smallest of things first. Pick one thing, start it and work it all the way through to completion the go to the next.

If you can do that your goals can be done more quickly. Good luck and great shows.

P.S. I would love to meet you all at the Las Vegas Mobile Beat Show in February, I will be speaking. My seminar is called Practice: “Prepare To Be Great.” If you are interested in learning a few great new ideas on how to do little things every day, week and month that can have a dramatic effect on your performance, I will see you there.

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

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Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011 • Page 9

Harness The Stage

By Bill Hermann

Remember the last time you were at a party? If you are in a room and someone starts to tell a joke everyone turns and is immediately in a judgment mode. Your mind subconsciously says ‘ok come on….make me laugh….. ‘ That is the human mind setting the stage.

The guests at your event are an audience and they are there to be entertained.

They crave it.

They demand it. Even if they say they do not…..they do.

The manner in which you do so is up to you and the people hiring you but, as soon as you turn on the power to your rig, you have the power to take your audience wherever you desire.

Every Event…… whether we like it or not, or if we want it to be or not, is theater and as soon as a DJ is included into the mix, he or she becomes responsible for the audiences happiness If you have ever been the DJ you know it’s true. The moment the first note comes out of your speakers you can see the guests attention shift away from their conversations and turn to you. It is SO apparent that it can be a bit unnerving and many times scare a DJ into quiet submission as he or she cowers behind the gear and tries to imagine that no one is looking at him. But they are and the question you must now ask yourself is … What do they see?

You might say: ….”Well the evening is really not about me, it’s about the client.”

“OK,” I would say, but, how does that make it not be theater.

Think about this………………….

Why do you lament when the sound is bad?

Why are we upset when we can’t hear the announcements?

Why do we care that no one is dancing to the music that’s playing?

Because it is most apparent that it’s the-

ater when it’s BAD theater.

Are you responsible for good theater or bad theater? And make no mistake about it, in the eyes of the client and the guests … you are responsible for it.

Everything we do is theater! Every event we are involved in is at its very nature, a theatrical event. As it evolves, there are moments of theater already in it, like the different acts of a play and different scenes in an act. You have the power to help it unfold anyway you or your client wish. Do you harness that power? You have it. If you don’t harness it you are cheating you, the client and the guests.

For example look at a reception. From the very moment people begin to arrive the stage is set.

Act one – cocktail hour: Guests begin arriving and are greeted by the prelude of pleasing music designed to evoke a festive mood as they are greeted by staff and host with direction and anticipation.

Act two – The Grand Entrance followed

by Dinner As dinner is about to begin the guests take their seats and settle in. At the far wall is an empty table back dropped by fabric, candles, flowers and lighting and the MC takes center stage directing their attention to the backstage curtain (the doors of the venue) cues the music and introduces the characters of tonight’s story to an excited and intrigued audience. The meal in presented to hungry and willing witnesses who now become active participants in how the story unfolds clinking glasses and turning their willing attention the bride and groom hoping they will learn more about the main characters and are delighted as they do. The curtain goes down as the salads are cleared and now the audiences anticipation grows as they wait for intermission to be over.

Act 3 – speeches With the crack of the MC’s microphone the curtain rises on the main stage.

The head table and as the guests begin to quiet down and focus their attention the first supporting actor (the best man) rises to continue tonight’s story. He introduced his co-star (the maid of honor) who brings another emotionally charged arc to the story line but not before the producer (The father

of the bride) stands to take his bows and introduce the stars of tonight’s event (the bride and groom) who bring the guests to an emotional climax as they take their bows and invite the guests to enjoy the desert and...

Act 4 - The Dance.

As you can see the theatrical pieces are already in place and the guests already instinctually behave as an audience does. So if that’s true…why do so many wedding receptions fail so miserably? The answer is simple, it’s because everyone at the show has seen this play before. They know all the lines, they has seen the plot a hundred times, the actors are all wearing the same costumes and saying the same lines so when the DJ begins and does what he does...doing what he’s learned from the last DJ he saw and what the last DJ saw before him and what the last DJ saw before him …. The audience is not surprised. They are in fact bored and many times they are so bored by what they see that they repeat the lines, anticipate the plot and think they can write the story better. This is manifested in people not dancing, ignoring the entertainment, leaving early and worse yet getting drunk and trying to direct the DJ with song requests, plot twists and re-writes.

How does this sound? Have you been at this show yourself? Have you seen this happen at your events? Are you surprised?

Are your guests surprised? Are you stuck in a show that’s been running for years

that closes early too often as we wait for the right amount of alcohol to be served to just the right group of party animals at the reception so our own imagination and passion can be ignited for the night? Why are you giving that power away to the guests?

You have it. It is yours to harness if you wish. Your audience would like nothing more than for you to lead them and take them on a fun interesting and surprising journey that has them begging to see the end of. You have the power to create this kind of experience. An “Entertainment Experience” that will harness their energy and imagination and when you do, your guests … your audience will laugh and cry, cheer and sigh and rave about the surprises that you create.

Bill Hermann is the owner and operator of “Bill Hermann Entertainment” in Minneapolis/St Paul, MN. Bill is a nationally known Wedding Entertainer and Speaker and is hosting a rare opportunity for a limited amount of people to attend an all day hands on workshop on Sunday, March 20th 2011 in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Spots are very limited for “The Entertainment Experience Workshop” on Sunday, March 20th, 2011. There are videos that expand on this topic and others at www.billcreates com to get access all you need to do is sign up for the newsletter.

To reserve your slot or for more information, go to BillCreates.com today.

Starting continued from page 3 about computers and tried a few things but nothing would get it back up and running. Could this be a sign that I should end the business?

In October 2010I decided sell my DJ equipment. I placed an ad on craigslist and sent word out to DJs in my area on Facebook and in two days everything was sold. I wasn’t really trying to recoup my investment; I was just trying to get rid of it. It’s been four months now since my last event and I am glad I chose to close up while I was still ahead of the game instead of dragging it on for another year or two and possibly losing everything.

All my DJ friends tell me I’ll miss it and one day I will get back into it. I hardly think so, but if I did it would have to be with smaller, lighter equipment, the rates would have to be back up to where

they belong and it would be part time instead of full time. The chances of that happening are about the same as me winning the lottery…

This article is my 76th column and I plan to stop writing for the Disc Jockey News with number 80. For the next four articles I want to talk about what I have experienced in with our industry, the changes it has gone through and the challenges that wait ahead. I hope you will indulge me, I may get up on my soap box on a few topics but in the end all will be explained.

To respond to Jeff’s column send an e-mail to jeffrichards@discjockeynews. com

BILL HERMANN PRESENTS

THE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE Performance Training for Wedding Entertainers The Entertainment Experience Power to Create the Experience Seminar & Workshop Sunday March 20th, 9 AM to 5:30 PM Minneapolis, MN

Learn tools to create original performances Workshop leaves you able to apply those tools immediately Never have a predictable Event again Leave guests surprised and delighted at every turn

Win a FREE pass to the workshop!

www.billcreates.com

PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011

The Referral Coach

By Matt Anderson

Three Ways for You to Be More Talented Daniel Coyle’s new book, The Talent Code, is another in the recent spate of books that offers compelling and exciting evidence for individuals (and recruiters) that genius is not born, it is grown. And that YOU can grow it! Here’s how: 1.

Deep Practice: it’s not who you are; it’s what you DO “If you don’t practice, you’ll never play the tune.” a) What’s your tune? The Bronte sisters were not born great writers.

They produced volumes of “slap dash” content as youngsters full of “appalling” spelling and punctuation. Brazilian boys are not born World Cupwinning footballers. Amongst other factors, their academy players practice twenty hours/week compared to five in the UK. Tiger Woods put in more hours of golf by the time he was five than most people play in a lifetime.

Jessica Simpson worked tirelessly in Dallas from the age of 11 with one of the USA’s best voice and performance coaches.

Michelangelo moved in with a stonecutter’s family when he was six to learn sculpture. He was 24 before he first produced work considered ‘promising’. His opinion? “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”

Also, practice on the edge of your abilities. It’s not just about hard work.

It’s the right kind of practice. It doesn’t have to be endless hours. Part of this is: b) Make lots of small mistakes and learn from them.

Here’s the problem we have as adults: we try to avoid mistakes. But without them, there is no skill development.

c) Scientific evidence is growing fast: Deep Practice develops more and more MYELIN which is the insulation that wraps nerve fibers and increases signal strength, speed and accuracy.

Why does this matter? “Every human movement, thought, or feeling is a precisely timed electric signal traveling through a chain of neurons – a circuit of nerve fibers.”

More myelin = more skill = more talent.

Here’s the weird part: the more you develop a skill circuit, the LESS aware you are that you’re using it. It gives us the powerful illusion that we’re naturals. It’s why top producers make many things look effortless. Somewhere along the line, they have put in their time. d) Break your learning into chunks, repeat it and learn to ‘feel’ your progress – to sense when you are ‘off’, to develop a taste for deep practice so that mild struggle feels positive. Be the staggering baby learning to walk better.

2. Motivation Coyle calls this ‘ignition’. “Deep practice isn’t a piece of cake: it requires energy, passion and commitment.” Got passion? a) Future belonging motivates.

Why did the number of South Korean golfers on the LPGA Tour go from 1-35 between 1998-2007? How did a country with no history of producing talented female tennis players have five of the ten world’s best players in 2007 trained in the same ramshackle club near Moscow? Because these forty women saw someone from their country and with their background have success. Motivation!

Tell yourself this: “If she can do it, I can do it” Within three years of Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile, seventeen others accomplished something previously considered physically impossible!

Tell yourself: “I want to be like him!”

Motivated people see what they want and say to themselves: “Better get busy!”

b) Got long-term commitment?

How long do you think you’ll stay in your vocation? Studies are finding that those who say that they truly intend to stick at something will practice deeply and longer and – guess what – develop much more talent and skill! Those who start out with just a small commitment do not put in the hours to get good.

People see a champion and say: “That looks terrifically worthwhile!” c) A primal cue such as losing a parent early in life can have a huge impact on drive. Why? Because it makes a child feel unsafe and that emotion can trigger a huge outpouring of energy (drive). An astonishing number of world leaders experienced such trauma. d) The Scrooge Principle: Avoid making the location of your talent hotbed/training ground too cushy. All the ones Coyle visited were virtual shantytowns. An environment that is too pleasant shuts off the inclination to work hard. e) The Sistine Chapel Effect What’s your office culture like? To sustain motivation it helps to be surrounded by others on a similar path. In Renaissance Italy, Michelangelo had many talented peers in Florence. In Shakespearean England, several writers would meet at the Mermaid Tavern in London. In Curacao, the Frank Curiel Field is a hotbed of developing baseball talent. The streets of Sao Paulo are alive with activity and evidence to reinforce the football obsession of Brazilian culture.

I believe that’s why Brian Tracy recommends turning your car into a university on wheels – surround yourself with inspiring audio programs to give your mind the reminders it needs.

3. Master Coaching There’s a very good reason coaching is being used by an increasing number of “the rest of us” who are not world superstars. It’s a best practice! a) Praise hard work, ACTION and small progress NOT talent and intelligence (because these are perceived as innate) b) Praise must be earned. John Wooden, considered by ESPN to be the

best coach of all time from any sport, was once studied. Of 2,326 discrete acts of coaching, 6.9% were compliments, 6.6% were expressions of displeasure and 75% were pure information: what to do and how to do it.

Modify this to who you are coaching as Wooden worked with hand-picked athletes. But too much coddling is a detriment to the struggle necessary to grow. c) Keep your comments brief d) Master Coaches have deep knowledge, are perceptive (quick to figure others out); have a GPS Reflex (give out lots of information in short, clear bursts; for example: “Good. Okay, now do this.”); and a theatrical honesty – they use drama and their own moral character. e) Help others to develop the right skill circuits as often as possible rather than tell them what to do Coyle concludes by saying that “the more an organization embraces the core principles of ignition, deep practice, and master coaching, the more myelin it will build, the more success it will have.”

Matt Anderson, of the Referral Authority, has grown his business exclusively by referrals, relationship building, and networking. He specializes in coaching sales professionals how to network effectively and build a referral-based business.

Recent clients include Prudential Financial, US Bank, Virginia Asset Management, State Farm Insurance, and MetLife. He is the author of the upcoming book Fearless Referrals and is regular contributing author to one of the best known resource for financial advisors: Horsesmouth.com and has recorded several corporate training videos for New York Life on referrals and networking. He lives in Madison, WI but hails from Coventry, England, consistently voted home of Western Europe’s Most Unfriendly and Least Intelligent People as well as the Best Place to Get Beaten Up in Broad Daylight.

search engines.

5) Read your site again and again.

This should be the BEST sales speech ever. If not, hire a writer.

6) By reading Google’s blog, I found out that search engines LOVE HackerSafe/ScanAlert certifications.

Get on put on your site. It can’t hurt, right?

7) Google Webmasters AND Analytics track the best keywords that people use to find your website. Find the top ranking sites for those pages and find out who’s linking to them.

Get those links! While you’re at it, focus on getting on top of those search terms!

8) Do you have tons of keywords on the bottom of your site? LOSE ‘EM, DANNO! 9) Shameless plug: Do you blog?

CONSISTENTLY? Nope. Ok.. get to it. Don’t know how to do it effectively? Contact me…. I have a few tools.

(Not free, though, haha) 10) You know those awesome Flash

splash pages? The only person that cares about that is you. The Search engines hate them. Lose ‘em, too!

11) Google the W3C Code Validator. Check your site. Fix errors. Rise, lather, repeat.

12) Is your site ugly? Does it pop?

Time for a makeover! Did you make it yourself? Is it ugly? HIRE A PRO! 13) Film a video of YOU talking about your services. This is different than a promo video… this is your elevator speech. You’d be surprised at how much people enjoy to connect a face to the business.

There are a lot more things you can do, but this is a good start. Remember to track leads and conversions for every new thing you do. Take this one step at a time and do it right. If you suck at web design/SEO/blogging: Hire a pro. Otherwise, it’s no different than a bride getting an iPod. Arnoldo can be reached at: arnoldooffermann@discjockeynews.com.

No Really, You’ve Got To Do This

By Arnoldo Offermann

2011 is finally here, and it feels like 2010 barely existed! This can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask. I always take the end of the year to gear up for a major marketing evaluation/overhaul.

I certainly hope that you track leads, conversions, and take notes on what marketing and advertising has worked and what hasn’t. If you haven’t, make a resolution to do so, because without this your business will never flourish.

That being said, I’m going to give you some good marketing overhaul tips for the new year.

1) Take all your notes on what

marketing efforts worked as well as tracked leads and conversions. The latter can be found on Google Analytics.

2) Don’t have Analytics installed?

Why, it’s the best internet tool out there, and best of all it’s free. Check out Google.com/Analytics and sign up. Read ALL of their help files as well as their blog.

3) Speaking of blogs, set yourself up an RSS reader with LOTS of marketing blog sites. You should be reading this stuff lately. Why experiment when you can read articles from the same firms that work for PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Disney, etc. I don’t care HOW good you are, my guess is these firms are better at marketing. :) 4) Speaking of Google. Go to Google.com/Webmasters. This area helps you track organic leads. Do it.

Free. It also checks your site for broken leads and gives you a dozen things to do to make your site appear better in

Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011 • Page 11

Monthly Music Charts

By TMStudios.com

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Rihanna Nelly Bruno Mars Far East Movement Pink Ke$ha Usher Neon Trees Katy Perry Trey Songz Mike Posner Flo Rida Taio Cruz Katy Perry Ready Set Rihanna Bruno Mars Black Eyed Peas Jesse McCartney Sara Bareilles

Pop

Only Girl (In The World) Just A Dream Just The Way You Are Like A G6 Raise Your Glass We R Who We R DJ Got Us FallinÕ In Love Animal Firework Bottoms Up Please DonÕt Go Club CanÕt Handle Me Dynamite Teenage Dream Love Like Woe What’s My Name?

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13 Ne-Yo One In A Million 14 Miguel All I Want Is You 15 Kanye West Runaway 16 Jazmine Sullivan Holding You Down 17 Diddy-Dirty Money Loving You No More 18 Drake Fancy 19 Gucci Mane Making Love To The Money 20 Chris Brown No BS Country 1 Band Perry If I Die Young 2 Brad Paisley Anything Like Me 3 Rascal Flatts Why Wait 4 Zac Brown Band As She’s Walking By 5 Reba McEntire Turn On The Radio 6 Jason Aldean My Kinda Party 7 Carrie Underwood Mama’s Song 8 George Strait The Breath You Take 9 Tim McGraw Felt Good On My Lips 10 Miranda Lambert Only Prettier 11 Chris Young Voices 12 Kenny Chesney Somewhere With You 13 Keith Urban Put You In A Song 14 Luke Bryan Someone Else Calling You Baby 15 Trace Adkins This Ain’t No Love Song 16 Toby Keith Bullets In The Gun 17 Lady Antebellum Hello World 18 Blake Shelton Who Are You When I’m Not 19 Eric Church Smoke A Little Smoke 20 Billy Currington Let Me Down Easy

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

Rock Stone Sour Say You’ll Haunt Me Saving Abel Sex Is Good Ozzy Osbourne Life WonÕt Wait My Darkest Days Porn Star Dancing Godsmack Love-Hate-Sex-Pain Disturbed Another Way To Die Five Finger Death Punch Bad Company Kid Rock Born Free Alter Bridge Isolation Three Days Grace World So Cold Finger Eleven Living In A Dream Papa Roach Kick In The Teeth Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare Buckcherry Dead Apocalyptica End Of Me Kings Of Leon Radioactive Gracious Few Appetite Disturbed The Animal Eric Clapton Run Back To Your Side Breaking Benjamin Lights Out Adult Contempory Taylor Swift Mine Bruno Mars Just The Way You Are Train Hey, Soul Sister Script Breakeven Lady Antebellum Need You Now Daughtry September Michael Buble Hollywood Uncle Kracker Smile John Mayer Half Of My Heart Katy Perry Teenage Dream Colbie Caillat I Never Told You Sara Bareilles King Of Anything Maroon 5 Misery Katy Perry California Gurls Pink Raise Your Glass Five For Fighting Slice Train If It’s Love Enrique Iglesias I Like It Neon Trees Animal Taio Cruz Dynamite Alternative Black Keys Tighten Up Linkin Park Waiting For The End Kings Of Leon Radioactive Muse Undisclosed Desires Mumford & Sons Little Lion Man Neon Trees Animal Cake Sick Of You Jimmy Eat World My Best Theory Anberlin Impossible Thirty Seconds To Mars Closer To The Edge Sick Puppies Maybe Stone Sour Say YouÕll Haunt Me Florence + The Machines Dog Days Are Over My Chemical Romance Sing Three Days Grace World So Cold Cage The Elephant Shake Me Down Temper Trap Fader Neon Trees 1983 Finger Eleven Living In A Dream A Day To Remember All I Want

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PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2011