April 2017 Disc Jockey News

Disc Jockey News APRIL 2017 • Issue #150

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PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

The MBLV Recap

By Mike Walter

Mobile Beat Las Vegas 21 is in the books, and the feedback I’ve seen and heard from almost everyone I’m connected with has been very positive. This is a show that continues to raise the bar every year, and in my opinion, it’s become a “Must-Attend Event” for anyone in our industry. I’m going to fire off some of my personal favorite moments of the week. If you were there, I hope these bring back some great memories. If not, I hope they whet your appetite enough that you don’t miss this show in 2018. Here goes: The Weather Moving this show from February to March has made a huge difference. Coming from the Northeast, it’s always been a pleasure to get out of the extreme cold and into the desert, but I can recall some morning runs in February where I still needed a hat and gloves. But the weather this year was just perfect. Even warm enough to get some pool time in on Sunday afternoon before everything got start-

ed on Monday.

Marcello’s Seminar He’s my best friend, so saying his seminar was awesome may sound biased, but that opinion was shared by everyone who saw it. Marcello delivered his “Celebrate Life” seminar, which recaps the highlights of his book of the same name in incredible fashion. The content is inspirational and emotional with just the right amount of humor to keep everyone involved. And for Marcello, the proof was in the sales. I helped him sell his books after the seminar and he sold out. More than 100 copies of “Celebrate Life” were gone by the end of the day on Monday.

Todd Mitchem Mobile Beat has done a great job the past few years having an MC to keep the seminars moving and everyone informed and entertained. This year, Todd Mitchem assumed the role, and I thought he was just awesome. He’s naturally witty and always high energy and quirky on the microphone.

I thought that lent itself to a great vibe all week. And then Mitchem wrapped up the whole week with a very moving and inspirational seminar called “You, Disrupted” that was a homerun.

Jason Jani Jason’s been the On-Stage DJ for Mobile Beat for a few years now, and he does an awesome job of keeping everything moving and playing some great music between seminars. Plus, his team from

SCE gets amazing video content, and they produced a show recap that was broadcast-worthy. I tip my cap to fellow Jersey jock, Jason Jani — and not just because he played a Prince song for me when I began my own seminar Howard Wallach I don’t think I’d ever met this DJ from Chicago before MBLV21, but we wound up getting to know each other while sharing a ride out of town (more on that in a bit) then I got to see him deliver what was, in my opinion, the best seminar of the week: “Mastering Mitzvahs.” Wallach is a veteran DJ and MC, and that showed through in his very polished and comfortable presentation. Plus, he’s clearly a great Mitzvah DJ which was apparent with all the relevant content in his talk. Wallach’s seminar was a great reminder for me that you never know what you’ll experience attending a DJ show, so you might as well go and be open and receptive to surprises. If you’d asked me before I went to Las Vegas what were the 10 things I was looking forward to the most, I wouldn’t have even listed a seminar about Mitzvahs (since I don’t even do them), yet it was a highlight of the week for me.

The Hike Marcello has planned a hike for one of the afternoons at this show for the past few years, and this year, I was able to make it.

We had over 20 DJs make the trek out to Red Rock Canyon (about a half hour from

the strip), and we did an amazing hike over some incredible rock formations. It was the most unique networking experience I’ve ever had at a DJ show.

Networking Speaking of networking — that, in my opinion, is one of the main reasons to attend a DJ Show, and this year, I got my fill of it. I had so many incredibly beneficial chats with so many members of our great industry. You just can’t beat a convention for the opportunity to get past social media and have real conversations with someone.

Whether it’s a short chat in the hallways or an hours-long conversation over a fine meal, face-to-face conversations are where the real magic happens at these shows. But you have to be there to make them happen.

Those are my highlights of the week.

As I stated before, I can’t imagine anyone in our industry missing this show.

The dates for next year have already been announced (head to https://www.MobileBeatLasVegas.com for details) so my advice to you is block those days off now, buy your pass at the discounted early-bird rate and don’t miss Mobile Beat Las Vegas 22. I know I won’t!

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.

seats. Enthusiasm is infectious! When you are behind your booth smiling, clapping and tapping your toes or out on the dance floor leading the Cha Cha Slide, your audience will be right with you, ready to go

along for the ride.

Not a good dancer? No problem. As Mike demonstrated, we can all move to the beat, clap our hands and look like we are having a blast, even if we don’t have the

dance skills of Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson. When you are out on the dance floor, guests will follow. So many people are afraid to be the first one on the Tamara Continued On Page 5

One More Song!

By Tamara Sims

The three greatest words for any DJ or Entertainer to hear at the end of the night, right? It reminds me of so many positive phrases I have used and/or heard throughout my lifetime. When being told to go to bed as a child: “Five more minutes Mom.” At the end of Prom: “One more dance.”

When hanging out at the bar with your buddies: “One more drink.”

At the end of an amazing concert: “Encore!”

But the absolute best was at the end of my wedding almost 20 years ago when we asked our DJ to play one more song.

And when you are attending a Mobile Beat seminar by Mike Walter you want to shout at the end: “One more tip!” I always leave Mike’s seminars with a smile on my face, pages filled with notes and a renewed love for the wedding industry. So if you weren’t lucky enough to catch Mike’s seminar “10 Things you can do to throw a better party,” I am happy to share with you what I learned.

Right out of the gate, Mike kicked off his seminar by telling us to “go for it early.” I am a big proponent of starting off the wedding on a high note and ending on a high note. Kicking off the dancing with a recognizable and universally loved song will never fail. When I meet with my couples during the sales process, I suggest songs of familiarity at the beginning of the night (“September,” “Runaround Sue,” “Happy,” “Shout,” “Uptown Funk,” etc.)

These songs evoke memories, emotion and are sure to get the crowd out of their

APRIL 2017 In This Issue:

Page 2: Mike Walter Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 4: Brian S. Redd Page 5: Dean Carlson Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 6: Keith KoKoruz Page 7: Jeremy Brech Page 8: Jake Palmer Page 8: Jeffrey Gitomer Page 9: Michael Joseph www.discjockeynews.com 29442 120th St. Grey Eagle, MN 56336 Phone: 320-285-2323 Published by The Disc Jockey News

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Page 10: Joe Bunn Page 10: Alan Berg Page 11: Mike Lenstra Page 12: Dave Ternier Page 13: Stevie Ray Page 14: Justin Miller Page 14: Top 30 Charts Page 14: Different Spin Page 15: Recurrent Charts Page 15: Harvey Mackay

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Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 3

PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

Coping

own realities. For some DJs, the reality is that they are a slave to their business.

Others still, they can’t seem to catch a break. Many DJs love the performing side but despise selling. They tend to talk bad about those that sell at higher prices, yet don’t seek out knowledge that can help them change their situation. And don’t get me started on the whole pay-for-knowledge argument . . .

For some DJs, this business can truly be cutthroat and cold. Many others find a lending hand and ear in other DJs that are not in their market. I know of a DJ who had a partnership go very wrong, yet that was several years ago. He still wallows in blame and negativity, not taking the bull by the horns and controlling his own destiny in his business. The life painted

on social media is someone else’s oftendistorted version of the truth. That is not reality. And why? Because reality isn’t often that interesting. Never be a secondrate someone else. Always be a first-rate version of yourself.

Here are two ways to cope with any situation you may be going through in your business: Have an open mind Many times we get stuck in our ways, we know what is good and what works because we have been doing this for umpteen years. The person that is not growing is not going anywhere. I have learned one of my favorite tools I use at events from one of the worst DJs that I ever saw. You can learn from anyone, including what and when to do it. Starve the ego, feed the soul.

Lose yourself in the moment As Eminem said: “You better lose yourself in the moment.” Losing yourself in a

moment can be a great way to cope with anything going on in your life — business or personal. Taking a mental break, getting lost in a song (or two) is good for you. If you are having a bad day, take the rest of the day off. Be cognizant that one day shouldn’t turn into two or more.

However, sometimes that can be the best way to get over something at work.

Drugs and alcohol really should not be used to cope with any situation you are or may be facing. Find positive ways to cope. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

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.

me perform as well, just to fill some dead air between band breaks.

So, in one corner of a 250 person hotel ballroom was Plumb Loco: an accomplished 5 piece show band complete with premium sound and lighting. In the other corner was me, standing behind a Radio Shack mixing board, 2 belt drive turntables and a box of 45’s on a 6 foot banquet table.

The band was really good, but I stole the show. I was able to play some of the cool contemporary mainstream Dance / NRG / and Rap / Hip Hop tracks the band couldn’t pull off, and it worked.

Looking back, I think another thing I had going for me were the guest’s expectations in general. Plumb Loco’s set up was amazing. They were all dressed to match and again, put on a really good show, which was exactly what the crowd expected. I, on the other hand, looked like a last minute addition. I mean, what could that skinny kid standing behind a pile of spare parts possibly bring to the table? I think that’s when I first realized

the power of under-promising / overdelivering. When you expect a lot, you had better get a lot. However, when you expect nothing and get the unexpected, that’s the good stuff.

There was another thing: I walked into this wanting to just keep the party going between breaks. However, the band’s frontman decided to target me as a punchline over the mic during their first set. That’s kind of when I turned it into a competition and decided to my best to upstage them, and I did.

Just so you know, that’s not the best way to work with, or start a relationship with a band.

There are some things I learned that night that I still use to this day when doing these types of collaborations.

First of all, I don’t step on their sets.

Bands usually have a playlist they stick to at any given performance. I get a copy of this and make sure to avoid playing anything they will be doing that night.

They have 30 rehearsed songs. I’ve got thousands of alternatives at my fingertips, so this is a very easy thing to do.

Another thing is to complement the band, which is very different than competing with it. When I end my sets, I

do my best to give them the best lead-in possible to whatever song they will be kicking off their set with. Sometimes, I have to take my set down a notch when I’m wrapping it up to make that happen.

The band appreciates this and it’s good for the overall continuity of the party.

The new stuff I’ve learned is for that night, think of yourself as part of the band. Know everyone’s name. Be helpful and flexible whenever possible.

When you are working with 5 different guys and for whatever reason, technical or personal, they need you to stretch your set, or end it early, do it. That’s being a team player, and that’s what every good band is all about. Be that asset to them and they will want to work with you again, and even recommend you for future gigs.

That was a fun mash-up! See your suggestion in there anywhere? We may have to try this again next month.

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/

By Mitch Taylor For me it’s a beach bar Or on a boat underneath the stars Or with my band up on a stage For a while everything’s okay For some it’s a fast car Moonshine in a mason jar And everybody has their way Somehow to escape reality -Kenny Chesney, (“Reality”) We all have ways of coping with our

The Mash-Up

By Brian S. Redd

I just made a post on Facebook asking if anyone had a suggestion for my April Disc Jockey News article. A whole lot of people chimed in with some neat ideas.

So, just for fun, I think I’ll attempt a mash-up of a few different suggestions that were submitted, just to see if I can do it.

John Donovan mentioned working with live artists, so let’s start there: The first time I ever did this was when I was probably 19 or so. The office manager of the multi-op DJ Company I worked for was getting married and had hired a band. He decided to have

Planning With Purpose

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 5

By Dean C. Carlson

2017 has started out very different for us here at Night Magic Productions.

To be honest, I can’t exactly pinpoint how the change c a m e about, but I am loving it.

“It” meaning how involved our clients want us to be in the actual planning of their entire day.

Don’t get me wrong, we have always had a hand in planning and designing a good portion of their day, but it has moved to a whole new level. They are relying on us to set the timetable for things like ceremony time and such.

Not only that, but we are meeting more often and earlier than ever before. It really is exciting me.

This just hits my point out of the park. We as mobile entertainers need to be excellent planners as well — that is, if you really want to command top dollar. For us here in northern Minnesota, there are very few wedding planners. So as you can see, it is a natural progression for us who are typically involved with 80-100 percent of the day to take on that hat. But if you reach for that hat and aren’t prepared, you have a better than average chance of getting less than stellar feedback from your clients — and worse still, potential clients who might have been at that event.

May 1 and 2 at Midwest DJs Live 9 in Milwaukee,Wisconsin, I will be presenting a full seminar on this very topic, and I invite you to come and get more information than I can write here in 800 words. But let’s not leave you totally hanging.

Although I can’t speak to the class-

es available for becoming a “certified” planner, I can tell you what 28 years and 3,800 events have taught me. First, you need to become a student of the events you want to specialize in. Heck, this should also apply if you are just bringing the thunder (that’s being just the DJ) for the night. I will specifically be talking about weddings from here on out, as that is what I specialize in.

Do you know — and I mean really know — about all the little pieces you are trying to place at an event? I, personally, have spent the last 14 years learning the histories and customs of all those pieces of a wedding. Why do the groomsmen stand on the right? Why do we have cake? Where did the dollar dance originate? Why are there rings? I could list hundreds of questions I have asked and answered here, but hopefully you get the point.

You are unqualified to help someone plan a day this important if you are unqualified!

How do you become qualified? Well, I suggest that you start off at any bookstore and buy several wedding etiquette books. Bride’s Magazine puts out a book called “Bride’s Book Of Etiquette,” and it was the first one I bought.

Although it’s a great start, I would suggest going deeper and digging on the net.

Make sure you can cross-verify any information you get because there are a lot of “experts” out there that seem to just make things up. Also, don’t try to drink from a fire hose to get caught up. Pace yourself. I try to put in 1-2 hours a week learning anything new I can find on weddings.

Next, I would suggest digging deeper into regional customs. Let me give you an example. Right around Eau Claire, Wisconsin, they prefer to do the grand march at 9:00 p.m., a full two hours after

Tamara Continued From Page 2 dance floor, so it is your job as a DJ Entertainer to lead the way. Get out of your comfort zone and stop hiding behind your booth. Make announcements from the dance floor; give little prompts throughout the night by leading the crowd with “Oh, Oh, Oh” during “Sweet Caroline.” Wave your hands to “Don’t Stop Believin.” Just get out there and interact!

Does everything we do work at every wedding? Of course not; timing is everything. Pay attention to what doesn’t work.

Mike suggested videotaping your dance floor throughout the night — a great idea.

You can review guests’ responses, facial expressions and body language. As an entertainer, you need to own the dance floor!

It’s up to you. Take responsibility for your dance floor and never make the excuse, “This crowd sucks.” As Jeffrey Gitomer would say: “You suck!” More important, never give up on the crowd. It may take a while to get them going, but once you do, it is magical.

So what do I do if only a handful of people are dancing? Mike will get out there and ask the dancing guests to bring out someone who is sitting to join them on the dance floor. I have experienced this as a guest at a wedding, and I will always participate. If a friend or family member grabs your hand to dance, how can you

say no? I am always thankful for the extra motivation to get me up out of my seat.

So we started with a bang and now it’s time to end with a bang. Help facilitate the ending by playing a high-energy song, a sing-along song or even a song that ends with a big group hug. If your videographer is still around, get the crowd to wave.

What fun footage for the bride and groom to see their guests smiling and dancing at midnight.

Are your guests cheering “One more song!” at the end of the night? If not, follow Mike Walter’s tips and you will be hearing this phrase every weekend. And guess what? At the end of the seminar we all stood up and chanted this very special phrase. And that’s how you go out with a bang on the final day of Mobile Beat.

Thanks, Mike, from all of us.

Please feel free to share your comments with Tamara at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.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.

dancing has started. Go 45 minutes out of that area and they have never done it like that. When I go to DJ conventions, one of the topics I love to talk about with DJs from around the country is their timelines. It shocked me to find out some places in the world don’t know what a money dance is. But knowing these timelines and different customs from various regions gives my clients options when we do get down to the planning process.

Like I said earlier, there is no way to

cover such a big topic as helping clients plan their special day in one article, but I will leave you with this: When meeting with a client for the first planning meeting, it is most important to define the results they want on their wedding day.

The problem is most clients don’t even have a clue about what they want. Yes, they want a fun and memorable wedding, but those are vague answers that will result in mediocre results.

This, again, is why they are hiring us — we are the experts. And like I asked earlier: Are you? Have you taken the role of wedding entertainer / planner

seriously? If you can’t help them define the results they want, then maybe it’s time to learn some more.

I would also suggest making sure you have a set of questions prepared to open the “results” door. Those questions need to be layered and deep-digging. I have found the one word question “Why?” to be the most powerful — and I learned it when I was two. Why, why, why? I think my mom wanted to kill me. But why is an open-ended question which typically requires more than a one-word answer, which is helpful in defining the results clients really want.

One word of caution: Don’t plant your results into their dreams. The goal is to define their results. Yes, you can, and should, use stories to show possibilities. Just be careful that you’re not planning your wedding instead of theirs.

Become a student of the thing you love to do.

I love to creative unique pieces for my clients. I have spent a lot of time and money becoming an expert, and over the years I have developed many questions I can use to open up clients and their desires for a spectacular wedding experience. I wish I had the space to talk about I + M = R. Well, I did talk about the R a little (Results). If you have the time visit us at Midwest DJ Live this year. I would love to go deeper with you. p.s. Maybe I’ll continue this thought next month…

Good Luck and great shows.

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

PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

To Be Iconic, You Must First Be Extraordinary

By Ron Ruth

One of my business consulting partners recently asked me how certain companies and businesses like Disney, Amazon, Apple, Nordstrom, etc. became the standard bearer for delivering extraordinary client experiences? The answer is quite simple: Their unwavering commitment to delivering only the most extraordinary experiences has become iconic.

Being iconic means focusing like a laser beam on the most minute details and delivering excellence in every aspect of your business. It means finding the value and benefit that comes in making a difference in the lives of others. To be iconic means you must first be extraordinary. To be extraordinary, you must do extraordinary things.

“Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.” - Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos On Christmas afternoon this past year, my son Sean decided he was going to make great use of the Zappos’ gift cards he had received as gifts. So, he sat down at his computer and logged into the Zappos website as he had a number of times. After some very careful shopping, he ordered five pairs of shoes and a bathrobe — about $800 worth of merchandise. He wasn’t planning on keeping all five pairs of shoes, but Zappos has a very liberal return policy that lets customers return any of their products within one year of purchase as long as they’ve never been worn. That gives them a chance to try on shoes for size and decide if they like the way they

look.

And, because Sean is a member of the free Zappos rewards club, he automatically gets free second-day shipping on all his orders. But one of the surprise wow factors Zappos delivers to its customers is upgrading almost every order to free next-day delivery during checkout. This added benefit was something my son had enjoyed over the years with many of the orders he’d placed with Zappos. Sean shared with me that this policy spoiled him. It was now something he had come to expect.

So, when his products didn’t arrive the next day as he had anticipated, he contacted Zappos via web chat. The customer service rep asked him to give it another day because, since it was the day after Christmas, some delivery service may not be running at full capacity.

Because Sean hadn’t paid for next day delivery, he agreed.

But, when he had not received his order by late the afternoon of the following day, he reached out to Zappos again, this time by phone. After Sean explained that he was still missing his order, the customer service rep put him on hold before coming back on the line to apologize that somehow his order had been misplaced.

He was then told that the order would be overnighted to him for free. When Sean reminded the customer service rep that he already received free shipping. The CSR clarified by saying, “No, the whole $800.00 order is free. If there is anything you don’t like or doesn’t fit, please donate it to a local charity.”

It would have been very easy for the Zappos’ representative to follow the status quo of what a good many companies would consider standard-operating-procedure and simply apologize, expedite the shipping and offer Sean a discount of some sort for his next order. But Zappos is different than other companies.

They choose to be extraordinary by not only accepting blame but by being will-

Was It Your First Time?

By Keith ‘KC’ KoKoruz

This past month I spoke at and/or attended the Canadian DJ Show in Toronto, Mobile Beat in Las Vegas and The Photo Booth Expo in Las Vegas. Every time I go to a show, I remember the first few shows I attended and how I felt as a new or newer attendee.

Last year I attended a social media show and found myself feeling the same way. I walked into the back of the room feeling like a freshman all over again. I absolutely loved every minute of it. I thought an article about the feedback from first time show attendees might share some light on why people should attend, and could also remind people of how they felt the first time they attended a show.

For me personally, I always find myself reflecting on my first DJs shows in the early ‘90s, hosted by DJ Times

Magazine. Since then, I have attended countless shows both large and small all over the U.S. and Canada, on a DJ cruise and even one show in England.

I am happy to say that certain things have not changed at all. Networking is King. Of the attendees that I interviewed for this article, they all said they loved meeting people in the hallways, elevators, seminar rooms, etc. Our industry is indeed unique, as we all share a love for entertaining people at their once-in-a-lifetime event, and our lifestyles based on work are indeed different than a lot of other occupations.

Having people in our lives who understand our industry and our lifestyle is crucial to your longevity. Sharing ideas at these shows in hallways and over coffee or meals is priceless. I am still very good friends with people I met at some of my very early shows. I also look forward to the meals and time in the hallways more than anything else at these shows since it is always a constant. The Canadian DJ Show in Toronto was much smaller than the other two shows in this article, and networking there was amazing. Attendees went as far as to have suites with all

ing to do the most extraordinary thing — which just happens to be what is in the best interest of their customer.

How much did Zappos’ action cost their company? In real dollars and cents, maybe $400.00. But, how much did Zappos gain? Perhaps $4,000.00 in return business and referrals. How likely is my son to shop anywhere else? He’s now a raving fan and a very loyal, lifetime customer who shares his Zappos’ story with everyone he meets. He’s even turned me into a Zappos’ customer and a mouthpiece for his experience. This level of excellence is why Zappos’ customer experiences are considered epic.

What extraordinary thing are you ready to do that is in the best interest of your customer, even if that means defying the status quo of what others would do? What bit of excellence will you serve to allow the experience you deliver to be known as iconic?

“To customers — the small things are the big things. “– Lee Cockrell, former Executive VP of Operations at Walt Disney World I read a story not long ago about another, less iconic — but no less extraordinary — delivery of a client experience from a cloud computing company called Rackspace. As the story goes, a customer was on the phone with a member of the Rackspace technical support team for what had become a marathon support session that was not going to end anytime soon. At some point during the very lengthy call, the Rackspace rep overheard the customer tell someone in their office that they were hungry. A short time later there was a knock at the customer’s door. When the customer opened it, they were greeted by a pizza delivery person with a fresh, hot pizza that had been ordered by the Rackspace tech person.

As you can imagine, the story of this experience was shared in the same manner and just as extensively as my son

shared his story of the experience delivered by Zappos. Although the monetary outlay for each company ($800.00 in merchandise vs. a $20.00 pizza) was dynamically different, the value of wowing a customer to Rackspace is immeasurable because of the impression it made on countless customers and because of the influence it had on potential customers.

Like Zappos, Rackspace defied the status quo by focusing on details, serving up excellence and doing what was in the best interest of the customer. At the end of the day, Rackspace created a win-win situation that not only produced an extraordinary customer experience, the word of mouth marketing that came from it contributed to it being iconic in scope.

So, when it comes to the experience you deliver, what parts of it will your clients or customers award the title of iconic — those little bits of excellence they can’t wait to experience again or to refer to others? How will you break the mold to move above and beyond the status quo of what is expected? To be iconic means you must first be extraordinary. To be extraordinary, you must do extraordinary things. Go be extraordinary.

“The single most important thing is to make people happy. If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you.” - Derek Sivers, CD Baby Ron Ruth is a 20 year veteran of the wedding and DJ industry and the owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment in Kansas City. He’s also a self-described “Disney Geek” and a nationally recognized speaker who presents seminars at conferences for DJs and wedding professionals on the topic of delivering quality service. Ron can be reached at 816-224-4487 or ronruth@discjockeynews.com

kinds of snacks and drinks to encourage sharing as a part of the show.

So after all of these years, how did they finally discover one of these shows? Most of the new attendees that I interviewed for this article had been referred to these shows by other people in the industry. I think this is huge and

educational. Other top notables mentioned were Todd Mitchem, Mike Walter, Scott Faver and Mitch Taylor.

Would these new attendees come back again? Based on their experience, every one of the people I interviewed said that they will make attending at least one conference per year a priority after attending one this year for the first time.

For those who attended the Photo Booth Expo, the overwhelming highlight of that show was a 75,000 square foot exhibit floor with over 125 different exhibitors on display to shop with. This show floor was huge and had a little bit of everything from props and backdrops to booths and everything in between for those in the business.

Not surprisingly for this writer was the fact that no one mentioned the evening activities as a highlight. I think that Las Vegas is a tough town to compete against.

Of the attendees interviewed for this article, they were all over 40 years of age. Will today’s millennials enjoy attending a trade show in their future? I guess they will have to actually go to one in order to experience it.

KC can be reached at KC@discjockeynews.com.

says a lot about our industry as a whole.

If you enjoy these shows, it is very clear that one of the ways to see them grow is to highly recommend them to other DJs and photo booth operators.

For those who attended the Mobile Beat show, Jeffrey Gitomer was the crowd favorite of those that I interviewed. I also attended his seminar and he was indeed very engaging, funny, and

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 7

Don’t Be Afraid To Give

By Jeremy Brech

After returning from Mobile Beat this month I have had a number of people reach out to me asking for advice and to pick my brain. As you know I am always willing to help others and help others succeed in our industry. With numerous projects on my plate I always make sure I find time to help others in any way I can. That was how I was brought up and that is why I try to teach my kids the same thing. It is always encouraging when my children come home with a Character Star for being kind, or helpful.

It shows that I have made a difference in my kid’s lives and they also acknowledge the importance of that. This goes so much deeper than the pride I take in my children’s willingness to help others.

As you may know I was a part of the Mobile Beat team for the last three years and there are so many people that I thank for the opportunity to work with them.

I reflect on the presenters, and the time and dedication they put into the content they provide for all of the attendees at the show. I think about the willingness of Chauvet DJ and Electro Voice and their participation in the product and sponsorship involvement to make that show happen. These people are true givers of our industry and without them the Mobile Beat Las Vegas Show would be

stale house lights and crappy sound once again… No wait, it wouldn’t even exist.

Bill and Jason helped spark this idea of something different, something bigger and that is exactly what it has become.

THE show to attend for Mobile DJs. I want to go back to the three mentioned categories of givers from the previous paragraph. Let’s first discuss the headlining sponsors for the show EV and Chavuet DJ. I have been fortunate to call both of these brands like family to me. They have allowed me to inspire and help others grow their business through education and trust.

They allow me to speak on their behalf at all types of shows, such as Mobile Beat, DJ Expo, LDI, WeddingWire, Wedding MBA, Lighting and Audio Symposium - and the list goes on and on. But the biggest things are the efforts they put forward for everyone in our industry. Always listening and watching out for us DJs. They are both true givers of our industry.

Next is the presenters and their willingness to give and educate hundreds of

attendees at these shows. I know so many people who know a great deal but are too afraid to share. I’m not just speaking within our industry, but in all facets of life. I would encourage you that if you have something to share, something of value, you should be willing to give to

other as others have given to you. Somewhere along the line, somehow you have been given something special to put you in the position you are currently in. Just remember that others need to be guided and you just might be the best person to do so.

Last, I want to thank Jake Feldman,

Todd Mitchem, and of course my true partner in crime, Jason Jani. Myself, as well as all of these men, have given so much to help raise the standard and inspire DJs across the country and the world, with what Mobile Beat has become. I am not sure if anyone really knows the time, energy, and work that goes into some of the simplest things to make a show like this happen. Is it stressful? YES! But if I have the opportunity to give and inspire one person, then I have done my job. I believe it was in Marcello’s opening for the show, talking about people who have to post on social media every time they pay it forward.

Then the real question becomes, are you paying it forward for the right reason? A great friend of mine, Dave Ternier, recommended a great book to me called, “The Go-Giver”, my ask to you would be to grab that book and give to others as you have received.

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

PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

Re-Branding

By Jake Palmer

You have probably seen the TV commercial for an investment firm that poses a “DJ” as a financial investment manager. If you have not seen it, imagine the typical DJ stereotype with dreads and fist pumping to EDM. Needless to say, the commercial doesn’t exactly paint the best picture of a DJ. The inference is that you can’t trust a DJ with anything important.

Look at your business card.

Does it say “DJ”? It seems that most people we work with every day feel the same way about DJs. As a DJ it sometimes feels like a struggle to get vendors, clients, or even general people in public, to listen to what we say the same way they listen to other vendors, other clients or the general public. I’m constantly puzzled when I see someone take poor advice to heart because it came from a blog or from another vendor. I mean, what could possibly be the mindset of someone who would disregard professional advice for the person they hired to insure the suc-

cess of the event? I don’t call my dentist for car repair tips, so why would I expect my decorator or caterer to be the expert on where the DJ set-up and dance floor should be located?

I think it is because we are DJs, and the DJ and the dance have become almost an afterthought. This is something we are responsible for. We the DJs have managed to allow this to become the industry standard for two reasons: Attitude and image. We have created an image for ourselves that is less than flattering. No one looks to the DJ to be in charge or control of anything — we can’t even be trusted to control the volume of the music properly. We barely take ourselves seriously and then act surprised when no one else will take us seriously. We have bad attitudes and we are un-engaged in what is happening around us, or worse yet, we are “experienced” enough that we can do an almost adequate job with little or no effort. And dammit, no one is stroking my ego, so screw them, “almost adequate” is what they get.

Wow, right? This is the reality we have fostered for too many years. Last year in a room full of DJs at Midwest DJs Live in Milwaukee when I asked,

“How many of you would trust a DJ with responsibility of running your wedding reception?” almost every hand in the room went down. We don’t even trust ourselves.

So . . . now what? What do we do?

What can we do? Better yet, what can we do right now to make a difference?

Well, as I’m sure you can imagine, I have a few ideas. First, we need to find a way to stop being DJs. Unless you spin turntables in a dance club or work for a radio station, the “DJ” part of what we do is the last three hours of the night. As a Wedding Professional, I wear many hats on the day of, as well as leading up to the wedding. I am a Wedding and Reception Planner, I am a Musical Director, I am a Master of Ceremonies, I am a Comedian and Actor — sometimes even a bartender and a therapist. What we do is way more than play music. We can make or break an event, but somewhere at some time, people started just taking all the other stuff for granted and started looking at us as the music people.

How do we change this? We change our image. We need to start by changing us. Show people something different.

Check your attitude. Not anyone else’s attitude — yours. You and you alone are responsible for your attitude, your emotions and the public image you carry around, so make sure it’s a good one. Be the fun professional, and tell people you

are the “Fun Professional.” Have you met with your local venue managers or other vendors and explained what you do and how you do it? Have you done it with the right image and attitude? Remember, many of these people are used to hearing empty promises for DJs, so be prepared to prove it at your next event.

You are the expert, and it’s OK to act like it. We all know a wedding vendor in our market that is “OK” at what they do, but they have an over-the-top attitude and personality that makes them almost impossible to work with, yet brides think they are amazing. It’s because they act like the expert, they take control and they don’t let rookies mess up their thing. Meanwhile, DJs all over the country are setting up across the room from the dance floor because we didn’t take control of the situation and act like the expert.

As Entertainers and Wedding Professionals, it is up to us to control our industry and our standards. But let’s start by getting control of ourselves. Rebrand yourself if you need to, but, more important, have a brand. “DJ” is not a brand — it’s a job title.

I don’t think you should expect to have control of the event if you have branded yourself as the person in control of the music.

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

Your Sales Voice. What Is It Saying To You? What Is It Saying To Others?

By Jeffrey Gitomer

I was recently at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, giving a seminar sponsored by Sales and Marketing Executives International. I had an informal logistics meeting with some of the association members before the event when Jamie, the young woman who directed me to my preparation room, talked to me about her career. I asked her what she was seeking to become.

Her response startled me. She said, “I’m still trying to find my voice.”

I was taken aback because I expected some alternate career choice, or something along the lines of “make a lot of money,” or “get a job in event planning.” But no, she was seeking something much higher.

Jamie was seeking to gain control of her self and her power first, and find her career path second. We talked about “voice” for a while, and I began to type to capture the thoughts. What came out of the brief conversation will benefit you and your career, and help you understand who you are and who you seek to become.

Jamie was looking for her voice to come from something she believed in that would make her voice stronger, more resonant, more powerful, and more believable.

How do you speak?

Not the just words, the voice that you project. Your voice is a statement and picture of your character, your poise, and your persona. It’s a statement of belief, confidence, and personal power.

Where does your voice come from?

How do you “find” it?

And once you do, how do you master it?

BE AWARE: Your voice has nothing to do with your selling skills or your product knowledge. Your voice is way beyond that.

GOOD NEWS: You don’t have to look far. Most of your voice is right at the tip of your tongue. The rest of it is mental and emotional.

ANSWER: It STARTS with your inner voice. It’s the language you speak to yourself BEFORE you say a word.

Your voice becomes yours, and authentically yours, when you…

• do what you believe in.

• do what you’re passionate about.

• work in your chosen field.

• find your calling.

• discover something you feel you were made or born to do.

• do something you love.

EASY WAY TO START THE DISCOVERY: Write down the hobby or sport you love best, or the sporting event you go to because you love to see yourteam play and cheer them on.

My friend, Hall of Fame baseball player Dave Winfield, said it as simply and as completely as I have ever heard it, “I loved baseball and baseball loved me back.”

Here are the elements of voice: You have decided to pursue your chosen path.

You have belief in who you are.

You have belief in what you do.

You have a desire to succeed.

You’re personally prepared – attitude, enthusiasm, friendliness, and ideas.

You maintain self-confidence that comes from your heart, not from your head.

Your enthusiasm is real.

Your sincerity is evident.

You’re eager to master every aspect of what you do.

Your passion is contagious.

Your moxie engages others.

Your desire to improve is never ending.

You love what you do.

NOTE WELL: Your voice is not about how to make sales faster – your voice is how to make sales forever. For your voice to appear, you must possess ALL of these elements. Most people have a “weak” voice because they don’t love what they do, or lack sincerity, or they don’t fully believe in themselves, their company, or their product.

SUCCESS ACTION: Go back to this list and rate yourself on a 1-10 basis. Ten being the best, your highest possible score is 130. My bet is you’re 90 or below.

SUCCESS ACTION: Record your spoken voice ONCE A WEEK, and listen to it actively – which means take notes. By listening to yourself – arguably one of the toughest things on the planet to do – you will gain a true picture of where you are right now. Your jumping off point.

And for those of you living in the dark ages still trying to “find the pain” in your sales presentation, just record and listen to yourself – THAT’S the pain. The real pain of selling is listening to your voice trying to make a sale – it’s also funny as hell.

You’ll know your voice when you hear it.

It will speak to you before you ever say a word.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, CustomerSatisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email himpersonally at salesman@gitomer.com.

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Reaching The Next Generation

By Michael Joseph

“You don’t have to change the world, but you have to change something.”

We all have something unique to give to the world. We all have the choice of how to use it. Not using it is a choice also.

You can use it to serve yourself, or others.

You can use it to hurt yourself or others.

Choosing not to use it can also benefit or hurt you. It’s all how you look at it. What do you want to do with what you have been given? They say if you don’t put more into the world than you take, you are stealing from the next generation. In the end, when accounts are tallied, what will your ledger say?

We say we want to “give back” so that the next generation of DJs will be better.

Do you really want to make things better or just make them do things your way? If you yourself aren’t any better tomorrow than you were today, then you haven’t changed. If the next generation isn’t any different than you, then what did you “give back”?

In the club industry they have a “thousand day rule.” Once the place opens, it starts counting days. What they did when they started is no longer relevant once they reach the 1000th day. What got you here can’t take you there. Most business models do that same review every 365

days while others do it every 90 days or quarterly. How often do you really sit down and take stock of what and how you and your business are doing? How often do you make any effort to make changes?

Are you happy finishing the day the same person you were when you started it?

Giving back comes from having more than you need. Almost no one can start out with more than they need, so how much you’ve grown shows how much you have to give. A tree starts life as a seed. Over time it grows to the point that it starts to bear fruit. That fruit not only nourishes for today, but, via the seed, makes plans for more trees and more fruit. It’s a great model, but what if something bad happens and the tree gets struck by lightning and burns down? If the tree did only what it needed to do to live each day and never bear fruit or seeds, it would have ended its cycle taking more than it gave. The tree couldn’t know when or if it was going to get struck by lightning.

It couldn’t say “I’ll start bearing fruit the season before I get hit by lightning.”

Like us, the tree only has so much time to make and give. It doesn’t have time to teach other trees and plants to respect it for its’ strength. It doesn’t have time to make others understand it’s worth. It just grows and gives. Some of the seeds it gives might take root and grow. While other seeds decompose and become part of the nourishing soil. Good or bad, we all write our own story. You might want to blame or thank someone for where you are today. The truth is, ultimately, ev-

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 9

erything was a result of some choice or choices you made. You can’t choose for others. You can’t make others do things your way. You may not even be heard by anyone, but what are you doing to “grow and give”?

You may disagree with this, but the next generation doesn’t owe you any-

thing. They don’t owe you respect for what you did or are doing. Respect is earned. So what are you doing to earn their respect? What you did before isn’t going to gain someone’s respect any more than fruit that hasn’t been eaten can give nourishment. You have to earn their respect as a person first. Be their friend before you are their mentor. Be humble enough to answer their questions after they ask, not before. Most important, be ready to give a reason why or why not.

Answers like “Just because that’s the way you do it” and “It’s the right way” are not answers but weakly veiled commands coming from an insecure mind.

If you don’t know something, don’t be

afraid to say you don’t know. Giving a false answer to gain respect is like that tree giving rotten fruit. It takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch then no one will want what you have to give. Don’t be that apple — be the one that is ready when it’s needed.

The next generation does need leaders. They don’t need them in the way or style the generations before needed. They need to be met where they are, not where you think they should be. Not where you or anyone you know was met — only where they are right now. Don’t think you know more than they do, because you might not. The very questions themselves have changed. The answers you have probably won’t fit any questions they have. Despite the different questions, they have been fooled by slick talkers before. Their trust has been stolen by the media, movies and life, so they are very frugal with it. Building that trust will take time.

What you need to think about is, just like the tree, you might not be ready to have your seeds of wisdom grow. It might not even be your season to bear fruit yet.

Building trust leads to respect which becomes growth, and growth produces giving. Then, and only then, will you give more than you take.

Michael Joseph (MJ) is the host of The Rewind Report and My DJ Obsession on DJNTV and has been a DJ in residence in Pittsburgh for a number of years. You can contact MJ at MJ@discjockeynews. com.

PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

Handling Requests

By Joe Bunn

If you’ve been in the DJ business for as long as I have, you’ve seen a lot of technology come and go, which leads me to write this article about handling requests. Whether you are a single-op owner or multi-op owner, you should be prepared for guest requests and also need to train your DJs on how to handle this touchy subject. After all, handling requests is Customer Service 101!

Back in my day (isn’t that how old people always start a story?), party guests would come up and request a song from the DJ. Next, we would process the request in our brain to decide if we actually wanted to play it or not and then either A) Lie, saying we didn’t have it B) Say we really didn’t have it or C) Play it.

Nowadays, it’s not that easy. These days, everyone has a mobile phone in their hand at all times and most guests don’t even come up and try to talk to the DJ anymore. They either type out

their request on the notes section of their phone or show you a screen grab of the song from YouTube or Spotify. Talk about impersonal!

Technological advances have made the old ways of shunning a terrible request obsolete. When I used to spin vinyl, or even when CDs were big, it was easy to just say, “I don’t have that song.

Sorry,” and point to your music collection. Nowadays, if you don’t have a song, or simply don’t want to play it, a persistent guest is going to literally hand their phone to you and tell you to play the song from it. The other go-to move for someone that is dying for you to play “their jam” is to ask you to download it when you say you don’t have it. Don’t even try and tell them you can’t get a Wifi signal, because of course they’ve already figured out the passcode for the building or asked the event manager and are ready to give that to you, too. It’s madness on the dance floor these days!

So let’s talk about how you deal with it and, more important, how you teach the DJs who work for you to handle these guests.

My first response to them handing me their phone is usually: “I’m so sorry, I don’t have an aux cord on my system.”

Of course I do. We all do. It’s a great backup option if your computer dies!

A World Of Aspirational Images

By Alan Berg

As a consultant and sales trainer, I get to see a lot of websites and online ad profiles.

It still amazes me how many wedding and event pros are using the wrong images to promote their businesses.

For years I’ve been saying to use, what I call, ”Aspirational Images” — images that show your prospective clients what the result of doing business with you looks like. When possible, make them so beautiful and emotional that someone viewing it would want to jump into that photo and be a part of the fun, excitement and emotion of that event.

Yet with all of my preaching, which is what it sometimes feels like, there are still countless venues that show pictures of empty banquet rooms, DJs and bands that show equipment or staff images, florists who show headless brides holding bouquets and many others who lead with images of themselves. An aspirational image allows the viewer to take their “mental eraser” and substitute their face for those in the photo so they can picture themselves getting that result. We can’t get that from looking at your building, or your furniture or your equipment — or from looking at you.

Don’t take my word for it. Here are three other resources that say, pretty much, the same thing in their own way: •Depositphotos – I use them to buy images for my blog posts, presentations and articles. As selling images is their business, they know what’s going on.

They recently posted “12 Trends That Will Define Visual Culture Over the

Next 12 Months.” In it, they talk about “authentic images” and showing “real people in action”: “When everyone is somewhat of a photographer, the demand for original, candid and authentic images continues to grow. Highly visual consumers don’t react the same way to polished photos with posed models; they want emotions, flaws, the grit of life, and real people in action. Relatable photos that personalize a story and capture a moment (like a Snapchat story) continue to trend heavily, these visuals have the power to catch attention and keep the consumer engaged.”

•Pinterest – Don’t you wish that Pinterest images came with price tags?

Then the couples would know which of those beautiful images represent things that would fit into their budgets. OK, we can all stop dreaming now and get back to reality. In a recent blog post, Pinterest wrote about using “lifestyle photos,” to show your product/service in use. That means showing people, not just food, designs and dresses: “Your photos should help people understand how your brand would fit into their lives. Use real-life settings and models to show how your product or service can be used. For example, if you sell apparel or accessories, feature your products on a model.”

•Facebook – Even Facebook agrees.

When creating ads for Facebook, or really any site, they also suggest that you “Show people who are using your product instead of just the products alone. Remember that your ad may show in someone’s News Feed, and it should feel like it belongs there. Your image is competing for people’s attention with stories from their friends and family.

-For example, don’t just show a picture of a recipe app to convince people to install it; instead, show the meal they could cook if they use it.”

“Show the benefit that people get

But I’m tucking that inside my DJ booth or coffin vs. laying it out there like an invitation.

So what about the “Hey, just download it” guest? I handle them like this: “Unfortunately, I don’t download things to this computer off unsecured networks.

This is my DJ laptop, not my work computer. This is music only. I don’t even use it to check email or browse the net.”

Yes, that’s a lie too, but it works.

OK, so what if you’re not me? (AKA you don’t want to lie to folks.) The easiest way to handle Mr. Request Guy is something like this: “Sir, I will certainly try to get to that, but you see this list?”

(Hold up a copy of the couple’s music planner.) “Well, Suzy and Bob worked really hard on this, and I have less than two hours to get to all of their requests.

At that point, you’ve pretty much shamed him into realizing that A) He’s an idiot or B) This is not his wedding.

Here’s a tip: Always keep a particularly long and obnoxious request list in your bag in case the couple doesn’t actually give you a ton of requests. You can always hold your thumb over the date and name when you flash it to the guest. Trust me, it works.

Listen, don’t get me wrong, if the guest is some VIP (member of the bridal party, father of the bride, mother of the groom, etc.) or I decipher that this particular song that I don’t have really is important to the party atmosphere, I’m going to bend over backwards to get it.

I’m going to find an open Wifi signal or download and play it from my phone, or I may even create a hotspot using my phone so that I can download it and drag it over to Serato.

Side bar: You do know that you can download a song in iTunes and drag it over to Serato without closing that program down and restarting, right? You can!

1. Get on the venue’s Wifi or create a hotspot using your tablet or mobile phone.

2. Find the song and download it in iTunes.

3. Click the + symbol in the lower left of Serato and make a crate.

4. Find the song in the iTunes library. Click and drag into into the Serato crate.

5. Boom, you’re done. You can now drag it right up to the deck and start playing it!

I hope that some of these responses will help you or your DJs the next time a guest at an event is being overly persistent about hearing “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. Good luck!

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.

from your product, not just a photo of the product.”

So, you can see that this concept is universal. What can you do with this information? Take a look at your website images, your WeddingWire Storefront images, your marketing materials, etc.; see if they represent not only the outcome that people will get from choosing you, but also that they show real customers getting that result. Real people come in all shapes, colors and sizes, as opposed to models who are setting an

unfair bar. Then ask, beg or badger your photographer friends and couples to get images to use. In the end, the effort will be worth it. I look forward to seeing your improved sites and marketing.

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

The Way I See It: Has The Needle Moved? Part 2

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 11

By Michael J. Lenstra

“work hard” in front of most mobile DJs, Why? That is a question Bill Hermann, for- it scares them, because this is something mer president of the now defunct Min- most do on the side, on their weekends. nesota Association of Professional Disc They don’t see it as a real business — a Jockeys, reminds people taking part in real profession.”

During his two years as president of his seminars to ask often. As he puts it, “We always the ADJA, Merry visited over three dozen ask who, cities across the United States trying to what, where, give mobile DJs valuable information to when, but we strengthen their business as well as enseldom ask courage them to join the ADJA. During that time, ADJA membership grew to apwhy.”

Why then proximately 1,200 members. That number do DJs av- may be relatively low, however, considererage less ing that the number of people calling themper event selves mobile DJs may exceed 75,000 nathan many tionally. Merry’s tour — along with Mark of the other Ferrell’s “Getting What You’re Worth” w e d d i n g movement during the preceding years — profession- helped prices increase for the mobile DJ als—such as industry. But then things stagnated.

“The fact that the ADJA has never gotphotographers, videographers and coordinators? According to year-end data posted ten above 2,000 members says a lot about

by The Wedding Report, DJs average only our industry,” said Merry.

The problem, as $735 per event. Why is the mobile DJ the The Wedding Report 2016 Merry sees it, is twofold. The first is the Rodney Dangerfield $1,221 lack of DJs who are (“I Get No Respect”) Wedding Dress/es of the wedding in- Live Band $1,695 willing to educate today’s bride. “If the dustry? $3,407 DJ responds to the It’s a frustration Engagement Ring that Peter Merry, Wedding Bands $1,242 bride with a price and doesn’t do anything former president of to educate the bride the American Disc Jockey Association Wedding Photographer $1,611 about the value that they’ll be receiving (ADJA) and author $1,072 [for that price], then of “The Best Wed- Wedding Videographer ding Reception . . . Day of Coordinator $812 the bride is actually being short-changed Ever!” has experi-For Getting Started $875 because then she enced for years.

A Huge Task -Full Service $2,773 thinks she can find whoever is cheapest “I think the vast $1,062 and that guy will do majority of DJs have -Month of Direction a great job.” Second such a low opinion of $735 is public perception. what their job is and DJ “The wedding media how easy they think . . . is still painting their job is to do that they don’t see the value of creating any [DJs] as just the music guy who stands in kind of standards other than: ’You should the corner until it’s time to cut the cake.”

It’s for those reasons that Merry never be using pro tools,’” Merry said in a recent interview. “When you put the words quotes a price until he has had an opportu-

nity to speak with a future bride. “If they’re willing to have a conversation, we’ll talk, and by the time we’re done — even if she doesn’t hire me — she’ll probably spend twice as much as she originally budgeted because she knows what to look for now.”

You would think that, in an age in which mobile DJs are nearly as much a part of a wedding celebration as the white dress, the general public would recognize that we would be known for our talents and creativity. But are most mobile DJs creators or just imitators?

Creativity and the Digital Age “I believe that DJs are in one of the most creative industries on the planet,” said four-time Wedding MBA presenter Ron Ruth. “Therefore, I would expect that DJs would be creative thinkers. Unfortunately, I believe there is a breed of DJs entering our industry who are focused more on making a few bucks than they are in generally making a positive impact on people’s lives or exercising their creative muscles.

“I believe that the countless conduits of information that have been popping up in every social media stream — from Facebook groups to podcasts — are actually counterproductive. Instead of advancing the concept of DJs first relying on their own imagination and creative skills, those social outlets are encouraging their audience to blindly imitate the information being disseminated by individuals who may or may not be giving accurate information, that may or may not be appropriate in every situation. Creativity is about taking risks. Individuals who refuse to take risks of their own should not be confused with true creative thinkers and innovators.”

For all of the wonders the digital age has brought us, it has had a negative impact on many industries, such as music stores, advertising and print publications.

Its’ effect can be felt on the DJ industry as well.

“Everything is supposed to be free now.

If you want information, you’ll find a YouTube video to teach you,” said Michael Buonaccorso, author of “A Different Spin:

The DJ Story.”

“The value of education has just rapidly dropped,” Buonaccorso continued. “I can’t see that the digital age has done anything other than make it easier to do anything. Now the only thing you can offer is personality. There was a time when your music collection counted for something.

Now that asset doesn’t exist.”

Buonaccorso has been around long enough to know. By 1990 he had already been a mobile DJ for several years when he and his business partner, Bob Lindquist, decided that the fledgling DJ industry needed a voice. They created Mobile Beat magazine in 1991. Over the next 25 years, Buonaccorso saw up close an evolving industry — one that would alternately progress and regress. He’s seen movements and organizational attempts come and go time after time.

“Some of the people that were asking the questions years ago sort of faded away,” he said. “It seems like every five years these things come around and no one quite understands what happens.”

Years later, a new enthused group of DJs emerge. “It’s like a Ferris wheel,” he said.

“There’s never been anything to sustain a base. Any organization of any individuals has to have some structure in place that makes it possible to exist but the mobile DJs never got to that point.”

As for “industry leaders,” Buonaccorso questioned whether that is even a term we should be using.

“We didn’t think that leadership would come from starting a magazine,” he said.

“Whatever happened afterwards, happened. A lot of people have given me credit over the years for being a ‘leader’ by the very fact that I gave them a vehicle, but I wasn’t the driver, I just owned the car.

“The people that we call leaders are not really leading anything. What are they leading? Do they have people that report to them? If you wrote a book and gave a seminar and the room was full, you’re not leading those people — you’re talking to Lenstra Continued On Page 13

PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

To Friend Or Not To Friend

By Dave Ternier

“Do you friend your wedding clients on Facebook, Dave?”

The above inquiry is one that comes up often with mobile DJs, and is the question I will be answering this month.

My decision on the matter has led, in part, to greater success in the relationships I have both inside and outside of business.

For many, social media is a private place reserved for everything but business. Some treat Facebook as a digital scrapbook where they can write about what’s going on, share articles and post images without any concern over the impact those things might have on business. That unforgettable trip to Vegas, the crazy night out with the guys, one’s take on recent political issues — it’s all out there. Sometimes, when self-employed, it is best to keep those things private.

But like anything, quite the opposite can also be true.

As a single op DJ/MC, I friend all of my wedding couples on Facebook.

My reasons for doing this are relatively simple. I want to be part of their lives in a manner that goes deeper than a simple financial transaction. By providing me access to their Facebook profiles, my wedding couples provide me further insight into who they are as people — outside of our planning sessions. The more connected I am with them personally, the easier and more effective it is to produce my work for them as their DJ and their MC. Through this same avenue, my wedding couples are provided the opportunity to celebrate the life moments I choose to share on Facebook, and they are given glimpses into my family life and the things that are important to me.

Aware of the fact that I am my brand, connecting on social media provides me further opportunity to paint the picture of who Dave Ternier is.

I will provide a word of caution and acknowledge that you will question what you share on Facebook. Adding this new stream of relationships to your social media circle will (hopefully!) cause you to become more accountable and more “business appropriate.” Put your dirty laundry in the washing machine and keep it off of Facebook, okay?

And don’t be a jerk on social. No one wants a jerk representing them at their wedding. Becoming friends with your wedding couples on Facebook adds accountability to that.

As trivial as this might sound, sharing small moments of engagement — a “like” here, a comment there — will create a stronger bond between you and your wedding couples. On wedding day, you’ll treat them more as a friend and less of a transaction, and they too will treat you less like a transaction and more like a friend.

Post event, my wedding couples often tag me in shared wedding photographs and posts on Facebook. These tags lead to greater awareness for their Facebook friends — in a very strong word-of-mouth fashion — about who I

am, what I do and what I create.

Down the road, when someone asks about planning a wedding, my past wedding couples might quickly tag my name in a comment, which often turns into additional referrals. Win, win, win.

But do I really want to share everything I post on Facebook with my wedding couples? In my case, the answer is no. Surprise!

Thankfully, Facebook has put tools in place that allow us to identify each of our Facebook friends by placing them on a “Friends List.” This allows you to choose the audience of everything you post on Facebook as “public” or limited to a certain friend list. In my case, for example, all DJ related posts I share on Facebook are not visible to anyone

outside of those on my “DJ Colleagues” friend list. Alternatively, there are some things I post to Facebook where I set the audience to all of my Facebook friends except those on my “DJ Colleagues” friend list. Facebook is a powerful tool.

Learn it well, use it appropriately.

After receiving the signed agreement and paid booking fee for a wedding, I invite that wedding couple (through the event confirmation email) to reach out on Facebook and add me as a friend. If they don’t take action based on that part of the email, I will find them on Facebook and send them a friend request. Some do not accept my friend request, but the overwhelming majority of them do.

Social media has become a tool for me in which I create a closer relationship to the wedding couples I work with. In my quest to provide my wedding couples an experience that is every bit as unique

as I am, I enjoying giving them access to the life I make public on Facebook.

In return, I appreciate the life they share with me.

Through this mutual openness toward one another on Facebook, my couples and I develop a better understanding of who the other is and that aids with my performance at their wedding as I work to represent them in the best possible manner.

So, to friend or not to friend? I say, friend away!

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.

The Biggest PowerPoint No-No

By Stevie Ray

If you never give presentations to an audience, you can stop reading now and go back to posting on Facebook while pretending to work.

If you do give presentations, but never use PowerPoint, Visme, Haiku Deck, Emaze, Prezi, Keynote, Projeqt, Slidedog, Zoho Show or any of the dozens of visual aid software programs available, you can stop reading now and go back to thinking you are better than all those losers posting on Facebook.

For those of you still reading, I am going to help you avoid the single most damaging practice people engage in while using slides.

The advice comes in two parts; 1) stop reciting the text on the slide 2) stop putting text on the slide in the first place.

Some of you may have already heard this advice, but you are likely not employing it to the degree needed in order for you to avoid having a roomful of people silently wishing for your demise at the end of your presentation. Others of you may have heard advice to the opposite. Those who know not to recite text aloud while the audience is reading it may wonder how such bad advice continues to persist. Let me provide story to illustrate.

Don’t confuse your audience’s brains I was in a large ballroom as a corporate convention was about to begin. I was speaking to the client, Marsha, about last-minute details for my keynote when one of her younger associates, Julie, approached. Marsha asked Julie, “Are you ready for your segment of the presentation?”

Julie’s expression showed that this was likely the first time she had to speak in front of a group of top executives. “I’m freaking out!” she said. “Don’t worry,” said Marsha. “It’s easy. All you have to do is make sure everything you want to say is printed on the PowerPoint. Then you just flip from slide to slide and read everything to the audience as you go.

That way you won’t forget anything.”

Julie sighed with relief and walked away.

Marsha looked at me with a satisfied smile, as if she had just saved one more soul from podium damnation. I couldn’t speak. I had bitten my tongue in half. I didn’t correct Marsha at the time. I figured it wasn’t my place to say anything (plus, I hadn’t been paid yet).

Here are the main reasons why you should avoid placing text in PowerPoint, and when you have to use text, never read it. It confuses the brain. The brain absorbs information best when it uses one input channel at a time; reading, watching, or listening.

The brain isn’t good at using more than one input channel at once, even if the focus in on the same material. In fact, using more than one channel causes all of them to shut down.

If you recite the same text that someone is trying to read, you cancel out all channels of input; causing the audience to actually remember less of the material. This shut-down is also quite frustrating for the brain. So, rather than guiding people through the material, you are stressing them out.

Reciting text destroys meaning Ever heard someone point at numbers on a screen and say, “As you can see here…”? If we can see it, why are you saying it? We don’t need you to point out the obvious. The reason you are speaking is not to perform functions, like reading, that we can do ourselves. Your main function as the speaker is to provide meaning.

Is the 2 percent figure on the graph a fantastic thing, or a lousy thing? How should we feel about what you are showing us?

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 13 The ultimate goal of every presentation is to inspire action. Action is the result of emotion, not information. Look at every slide in your deck and ask yourself, “Does the audience really need to know this? What do I want them to do about it, so how do I want them to feel about it?”

Reciting disconnects you from your audience I have heard many presenters say they like to use PowerPoint because it puts the audience’s focus on the screen instead of themselves. It is fine to be nervous in front of an audience; if you weren’t, you wouldn’t care about them. But all eyes on the screen shows the audience that you don’t really care enough to connect with them. You have to be more powerful than the slides or you don’t deserve our attention.

Text circumvents the brain’s best functions People love to read, but reading is a solitary act. When we read, it is at our own pace and in our own time.

Presentations are meant to enlighten and inspire. To do this, you need to reach the proper brain cortices. The most efficient function of the human brain is pattern recognition.

Recognizing patterns is the brain’s default

running system. It helps us determine feelings, which lead to action. Pattern recognition is best achieved visually.

Even though we use our eyes to read text, reading is not actually a visual function, it is cerebral. Charts, photos, and graphs are visual. Numbers on a page are not as meaningful as lines that go up and down. Visual images allow the pattern recognition centers of the brain to size up information, compare it to other images, and create realizations, which form opinions.

Take the textual information on your PowerPoint and convert it to images that the brain can absorb and evaluate. If you want to convey a happy thought, flash a photo of a smiling person. Images not only have greater impact, they are retained longer in our memory, making your presentation more effective.

These simple steps will keep your audience engaged as well as position you as a more polished presenter. And if Marsha tells you to do otherwise, send her to me.

Stevie Ray is a nationally recognized corporate speaker and trainer, helping companies improve communication skills, customer service, leadership, and team management.

He can be reached at www.stevierays.org or stevie@stevierays.org.

Lenstra Continued From page 11 them.”

The same can be said for “movements.”

“When you call these things a ‘movement,’ it’s really just an idea that you heard from somebody and thought it sounded good,” Buonaccorso said. “There wasn’t a place to say: ‘Sign me up, I’m going to do this. I’m going to attend this meeting.

I’m going to pay my dues.’ Like in 1998, when Mark Ferrell walked into a room full of guys with cut off shorts and stupid t-shirts and said, ‘Listen guys, wake up!’

[He had] great ideas and inspiration, but he couldn’t force anyone to change anything.

Some did, while others resented (and still do) that he brought up the subject.”

Lack of leadership, lack of organization, lack of structure and a naive public — does that all add up to $735?

The way I see it, as part of that leastpaid community of wedding vendors, we may still be asleep.

I’ll wrap this up next month.

Until then ~ 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 14 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017

Are You Worth More Than A Mouse?

By Justin Miller

I just got back from presenting at Mobile Beat Las Vegas and Photo Booth Expo. At both conventions, I presented a seminar entitled “10X Your Price.”

The presentation was filled with tactics and techniques about how and when to increase your pricing (and when not to).

One hold up for many business owners is that they do not feel that they are worth more or that the customer will pay more. If this sounds like you, then listen up as I have a story that is sure to give you the confidence to do so.

Last week, I was invited to a fundraiser for a youth softball team. One of my wife’s co-worker’s daughters was involved with the team and that is why we went. The promotion for this event all said it was a mouse race. Interesting, I thought. I had no clue what a mouse race is but apparently they do in St Louis. So off we went to this mouse race in the party room at an old bowling alley.

When we walked into this fundraiser, I felt like I was going to an underground dog fighting ring or something, I didn’t know what I had gotten into and it was a very strange vibe. Lo and behold the event was literally a mouse race. They built a “track” of shoots with clear plexiglass on the front of them and there were six lanes labeled one through six. It was kind of like a casino night fundraiser with races instead of table games. You gambled fake chips, which you actually spent money for as your donation. Your winning chips could go for prizes later. Every fifteen or twenty

minutes they put the mice in, which are actually gerbils (side note: apparently the guy knows something about marketing, gerbil race doesn’t sound as good) they

run them and people go crazy and you wonder what on earth you’re doing there.

Each race took about 10 seconds.

Bottom line is that it was a successful fundraiser. Here was the kicker though.

We were sitting around with my wife’s co-worker, who was one of the organizers, and learned that they brought the mouse race “company” out of St. Louis. That is a

four and a half hour drive from where we were. By company, I think I use the term lightly, it was a guy with mice and some homemade stuff. You know how much those mice got paid? $1500! That’s right $1,500 for six races.

So what’s the moral here? If the mice can get $1500, by God, you should be able to get $1500 at least ... and if not, there’s your new business idea. Seriously though, if you have trouble charging more than the mice did, then you have a failure in your sales and marketing systems.

It’s time to figure it out. I help people every day with this and you can do it with or without me but it is time to do it.

If you would like a copy of my entire presentation audio, just shoot me an email to the address below and I will send you a link. Free of charge just for the asking.

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

Top 30 Music Charts

By www.PrimeCutsMusic.com The full weekly Top 50 and Recurrent Charts are available in a printable PDF format for subscribers and DJNTV Insiders 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Pop Ed Sheeran Shape Of You Zayn & T.Swift I Don’t Wanna Live Forever Weeknd I Feel It Coming Rihanna Love On The Brain Bruno Mars That’s What I Like Chainsmokers Paris Shawn Mendes Mercy Clean Bandit Rockabye Katy Perry Chained To The Rhythm Marian Hill Down Kygo x Selena Gomez I Ain’t Me Maroon 5 Cold Chainsmokers & Coldplay Something Just Like This Zedd & Alessia Cara Stay Lady Gaga Million Reasons Julia Michaels Issues James Arthur Say You Won’t Let Go Linkin Park F/ Kiiara Heavy Ariana Grande Everyday Lorde Green Light Big Sean Bounce Back Starley Call On Me Calvin Harris Slide Adele Water Under The Bridge Noah Cyrus Make Me (Cry) Sabrina Carpenter Thumbs Flo Rida Cake Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa Scared To Be Lonely Jason Derulo Swalla Kyle iSpy

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Urban Gucci Mane Chris Brown Migos Migos J. Cole Khalid Drake Big Sean DJ Khaled Fat Joe & Remy Ma Travis Scott Big Sean MadeinTYO Kyle 6lack Kehlani Rae Sremmurd 2 Chainz x Gucci Mane LeCrae Rick Ross YFN Lucci Bibi Bourelly Nicki Minaj Future Future Jeremih Swift PartyNextDoor Childish Gambino Tee Grizzley

Both Party T-Shirt Bad And Boujee Deja vu Location Fake Love Bounce Back Shining Money Showers Goosebumps Moves Skateboard P iSpy Prblms Distraction Swang Good Drank Blessings I Think She Like Me Everyday We Lit Ballin No Frauds Draco Used To This I Think Of You Pull Up Not Nice Redbone First Day Out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Country Jon Pardi Dirt On My Boots Luke Bryan Fast Lauren Alaina Road Less Traveled Jason Aldean Any Ol’ Barstool Michael Ray Think A Little Less Kelsea Ballerini Yeah Boy Eric Church Kill A Word Sam Hunt Body Like A Back Road Josh Turner Hometown Girl Brantley Gilbert The Weekend Dierks Bentley Black Kenny Chesney Bar At The End Of The World Luke Combs Hurricane Dan + Shay How Not To Brett Young In Case You Didn’t Know Brad Paisley Today Darius Rucker If I Told You Trent Harmon There’s A Girl Rascal Flatts Yours If You Want It Lady Antebellum You Look Good Keith Urban The Fighter Dylan Scott My Girl Zac Brown Band My Old Man Florida-Georgia Line God, Your Mama And Me Miranda Lambert We Should Be Friends Craig Campbell Outskirts Of Heaven Justin Moore Somebody Else Will Cole Swindell Flatliner Blake Shelton Every Time I Hear That Song Raelynn Love Triangle

Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017 • Page 15

Recurrent Hits For The Dance Floor for APRIL 2017 http://www.discjockeynews.com • http://www.djntv.com

Pop Recurrents 1 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 2 ZAYN/TAYLOR SWIFT I Don’t Wanna Live Forever 3 THE WEEKND I Feel It Coming f/Daft Punk 4 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 5 THE CHAINSMOKERS Paris 6 RIHANNA Love On The Brain 7 SHAWN MENDES Mercy 8 CLEAN BANDIT & ANNE-MARIE Rockabye f/Sean Paul 9 KATY PERRY Chained To The Rhythm 10 MARIAN HILL Down 11 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 12 MAROON 5 Cold f/Future 13 THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY Something Just Like This 14 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 15 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 16 LADY GAGA Million Reasons 17 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 18 LINKIN PARK Heavy f/Kiiara 19 LORDE Green Light 20 ARIANA GRANDE Everyday f/Future 21 BIG SEAN Bounce Back 22 STARLEY Call On Me 23 CALVIN HARRIS Slide f/Frank Ocean/Migos 24 ADELE Water Under The Bridge 25 FLO RIDA & 99 PERCENT Cake 26 SABRINA CARPENTER Thumbs 27 MARTIN GARRIX & DUA LIPA Scared To Be Lonely 28 NOAH CYRUS Make Me (Cry) f/Labrinth 29 KYLE iSpy f/Lil Yachty 30 JASON DERULO Swalla f/N Minaj/Ty Dolla $ign 31 TRAIN Play That Song 32 DRAKE Fake Love 33 AJR Weak 34 MAJOR LAZER Run Up f/PARTYNEXTDOOR/Minaj 35 STARGATE Waterfall f/P!nk & Sia 36 AXWELL & INGROSSO I Love You f/Kid Ink 37 MACHINE GUN KELLY At My Best f/Hailee Steinfeld 38 ZAYN Still Got Time f/PARTYNEXTDOOR 39 SNAKEHIPS & MO Don’t Leave 40 DJ KHALED Shining f/Beyonce & Jay Z 41 FUTURE Selfish f/Rihanna 42 MIGOS Bad And Boujee f/Lil Uzi Vert 43 LITTLE MIX Touch 44 CHANCE THE RAPPER All Night f/Knox Fortune 45 AARON CARTER Sooner Or Later 46 ED SHEERAN Castle On The Hill 47 G-EAZY & KEHLANI Good Life 48 VAMPS & MATOMA All Night 49 DUA LIPA Be The One 50 DRAKE Passionfruit

Urban Recurrents 1 GUCCI MANE Both f/Drake 2 MIGOS T-Shirt 3 J. COLE Deja Vu 4 MIGOS Bad And Boujee f/Lil Uzi Vert 5 CHRIS BROWN Party f/Usher & Gucci Mane 6 KHALID Location 7 DRAKE Fake Love 8 DJ KHALED Shining f/Beyonce & Jay Z 9 BIG SEAN Bounce Back 10 FAT JOE & REMY MA Money Showers 11 TRAVIS SCOTT Goosebumps 12 BIG SEAN Moves 13 MADEINTYO Skateboard P 14 KYLE iSpy f/Lil Yachty 15 6LACK Prblms 16 KEHLANI Distraction 17 2 CHAINZ X GUCCI MANE X QUAVO Good Drank 18 RAE SREMMURD Swang 19 RICK ROSS I Think She Like Me f/Ty Dolla 20 LECRAE Blessings f/Ty Dolla $ign 21 YFN LUCCI Everyday We Lit f/PnB Rock 22 NICKI MINAJ No Frauds w/Drake & Lil Wayne 23 FUTURE Mask Off 24 FUTURE Draco 25 JEREMIH I Think Of You f/Chris Brown 26 BIBI BOURELLY Ballin 27 CHILDISH GAMBINO Redbone 28 TEE GRIZZLEY First Day Out 29 SWIFT Pull Up 30 B.O.B 4 Lit f/T.I. & Ty Dolla $ign 31 FUTURE Used To This f/Drake 32 CHANCE THE RAPPER All Night f/Knox Fortune 33 THE WEEKND I Feel It Coming f/Daft Punk 34 PARTYNEXTDOOR Not Nice 35 MEEK MILL Litty f/Tory Lanez 36 JHENE AIKO Maniac 37 MONEYBAGG YO Doin 2 Much f/Yo Gotti 38 FUTURE Selfish f/Rihanna 39 21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN No Heart 40 OMARION Distance 41 DESIIGNER Outlet 42 WALE Fashion Week f/G-Eazy 43 DJ E-FEEZY Got Me Crazy (No Better Love) 44 UGLY GOD Water 45 JACQUEES B.E.D. 46 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 47 PNB ROCK Selfish 48 MARIAN HILL Down 49 MISSY ELLIOTT I’m Better f/Lamb 50 UNCLE MURDA Thot

Adult Contempory Recurrents 1 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 2 ZAYN/TAYLOR SWIFT I Don’t Wanna Live Forever 3 ALESSIA CARA Scars To Your Beautiful 4 ADELE Water Under The Bridge 5 SHAWN MENDES Mercy 6 NIALL HORAN This Town 7 LADY GAGA Million Reasons 8 KATY PERRY Chained To The Rhythm 9 RIHANNA Love On The Brain 10 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 11 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 12 TRAIN Play That Song 13 THE WEEKND I Feel It Coming f/Daft Punk 14 MAROON 5 Cold f/Future 15 THE CHAINSMOKERS Paris 16 LORDE Green Light 17 CLEAN BANDIT & ANNE-MARIE Rockabye f/Sean Paul 18 LINKIN PARK Heavy f/Kiiara 19 MARIAN HILL Down 20 THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY Something Just Like This 21 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 22 OCEAN PARK STANDOFF Good News 23 STARLEY Call On Me 24 HEAD AND THE HEART All We Ever Knew 25 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 26 THE BAND PERRY Stay In The Dark 27 STARGATE Waterfall f/P!nk & Sia 28 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 29 JUDAH & THE LION Take It All Back 30 MGK X CAMILA CABELLO Bad Things 31 KALEO Way Down We Go 32 RAG’N’BONE MAN Human 33 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 34 JULIA BRENNAN Inner Demons 35 LINDSEY STIRLING Hold My Heart f/ZZ Ward 36 ONEREPUBLIC Let’s Hurt Tonight 37 MEGHAN TRAINOR I’m A Lady 38 JP COOPER September Song 39 ED SHEERAN Castle On The Hill 40 LEANN RIMES Long Live Love 41 GAVIN DEGRAW Making Love With The Radio On 42 MUNA I Know A Place 43 FOR KING & COUNTRY Priceless 44 THE 1975 Somebody Else 45 ARIANA GRANDE Everyday f/Future 46 GREEN DAY Still Breathing 47 CHARLIE PUTH See You Again 48 PANIC! AT THE DISCO Death Of A Bachelor 49 SAM HUNT Body Like A Back Road 50 NOAH CYRUS Make Me (Cry) f/Labrinth

How To Set Your Voice Free

By Harvey Mackay

When I was embarking on my “second career,” public speaking, I had a little experience under my belt. I’d been a member of a Toastmasters group, a Dale Carnegie graduate and had made a long list of speeches to community groups and various causes.

Sometimes I would speak several times in a day, trying to reach as many groups as possible.

My message was often only as good as my voice.

So I did what I always do when I know I can do better: I went out and hired a public speaking coach.

As it turns out, the fellow I have been working with is more than a coach. He is just a few ticks shy of a miracle worker.

I’m talking about Roger Love, who has coached speakers, singers, internet marketers and plenty of folks who understand the power of voice and the impact it has on their careers. His updated version of “Set Your Voice Free,” first published in 1999, presents material that helps readers “showcase the best

of yourself – your talents, your passion, your originality, your authenticity.”

I was quite fascinated by the anatomy lessons that form the basis of Roger’s research and teaching. When you know how your voice works from the inside out, and how to best take care of it, your attitude will change. As Roger says, “The human voice is set up to speak or sing twenty-four hours a day without getting hoarse or strained or creating any physical problems.”

That information was especially helpful to me because my voice is my living.

Whether I am delivering a speech, making a sales call, making contacts for charitable or community causes, or mentoring future entrepreneurs, my voice needs to be strong and convincing.

He helped Reese Witherspoon and Jeff Bridges find their singing voices when they were preparing for movie roles that required them to stretch their limits. He worked with John Mayer and Gwen Stefani to expand their ranges and keep their voices in top shape despite demanding performance schedules.

Roger’s techniques are clearly explained in his book, which makes it simple to practice on your own. He says, “If you know how to control the pitch, pace, tone, volume, and melody of your voice, you can consciously use them to guide the emotions of your listeners and mag-

nify the impact of every communication you have.”

He acknowledges that great speaking and singing are not about being the best, it’s about being unique. “It’s about expressing who you are and what’s particularly special about you,” he says. “If you learn to use your own instrument with confidence, people will open their ears to you and recognize what sets you apart from everyone else.”

This updated edition includes techniques he has developed to help people with speech disorders such as stuttering and spasmodic dysphonia.

“True artistry in speaking comes from creating a convincing blend of three elements: what you say, the way you say it and who you are,” Roger says.

The real take-home for me is that how I use my voice is nearly as important as my message. We learn how to talk at a very young age, and I suppose we figure out soon after which cute little voices will help us get our way. But through years of school and career, are we really using our voices to generate the best effects?

Roger discusses four key emotions you need to evoke in your audiences to make them like and believe you: happy, grateful, passionate and confident. But his explanations take readers beyond typical descriptions of these emotions.

Learning how to project these key emo-

tions will have marked effects on how your message is received.

The impetus for updating his masterwork now is the result of an interesting observation: the advent of television singing competitions and videos that go viral have “changed the landscape for singers, offering them new opportunities . . . and opening the public’s imagination to the possibilities of where our voices can be.”

Coincidentally, he credits the revolution to “The Voice,” the television competition that asked its judges to do blind auditions, facing away from the contestants while they sang. The voice alone did the selling, he said. “All of us realized that no matter what you look like, no matter what your age or background, if you can create the right sounds, people will see beauty, kindness, intelligence and uniqueness in you.”

Mackay’s Moral: How you use your voice speaks volumes about you Reprinted with permission from nationally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us,” and his new book, “The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World.

PAGE 16 • Disc Jockey News • APRIL 2017