Disc Jockey News FEBRUARY 2018 • Issue #150
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PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
Bridal Show Showcase Time By Mike Walter
We’re into our busy booking season now so as always we are doing a lot of showcasing. When I meet DJs who don’t do any bridal shows I’m always kind of surprised. Unless your calendar is just completely packed out and you’re turning down leads left and right (in which case you should be bringing on more DJs!) getting out and meeting prospective couples is the best way to increase sales, especially in the winter months because there are always so many newly engaged couples who are excited to get their wedding plans started. So why wouldn’t you put yourself out there, where you can meet them and offer your services? As Elite there are three ways we “showcase.” I’ll run through them briefly here but (look out, shameless plug coming) it’s something I talk about in depth at the PhDJ Workshop that Joe Bunn and I produce. Our next one is going to be right after Mobile Beat next
month, and as of this writing, there are still some seats left. For more details head to PhDJWorkshop.com. Booth Only. At shows that I’m unsure of, or that have proven not to be great in the past, we will just have your traditional booth. Why would we even take a booth at a show that is subpar? You ask. Great question. Because it’s at a banquet hall that recommends us, so we want to show our face and support them. We staff our booth with either one or two salespeople. We’re equipped with our laptops and Wi-Fi so that when we get to chatting with a couple, we can look up their date and also take all their information down directly into DJ Event Planner. From there we can email them package and pricing information as well as schedule an appointment for them to come in and meet with us. With the ease of sending emails through DJ Event Planner, we can do that immediately so by the time this bride-to-be sits down for the fashion show, if she checks her email (and who doesn’t these days?) she’ll already have information from us. There are plenty of instances at shows where we sign someone up before the fashion show, and then they approach us
Love To Sell By Tamara Sims
So I made it through the first month of 2018. Despite record cold temps, quotes galore and navigating the world of Instagram for the first time, I think I did pretty well! As our busy sales cycle continues with couples who dragged their feet after the holidays, we must stay focused and continue to provide the best possible experience for our clients as they make the important decision on which vendors to hire for their wedding celebration. Being on the top of our sales game is a priority, so I wanted to share some tips I learned at a recent seminar “Irresistible Selling” by Maria Bayer. If you haven’t heard of Maria, she is a sales coach who “helps creatives book clients they love without being Sales-y.” Many of her tips you may be familiar with, but I believe reinforcing what we already know can only lead to growth and improvement in our business. And who doesn’t want to improve? Establish Value: Ask yourself this: What is the value you are providing your clients? You must address this with each client, so you don’t end up competing on price alone. We all know that comparing DJ’s is not apples to apples. How are you different? What makes your service unique? More importantly, why are you the best fit for their needs? Importance of Value: If your client does not understand your value they will always think you are too expensive.
As a result, you force your clients to book on price alone. The more value you build, the more money your client will be willing to pay. In order for this to work, you must ask the right questions at the beginning of the sales process. If you come across with a “me, me, me” attitude from the start you will lose the sale early on. Find out what is important to THEM! Solve their Problem: Ask open-ended questions. A few that I have used over the years include: What memories do you want to create? What do you want people to say when they enter your reception? How do you want your guests
again before they leave and set an appointment because they like what we’ve sent them (and the fact that we emailed information right away). Performance. At some of the bigger bridal shows in our area, we will pay extra for 20 minutes of performance time. Again, I don’t have the space to
go into details about this, nor is it the type of thing that can be described effectively (I think it falls under the heading of “you have to see it to believe it”). But suffice to say that our bridal show performances feature everything from simulated introductions, to one of our singers singing the first dance, to some interactive dances where we get the guests involved and out of their seats. to feel at the end of the night? Create your questions based on the service you provide, share stories and always listen. Why Hire You: Clients don’t know what they don’t know, so it is our job as sales people to paint the picture and explain the benefits of booking with our company. Benefits build value. Peace of mind in hiring vendors is a top priority for most brides and grooms. You must convey the “why” in order to get the sale. Use Emotion: We cannot overlook the importance of emotion. We’ve all heard “people buy from people they like.” Clients will always pay more for emotional benefits. If you only focus on the brand of speakers or type of lighting you will end up competing on price.
We will often lead a conga line around the room, have everyone singing along to “Livin’ On a Prayer” and generally throw a party! Does it turn some clients off that we are so interactive? Maybe. Even though we explain that we listen to every couple and do only what they want (and not what they don’t want) I’m sure some couples see us leading The Cupid Shuffle and decide not to use us. But we also get tons of clients who love what we do, who see the fact that we can get a party started on a Sunday afternoon in a room of complete strangers and want us for their entertainment. Private Showcases. From time to time (5 or 6 times a year) we will host our showcase. We rent a banquet room, invite our prospective couples to see us and then throw a much more elaborate performance than at the public bridal shows we do. We also bring out every upgrade we offer. These are time consuming and expensive shows to host. But when we book 15 to 20 weddings in one evening (which we often do) it’s all worth it in the end. 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. Paint the picture…explain why they need to hire you and what you are going to do to create the most fun and memorable celebration for them. Happy Sales! Please feel free to share your comments with me at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.com or tamara@something2dance2.com Tamara is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment in Schaumburg, IL, which she proudly owns along with her husband Jay Sims. She has over 20 years experience in the wedding industry and loves creating wonderful wedding memories for her brides and grooms.
February 2018 In This Issue:
Page 2: Mike Walter Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 7: Dean Carlson Page 8: Alan Berg www.discjockeynews.com 29442 120th St. Grey Eagle, MN 56336 Phone: 320-285-2323 Published by The Disc Jockey News
Editor/Educational Production Manager: John Young john@discjockeynews.com 320-285-2323 office 612-597-4499 cell Sales: Rob Drachler 972-325-4470 Cell robd@discjockeynews.com
Page 9: Chris Politylo Page 10: Joe Bunn Page 10: Brian Kelm Page 11: Mike Lenstra Page 12: Justin Miller Page 13: Dave Ternier
Page 14: Rob Ferre Page 14: Top 25 Charts Page 14: Different Spin Page 15: Brian Buonassissi
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PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
Fall In Love With Your Clients By Mitch Taylor
My last few months were really sales focused here, and I think it’s so important to focus on sales, not during just wedding season but all the time. It’s so important that you connect with your clients, connect with them emotionally on some level. Here’s why. As the Master of Ceremonies or the DJ entrusted with making the announcements, you are the person who is conducting the wedding reception and ensuring a smooth flow for it even if it’s just the music side. You have a major impact on the success of that event. If you connect with your clients on some level, if you fall in love with your clients, then you’re able to tell their story better. You’re able to move guests emotionally as well, to serve the bride and groom better. Through this process, you’re able to create a much bigger experience than people have ever imagined before. Something more memorable, more unique than just the same old, same old “I’m showing up to a wedding tonight to play music, make some announcements, collect money, drink and go home.” What I described above is not originally my own. It’s not new. This depth of understanding of a wedding, your role in it and how we can connect was first gleaned from two of my mentors, Mark and Rebecca Ferrell. I want to
give you a sneak peek behind the curtain here as to how I fell in love with a recent client and began to care more deeply about their event. I was chosen to be the Master of Ceremonies for Marisa and Andy’s wedding last year, and in preparation for their event, we decided to create a Love Story for them. (The Love Story was also learned from The Marbecca Method, Mark and Rebecca Ferrell as well, and I’m grateful for them for sharing that gift with me). In preparation for creating their story, Andy shared with me that “I knew I wanted to start a family with her. I saw nothing less than forever with Marisa every time I saw her.” Does that get to you? Does that tug at your heartstrings? If it does, GREAT! If it doesn’t, I hope you are moved emotionally in some other way with the clients that you serve. When client’s open their heart to you, man...that’s AWESOME. Connecting with your clients, falling in love with them doesn’t have to be sappy. It can come from laughter, sharing of same interests or in many other forms. The importance is the connection and transfer of emotion, meaning and purpose to their guests to help them celebrate the event. It’s a big responsibility, and one you shouldn’t take lightly. 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.
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PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
4 Ways To Manage Customer Expectations By Ron Ruth
A year or so ago, my wife, Debbie, and I had our kitchen, entryway, and a guest bath remodeled. But, before the contractor began any of the work and before we even signed the contract, he sat down with both of us and went through a checklist of what we could expect. This included everything from how long the rented dumpster would be parked in our driveway to how they would control the dust to how certain steps of the process would be completed and how long each process would take to finish. When the review was complete, we knew exactly what to expect. Although he never said it, our contractor did an excellent job of managing our expectations to reduce or eliminate any undue stress or misunderstandings during the remodel itself. When rare glitches occurred, the contractor immediately informed us of what was going on and how it would or wouldn’t impact the progress of the job. In those situations, the problem and solution were put in writing and posted online as a permanent record of our conversations. Again, because of the open line of communication, the contractor continued to do an excellent job of managing our expectations. Our contractor never made us feel like we were nothing more than a transaction to him or his business. We were active partners in the process and were never left in the dark about any part of the job progression. He made us feel valued, special, important and as though the experience we enjoyed was created solely with us in mind. To top it off, we were thrilled
to have our expectations exceeded when the job was completed a week ahead of schedule. We’ve now referred “our” contractor to a few of our friends and will be calling him when we’re ready to move forward with additional remodeling. How do you manage your customers’ expectations? How do you prepare them for the experience you deliver? Managing expectations is not about controlling customers. It is about setting your business up for a successful and long-term relationship with your customers. It’s about making the type of emotional connection that transforms your customers into high-paying, raving fans. The following are four-ways to move you towards managing the expectations of your customers in a manner that has them coming back to do business with you again and again. “The customer’s perception is your reality.” – Kate Zabriskie 1. BE PREEMPTIVE: When Deb and I first started talking about remodeling parts of our home, we had no idea what to expect. It’s not uncommon for customers who seek out your service or product for the first time, either. Regardless of what it is you do, if your customers are not familiar with your service or product delivery process, they may create their own preconceived, incorrect notions of what to expect. That can also create a negative perception of your business. That’s why it is so important to be preemptive in setting your customers’ expectations for the experience ahead. Begin managing expectations early on. No customer relationship will stand the test of time unless it is built on a foundation of trust with a mutual give-andtake and a clear understanding of everyone’s role. “They grow, they shrink, they change shape, they change direction. They shift constantly, and they shift easily. And how satisfied (or dissatisfied) your customers
are is determined by these expectations and your performance in meeting them.” - Naomi Karten 2. PREPARATION: You can begin the process of managing your customers’ expectations by helping to prepare them for the experience. Take the time to explain the process to help them know what to expect. As an example, our remodeling contractor went through a checklist, literally a checklist of everything that would happen during the remodel. He didn’t just talk about it; he had it in writing. And when he was done with the review, he asked us to sign off on the details he described to assure we understood the process. If you provide a service, do you review in detail with your customers what they can expect beyond the contractual obligations? If you sell a high-dollar product, do you review in detail the provisions of whatever warranties are provided? Yes, both experience delivery processes may add time to your busy work schedule. But, that cost in time will be far less than the time (and perhaps dollars) spent in trying to calm an upset customer whose expectations were never addressed in the first place. Never forget, the customer experience is judged on how you made them feel. Treat them as you would a partner and not a transaction. “A brand is what business does, reputation is what people remember.” – Ted Rubin 3. REALISTIC PROMISES: Although every business owner takes immense pride in the service or product they provide, it’s never wise to over-promise and under-deliver. In the case of my remodel, I would not have been happy had the contractor told me the job would be completed 2-weeks before the actual completion date. That promise may have won him the job, but he would have lost the real money maker---REFERRALS. In my new position as a customer ex-
perience coach, I tell my potential clients that I can only offer actionable advice and support. It is totally up to them to follow through and do the work of implementing what I share. I can only guarantee that the solutions I provide are solid. But, that guarantee is meaningless if the idea provided are not implemented and given the opportunity to succeed. I believe being overtly truthful at the beginning of a relationship with a customer, even if its something they may not want to hear. This puts you in a better position to win their business because it positions you as a trusted partner and authority at what you do, and it allows them to better understand and appreciate the process they’ll experience with you. “The first step in exceeding your customer’s expectations is to know those expectations.” - Roy H. Williams 4. ANTICIPATE YOUR CLIENT’S NEEDS: There’s a billboard for a bank I pass along the freeway to downtown Kansas City that reads: “We solve problems our customers don’t even know they have.” One of the reasons my wife and I contracted our remodeler was because he was the only one during the bidding process to give us ideas of how to make use of space we never even considered. He helped us solve a problem we didn’t even know we had and we took notice. Your customers don’t know what they don’t know until you help them discover new knowledge. Every time you offer suggestions or advice, help your customers solve problems they didn’t know they had, especially if those solutions will make your customers’ lives easier---the more value you’re giving to the customer experience. If nothing else, always let your customers know you’re available to them if they have questions or concerns. Send an occasional email letting them know you’re focused on them and their needs. Send Ron Ruth Continued On Page 7
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Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018 • Page 7
Now Top That By Dean C. Carlson
Without a doubt, 2017 will go down as my best creative year ever. In truth, I think it all started after I finished The Entertainment Experience at the end of 2016 that Bill Hermann created and offers each fall in Minnesota. If I tried to sum up in words about all the awes o m e things that happened in 2017, that wouldn’t help you, and it would just make me look like a braggart. Suffice it to say I was so excited to work with all of my clients last year, and I am grateful for the things I got to help them create to make their days even more memorable. As the year came to a close and I started to look into 2018 a new fear had settled in. How am I going to top that? I reached out to some of my peers and bared my soul only to have them tell me that it isn’t about me, it’s about the clients. How true. But it is hard not to share the wonderful moments from the past year, and my desire to help my clients reach for the stars instead of settling for something they may not even know is possible. So how did I do it in 2017? 2 ½ years ago I made a decision that may seem contradictory to everything you might know about how to sell your company as a DJ service. I got rid of “Packages” altogether and changed to a
talent based company. I wrote an article about all the whys a few years ago, but for this purpose what it did was change the way clients see what I am willing to do for them. You see in my company you hire a talent, and each of them is a different price. No hours or gear are ever mentions, we will do everything that’s in our toolbox, and you get our entire creative team for each show. Before you ask, if it cost me money to do it, its extra for the client, but that only could have happened once last year when we were going to get Paul Allen the voice of the Vikings radios network to help with an introduction. From the second we start talking with prospective clients, we changed our language to the language of possible. You see there is very little that is technically impossible. We start with a conversation that says if money were not an issue what you would like to do? Then we can pull it back to reality from there. It is harder to push people out to incredible after you have started with average than it is to shoot for Mars and then pull back to the moon from there. My experience last year with my clients was a lot of times them saying “You can make that happen?” and me going “Yes I can.” Getting a deep understanding of your clients I find is vital to my create mindset. I want to know everything about them. Almost to a creepy level. But with each shovel load deeper we are going the possibilities of finding diamonds rather than coal appears. Next, you have to remember not to be the box that closes off the creative possibilities. My final show in 2017 was on December 23rd, the windows of the room looked over a thing called Bentlyville. The largest park Christmas light show in the Upper Midwest. For these clients, we decided to create a Trans Siberian Orchestra “Wizards of Winter” grand entrance.
Before I even knew how to do it, I said yes we can. I had two months to learn how to program a massive light show to music in a smaller venue hall. It turned out amazing, and I have yet another tool in my box. The dad’s speech right afterword’s started off with “How do I top that?” I suggest becoming friends with as many of the top creative DJs in the country as you possibly can be, DJs are almost always willing to help. I am friends with over 1000. After 27 years in the game, I am always looking for things to give me a creative spark, after all, I think you are only as good as what your toolbox can hold. Geddy Lee of Rush, arguably the greatest bass player of all time decided to learn how to play and add synthesizers to their music and live shows, much to the dismay of many hardcore older fans. In an interview he cleared up why, saying that it was something new to give him a spark of creativity. I personally like to do ride alongs with other DJs; they aren’t all the enemy you know. Heck, I take DJs with me whenever they ask. I watch TV shows, like Ellen’s new wacky game show. I take as many classes as my budget will allow.
Go to tradeshows, and chat with others online. Mostly I have my circle of 5 to 8 DJs that I bounce ideas off of all the time. Usually, somewhere something will pop, a germination of an idea that will grow into something amazing. I am also fearless when it comes to trying something new. Overall I am now not afraid of topping 2017, as the best thing possible has happened. I have new and unique clients. With each of them, I will strive to understand their wants and dreams and help suggest that maybe, just maybe will help take their wedding to a different spot than they and all their guests have been to thus far. I also now understand that if I can get away from me putting pressure on myself, and just let the process I have established so far work that only good things can happen, and different people have different levels of awesome, and those might not match my own, and that’s ok. My toolbox is filling up, and I will use the appropriate tool for the job. May 2018 be an amazing year. Good luck and great shows. Dean Carlson can be reached at deancarlson@discjockeynews.com.
Ron Ruth Continued From Page 6 them an email after a conversation to let them know how much you appreciated hearing from them. Constant communication prevents miscommunication and an unfortunate situation where the customer may feel they are not important to you. A simple, sincere gesture of acknowledgment and appreciation can go a long way in solidifying that relationship. Of course, expectations are as individual as the people who hold them. You’ve got to understand what each of your customers expect of your product or service so you can successfully manage and meet, or better yet---exceed their expectations. When it comes to setting customer expectations, this quote sums it up nicely:
“The key is to set realistic customer expectations, and then not just meet them, but exceed them – preferably in unexpected and helpful ways.” - Sir Richard Branson Ron Ruth has been on the front lines of weddings celebrations for over 25 years as a Disc Jockey and certified, Wedding Entertainment Director®. He’s a wellknown speaker and workshop facilitator in the DJ and wedding industries, a client experience designer and coach and a self-described Disney “Geek.” Get Ron’s FREE e-book, “The Client Experience Demystified” at RonRuth.com. You can reach Ron at 816-224-4487 or RonRuth@DiscJockeyNews.com
PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
The Photobooth Section Don’t Blow Today’s Sales For A Bigger One By Alan Berg
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I was presenting at an event the other day, and I asked the group to let me know if anyone gets a new lead while we were meeting. A little while later, one gentleman told me a new lead had just come through via email. It was from a university, but a department with which he had never worked. It sounded like a referral, although they didn’t mention that in their email. As he read us all the email, it seemed as though they weren’t shopping around; rather they were checking availability and pricing. Make their job easier I asked what the title was of the person who sent the email, and he said she was an Executive Assistant. I suggested that, to me, it seemed as though this probably just got dropped in her lap, and the easier he makes it for her, the faster he’ll get the sale. He expressed that he’d like to get her on the phone, to discuss the details of the event. I told him that she hadn’t asked for a call; and if we were right (and she had been referred by another department, with which he’s already worked) and she wasn’t shopping around, that he should reply to her email with a quote. Just summarize what he suggested would be best for her event, based on what she had sent, give her the price, and ask if he should reserve that for her. He hesitated and said that he’d still like to get her on the phone first. I asked why, and he said that he’d like to see… and I stopped him. I said that he was using the word “I” too much. It wasn’t what he wanted that mattered. It’s what she wants. I again suggested that he send the quote, and ask for the sale. He hesitated again. What about Top-Down Selling? While I advocate a Top-Down approach to selling, in this case, it would be better to lock up the sale that you’re being given (not quite on a silver platter, but close), and then try to upsell them later. With Top-Down Selling, you try to get the bigger sale today and take things away to work down to a lower price, if they object. While I usually prefer that you do that, I don’t want to you to lose the sale that’s in front of you, on the possibility that they might buy more. I was suggesting that he quote her the best option, based on what she had asked. That’s still a form of TopDown Selling. Had he been able to have a conversation with her, he may have been able to quote a bigger package; however, there was something about what she had written that gave me the feeling that we should take the easy sale, and then sug-
gest the upsell later. Maybe it’s my experience or Spidey-sense tingling, but my gut said to go for the close. Eventually, he relented and tried it my way. A little while later, he reported that he had closed the sale. Given the lead-time that we usually have for events, be it days, weeks, months, or more, there’s usually ample time to go for the upsell. According to the WeddingWire Newlywed Report, 74% of couples go over their budgets (I know, you’re shocked!). That means that some people, who had been trying to stick to their budget when they hired you, have subsequently gone over their budget and might be more willing to add some of the products and services they had previously passed on. The only way you’ll know, is if you ask them. When should you ask for the upsell? It’s likely that you have many points of contact with your clients, after the initial sale, and before their event. Some are via email, some on the phone/Skype/Facetime and some may be in person. Those conversations are a great time to ask good questions, listen for their answers, and suggest upsells that help them have the outcomes, and results, which they want. Would it make sense? In my sales book, Shut Up and Sell More Weddings & Events, I mention a great way to make these suggestions. Start the sentence with “Would it make sense…?” For example: “Would it make sense to add the pasta station?” or, “Would it make sense to create a really unique groom’s cake?” or, “Would it make sense to add the custom monogram?” or, “I know that you didn’t initially go with the photo booth, but we still have one available for your wedding date, would it make sense to give your guests the great fun, and keepsakes to remember their experience?” You see, you can ask for almost any upsell with this method. It puts the decision back on them, and feels less “salesy” than, “Would you like to buy…?”. Bird-in-the-hand, or Top-Down? Each situation will be different, so you need to be looking for the buying signals. Unless what they’re looking for today won’t give them the outcomes and results they want (in which case, you shouldn’t take the sale), it’s sometimes best to take the sale they’re giving you today. Nurture that bird-in-the-hand sale and suggest the upsells later. If you confuse them with more choices now, they may reply with “we need to think about it”, instead of buying today. Our job is to reduce their choices, not increase them. If they’re ready to buy today, help them do that. Don’t get greedy and push them for the bigger sale. 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
Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018 • Page 9
The Photobooth Section Thumbtack: Waste Of Time And Money? Or Goldmine Of Leads? By Chris Politylo
Mention Thumbtack to a photo booth owner and you may see them find the nearest wall and bang their head against it. Just do a search for Thumbtack in the popular Facebook group, Photo Booth Network (if you’re not already a member, join ASAP), and you’ll find a treasure trove of complaints and screenshots of ridiculous requests from potential customers, usually in the form of extremely low budgets. Thumbtack is not the most popular website for professional photo booth business owners. In fact, plenty of photo booth owners refer to the site as a scam and a con. The majority of the complaints about the site are centered around the bid and credit system, the low numbers of seemingly serious clients searching to hire through the site and the way that Thumbtack often changes their platform and rules of the game. Many Thumbtack users do not have their finger on the pulse of how much a photo booth rental costs from a legitimate company. How does the site work? Join the site as Pro and enter all of your business’ information, it is a really simple on-boarding process. The wedding planning section of the site includes a Photography section as well as a separate Photo Booth Rental tab so you may be able to generate leads from both tabs, increasing your odds of landing a job and potentially a new long-term client. The bid and credit system is a little difficult to navigate, but it makes sense if you are using the site to supplement your regular business rather than as your singular advertising platform. Customers fill out a questionnaire concerning their needs, budget, etc.; Thumbtack will then send you a notification and information about the potential client. It is now up to you to choose if you would like to bid on the job; there is no cost until you decide to send a bid so be careful how you bid. Check out the client’s budget, look for the marks of a scam (i.e. if the quote request is sent in the wee morning hours, if there are multiple misspellings or grammatical errors, or if the budget is ridiculously high or low). Also be sure that the date of the event is not too far in advance. When you find a request you are interested in bidding on, you will need to purchase credits. Each bid sent will cost a number of credits, at $1.67 each (this is likely to change anytime). The number of credits due for each bid is determined by a number of factors: the value of the job being requested and the number of available professionals in your area who have quoted on similar requests. Essentially, a bigger bid will cost you more credits.
So is the site a complete waste of time and money or is it a goldmine of leads? In short, the answer is neither. The site does have the ability to generate some leads in a short amount of time. While there are certainly off-putting aspects to Thumbtack, there are also advantages. You can use the client requests to gauge what clients in your area are looking for: enclosed booth, open air, social media sharing, etc. If you are expanding your photo booth services to a new market, Thumbtack could give you a glimpse into the client needs in the area. It may be worth a minimal investment to see if the site will work for you. Patrick Dunaway owner of The Firehouse DJs has found some success with Thumbtack and shared this with us: “There is much debate about Thumbtack, and if it is a scam, or if it actually works. I started using the site for my DJ business and incorporated the photo booth side of my business about a year later. There are many people looking to get something for next to nothing, so don’t bid on those. If you charge $800 for 4 hours for a basic photo booth, and their budget is $300, you obviously aren’t going to bid on that. Typically, if your package is only $100-$200 more expensive than their budget, bid on it. You have to be picky. Occasionally, maybe throw in a social media kiosk for free add it doesn’t cost much to operate. Throw in a perk. It won’t kill you. There are those requests that are high prices, those will go quickly as only five people can bid on each quote. Add the app to your phone, get text messages, whatever you can to keep up. Also open up your travel distances if you usually only travel 20 miles, expand it to 30.” Nicole Fey, owner of Photo Events by Nicole, had this to say about Thumbtack: “I have been using Thumbtack regularly for close to 7 months, and it has been a contributor to over 75% of my business. I have found that staying consistent with personal, value-driven quotes and following up with every lead whether they accept my bid or not is what keeps me competitive. I offer the service and the experience, not just the cost, to try and grab the client’s interest right off the bat. I also have the app on my phone and iPad and try to answer leads as soon as they come in; sometimes late at night or early in the morning. Whatever it takes. Speed is key on Thumbtack. I certainly don’t win them all, not even close, but Thumbtack has consistently provided me with quality leads which have converted to loyal clients in many circumstances. It works for me.” Like every platform, you need to test it in your local area. I think it is worth it to
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drop $100 in credits, bid carefully and see what happens. A little bit of risk could payoff through Thumbtack, but you will need to be a careful and conscientious bidder. Thumbtack Quick Tips. Speed is key; get the app on your phone. Watch out for scam requests. Avoid those that come in at odd hours, or you think you’ve seen prior.
Don’t bother bidding on low budget requests, or those desiring “exposure.” Personal, value-driven quotes, with follow-up. Use it to test a new market. Educate potential clients on the photo booth business. You can contact Chris at chris@photoboothtraining.com.
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PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
Staying Relevant By Joe Bunn
Let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger. Getting older is a part of life, and I’ve accepted it. What I will never accept is becoming irrelevant in the eyes of my clients and vendors that refer our company. This article is going to take you through some of the ways that you and your company can remain relevant to not only couples but also to college and school-aged kids that are using your services. Music. The worst thing you can do as a DJ is to stop looking for music. To me, it’s the kiss of death. The love of music is probably what brought you to this occupation in the first place. If you have to mark down an hour or two every week to shut off emails and just scour the net for music or listen to the U.S. Top 50 on Spotify, then do that! Never forget how much you love music! Trust me; if you are having a phone call or consultation with someone that is a big music fan, and they sniff out that you aren’t, you can kiss that show goodbye. Attire. Believe this. The way you look is extremely important in staying relevant. I’m not suggesting that you go out and buy the latest Jordans or Yeezy sneakers, or start shopping at Forever 21, but you should pick up a traditional fashion magazine (like GQ) every once
in a while and see what looks good. Should you go out and buy the $8,000 Gucci blazer the model has on? No! But you would be surprised at how you can find something very similar at Jos. A Bank, H&M or Nordstrom. I’m in those stores all the time looking at clothes. The last thing you want to do is show up for a show or consultation looking like an old man/woman (even if you are). Sure, you can dress your age, but have a sense of style. If you need help, places like Nordstrom will fall all over you to help pick you out a new wardrobe. Marketing. Have you looked at your website and printed materials lately? Is it still relevant? In other words, do the brides have on puffy shouldered dresses or the more modern cuts? Does the groom in your header photo have a mullet? It’s probably time for some new pictures. And while you’re at it, check your diversity. What do I mean by that? This world is filled with all kinds of beautiful people-different races, religions, sexes. Include them all! Office Space. Where are you meeting the people that pay you? In Starbucks? Ben & Jerry’s? Listen, we have been over this before. I feel like it’s hard to ask people for $2,000-$3,000 while a barista is grinding beans at 200 decibels right next to you, but some people do it. I’ve always pushed for at least trying to get a shared space. When you do reach that level, make sure it’s relevant. Décor is crucial. A blank space indicates that you have no vision, no personality, no creativity. Take those four walls and throw up some amazing photos from your events! Head to IKEA or somewhere similar and get some cool
(but inexpensive) furniture. Get a mini refrigerator and stock it with all types of beverages (maybe even some beers or tiny champagne bottles). Basically, make it relaxing and chill. You don’t want folks coming straight from work into another place that looks, well, like
work. Consultations. In consultations, give a little bit of your background. For example, I haven’t played in a club in almost ten years, but I surely let my potential clients know that’s where I come Joe Bunn Continued On Page 12
Your Off-Season Fuels Peak-Season By Brian Kelm
Across the country, this is the off-season for a majority of wedding entertainment professionals. After a busy season running non-stop for months, this is the perfect opportunity to spend more time with family, step away a bit to refresh, and tackle some of the projects that you’ve been anticipating for a while. I look at this time off just like professional athletes do. The worst that can be done is to have no plans, develop bad habits, and not take care of yourself so you are ready for the new season to start. What you do or don’t do in the off-season will be noticed, felt, and may affect the results of your performance. Command this time for yourself, be intentional, and let no distractions blame or excuses get in your way! Allocate this time to refresh your mind, body, spirit, and well-being. We take so much out of ourselves physically and mentally serving our customers, the least we can do is be selfish for ourselves in a good way.
This is the perfect time to do lots of reading, training by taking classes, learning new skills, and keeping yourself in optimal condition! Ask yourself these off-season questions: 1. Are you hungry to get better at your craft? 2. What are you investing your time in? 3. What skills and talents are you honing? 4. What commitments are you striving to achieve? Become obsessed with becoming the best version of yourself you can be! Make your mind and body right. Declutter and simplify everywhere in your mind, business, gear, and performance. If you are intense about the off-season and working hard, you will get a lot done, feel a deep sense of discipline, focus, and commitment! These few months are what you make of them. Choose wisely, take massive action, and you will be rewarded! Brian Kelm, CWEP, CGWP, WED Guild is a 20+ year wedding entertainment and planning professional that has been all over the United States. Based in Wisconsin. Serving Anywhere. He can be reached at briankelm@discjockeynews. com
The Way I See It: A Different Path To Success
Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018 • Page 11
By Michael J. Lenstra
Byron Gunter will be making his presentation debut at the Mobile Beat Las Vegas Show next month. His in-your-face, political-correctness-be-damned attitude is sure to enlighten some, and anger others. “I’ve been banned from Mobile Beat forums. I’ve been banned from DJ Idea Sharing. That whole Worth Movement? They like to poop all over me. My model works. Just because you don’t like it, does not mean it doesn’t work,” says Byron. IN THE BEGINNING Like most of us, Byron never set out to be a wedding DJ. “I just graduated college with a poly-sci [political science] degree and what do you do with that?” he asks, then answers his own question. “You either bartend or go to law school.” After graduation, a high school classmate asked Byron to join him as a teacher in the Middle East. “Next thing I know I’m teaching fourthand fifth-grade social studies with no clue what I’m doing at all. They just threw me in a classroom and said ‘teach,’” Byron says. “There was a girl that was a couple of doors down from me who was from Minnesota who was a licensed teacher, so I asked her, ‘Show me what to do.’” That girl from Minnesota is now his wife. While teaching overseas, others discovered that Byron was a music collector with a big collection. “There’s really no clubs [in the Middle East], so all the western teachers got together and said, ‘Hey, Byron’s got music! He can be our DJ.’” Thus was born DJ Byron Gunter. After a period, Byron’s then-fiancé was ready to come back stateside, so they made
their way back to the hometown of his alma mater, Columbus, Ohio. But that once again put his career path in limbo. “Well, you can teach, but what am I going to do?” Byron asked his fiancé. By this time he had seen some, as he describes them, “crappy DJs at friends’ weddings” and said, “Hey, I can do better than that–and probably cheaper.” He put an ad on craigslist, bought himself equipment, and in May of 2009—just one week after his own wedding—Byron did his first wedding reception as Buckeye Entertainment. In that first year he did 32 weddings, but over the next couple years, that number grew to well over 100 annually. The need to expand or charge more was at hand. He chose to expand. “I realized early on because of the entrepreneur in me that you have to maintain brand and you have to maintain image and consistency from person to person. The last thing I wanted [in my company] was one DJ that was good at country and one that was good at hip-hop; one that’s on the mic a lot and one that doesn’t say anything.… I wanted to make it so that you could take one of my DJs out and drop another one in and it’s the same exact product.” With this in mind, Byron designed his own training program: DJ Bootcamp for future Buckeye Entertainment DJ wannabes. “They have to train with me for 30 weddings before they’re allowed to book on their own,” he says. During that time period, they first learn how to set up equipment, then learn the controls and eventually how to talk on the microphone and finally program music. Once they have mastered the skills that Byron is looking for, he teaches them the sales process, and they meet with clients with the opportunity to book their own weddings. In 2017 Buckeye Entertainment performed for 430 weddings with seven operational units—and turned down over 2,300 more couples. All the while, Byron’s company has remained at a price point far below the national average, per the figures from Wedding Wire and The Knot. In 2017 Byron’s charge for Saturday weddings during the peak season was $695, with $100 less for
offseason events. HOW SO MANY You will not see anyone from Buckeye Entertainment at a Bridal Show. You will not see any paid-for listings on any of the wedding websites. “Last year we did 430 weddings. At an average of 150 guests per wedding that’s 64,500 people we were in front of, so it’s a giant snowball effect,” says Byron, explaining the referral business. Although he’s never asked to be on a preferred vendors list, his company is still on over 30 preferredvendors lists in the Columbus metro area. WHY SO CHEAP? “On paper, charge more—work less seems awesome,” he explains, “but in practicality in this business—in most businesses—that’s not always the case. If it was, we could all charge $20,000 per wedding and be millionaires. When you get greedy because some website, or some person, tells you to jack your price up just for the sake of jacking your price up, and throwing a number against the wall and hoping it sticks—that’s dangerous. We could implode what we built here just because we upped our price a thousand dollars.” That’s not to say that Buckeye Entertainment does not increase their prices. “Every year that we hit our previous year’s numbers, we go up $100 across the board. When we stop hitting the previous year’s number, then we’ve hit the market cap, at least in the multi-op segment of it.” MOBILE BEAT 22 Byron has been a regular at the Mobile Beat shows for years, most often taking five to seven staff members with him. This year 13 people will be in their entourage to witness his first ever presentation. His seminar will focus on the business of building a multi-op. “If you take the price out of it and just listen to the scaling and the training and how to contain the consistency as you build that in and of itself it is worth listening to. But then people find out how much I charge and all hell breaks loose.” Some have accused Byron of being the Walmart of the DJ industry, and that his business model hurts the community as a whole.
“There’s truth to that statement,” he says. But then he likens it to one of his favorite sweet treats: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. “You can go to Walmart in Columbus, you can go to a Walmart in Sacramento, and that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup tastes exactly the same. It is the same consistent product, and Hershey pushes those at a price point that they can sell in volume. If you want to call me the Walmart of the DJ industry that’s fine. I’ve been called worse.” He continues, “The ones I’m hurting are the newbies, the craigslist DJs, the guys that are coming in and charging $500 because if you try to come in to Columbus, Ohio—in my market—and try to charge $500 and I’m charging $700 or $800, why would you pay for this guy who has a crappy craigslist ad when you’ve got this company—us—that has 400 great reviews on the Internet? Really, we’re hurting the low ballers because they can’t compete because we’re only a couple of hundred dollars more. You get those $3,000 DJs—the Worthers, who think they can charge that rate—but the bride who is going to book us is not looking to spend that. You’re always going to have that bride who pays $3,000 just so she can say she paid $3,000. Those brides are going to be out there… there’s not a ton of them, but they’re out there.” “They (high-end DJs) like to use me as a scapegoat and say ‘He’s bringing down the industry,’ but I’d argue, come watch us perform, come to the office, and see what we do. Come and look at our logistics and how we run a wedding. Tell me that what we do, minus the Love Story and all that bull----, I don’t think there’s that much of a difference. You’ve got a whole lot more to live up to when you’re charging three grand.” The way I see it, things could get interesting in Vegas next month. Until next month, ~ Michael ~ Michael J. Lenstra is a 20-plus-year veteran of the Mobile Disc Jockey Industry, a full-time entertainer, and owner of Alexxus Entertainment in Dubuque, IA. He can be reached at mikelenstra@discjockeynews. com
PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
Is Direct Mail Dead?
By Justin Miller, Profit 911 Consulting Direct mail is considered dead by many business owners, but I am here to tell you the direct mail can be one the best, most effective advertising media out there if you use it correctly. Printing and mailing can be done cheaply, but the best part of using direct mail is your ability to target exactly who is most likely to respond and mail just to them. It is far more targeted than putting an ad on the TV or radio and more effective for 99.9% of businesses. You can put only those people on your mailing list who are going to make you money. If you are new to direct mail, you may be wondering: Where do I get a list? Who should be on the list? What do I do with it once I have it? Sound familiar? The best possible list is one that you generate on your own – a warm one but barring that one can always be purchased as well. Generating your own list is what you should be doing on your websites, at bridal shows, when you get a referral, etc. How do we do this? It goes back to lead generation marketing. You offer something that your target customer is going to raise their hand for and say, “Yes, I want more information.” It’s completely non-confrontational, and you give before you receive. I’ll give you an example from one of our businesses. In our corporate game show marketing for holiday parties, we mail postcards. The postcard has a client testimonial. Obviously, there are a lot of testimonials from the most recognizable names I have in my client database. The postcard asks them to call for their free corporate planning information kit that has a report on how to hire vendors and checklists to make sure that they’re planning their event properly. They’re not calling for promotional info, although it is in there. They get mailed a game show corporate planning package, but it has all this other stuff that they want as well. This helps when someone is a little more passive. They’re not necessarily looking for your service right now, but they are planning an event. And even when they’re planning that event, they’re a good lead for us because they can book us eventually. The package they receive in the mail (not via email) comes in a priority mail envelope and contains a nice presentation folder and has around 20 or 30 pages of reports, ten pages of promo materials. It has a CD in there with a couple of Excel files for them (or USB drive). I’m trying to give them as much as I can. In my wedding business, it’s my book along with all that other stuff in there. We’re have also tested sending them a book with 200 customer testimonials that says; You need proof, here it is. We just want to give value, prove our expertise, and start a more in-depth conversation. At that point, it’s back to a sales call, which is what you’re probably already doing. Everything is trying to
drive them back into a call asking specifically about the service. This process can be duplicated in any business you may have. For more in-depth event marketing strategies, join me for the Las Vegas Sales and Marketing Bootcamp on Saturday, March 10th (before Mobile Beat and Photo Booth Expo). You can learn more at www.profit911.biz/pbx You can reach Justin at: justinmiller@discjockeynews.com. For more DJ business tools, tactics, and training from Justin visit http://www. profit911.biz/just4djs
Joe Bunn Continued From Page 10 from. It will give them a sense of your mixing style right off the bat. Also, talk about music! Again, I can’t stress this enough. If they are meeting with you at all, it’s because they care a lot about this part of the planning, which means they care about good music. Gear. Staying relevant in the gear department doesn’t necessarily mean going out and buying the hottest and newest gadget every time something new comes out. You’d go broke in six months. However, before wedding season, do an assessment. Set up your stuff, take pictures, get input from people you trust. How does it look? How long have you had those speakers? How beat up are they? Maybe that carpeted façade needs to be replaced
by a Vision DJ Designs booth (www. visiondjdesigns.com)...see what I did there? There is nothing worse than folks showing up to a gig, giving your gear a look, and thinking “This guy is going to stink, his gear is ancient.” I hope that you’ll read this article before wedding season starts and will implement these things to make yourself more relevant. As we all get older, I feel like the couples keep getting younger! You got this! Joe Bunn is the co-founder of The PhDJ Workshop (www.pdhdjworkshop.com) and also the creator of the videos “Selling the Music” and “Marketing the Music” which can be found at djjoebunn.com.
From $500 to $3500: 6 Tips To Get There By Dave Ternier
Editors Note: This article first appeared on ADJThought.com in March of 2015 From $500 per wedding in 2010 to $3500 per wedding in 2015, I am often asked, HOW and WHEN did you raise your price, Dave? What motivated you to make those price increases? Were there certain signs you were watching for before raising your price? How often did you raise your prices? Once a year? Twice a year? In five short years, I’ve moved from being a DJ with a base wedding price of $500 (basic speaker system and a very basic 4 fixture “T-bar” light system) to a DJ/MC with a starting wedding reception only price of $3500 (basic speaker system and a pair of moving heads with a couple of LED par lights for dance floor ambiance). It should also be noted that along the five-year path to increasing my prices, there have also been major changes made to the time spent pre-planning with my wedding couples and my personal development as a Wedding MC. But this post isn’t about what changed with my services or how much better I worked to make them. (We’ll assume you’re already working on that.) This has to do with the “million dollar question” (or couple hundred bucks anyways!) – WHEN do you/should you raise your price? Depending on your commitment to these ideas as a whole, what’s listed below are things that have worked for me and
things that will work for you. Most times, it was a convergence of two or more of the following ideas coming together at the same time that resulted in a price increase. This is what has worked for me, and this is what continues to work for me to this day. 1) After six consecutive inquiries go through your consultation process and book your services, consider raising your rates. Think about this for a moment… if the last six wedding couples that inquired about your services told you that you were worth your price, How much would they have actually been willing to pay? How many of them would have paid more? The ONLY way to discover the true answer to those questions is…well, you’ll never actually know. And doesn’t that bother you? To know that you might have left money on the table? That they might have — no, very likely would have — paid you more than you were asking? When six inquiries book in a row, it’s probably time to raise your price. 2) “If you want to become a millionaire, surround yourself with millionaires.” Why does this statement matter when figuring out when to raise your rates? If everyone you’ve surrounded yourself with is struggling and fighting for rates that you want nothing to do with, find a different group of people. Everyone needs to surround themselves with people who support and encourage their goals. When this crazy $3500/wedding idea finally became a real goal for myself, I decided to surround myself with everyone I knew making more money than I was. I wanted to be around people who would encourage me, coach me and people who would be positive influences to me. I didn’t want to have much to do with people who might tell me it couldn’t be done. Did everyone I tried to surround myself with become that group of people for me? Of
Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018 • Page 13 course not. Personalities, tastes, and styles ception rate changes went approximately don’t always mesh. But I kept on looking. like this: $500, $895, $995, $1295, $1495, This does not mean that I simply left ev- $1695, $1995, $2200, $2500, $2800, eryone else behind, but this does mean that $3200, $3500. If you do the math on the my priorities changed. We have complete number of rate changes per year, it equates and free choice on a great many things, to an average of 2.4 times per year when I but the amount of time we have in a day is would lift my rates. Imagine if, by using something we have absolutely no decision the same dollar figures as noted above, I over. We have exactly 24 hours each and had waited until the first of January every every day. With the time we are given, it is year before raising my rates. Where would up to you to determine how that time will I be… $1495? $1695? best be spent and with whom that time will Due to the regular nature of raising my best be spent. rates multiple times throughout the year, From those in my chosen circle of in- it became easier and easier each time befluence, came constant encouragement cause it wasn’t an annual “event.” The whenever I brought up the idea of raising more often you do something, the easier my rates. The idea was ALWAYS met with it becomes. You might not have all of the overwhelming enthusiasm. signs more than once in a year telling you 3) Take a workshop, attend a confer- to raise your rates, but what I am saying ence…raise your rates. is that IF YOU DO, do not ignore them! Much like point number 2 suggests, Act on them! Your bottom line will thank when your confidence goes up, so does you. Plus you’ll have additional resources your willingness to increase your rates to put back into personal development, and and your ability to close sales. Attending anything else that is important to you. conferences always boosts my confidence, 5) Ask your past wedding couples what but attending a workshop REALLY boost- type of value they received from you in reed my confidence. I have raised my rates lation to what they paid for your services. immediately following a workshop more If your past wedding couples tell you times than in nearly every other circum- they received more value from you than stance. what they paid for… LISTEN TO THEM! Looking for upcoming situations where Mark Ferrell speaks about this idea in I knew my confidence was going to be “Getting What You’re Worth,” and it just lifted, I would often plan ahead of time makes sense. (in my head) for rate increases. When unIf your past wedding couples are tellquestionable confidence comes through at ing you you’re worth more, listen to them. a consult, half of the sales job is complete. Early on in my five-year journey, I once When you believe in you, the prospective had a couple insist on tipping me 30% client sitting on the other side of the table more than the agreed-upon fee for their will believe in you. Workshops and con- wedding. That couple, whose names are ferences give me this confidence, which featured in the “My Story” portion of my makes the days immediately following website, taught me A LOT about my worth them, a great time for a raise. as a mobile DJ. They were a huge moti4) The time of year does not matter. vator for me and are two people I’ll never Stop waiting to raise your rates… “next forget. year.” 6) Turn regular competition into friendly competition. Seriously, the time of year does not This sounds like fun doesn’t it?! I am matter to you, nor does it matter to the here to tell you that it truly is, and there is couple inquiring about your services. Over Dave Ternier Continued On Page 15 the past five years, my basic wedding re-
PAGE 14 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
Daddy Daughter Dance Parties By Rob Ferre
It’s that time of year where I have the pleasure to do Daddy-Daughter Dance parties. I do them for elementary schools and community organizations. These events are some of my favorites because I get to see dads break out of their shell and dance with their daughters. It isn’t always easy to get the dads to dance, but they will most often do anything for their daughters. I approach these dances in a different way than I do other dances, and I like to set the stage for interactivity and dance as soon as they walk into the room. There are some that dance right away, but there
are some dads that hang out on the sidelines and watch. My goal is to get everyone on the dance floor. I often start off by doing a hula hoop contest to break the ice. This is great fun for the girls, and it gives a proud papa an opportunity to record it on his phone and share it with friends and family. Once I do a couple of rounds of the hula hoop contest I have the dads go. This contest doesn’t often last very long, but the girls get excited to see their dad in action. The winning father I make lead a conga line throughout the room. The conga line is also another great icebreaker because we often weave our way through the room and get people who were standing on the sidelines to jump in line. With the conga line, I like to create a circle and have everyone face inward. Sometimes it leads me to the hokey pokey or my dance-off. With the dance-off, I give certain parameters to dances. For example, I say “If you are
wearing pink, dance in the middle of the circle” or “If you are wearing a tie, dance in the middle of the circle.” This is great because it gives people instruction as who should dance and what to do in the circle. Then it gets fun because there is always that dad who has a hidden talent for a crazy dance move like ‘the worm.’ So I ask questions like “If you can do that worm come out to the circle!” After the dance circle, I go into the chicken dance which they can do with their partner. I tell them to swing their partner on the chorus. Then I do more instruction type dances like the Macarena, the Cupid Shuffle, and Cha Cha Slide. These songs are universally known and easy to learn. This gives confidence to both fathers and their daughters. Once I have established the basis for dance and interactivity, and everyone is on board, then I can start playing a variety of songs, and I have more freedom to play music from the
booth. I also like to throw in two or three partner dances like “My Girl” by the Temptations, “Daughters” by John Mayer and a waltz-like “So Close” by Jon McLaughlin. Staying current with the latest music and songs from current family movies are great for sing-a-longs. In its hay day “Let It Go” was huge and I would get hordes of little girls singing it on stage with me. Right now anything from “The Greatest Showman” would be a hit. The most important thing is letting these little girls enjoy an evening with the person they look up to most. Create an atmosphere of music, dance, and joy! You can connect with him at RobFerre@discjockeynews.com.
Top 25 Song Charts For February 2018
The Weekly Printable Charts (Top 50 and Recurrent) are available at http://www.discjockeynews.com/charts for Subscribers Pop
1 DUA LIPA New Rules 2 ED SHEERAN Perfect 3 HALSEY Bad At Love 4 CAMILA CABELLO Havana f/Young Thug 5 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 6 CHARLIE PUTH How Long 7 SELENA GOMEZ X MARSHMELLO Wolves 8 NF Let You Down 9 MAX Lights Down Low f/Gnash 10 TAYLOR SWIFT End Game f/Ed Sheeran/Future 11 BRUNO MARS & CARDI B Finesse 12 G-EAZY & HALSEY Him & I 13 MACKLEMORE Good Old Days f/Kesha 14 IMAGINE DRAGONS Thunder 15 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Filthy 16 HAILEE STEINFELD Let Me Go f/FGL & Watt 17 BEBE REXHA Meant To Be f/F.G.L. 18 SOFI TUKKER Best Friend 19 CAMILA CABELLO Never Be The Same 20 KHALID Young Dumb & Broke 21 EMINEM River f/Ed Sheeran 22 KENDRICK LAMAR LOVE. f/Zacari 23 WALK THE MOON One Foot 24 MAROON 5 Wait 25 BTS MIC Drop(Aoki Mix) f/Desiigner Urban 1 G-EAZY No Limit f/A$AP Rocky, Cardi B 2 MIGOS MotorSport f/N. Minaj & Cardi 3 KENDRICK LAMAR LOVE. f/Zacari 4 N.E.R.D. & RIHANNA Lemon 5 MIGUEL Sky Walker f/Travis Scott 6 A$AP FERG Plain Jane 7 LIL PUMP Gucci Gang 8 JACQUEES At The Club f/Dej Loaf
9 BLAC YOUNGSTA Booty 10 CHRIS BROWN Pills & Automobiles 11 YO GOTTI Juice 12 CARDI B Bartier Cardi f/21 Savage 13 DEREZ DE’SHON Hardaway 14 LIL BABY My Dawg 15 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 16 BRUNO MARS & CARDI B Finesse 17 MIGOS Stir Fry 18 DRAKE God’s Plan 19 WIZ KHALIFA Something New f/Ty Dolla $ign 20 KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA All The Stars 21 SZA Broken Clocks 22 GAME Oh I f/Jeremih,YoungThug&Sevyn 23 RICH THE KID New Freezer f/Kendrick Lamar 24 KODAK BLACK Roll In Peace f/XXXtentacion 25 BALL GREEZY Nice & Slow Adult Contempory 1 P!NK What About Us 2 ED SHEERAN Perfect 3 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me... 4 THE CHAINSMOKERS Something Just Like This 5 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 6 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 7 SAM SMITH Too Good At Goodbyes 8 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 9 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Feel It Still 10 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 11 MAROON 5 What Lovers Do f/SZA 12 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands 13 MAX Lights Down Low f/Gnash 14 CAMILA CABELLO Havana f/Young Thug 15 ROD STEWART Da Ya Think I’m Sexy f/DNCE 16 IMAGINE DRAGONS Thunder
17 KESHA Praying 18 KELLY CLARKSON Love So Soft 19 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 20 THE REVIVALISTS Wish I Knew You 21 CHARLIE PUTH How Long 22 SHANIA TWAIN Life’s About To Get Good 23 LESLIE COURS MATHER I’m A Survivor 24 KAZ BIELINSKI Forever Love 25 DEMI LOVATO Sorry Not Sorry Country 1 RUSSELL DICKERSON Yours 2 CHRIS YOUNG Losing Sleep 3 OLD DOMINION Written In The Sand 4 KELSEA BALLERINI Legends 5 EASTON CORBIN A Girl Like You 6 SCOTTY MCCREERY Five More Minutes 7 ERIC CHURCH Round Here Buzz 8 THOMAS RHETT Marry Me 9 DEVIN DAWSON All On Me 10 WALKER HAYES You Broke Up With Me 11 CHRIS STAPLETON Broken Halos 12 BRETT ELDREDGE The Long Way 13 KEITH URBAN Female 14 HIGH VALLEY She’s With Me 15 MIDLAND Make A Little 16 JORDAN DAVIS Singles You Up 17 LUKE BRYAN Most People Are Good 18 GRANGER SMITH Happens Like That 19 DARIUS RUCKER For The First Time 20 LEE BRICE Boy 21 BRANTLEY GILBERT The Ones That Like Me 22 MAREN MORRIS I Could Use A Love Song 23 DAVID LEE MURPHY/K CHESNEY Everything’s Gonna Be Alright 24 TIM MCGRAW & FAITH HILL The Rest Of Our Life 25 MICHAEL RAY Get To You
Why I Don’t Do Bridal (Wedding) Shows By Brian Buonassissi
On a recent episode of KC and my YouTube show (Thursdays at 9 PM EST – shameless plug), we talked about bridal shows. The viewership response was overwhelming (tis the season), and we spent the majority of the show answering questions live. With a limit of an hour show, I was unable to really go into my rationale for why I don’t do them. Any marketing you do should always be tracked and measured. Way too often, I think DJs become creatures of habit and do what everyone else does without any real reason for doing so. To be politically correct, I’m going to refer to bridal shows as “wedding shows” (guys get married too, right?). Anyway, I do believe that wedding shows had their place at one time – pre-social media, YouTube, cell phone cameras, etc. That was really the only way a potential client could see you, DJ, live and get a sense of what your style is and maybe experience what a grand entrance looked/ sounded like live outside of seeing you at an actual wedding. Bookings occurred at a rather high clip because (in my opinion) clients weren’t as educated on wedding services before coming to the show. They didn’t know what they wanted or liked. As social media and the amount of available footage began to appear in the mid-2000s, we saw a huge drop in our bookings from
these weddings shows. Where we would once book anywhere from 50-100 clients, it dropped to 5-10 bookings on average at a show. I believe this was due, in part, to wedding shows being more of an “event” for couples to go to and less about them trying to book services from vendors at the show. Additionally, on the vendor side, it’s been a race to the bottom on who can offer the best-discounted deals and beat their competitor on price (most of the time). The only way I would ever consider doing a wedding show again is if a) we were the only vendor in the category or b) had an opportunity to host the fashion show/given a small window of time to showcase. Ultimately, wedding shows have a shelf life. The impressions last longer than a print ad because you get access to an attendee list but let’s face it, their wedding date will come and go. It’s a step up from a cold call or a door knock, but not much. Let’s talk numbers. Those shows would cost us $1500 a pop (this is just cash – it doesn’t take into considering prep time, materials, etc.). If we booked ten couples, it would wind up costing us $150 per booking. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that that’s an outrageous acquisition cost! So what am I suggesting as an alternative? Do something with your marketing dollars that has a longer lasting impact than the cattle call wedding shows. For us, we’ve spent that money investing in vendor and venue relationships. The ROI lasts so much longer. Not only are you getting clients that are pre-qualified but you’re getting an endorsement from a professional that has experience using you. You can’t put a price tag on that. The reach goes way beyond the wedding date of someone attending a wedding show. For a venue or planner that does multiple weddings in a day, you can see some incredible ROI.
Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018 • Page 15
Our acquisition cost is down to $2-3 per booking in some cases. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t always start at that rate, but over time in nurturing those relationships, that cost has come down while wedding show costs continue to go up. How do you invest in those relationships? Take them to lunch, send a card, support a cause, remember their birthday, anniversary, etc. If you want more ideas, e-mail me. I’ll be glad to help. Now a close second would be to launch your private showcase. I credit Mike Walter and Joe Bunn’s PHDJ workshop for talking about this in depth in their level 1 class. The acquisition cost is a bit higher than vendor/venue relations, but again, your pre-qualified leads are still going to be much better than if you went the wedding
show route. One way to cut your costs a bit on the showcases is to partner with some vendors in different categories – i.e., florist, baker, photographer, caterer, venue, etc. If you all come together and bring your leads to one place, it not only keeps costs down, but it shows a true collaborative spirit which clients love these days. What are your thoughts? Am I way off base? What do you do? I’d love to hear. Based out of NYC, DJ Brian Buonassissi is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury destination private events. He runs a multi-city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Southern California, Destin, FL and New York City. You can connect with him at brianbuonassissi@discjockeynews.com.
Dave Ternier Continued From Page 13 good reason why this is the final tip for this post. Find someone local that you relate to and can build a positive relationship with. Then compete with him or her to race to the top. When they raise their price, YOU raise your price! When you raise your price, THEY raise their price. It was back in 2010 when I met Bryan Podworny of Expressions Entertainment, and we became that person for each other. We “clicked” and we pushed forward together, hard. I mean really hard. We were constantly moving up together, at times “leapfrogging” each other, but always moving up together. Five years later, I can say unequivocally that this $500 – $3500 journey would have never happened had Bryan and I not met each other and became this positive form of competition and support. As a result — “a rising tide lifts all boats” — others in our area also raised their rates and as a local industry,
we all started earning closer to what we are worth as mobile DJs. So…have you ever booked six inquiries in a row? Do you associate with those who will build you up, motivate, and inspire you? Have you recently attended a conference or training workshop? Are your wedding couples telling you that you did an amazing job and that they got more than they paid for? Do you have a friend in your market or region that you click with who’s willing to race you to the top? Did I hear a “Yes!”? Then it might just be time for a raise. Congratulations, that’s how it’s done. ~ Dave Based in Manitoba, Canada, Dave Ternier is a single operator DJ/MCfor his company, Special Request Weddings and he is the founding author of aDJthought. com. Dave Ternier can be reached at DaveTernier@discjockeynews.com.
PAGE 16 • Disc Jockey News • FEBRUARY 2018
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