Disc Jockey News February 2019 • Issue #150
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PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
it?” and when Cabak answered, he replied: “I forgot to ask about price. It should’ve been my first question.” And yet we wonder, Why do clients ask about price? First and foremost, because price will eventually be a deciding factor, I love that facade and will probably buy it. But if the price is $10,000, no matter how much I love it, I’ll probably pass. I don’t think that makes me cheap or stingy or any other derogatory name that I see some DJs use for brides who don’t book them. I think it makes me a responsible business person who doesn’t throw money around without thinking twice about value. Brides can be the same way. Don’t you think every bride would love Ryan Seacrest as their MC? Do you know why they don’t book him? Price. And I agree with that. Most couples we work with are solidly middle class. The thirty to forty thousand dollars they spend on their wedding is a lot. Adding Seacrest’s fee (which I’m only guessing would be close to half a million) would be irresponsible. And I know that’s an extreme example, but it gives you an idea of what the range is that couples can spend. I could be anything from a
$200 Craigslist DJ to Michael Buffer who gets about $100,000 per appearance (and up). So “how much do you charge?” is an understandable question. Another reason they ask that question is they don’t know what else to ask. The two most common questions we get are “how much?” and “are you available on my date?” And while I wish brides would ask other questions like “tell me what kind of advanced training you’ve taken” or “what can you do to make my wedding unique?” or even “what is your experience working at my location?” I understand why those two questions are most often their first questions. And more importantly, it doesn’t frustrate me. I embrace those questions because they show interest in my services and after thirty years in the business I still get juiced when someone is interested in me (or my company) for their event. It’s like back in the day when I was, and I’d make eye contact with a pretty woman in a bar, and we’d both look interested. It didn’t mean I’d close the deal; it just meant I was in the game. A lead, any lead, means the same thing. Whether they ask about your availability or how much you charge, the conversation has begun. Now go to work and book the gig. And if you don’t, don’t call her cheap or stingy or anything else. Just know that you didn’t convey your
value well enough. So once you accept that that question is going to come at you early on, you have to decide how to handle it. I know some DJs who refuse to give a price, or even a range, over the phone or via email. Their philosophy is, “how can I give you a price if I don’t know what you want?” And I get that. But I also disagree. I think we should answer questions that are asked of us. If a client asked what kind of sound system you have, would you refuse to answer until you had a face to face meeting? Or would you withhold your availability till you met, convinced that if they love you, but you’re booked on their date that they’ll change their wedding day just to have you? I doubt it. So why withhold price? My suggestion is, put a few packages together that include your most popular offerings and let them know what the price is on their date. You can also include a note that everything is customizable and if they don’t see exactly what they are looking for you can work with them (blah blah blah). But in my opinion, if a client asks for a price and you refuse to give it, you’re getting off on the wrong foot. Now, I have to go and see if Katie Lynn Cabak has responded to my Facebook message about that facade. Can you guess what I asked her? 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.
been there; bring our controller and laptop into the venue’s “DJ Booth” with cords all over the place, no one there that understands how anything is hooked up, and just hope it does not sound like a Walmart Announcement or Charlie Brown’s Teacher. Needless to say, Tamara and I were not excited to go, especially at 7 pm on a Wednesday. We arrived promptly and found about 20 of our DJ colleagues already there. My first impression of the venue was like walking into the hundreds of others; it was clean, nicely laid out… But it was all brick and concrete, so my first thought was the sound is going to be terrible in here. Another example of a venue not thinking about the sound
quality. We were handed an outline of the meeting, and I was thinking, “Just show me where to plug my XLRs in so I can get out of here.” The owner Rob walked forward, and like a page taken out of the Mike Walter playbook on how to give an engaging seminar, he said, “You guys are the most important part of the wedding.” I had to make sure I heard him correctly because it did not appear to be a joke. He was not there to lecture us about using the house sound and lighting system; he wanted us to know he wants his clients to have a truly unforgettable experience and he wants the DJ, the sound and the lighting to be an integral part of that experience. We are his #1 partner, and he acknowledged the impact a DJ has on a wedding in keeping guests engaged and he even encouraged us to do the ‘dorky’ things at wed-
dings like line dances! We learned that he had invested $80,000 on a sound and lighting system to ensure guests can dance, talk, laugh and have the most memorable event. There are 7 zones of audio that we get to select during the night to bring audio to the ceremony, cocktail hour area, dance floor, and head table. He even reversed the delay in the speakers for the head table zone, so the voice sounds like it’s coming from the head table vs. our position. They provide all the handhelds and lav mics for your ceremony along with four additional inputs for your uncle’s band to play a dinner set. All controlled from an iPad that you get to use for the night! And if that was not enough, we were then shown the 30 lighting fixtures we get to use, from wall washes, movers, Tamara Sims Continued On Page 4
How Much? By Mike Walter
I don’t write a lot about sales in this article. I leave that subject to people like Mitch Taylor who have an expertise in the topic. But I do a fair amount of sales for Elite Entertainment, especially this time of year, and it was top of mind for me when I got my monthly email from John Young saying, “I need your February article!” So I decided to focus this month on selling and take on one of the most frustrating dilemmas we all grapple with: Why do brides ask about price first and foremost? I thought of this recently when Katie Lynn Cabak, who works with Ben Stowe of NLFX fame, posted from the NAMM show about this cool LED facade from Odyssey that she’d seen at the show. Cabak posted a video of the facade that whets just about everybody’s appetite. And you’ll never guess what the number one question was in all of the responses? How much? In fact, one guy even asked, “I’m wondering how heavy and flexible is
The Perfect Venue? By Tamara Sims
Our special guest writer this month is my handsome other half, Jay Sims. Why you may ask? When I told Jay what topic I was going to be writing about this month, he insisted that he take the reins, which I was more than happy to hand over, so take it away Jay: We have all been fortunate to be part of fantastic events at great venues all around the world. Like you, I have been to hundreds of venues and interacted with numerous venue managers, and in my over 25-year career as a Mobile DJ, I have always yearned for one thing: RESPECT. It has always been the one missing element from our chosen profession. Whether it means we are set up in a corner, not involved in timeline discussions, or the one time I was told ‘Why are you so involved… just go back to your booth and play music’, DJs have always been viewed as one of the lowest vendors in respect on the ladder of event professionals. Much of it has to do with the way many of our colleagues carry themselves, but for those reading this article, I know that is not the camp you fall in. So when we booked a wedding at a brand new venue and were informed by our Bride that we had to attend MANDATORY sound and lighting training in order to work there, you can imagine the gigantic eye roll that I’m sure you are having right now. We have all
February 2019 In This Issue:
Page 2: Mike Walter Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 5: Rachel Lynch Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 8: Alan Berg
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Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 3
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PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
Bridging The Gap Between You & Your Clients By Mitch Taylor
Wedding days can be stressful for everyone involved. There’s a LOT of different emotions running through different people who are at different stages of their lives. How do you bridge the communication gap both literally and figuratively, and ensure everyone gets out of this day what they want? When we have this situation, we have a conversation with our clients in advance and find out what the issue is. Think conversation, not confrontation (thanks Jake Palmer). We start our planning process six to four months prior to the event. The reason for this is so we can uncover land mines that may prohibit us from delivering on our promise to our clients. Our promise to our clients is we take responsibility for the success of their event. Planning this far in advance allows us to live out our promise and also discovers what it is that may be stressing them out and how we can remove or handle it. This level of touch with your client can help you handle the gap figuratively. However, what if it’s a literal gap that is stressing out your bride or mother of the bride? What do you do with that gap? We certainly deal
with this in the Midwest. The gap I am speaking of is in between the ceremony and reception. What do you do when you have that mother of the bride who’s wondering what to do with the gap and how do we deal with that? One of the steps in my SALES for Event Pros process (Search, Approach, Learn, Explain & Solve) is Explain. This falls under the Explain phase with you showcasing in a confident but not cocky way of why you are an expert in this space. Maybe there’s a place that they can hold a post-ceremony cocktail hour that has special meaning to them, such as a relative’s home or camp that they all used to go to. Maybe the venue has a separate space they can utilize. What else can you brainstorm with them to solve the time? Provide entertainment BEYOND just music. Maybe you are having a shoelywed game later in the night for your couple. Instead of using the same old lame questions, why don’t you walk around, introduce yourself to the guests and have THEIR GUESTS come up with the questions to ask your couple later in the night during your game? Maybe you suggest to your couple to have a calendar there with photos of them during their engagement shoot. You then invite their guests to come up and write in important days in their lives on the calendar such as birthdays and anniversaries so the couple can stay in touch with them in the future. This provides a way for everyone to stay connected in the future as an extended family of the most important day of that couple’s lives.
By having those conversations in advance, being a resource for your clients and sharing some of your expertise and knowledge you can help go above and beyond. You can ensure repeat customer referrals, and you can do yourself a favor by eliminating some of the stress there that evening. That’s my recommendation for how to handle the situation where there’s a gap in between the ceremony and the reception and what to do with all those people. I (like you) have performed many 17-hour days for a ceremony and reception. Stop focusing on selling time or a package. It’s still one day of performance time for you. Yes, there are additional hours that go into the planning and production, but hopefully, you were planning on being there for
them through the whole process vs. just showing up and winging it ;). … but it’s still one of the most important days of their lives. It’s not about your time away from your family once you’ve committed to the event. It’s about you giving up one regular day of your life to give another human being one of the best experiences on one of the most important days of their life. Mitch Taylor is an 18 year veteran of the mobile disc jockey industry, starting out on the cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines. He is a member of the American Disc Jockey Association. Mitch owns and operates Taylored Entertainment in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and can be reached at 906.786.6967 or via email at mitchtaylor@discjockeynews.com.
Sims Continued From Page 2 strip lights… You have the choice of using an ETC board to customize the light show or use the iPad with simple pre-set programs. There wasn’t one thing they had not considered. And that means all the brick and concrete. They knew that if every DJ brings in their own system it would be an echo chamber and guests will leave the wedding early. His investment in a sound system that is zoned and balanced will lead to successful events. He told Tamara and I that he had the best job in the world-helping couples create memories. Tamara and I left with a completely different opinion of this venue. It went from a place I hope we don’t work at again to hoping we can work there even
more. All I could think of was “why is he doing this.” But then it hit me; he RESPECTS DJs. What a refreshing thought! 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.
The Emotionally Intelligent DJ By Rachel Lynch
After years of trial and error, I became frustrated with my stagnant business. Customers slipped through my fingertips, as my competitors seemed to book gigs with ease. I have always been a responsive, polite, and talented DJ. So, why was it so hard to make that sale? What was I doing wrong? Something needed to change, and I realized it was me. My “Ah-Ha” moment came from a casual conversation with a respected colleague. We challenged each other with some humorous DJ related role-playing, to simulate a sales call. After a few chuckles and some painfully awkward dialogue on my end, I realized what the problem was. I was “corporatized.” This exercise had highlighted the fact that I had carried over robotic habits from my day job into my DJ business. By being so laser-focused on professionalism and efficiency, I was treating customers like contracts and profits, rather than friends who I would be celebrating. My communications were sterile; filled with information about services and pricing. There was no personality, humor, or warmth in my messages. This was very hard to swallow, but I realized that I had adopted the tone of an office worker, not a caring DJ who people trusted with their once in a lifetime event. The significant change I made, was to stop running my business like a business. Some of you may be rolling your eyes at this comment, but understand that I’m not dismissing the importance of basic economics and sensible business practices. However, I am suggesting developing a business plan around Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is the driving force behind connecting with customers and earning their trust. It is a trait where most fall short, and it is often overlooked in most professional settings. In an indus-
try that is highly competitive and sales driven, personal touch matters. Understanding your motivation is key. When a client front-loads you with questions about pricing, it’s easy to focus on the finances. However, to be persuasive, bookable, and sought after, a DJ must focus less on the economics of Djing, and strive to build meaningful relationships with their customers, the community, and DJ industry contacts. Profits will come if people want to connect with you. It’s that simple. The takeaway? If the foundation of your business model is to make more than you did last year, by crunching numbers and budgeting for the latest and greatest gear, clients will run in the other direction. I’m living proof. I am energized, busier, and more connected than ever, due to the changes I made to become more emotionally intelligent with my business. Some tips to be more emotionally intelligent with your business: 1. Remember we are all customers at some point. Always remember that. 2. Keep it personal, not transactional. Conversational tone will always outshine business jargon. If customers seem like they are price shopping only, use phrases like “I’d love to know how you both met” or “Describe your perfect party.” Refocus the conversation on value and establishing a personal connection. 3. Approach each client uniquely. Grouping everyone with generic language in communications will express inauthenticity. Everyone wants to feel special. Sending out generic communications and templates might seem efficient, but you will come off as cold and apathetic. Furthermore, generic e-mails and templates may not fit every client or situation and could make your potential client feel misunderstood. 4. People buy from whom they like and relate to. Make every attempt to be a human, not a business. Remember a few details about customers, and bring it up in conversation. Are they going on vacation? Find some commonalities like birthdays or travel experiences. Be willing to share great places to eat. The point is to be genuine. Be a friend. They will notice.
Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 5
5. Social media should reflect your real self. When customers ask to see social media links, they are looking to see the “real” you. The public assumes that a perfect social media presence is a manufactured reality. Do your best to pepper your social media presence with authenticity (bad hair days and all). Despite what you think, people don’t trust perfect. They want to know who they are booking. Always be professional but don’t be afraid to show them who you are. 6. Know the value of humor in business. A good joke can win over skeptical customers and draw positive attention. Having the ability to understand what customers find light-hearted can make all the difference in the world. Professional doesn’t have to mean always serious. Master the balance, and see the change in your bookings. 7. Don’t underestimate the value of making time to meet face to face. FaceTime, Skype, e-mail and text are convenient. But the truth is, NONE of these will replace the value of find-
ing time to connect with your clients in person. A friendly face, eye contact, and open body language makes the difference and builds trust. 8. Get Personal. Never send an e-mail without personalizing at least two things. Their name and event date don’t count. 9. Never bad mouth a competitor. It’s not a smart sales approach. In fact, mentioning something that a competitor does well will show that you’re honest and confident in what you do. 10. Don’t be afraid of silence. Make an effort to let conversations breathe. When people feel like they are listening to a sales pitch, they will tune out, and turn off. Let them feel like they are part of the conversation. Truly listen to what they are saying. Clients are savvy and will pick on pushy closing techniques. Be a better DJ than that. Happy mixing. You can find Rachel’s articles each month on the Promo Only newsletter. You can sign up at http://www.promoonly.com to catch it each month! Rachel Lynch can be reached at rachellynch@discjockeynews.com.
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PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
You PLAY to WIN the GAME! By Ron Ruth
Author’s Note: With the Chiefs loss to the Patriots during the 2018, AFC Championship game, I was reminded how much every play of every game is important. Although my team lost in overtime and it is a loss that still stings today, I could not be prouder of the way they played as a team and with a determined drive to win with every snap of the ball. But, with Patrick Mahomes II as our quarterback, I’ve no doubt the Chiefs will be back next year to compete, again, for a championship. My article this month is dedicated to my hometown team and to every business owner who gets up every morning ready to PLAY to WIN the GAME. At the conclusion of practically every game in professional sports, you see and hear players, managers, and coaches who have been thrown into the often-contentious coliseum of the press corps to answer sometimes difficult questions regarding their level of play, game day decisions, and on-the-field mistakes. Although we’ve all witnessed these post-game press conferences on any number of occasions, I recently found myself listening more intently to the responses given to the questions asked. If you’ve ever listened to yourself, you’ve most likely noticed a pattern of what could easily be pre-scripted, pat clichés that cross the boundaries of every sport. “We go out there every night/day and give 110%.” “We left it all on the field.” “We can’t dwell on the losses.” “We can’t focus on the past. We have to focus on the next game.” “You can’t get too high after the wins, and you never get too low after the losses. It just all stays even keel.” “We take it one game at a time.” What has to be one of the most difficult questions to answer in my opinion is “What were you thinking when you made that catch/block./score/hit/penalty/error?” I’m not certain how a player, manager or coach is supposed to remember what was going on in their mind during a singular moment at an exact moment in the heat of competition, but somehow, they always seem to come up with a response. Even if the response doesn’t really answer the question— “It is what it is.” It’s amazing how athletes are incredibly conditioned and trained not only at their sport, but to being able to withstand postgame questioning. It may not be such a dreaded chore after a team win, but can you imagine how demeaning it must be for these individuals to go before the cameras and microphones after a loss? Sure, they’re getting paid big bucks to perform at their abso-
lute best but, at least in my thinking, there must be a certain amount of humiliation that comes with the tough questions; especially when those questions are most likely coming from someone who may have never played the sport. “You Play To Win The Game!” That famous quote is attributed to Coach Herm Edwards. Today, he’s the head coach for the Arizona Sun Devils college football team. But, in 2002 he was the head coach of a struggling New York Jets pro-football team that had a dismal two win-5 loss record at the beginning of that 16-game season when a reporter asked him “Do you have to talk to your team about not giving up on the season?” Coach Edwards, a highly passionate, motivational and inspirational former player himself, went on a 45-second rant about how his team would never quit (he wouldn’t allow it) and how, win or lose, “You PLAY to WIN the GAME!” Although that quote is what is most notable from that press conference, Edwards continued, “You don’t play just to play it. That’s the great thing about sports; you play to win. And I don’t care if you have any wins. You go play to win. When you start telling me it doesn’t matter, then retire… GET OUT! Because it matters. This whole conversation bothers me.” In a 2012 interview with “Yahoo Sports,” Herm Edwards reflected back on his decadeold words by saying, “You have an obligation as a player — as an athlete at any level — and it doesn’t matter what sport it is. When you sign on, you sign on. You prepare that week to go win. I don’t care about your schedule, or how many people got hurt — it doesn’t matter. You owe it to the people in the building and guys in the huddle to prepare yourself to win. That’s the most important thing that week. My dad was in the service for 27 years. He used to tell me, ‘It’s not about tomorrow — it’s about today. What are you going to do today a little bit better than what you did yesterday?” When does sports transcend business? Some may consider “You PLAY to WIN the GAME!” as a laughable statement of the obvious, but it’s one of the few quotes from any athlete, coach or manager that isn’t (at least at the time it was said) cliché and it was also a not so subtle challenge to his team. If anything, those 6-simple words are an effective and articulate purpose statement that transcends sports into the world of business. As a business owner, manager or entrepreneur, you may not be playing a game, per se, but you face daily competition. One can easily argue that you compete every day against yourself to be better today than you were yesterday. Every week you also run up against competition in your market where you have to make game plan decisions. It may be to speed up follow-up with a customer who has questions, or double-check your attitude before stepping into a sales consult, or going the extra mile to “WOW!”
your customers by putting their needs first through the delivery of amazing customer experiences. There are hundreds of customer-centric “moves” you can make every day that will you give you a clear competitive edge. You just have to execute. When you open your eyes in the morning, do it with the intent of making the most of the opportunities that are available to you or---that you can create for yourself, your business and your customers. If you simply focus on going through the motions of your daily routine without a commitment to the ongoing training and practice needed to exceed expectations, to giving 110% percent and to leaving everything you’ve got on the “field,” you’ll never “win the game.” Sure, you may look really good against other sub-par “teams,” but championships are won by individuals and teams that focus on the smallest details and who put in the hard work with a winning attitude and a dedication to be the best. What if you were forced to go before the glare of public scrutiny at the completion of each business day? How would you respond to the questions concerning your level of job performance and the choices and mistakes you made? Imagine being asked what was going through your mind at the very moment you didn’t acknowledge a customer who had been waiting in the service queue for a lengthy period of time. Or when you failed to address a customer’s complaint in a satisfactory manner or didn’t deliver on a promise made or about other missteps you may have made… even those you may not have even realized you overlooked. Would you arm yourself with an arsenal of cliché responses? Or, would that type of questioning force you to take a much closer look at how you interact with your customers to save yourself the embarrassment of having to answer the tough, embarrassing questions in the first place? Giving it your all and playing to win every day is vital. That doesn’t mean you will
win every time but giving 110% to your business and your clients tell others a lot about your character, work ethic and level of professionalism. That’s how champions are made. Does Hard Work Pay Off? Yes. Yes, It Does. The football pundits who thought it was ridiculous that the Jets could somehow rebound from that terrible, 2-5, start got a wake-up call in the value of Edwards’ motivation. The team finished the 2002 season with a 7-2 run, beat the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round of the playoffs, but lost to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round. Is it likely that the team’s drastic turnaround was the result of that motivational quote –”You PLAY to WIN the GAME?” Who knows for sure? But there’s a good chance that any team looking to go from worst to first has heard that quote at some point in time. Leave No Doubt. You Always Play To Win The Game! So what are you going to do today to “turn your game around?” How are you going to “step up your play?” What actions are you ready to take to transform your “is what it is” into “is far better than anyone ever expected?” Are you simply going to take it “day by day” or are you ready to “shock the world?” When it comes to the success of your business, you’ve not only got to “execute better plays” in “every facet of your game,” you’ve got to “come ready to play” and leave no doubt for your competitors and customers that “You PLAY to WIN the GAME!” That’s how championships are won and how businesses succeed! Ron Ruth has been on the front lines of weddings celebrations for over 25 years as a Disc Jockey and certified, Wedding Entertainment Director®. He’s a well-known speaker and workshop facilitator in the DJ and wedding industries, a client experience designer and coach and a self-described Disney “Geek.” Get Ron’s FREE e-book, “The Client Experience Demystified” at RonRuth. com. You can reach Ron at 816-224-4487 or RonRuth@DiscJockeyNews.com
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PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
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I recently finished reading (listening to) Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why. If you’re not familiar with it – or him – Simon has one of the most watched TED Talks, in which he describes “The Golden Circle.” The Golden Circle is three concentric circles: “What” – the outer circle, “How” – the middle circle, and “Why” – the inner circle. He describes them as follows: WHAT: Every organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. These are the products they sell or the services they offer. HOW: Some organizations know HOW they do it. These are the things that make them special or set them apart from their competition. WHY: Very few organizations know WHY they do what they do. WHY is not about making money – that’s a result. WHY is a purpose, cause, or belief. It’s the very reason your organization exists. While our HOW is what sets us apart, our customers very often can’t see those differences. Many of the differences are intangible, so it’s not something that can be seen; rather, it’s often felt. How does it feel to do business with you? What does it sound like to do business with you? What does it say to their friends and family that they’ve chosen you? Many of the answers can be traced back to WHY you do what you do – and WHY they ultimately choose to buy from you. By the time you get the inquiry… Many steps and buying signals happen before you get an inquiry, be it an email, contact form request, text message, or phone call. Very few of our prospects come directly to us; rather, they make many stops along the way – search engines, referrals, online ads, social me-
By Alan Berg
dia, etc. By the time you get the inquiry, they need WHAT you do. At a high-level, they’ve determined that you can fulfill their WHAT – the product or service you provide. They probably can’t tell the difference – at this point – in your WHAT and another company’s WHAT. If you’re a wedding photographer, the things that make you different are more evident to other photographers than they will be to your prospects. They’ve also likely looked at many other options and cut that list down to you, and maybe a few others. The paradox of choice Another book I enjoyed is The Paradox of Choice – Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz. I’ve been saying for a long while that you should be giving your customers fewer choices, not more. Giving them more choices makes it harder for them to decide. I’m not advocating that you have fewer products or services to offer – just that you do some filtering – through better questions, and then only show them the choices that will get them the results they desire. Everything you offer can’t be right for every customer, or really for any customer. Using your experience, and the answers to the better questions, cut down their options to one or two. Any more than two and it becomes exponentially harder for them to decide. It’s called decision paralysis. Three packages Some of you have heard me speak about having 3 packages, and that’s correct. When you have 3 packages, more people will choose the one in the middle. It’s up to you to help them see that only one (or two) of those packages are really right for their needs. If you’ve ever watched the TV show “House Hunters,” you’ve seen where they make them cut down their 3 possible houses to only 2; before ultimately making them choose which house they’ll buy. They’re using what’s been referred to as the Choice Close: Do you want Option A, or Option B? It’s a great technique, and it makes it easier for your customers than asking if they want one of three, or more, choices. Decision paralysis You want to avoid giving them “so
Alan Berg Continued On Page 9
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Showcasing At Non-Profit Events By Brian Buonassissi
One of the hardest things I’ve had to figure out are ways to showcase my talent and our team’s talent LIVE to new potential planners and/or venues from whom we want to be referred. We feel video doesn’t accomplish this because our events need to be experienced to really feel the impact. Obviously, I can’t invite them to someone else’s event. Without it feeling cheesy or forced at a private showcase, what’s another way to accomplish this? I’ve been racking my brain on this for years and think I may have finally come across a solution.
One of the hallmarks of our company is giving back. Each of our DJs do a minimum of 2 charity/non-profit events yearly pro bono. With 6 DJs on staff, that’s 12 events we do gratis a year at a minimum. Beyond the two our DJs do a year, some of them have other causes they are super passionate about and they want to perform for those, so that yearly number is almost always substantially higher. Of those nonprofit events, a good chunk of them are gala events where sponsors can purchase a table at the event. In a lot of cases, the non-profit organizers are more concerned with having an event with all tables taken than those tables necessarily all being paid for. I negotiated my contract with the last few non-profit gala events we’ve done to have a “company sponsored” table as part of a trade for services. I didn’t care where it was placed in the room, and nobody besides myself and the organizer knew that it had been given to me in a trade. The benefiting organization loves knowing that I’m not only filling the table but bringing
January 2019 #AskKilma Recap By Kilma
Just call me the Dr.Phil of the DJ advice world. I often find myself preaching about the importance of looking inward, asking the right questions, putting our focus into our passions while having empathy for others. Why? Emotional stability and mindfulness to me is an invaluable tool in running a business. It helps you to see situations with clarity and move from a place of calm instead of complete chaos and stress, because let’s be honest… owning a business isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Unless that park looks a lot of the last three levels in the original Mario Nintendo game. But at the end of the day, when you hit that flag, see those points and help save Princess Toad… err wait. You know what I mean. In this month’s #AskKilma videos, we covered accountability, which is fitting since we are our own bosses in this industry. Which lead over to giving great advice that people ACTUALLY listen to. I mean come on, what ex-
Photo by:
perienced DJ doesn’t want to share? Don’t get me started on those awkward vibe killin’ comments after you DJ set. The ones that make you turn your head. Lastly, we end on how to redirect our focus when we find ourselves feeling judged by fellow peers. At the end of the day, we all just want to do what we are most passionate about. Playing music, heck maybe even making it and hosting a great event while making enough money to live comfortably. With all the life stressors, unknowns and conflicts we can find ourselves in, it leads me to my thoughts on having empathy for others and how we are all just trying to do our best. To ensure you are putting your focus on the projects that really bring you joy. For the new year I want to encourage you all to become more mindful, so you can not only move forward in a positive
Mark Grimace Photo by: George Douklias
light but run your business from a place of understanding in the needs of your clients. I am going to leave you with some questions for the new year. Please feel free to share in the comments of our videos as we love hearing from you. Questions for you: Have you found yourself reflecting on how the past 365 days went? Have you defined this year’s goals? Be specific! Thinking about your goals and what accomDJ Kilma you’ve plished, the things George Douklias you set out to do;
Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 9
people who may not know of their cause. The folks I invite usually are ecstatic to be a part of a non-profit event (which is good PR for them/their company and they usually tag me on social media). They love that they get to dress up, and it’s a much easier “sell” for me to have them view what our team and I do in this type of environment. If there is a con, it’s that most of the event types that these planners and venues (who I’ve invited) throw are not non-profit galas. They are observing us perform for an event type that may not allow us to show all we can do for their specialized event type (i.e., grand entrances for weddings, corporate games, etc.). With that in mind, all I am trying to showcase to these guests of mine is our professionalism, clean set-ups, MC skills, mixing skills, and most of all that we can put together a party experience that will have everyone losing their mind. So far, we’ve been able to deliver on that. On a personal level, I’ve found these opportunities to be invaluable for building relationships. I can bring some people together, make introductions which can lead other tablemates to foster connections between one another and enjoy conversation in a casual manner. I’ve even invited a photographer as a guest at my table at times and had them be sure to bring a camera to take professional photos of our
tablemates and me to help market him/ her (the caveat being that the photog sends me the photos to distribute). Hosting a table for 8-10 people for a fabulous dinner at no monetary cost to me or our company while benefitting a great cause is a “win-win” in my book. We did three events like this last year. So far, I can show a ROI of 8-10 events that have booked as a result of this type of marketing effort. This is so much more valuable for me than negotiating a tax write-off. It’s been so successful that I am actually looking for as many of these types of events where we can do this as possible. These have much better ROI than a wedding show which is typically a 1:1 ratio (us and the end-user). A planner or venue could be referring us multiple events in a day, and these connections can last decades if you deliver at their events. What does your company do to generate business referrals with new planners or venues? Have you tried anything like this? I’d love to know. Drop me a line. 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.
Alan Berg Continued From Page 8 much to think about” that they need to “go home and process everything you’ve shown them”. If you hear that a lot, you need to realize that you’re creating that decision paralysis. Give them fewer – but better – choices. Don’t cloud their thinking with options that aren’t right for them. For instance, if you’re a caterer, instead of sending them every menu you offer (breakfast, brunch, lunch, buffet dinner, plated dinner…), find out what they’re looking for – and then only send them that one, or those, menus. Let’s face it, they don’t really need to choose which appetizers they want in order to select you as their caterer. There are very few things a professional caterer can’t produce that would be a deal-breaker for them. And, if there are specific needs (dietary restrictions, ethnic specialties, etc.), they would have likely asked you about them already. Back to WHY Do you understand WHY you do what you do? Is it for the money? Is it for the satisfaction of a job well done? Is it for the “Thank You”? I’ve found that – for me – any time I put the money first, it doesn’t work out well. It feels disingenuous because I’m not driven by money. Money is a bad goal, at least for me, because you can never have it all. I find that focusing on abundance is much better. Cavett Robert, the founder of the National Speakers Association, famously said that we’re not trying to get a bigger piece of the pie, we’re trying to make a bigger pie. My WHY is in the results that people get from my speaking, consulting, and sales training – and what that means to them, their team, and their families. I’m in alignment with my WHY because both my clients and I are focused on the same things. They want to succeed (whatever
that means to them – more sales, more profit, etc.) and I want them to succeed; therefore, their success IS my success. The money comes to me because of THEIR success. As Simon Sinek said, “WHY is not about making money, that’s a result.” I’ve passed on many opportunities because they felt too much about the money, and less about the results. Any time someone stresses to me how much money I can be making from an opportunity, as the main reason to do it, I’m turned off. Talk to me about how my clients will be better off, and I’m listening much more intently. When we’re the customer It’s the same when we’re the customer. If the salesperson only talks about price, then price becomes the deciding factor. If they talk about results and talk about WHY, then price becomes less of a factor. We’ve all spent more than we had anticipated on something in our lives, usually because the WHY was a bigger factor in that decision. You need to try to understand your own WHY, your team’s WHY (it’s not always the same motivator as yours), and also your customer’s WHY. What are the most important factors for them when choosing your product or service, and WHY? If they can’t perceive any difference between buying from you and buying from someone else, then the lower price will likely win. If they want to buy from you – and only from you – then you have pricing power, and you have a brand! 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
DJ Kilma Sunday DJ Spotlight: https:// djntv.com/category/sundayspotlight/ #AskKilma Monday Tips: https://djntv. January Topics: com/category/askkilma/ How To Hold Yourself Accountable If you would like to be part of the How To Give Great Advice That People Sunday DJ Spotlight Interviews with DJ ACTUALLY Use Kilma, please share a short bio and a How To Deal With Serious Vibe Killin’ suggested topic with Kilma at the email Peeps below. You can reach Kilma at kilma@ Playlists, Line Ups and Person Style discjockeynews.com how will you will do differently moving forward?
PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
Three Ways to Network More Effectively By Rob Ferre
There you are at a conference taking in all the education, checking out all the latest technology and enjoying the entertainment. Well, I salute you for being there, in person at a networking event, at a conference continuing your education and creating connections. People who actually attend conferences and networking events have a higher chance of creating real and long-lasting relationships. You may have heard from other DJ professionals “the best education is in the hallways” and it’s true! The connections and relationships I have fostered at industry conferences like Mobile Beat, ArmDJs, Midwest DJs Live, Wedding MBA and WeddingWire World have helped accelerate my business. I look forward to these events every year because it is a reunion and opportunity to help my business. How can relationships accelerate your business you ask? For one tapping into other professionals who have more experience and insight has really helped me. I have been able to go to conferences and meet fellow DJs who have different insights into the business, performance, and industry that I don’t. I create friendships, and we end up sharing ideas that help both our businesses grow. I also end up taking workshops or getting educational DVDs or books from these professionals. Also, we have the opportunity to collaborate on future events. Yes, collaborate! I have worked with multiple DJs from around the world on projects, and it
is great. The best thing is being able to do this with DJs in my own community. That is why I am advocating for associations like the ADJA. Believe it or not, there is enough work for everyone. Sometimes your competitors can’t do it all, so they want to refer clients to follow professionals they know, like and trust. So how do we get people to know us, like us and trust us? Through networking of course! But don’t look at other people as potential transactions, they will see right through that. So that leads me to my first networking tip. Avoid Relationship Arrogance. When you walk into a room and are looking to connect with people avoid looking at them as a transactional relationship. I have done this before. I have gone to conferences looking for “the movers and the shakers.” Looking for the guys in the guys in the suits with the gold watches. In the past, I have placed a projected value of return on certain people while overlooking others who could be a great connection and friend. I was once introduced to a DJ who I overlooked because he was just wearing one of his branded t-shirts. “A t-shirt DJ?!” I thought “he wouldn’t have anything to offer me.” How arrogant was I? Once we struck up a conversation with him I was able to tap into his brilliance, but I was at first closed off to the idea because of my arrogance. I have been friends with the DJ ever since and we have collaborated and shared many an idea to not only performances but performances of other DJs. Look beyond what is on the
outside and find ways to connect on a human level. Be Interested, not Interesting. This is a strategy that I have learned from a mentor and coach of mine Ty Bennet who is a professional speaker who speaks on the power of influence. When you strike up a conversation in a networking atmosphere, don’t
dominate the conversation and talk all about yourself and about how amazing you are. If the question is asked, be my guest, but nothing turns me off faster than when someone thinks they have something to prove and try to sell me on themselves. You may have heard the old adage, “he who talks least wins.” It’s true, I am always more interested
in people and learning about them and what makes them tick. Talking about someone’s “why” is always more interesting than the weather or what technology they use. Dive into their lives and why they do what they do. This always leads to more authentic conversations and connections. Be interested in learning about the people you connect with and don’t make it about you. Don’t talk about religion and politics. This is something that should be a no brainer, but I see it and hear it all the time especially on facebook. There are people I’d rather keep at arm’s length because the way they behave on Facebook. When I meet them in person they are delightful, and we don’t talk politics, and I like to keep it that way. I wish it were the same way on Facebook. I get it you are passionate about politics or your faith, but we may not see eye to eye which may damage the potential business relationship we may have. Find subject matter that both parties can relate to on a business level. I hope these tips will help accelerate the connections you make at your next event. By the time you get home, you will have more connections and more resources to tap into. Creating a better DJ community through relationships, collaboration and understanding is always a win-win! You can connect with him at RobFerre@ discjockeynews.com.
Show Up Every Day! By Brian Kelm
This is your life, business! Opportunities are passing you by every day whether you take advantage of them or not! As human beings, our natural tendency and habit is to stay away from things that are difficult or will not be able to be completed quickly. The problem is, you have a running story in your brain that you created about this project/ task that you have to overcome each time before you can get the task done. We all do this. “The thing you want to do the least is the thing you need to do the most” is a very poignant quote that speaks to this completely. The opportunity is to take action on a task as it comes into your mind immediately without thinking about it. If you think about it, boom done! If you wait, eventually analysis paralysis will settle in and be tough to recall the task, they complete it. Running our own business, taking care of customers, being an active part of your family, and having a bit of a social life is a full plate to deal with each and every day. We have no idea what life will send our way, so do everything in
your power to say, “Yes” to whatever life throws at you. No matter how you are feeling, your mood, or what is going on! Choose to show up every day for the adventure, journey, struggle, victory, and everything in between! It is impossible to have just good days without ever having a bad day. Choose to show up no matter what! As Mel Robbins, author of the 5 Second Rule said, “You are never going to feel like it with anything you need to do.” If you commit to this for a lifetime, life will eventually start to look different than it ever has before! Showing up every day proves your passion, consistency, desire, strength, wiliness, and commitment that you are in this for the long haul of life. All the victories, defeats, and whatever comes your way will be temporary and not hold you down. It’s a very powerful mindset that shapes everything in your life – how you think, act, treat others, and deal with any situation. Show the world, this industry, and your life what you are made of by never giving up, hanging in there no matter what, learning each day, and making a difference like you never have before! Brian Kelm, CWEP, CGWP, WED Guild is a 25+ year wedding entertainment and planning professional that has been all over the United States. Based in Wisconsin. Serving Anywhere. He can be reached at briankelm@discjockeynews.com
The Way I See It: This Price Is Right By Michael J. Lenstra
John Price has made a great metamorphosis in both his Mobile DJ business and his personal life. He could be considered a real-life transformer. As with many mobile DJs, John never started out with that career path in mind. “I actually just stumbled into it in 1998,” John said, referring to the DJ business. “I moved to a little town called Seneca, Kansas, and I just happened to go into a little bar to have a beer, and it happened to be Eighties Night . . . and I’m an eighties child. The DJ was playing eighties music and, long story short, we became friends.” Before long, that friendship turned into a business partnership. John continued, “Two years later we decided to do weddings together even though we didn’t have a clue as to what we were doing. One thing that helped me was that I was the guy that was on the microphone making the announcements and he was playing CDs,” thus making John a recognizable figure in his local market. However, before too long that business venture ended, prompting John to embark out on his own. He noted, “In 2001 I formed Power Play DJ Service with a thousand dollars and a dream. The rest is history.” Although his DJ business was taking off like a bullet, John was facing struggles in other areas of his life . . . in particular, his weight. Not wanting to give exact figures, John estimated he was wearing size 58 blue jeans. The excess weight made it difficult for John to perform his duties as a high-lev-
el, interactive DJ. “I just hurt,” John said. “[After an event] I would just come home and lay down in bed because I just hurt so bad.” Inspired in part by well-known Mobile DJ Randy Bartlett and his own weight loss achievements, John decided he was ready to tackle the problem and began the quest to make a lifestyle change. To do so, he chose to undergo an aggressive procedure called duodenal switch stomach surgery. The process, however, was not an easy one. John explained, “I had to go through a sixmonth boot camp just to get to the surgery,” he says. “I had to go through psychological tests and nutrition tests. But I was in it to win it. It was sink or swim for me.” The surgery was scheduled for January 21, 2016. Around that same time, John was also in the midst of a business model change, rebranding Power Play DJ Service as Making Memories Entertainment and focusing on weddings rather than serving as a “music for all occasions” operation. In conjunction with the rebranding, John decided to increase his prices significantly, inspired by industry leaders who suggested mobile DJs were worth far more than what they were typically being paid. John claimed, “I went from $600 to $1,595 practically overnight, and then I waited for the phone to ring. . . . Nothing. So I went back to $1,295. . . . Silence. $1,095. . . . Still nothing.” Eventually, his price went right back to where it began. As with his weight loss journey, John discovered that knowing the HOW TO was a more significant and much more daunting task than the WHY, but it was necessary if he was going to be able to successfully rebrand his business and see it evolve into a full-time career. He began to seek out educational opportunities, making a couple of trips to Las Vegas for the Mobile Beat Show and one to Milwaukee for the Midwest DJs
Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 11 Live show. He also began investing in train- God bless them, I’ve loved every one I’ve ing, taking a couple of Mitch Taylor’s Sales done, but I’m getting a more respectful cliFor Event Pros workshops, among others. In ent. That also comes with the more you 2016, he took part in what he described as, charge. At $600 . . . who cares?” “The Big One, the heavy hitter for me, the Even with all of the business savvy he one that opened my eyes: Bill Hermann’s gathered, John never made it back to the Entertainment Experience.” It was essen- $1,595 price point suggested to him at the tial and the cornerstone that helped John beginning of his endeavor, but he is okay achieve his goal. with that. “Bill has this way of drawing you in when you speak to him or listen to him,” “We’re all different,” John explained. says John. “During the workshop, he teach- “We have to take what works for us. You can take all these nuggets away [from the seminars], but you have to do what works for you,”
es you how to do this and it works: voice inflection, placement of yourself in a crowd for announcements, patience, and confidence. These are things I took away and changed my attitude and business ten-fold almost instantly.” As his weight dropped and his knowledge grew, John saw his business’s price point start to increase, and his newly branded business take off. John noted that a by-product of both changes he made was the clientele that he was attracting. He stated, “We’re in a very image-based business. Brides want everything to be pretty and pristine and elegant, and I firmly believe that the clientele that I’m getting now compared to the clientele that I was getting before (the weight loss),
“I respect all of those who have mentored me, but I still think it comes down to demographics,” he stated in reference to pricing points. Plus, he added, “It’s not hard to be nice to people. To me, I don’t find this as work. I enjoy it. Sometimes you just can’t put a price on that.” Those jeans are a size 34 now, and with 31 weddings on the books John considers this year to be a sellout, mainly because “I want to spend some weekends with my wife.” Though the calendar may be full and the weight is now far below 200 pounds, John’s journey is not complete. In April he will be heading to Wisconsin first to shadow a DJ that he respects, then onto Milwaukee for Midwest DJs Live 11, still searching for additional nuggets he can use that will make him a better wedding DJ. And there’s no danger in consuming those . . . they’re free of carbs! The way I see it, John has completed the art of transformation twice . . . by making himself smaller, his business grew larger. Until next month. ~ Michael ~ Michael J. Lenstra is a self-described Wedding DJ and is celebrating over 25 years in the Mobile DJ industry. He is a full-time DJ/Entertainer, and is owner of Alexxus Entertainment in Dubuque, Iowa. He can be reached at mikelenstra@discjockeynews.com
PAGE 12 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
Bernie Williams Received Custom Designed Floyd Rose Headphones By Ray Martinez
Ray Martinez aka “Ray Mar” has had a professional business relationship with Alan Cabasso of Floyd Rose Audio for over 20 years. It is no wonder that these two men have also become personal friends, considering they grew up in the same neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Ray Mar who celebrates his 45th year as a professional Mobile DJ, has written many articles reviewing products, many of which Alan had during his days with Gemini. When Alan moved on to Floyd Rose Audio, Ray Mar reviewed his fine line of headphones. Alan, a devoted N.Y. Yankees fan, was at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA and had the chance to meet Yankees great Bernie Williams a few years ago. Alan took a picture with Bernie Williams and asked Ray Mar if he could get
Fits pioneer™ DDJ-SX3 Williams to sign the photo for him. When they were talking about the photo, Alan had an epiphany and said to Ray Mar, “If only we could design a set of headphones especially for Bernie Williams, how cool would that be?” Ray Mar immediately took on the task to personally design the headphones. Bernie’s number 51 was retired by the Yankees and was the starting point for Ray Mar. He knew he had to include the NY Yankees logo and tie it in with Bernie’s rich Puerto Rican heritage. Ray Mar incorporated a map of Puerto Rico with the Puerto Rican flag and completed the design with Bernie’s autograph. At the 2019 NAMM Show, Ray Mar met Bernie before his scheduled appearance on stage as a smooth jazz artist and told him he had a special gift presentation for him after the show. Bernie agreed to meet with Alan and Ray Mar, and they presented the customized headphones to the future Baseball Hall of Famer. When Bernie received the headphones, his reaction was like a kid in a candy store on Christmas Day. It was priceless. He absolutely loved the headphones and was very appreciative. If you are looking for a pair of quality headphones that was priced affordably contact Alan Cabasso at Floyd Rose Audio Headphones: ajcab101@gmail. com or (732) 642-3320.
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Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 13 next paragraph), and they can be a wealth of and more. Did I mention that you are goknowledge. ing to get discounts from Guitar Center, Pro The Vault is Open. Going back to my Gobo, Vibo, and others? We will be having story from the beginning of this, I decided giveaways and swag from companies like went a couple of years ago and took home a year or so ago that I wanted to create a EV and Roland. The money you’ll save on tons of nuggets! You can also catch ARM resource for mobile DJs (full time, part buying one pair of speakers will pay for DJs in Hilton Head, SC, Orlando, FL, and time, multi-op) to be able to learn more your entire year of membership! Oh, there’s Gatlinburg, TN (Dollywood anyone?) this about actually running a DJ company. I’ve more! A members-only Facebook group (no year! You also have The DJ Expo August spent an incredible amount of time survey- trolls allowed), live webinars with the leading and talking to DJs to find out what their ing DJs in the mobile industry field, and the 12th-15th at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, NJ. Other Conferences. There are other pain points are. Overwhelmingly, DJs are ability to schedule one on one calls with me! types of conferences that you can attend as hungry for more information about hiring The DJ’s Vault is OPEN! Enter at http:// well. I’m personally still thinking about go- DJs, selling their services and marketing www.thedjsvault.com. I’ll see you there. Joe Bunn is the co-founder of The PhDJ ing to Social Media Marketing World March their services… so I built The DJ’s Vault. The Vault is a $20 per month membership Workshop (www.pdhdjworkshop.com) and 20th-22nd in San Diego right after MBLV, and trust me; I live a LONG way away based website which has articles and videos also the creator of the videos “Selling the from there. I’ve also been to Wedding MBA coming out every week to help with those Music” and “Marketing the Music” which which is October 14th-16th this year which topics I just mentioned. In addition, we will can be found at djjoebunn.com. is also back in Las Vegas. They have added cover music, equipment, customer service a lot more content for DJs over the past few, and several of my fellow DJ brothers and sisters are speaking there. Workshops. You may know that Mike Walter and myself host The PhDJ Workshop You are looking at #11 in the last issues of the Disc Jockey News (http://www.phdjworkshop.com) every year newspaper! at the end of Mobile Beat Las Vegas. It’s a great 1.5-day workshop that goes over evStarting in January of 2020, we will be moving to a booklet erything from marketing to selling. Maybe publication which will be mailed out first class each month to DJNTV I’ll even see a few of you this time around? Insiders in both the US AND CANADA!! (Yay Canada! As they say, “It’s Several other notable DJs in the industry about time Eh!”) hold workshops on MCing, Love Stories, Performance and more. Do a little digging Current subscribers: If your renewal comes up in 2019, we will around on the net or make some posts in fo- prorate your payment for the last issues which end December 2019. rums and others can lead you to them! New Subscribers: Each month until September the subscription Podcasts. Another shameless plug here. If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast that rate will go down as each issue is released. Starting in the fall of 2019, comes out every Thursday that Mike Walter you can only subscribe as part of the DJNTV Insider area. and I do, please do that NOW! It’s everySubscriptions for 2020: To get the new Disc Jockey News where that podcasts are. Other DJs out there publication (think like a popular digest publication), you will need to have created DJ related podcasts as well. be part of the DJNTV Insider area. Mailed copies will ONLY be sent to Again, do some research and pick the ones that are your favorites. Start the binge listen- DJNTV Insiders! ing sessions ASAP! The DJNTV Insider area has exclusive member’s only video content, Forums and Facebook Groups. These a private Facebook group for questions and learning, and in 2020, the are a bit tricky. If you get in the wrong ones, only place to get the Disc Jockey News publication! you will get absolutely crucified for one cable out of place in your DJ setup. HowYou can join the DJNTV Insider area today and lock in the current ever, find the right one (more on that in the rate! http://www.djntvinsider.com
Education is The Key By Joe Bunn
I was recently in California visiting BPM Supreme’s offices, making videos for them, and going to NAMM for the first time. I was able to meet and talk to so many amazing DJs on this trip to California. I mean these guys are literally world champions! I talked one night with a DJ from Spain named Jose, and I asked him (in my broken Spanish, and he in broken English), “How did you learn to scratch like that?” I already knew the answer…YouTube. You can go on YouTube right now, and there are thousands of tutorials on mixing, crab scratching, flairs, blending, mixing in key, this scratch, that scratch, but there are very few on actually running a DJ company-the marketing, selling, staffing. Therefore, you have to educate yourself in other ways. Here are some of them. DJ Conferences. Hopefully, you are reading this article while you’re in Las Vegas at Mobile Beat! If you didn’t make it out, shame on you! Mobile Beat is an incredible week of seminars, gear, and networking. I have been going for years, and I’ll keep going for many years to come. I wouldn’t miss it! Well, I did once, but only because my wife’s water broke when I was in a cab on the way to the airport. So maybe you didn’t make it to MBLV, you still have more chances to get to a DJ conference in 2019! How about checking out Midwest DJs Live Milwaukee, WI from April 28th30th. Yours truly will be speaking there. I
The Countdown Begins!
PAGE 14 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
If You Want To Be Original By Keith ‘KC’ KoKoruz
“If you want to be original, be ready to be copied.” Coco Chanel I often see DJs and photographers who go on social media and complain about being copied. It has happened to me too many times to count. I even had a DJ clone my DJ company w e b site once complete with client quotes from parties thanking me as the DJ. It happens all too often, and the sad reality is that it will never stop. The thing that original people need to realize is that a lot of people simply aren’t creative and will never see things the way that you do. It is ok if you say that you are influenced by what someone else is doing and you choose to use the spirit of what another industry professional is doing however literally stealing someone’s verbiage and pictures is another story. When I used to employ dancers as a part of my company, I used to listen to them complain about dancers stealing their choreography and then I would watch them do the moonwalk. When I would call them out for it, they would get upset. They may be doing your move, but no one does it like you do. If it pushed
to make you better, then that’s a good thing as well.
tin Robo Scans. Martin had also come out with a product called an Image Scan
In the mid-’90s, I used to DJ for the International Balloon Artists convention every year in Chicago. Thousands of balloon decorators would attend this event and transform the Hyatt’s ballroom into the most amazing thing I have ever seen before in my life all out of balloons. I worked with a production company out of California who was putting par 38 par cans on wooden bases with a colored gel and washing the walls with them. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. The following week, we were cutting up plywood and spray painting homemade bases black and had added this newly discovered concept to our lighting showroom along with our Mar-
which allowed you to easily put a gobo or a simple laser printed transparency into it and project it onto the dance floor,
the wall, etc. We bought three of them in 6 months. Love stories seem to be quite the hit these days amongst a lot of DJs. Some are taking love story workshops in an effort to be different than their competition and to create a moment that their clients with truly enjoy. Are you taking that workshop to do a love story exactly the way the person teaching does? I would hope not! To be inspired by other’s work and efforts is completely acceptable. You can learn from others, you can pick up ideas from others, and you can take their creativity and expand on that to make an idea your own. Or, you can be like most of the run of the mill, average DJs out there that feel their version of a copy is as good as the original. The question that I want you to ask yourself is this: Are you trying to be original or simply stealing someone else’s originality? KC can be reached at KC@discjockeynews.com.
Disc Jockey News • February 2019 • Page 15
Top 50 Recurrant Charts for February 2019
The Weekly Printable Charts (Top 50, Recurrent and Billboard Singles) are available at http://www.DJNTV.com/charts Sponsored by iDJPool.com Pop Recurrents 1 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Feel It Still 2 DJ KHALED/BIEBER/CHANCE/QUAVO No Brainer 3 DRAKE In My Feelings 4 CHEAT CODES No Promises f/Demi Lovato 5 CHARLIE PUTH How Long 6 G-EAZY & HALSEY Him & I 7 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 8 LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER Shallow 9 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 10 BRUNO MARS & CARDI B Finesse 11 CALVIN HARRIS & DUA LIPA One Kiss 12 IMAGINE DRAGONS Natural 13 DRAKE God’s Plan 14 IMAGINE DRAGONS Thunder 15 IMAGINE DRAGONS Whatever It Takes 16 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands 17 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 18 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 19 BEBE REXHA Meant To Be f/F.G.L. 20 THE WEEKND & KENDRICK LAMAR Pray For Me 21 BAZZI Mine 22 POST MALONE Psycho f/Ty Dolla $ign 23 CARDI B I Like It f/Bad Bunny/J Balvin 24 ZEDD/MAREN MORRIS/GREY The Middle 25 ARIANA GRANDE God Is A Woman 26 JUICE WRLD Lucid Dreams 27 NF Let You Down 28 NF Lie 29 TAYLOR SWIFT Delicate 30 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 31 CAMILA CABELLO Never Be The Same 32 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 33 CAMILA CABELLO Havana f/Young Thug 34 SHAWN MENDES In My Blood 35 HALSEY Bad At Love 36 MAX Lights Down Low f/Gnash 37 ARIANA GRANDE No Tears Left To Cry 38 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 39 MARSHMELLO & ANNE-MARIE Friends 40 DEMI LOVATO Sorry Not Sorry 41 LOVELYTHEBAND Broken 42 ED SHEERAN Perfect 43 LIAM PAYNE Strip That Down f/Quavo 44 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me... 45 SELENA GOMEZ Back To You 46 DUA LIPA New Rules 47 LAUV I Like Me Better 48 MAROON 5 Girls Like You f/Cardi B 49 POST MALONE Better Now 50 KHALID X NORMANI Love Lies Urban Recurrents 1 CHILDISH GAMBINO Redbone 2 SZA Love Galore f/Travis Scott 3 KHALID Location 4 POST MALONE Rockstar f/21 Savage 5 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 6 MIGOS MotorSport f/N. Minaj & Cardi 7 YELLA BEEZY Up 1 8 JACQUEES B.E.D. 9 FUTURE Mask Off 10 KENDRICK LAMAR HUMBLE. 11 ANDERSON .PAAK Tints f/Kendrick Lamar 12 QUAVO WORKINME 13 BRUNO MARS & CARDI B Finesse 14 LIL UZI VERT XO Tour Llif3 15 KENDRICK LAMAR LOYALTY. f/ Rihanna 16 H.E.R. Focus
17 GUCCI MANE I Get The Bag f/Migos 18 CARDI B Bodak Yellow 19 MIGOS Bad And Boujee f/Lil Uzi Vert 20 MIGOS Walk It Talk It f/Drake 21 YO GOTTI F/NICKI MINAJ Rake It Up 22 FRENCH MONTANA Unforgettable f/Swae Lee 23 DJ KHALED F/RIHANNA/B. TILLER Wild Thoughts 24 RICH THE KID Plug Walk 25 MIGUEL Sky Walker f/Travis Scott 26 MIGOS Stir Fry 27 BLAC YOUNGSTA Booty 28 KENDRICK LAMAR LOVE. f/Zacari 29 QUEEN NAIJA Medicine 30 CARDI B Be Careful 31 DRAKE God’s Plan 32 THE CARTERS Apes**t 33 GOLDLINK Crew f/Brent Faiyaz/Shy Glizzy 34 H.E.R. Could’ve Been f/Bryson Tiller 35 BLOCBOY JB Look Alive f/Drake 36 G-EAZY No Limit f/A$AP Rocky, Cardi B 37 CARDI B I Like It f/Bad Bunny/J Balvin 38 DRAKE In My Feelings 39 JUICE WRLD Lucid Dreams 40 YELLA BEEZY That’s On Me 41 TYGA Taste f/Offset 42 DRAKE Nice For What 43 ELLA MAI Boo’d Up 44 CARDI B Ring 45 DRAKE Nonstop 46 TORY LANEZ & RICH THE KID Talk To Me 47 YG F/2 CHAINZ, BIG SEAN, NICKI Big Bank 48 LIL DUVAL Smile B*tch f/Snoop & B.Greezy 49 LIL BABY Yes Indeed f/Drake 50 ELLA MAI Tripe Hot Adult Contempory Recurrents 1 BRUNO MARS & CARDI B Finesse 2 NF Let You Down 3 ZAYN/TAYLOR SWIFT I Don’t Wanna Live Forever 4 MARSHMELLO & ANNE-MARIE Friends 5 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 6 KHALID X NORMANI Love Lies 7 JASON MRAZ Have It All 8 LUIS FONSI & D YANKEE Despacito f/Justin Bieber 9 SHAWN MENDES Mercy 10 SAM HUNT Body Like A Back Road 11 ED SHEERAN Castle On The Hill 12 MAROON 5 Wait 13 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 14 ADELE Water Under The Bridge 15 DEMI LOVATO Sorry Not Sorry 16 CHARLIE PUTH How Long 17 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 18 ALESSIA CARA Scars To Your Beautiful 19 FOSTER THE PEOPLE Sit Next To Me 20 MAROON 5 What Lovers Do f/SZA 21 DUA LIPA New Rules 22 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 23 ARIANA GRANDE No Tears Left To Cry 24 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 25 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 26 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands 27 HALSEY Bad At Love 28 POST MALONE Better Now 29 P!NK What About Us 30 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 31 WEEZER Africa 32 CAMILA CABELLO Havana f/Young Thug 33 CAMILA CABELLO Never Be The Same
34 THE CHAINSMOKERS Something Just Like This 35 BEBE REXHA Meant To Be f/F.G.L. 36 SHAWN MENDES In My Blood 37 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me... 38 IMAGINE DRAGONS Whatever It Takes 39 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Feel It Still 40 SELENA GOMEZ Back To You 41 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 42 MAX Lights Down Low f/Gnash 43 IMAGINE DRAGONS Thunder 44 IMAGINE DRAGONS Natural 45 MACKLEMORE Good Old Days f/Kesha 46 TAYLOR SWIFT Delicate 47 ZEDD/MAREN MORRIS/GREY The Middle 48 ED SHEERAN Perfect 49 LAUV I Like Me Better 50 DAN + SHAY Tequila Country 1 SCOTTY MCCREERY Five More Minutes 2 OLD DOMINION Written In The Sand 3 RUSSELL DICKERSON Yours 4 OLD DOMINION No Such Thing As A Broken... 5 BRETT YOUNG In Case You Didn’t Know 6 KENNY CHESNEY All The Pretty Girls 7 MORGAN WALLEN Up Down f/Florida Georgia Line 8 DARIUS RUCKER For The First Time 9 MAREN MORRIS Rich 10 CHRIS STAPLETON Broken Halos 11 JOSH TURNER Hometown Girl 12 CHRIS JANSON Fix A Drink 13 LUKE COMBS Hurricane 14 BRETT YOUNG Mercy 15 BRETT YOUNG Like I Loved You 16 MORGAN EVANS Kiss Somebody 17 BLAKE SHELTON I’ll Name The Dogs 18 JON PARDI Dirt On My Boots 19 DYLAN SCOTT Hooked 20 LANCO Greatest Love Story 21 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Simple 22 DIERKS BENTLEY Woman, Amen 23 LUKE COMBS When It Rains It Pours 24 BILLY CURRINGTON Do I Make You Wanna 25 DYLAN SCOTT My Girl 26 THOMAS RHETT Unforgettable 27 THOMAS RHETT Life Changes 28 KIP MOORE Last Shot 29 LUKE BRYAN Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset 30 KANE BROWN What Ifs f/Lauren Alaina 31 JORDAN DAVIS Singles You Up 32 D LEE MURPHY/K CHESNEY Everything’s Gonna Be Alright 33 LUKE BRYAN Most People Are Good 34 SAM HUNT Body Like A Back Road 35 DUSTIN LYNCH Small Town Boy 36 BEBE REXHA Meant To Be f/F.G.L. 37 JASON ALDEAN You Make It Easy 38 JASON ALDEAN Drowns The Whiskey f/M.Lambert 39 MITCHELL TENPENNY Drunk Me 40 OLD DOMINION Hotel Key 41 LUKE COMBS One Number Away 42 CHRIS YOUNG Hangin’ On 43 KENNY CHESNEY Get Along 44 DAN + SHAY Tequila 45 KANE BROWN Heaven 46 RUSSELL DICKERSON Blue Tacoma 47 JIMMIE ALLEN Best Shot 48 KANE BROWN Lose It 49 LUKE COMBS She Got The Best Of Me 50 DAN + SHAY Speechless
PAGE 16 • Disc Jockey News • February 2019
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