Disc Jockey News JUNE 2017 • Issue #150
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PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
Making A Better You By Mike Walter
If you’re a regular reader of this fine publication you’ll probably know that last month I submitted my article from the road. My wife Kelly and I were in the middle of an epic, three week, cross country drive when I got an email from John Young reminding me to submit my article. I’ve got a pretty good streak going with The Disc Jockey News, I’ve been in every edition but one since their inception and I’ve been on the front page (well, now page two, thanks a lot advertisers!) for many years now. So, not wanting to break that streak, I wrote a quick introduction and then submitted one of my daily “Today In Music” posts (which hopefully you’re also following on my Facebook page). In that quick introduction I teased the fact that I’d talk about travel in an upcoming article and I’m here to make good on that promise. A number of people commented during my trip that they couldn’t believe I was able to run
a company like Elite Entertainment and still get away. I pointed out to each one that the reverse is actually tr ue, the only reason I can run a company like Elite Entertainment is because I get away from time to time. Vacations are what keep me sane and focused and creative and driven. And if you’re not taking them on a regular basis, there’s a good reason you’re so burnt out and overwhelmed. In my experience, vacations offer two redeeming opportunities. Obviously the time that you are away can serve as well-deserved rest and relaxation (or offer life-expanding opportunities – more on that in a bit) but just having a vacation planned and set in stone on your calendar can offer you a “light at the end of the tunnel” as well. I told this story in my book Ten Things You Can Do To Have a Better Day: The winter of 2011 was a perfect example for me. I had a million and one pressures on me. I had purchased office space for Elite and was racing to get the fit-up done before having to move out of our current place. Every day I was picking out carpeting or paint or meeting with electricians. We were also launching a new website and so decisions had to be made about layout and pictures and videos etc. On top of that, the first quarter is always a busy time because so many brides get engaged over the Holidays and are booking their services right away. So we were showcasing a lot. All
in all, it was a stressful and hectic time. But I had a great vacation planned for March of that year. My sister Robin and her husband PG were celebrating their 20th anniversary, and a bunch of family and their friends were heading to Negril, Jamaica for a week. So throughout that winter I just kept telling myself: “Just make it to Jamaica.” It almost became a mantra I would say over and over: “Just make it to Jamaica. Just make it to Jamaica. Just make it to Jamaica.” And I did. I made it through that crazy winter and I think the main reason I did was the knowledge that I had a vacation coming up. There are two types of vacations and I think both have merit. The first I call a beach vacation and it’s a total veg-out experience. For you, it might not be the beach because as Corona reminds us in their advertising, we all have to “find our own beach.” A beach vacation for me means doing nothing. Chilling. Laying on the beach, watching the waves, maybe reading a book etc. Beach vacations are the ultimate recharge for me. I come back from these and I’m ready to take on the world. The other type of vacation is a sight-seeing one. I’ve been to Rome and Madrid and Morocco and Ireland and these vacations are often almost like work. You’re up fairly early trying to see as much as you can at each stop, not wanting to miss a famous landmark or historical site. You go, go, go and you
soak in some amazing cultures and experiences. But sometimes at the end of these, you literally feel like you need another vacation! My advice with these types of vacations is to plan a nothing day at the end of them. Plan your final day to be just a chill day. Have a great meal. Maybe go for a short stroll. But don’t see any more museums or castles or anything. This way you don’t return completely burnt out. Planning vacation time far in advance in our industry is critical. If you don’t look over your calendar early enough you’ll wind up getting booked on every weekend and taking one of those typical DJ vacations (Monday to Thursday). Those are nice little getaways but if you really want to travel, blocking off a full weekend and getting away from seven or eight or even ten or twelve days is the way to go. That’s a real vacation and it will ultimately make you a better person and business owner. Never look at it as time away from your business. Look at it as time that’s making you a better manager and business owner. Because that’s what vacations truly are. 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.
Nobody reads any more. Millennials skim and skip over paragraphs since they are only interested in having their specific question answered. Give them what they want! If they send you a one-line e-mail asking for
pricing, stop fighting it and give it to them. Are you attaching photos or videos in your e-mails? Edit, Edit, Edit. Attention spans are much shorter so sending 15 photos can Tamara Continued On Page 7
Improving Communications By Tamara Sims
I have always been a huge fan of Jim Cerone; I mean what’s not to love. Besides being tall dark & handsome, he is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He truly IS the Perfect Host! So despite having to get up for a 5am flight the next day (to attend a friend’s destination wedding), I rushed to pack and complete all of my work so I could attend his seminar in Chicago, “How to Speak Bride” with a subtitle “Millennial Edition.” And yes friends, I am still writing about and trying to figure out how to deal with this generation in life and in business. Jim opened his seminar stating a simple fact: Today’s bride is frustrated. They communicate differently than us. They have always “been connected” via cell phone, iPad or computer. Texting is the way they communicate and if you call them on the phone and they don’t have your number programmed, guess what…they are never going to answer. A far cry from when I grew up and was always so excited when the phone rang! So let’s take a look on how we can improve communication with this generation. 1. Speed, Speed, Speed! When they are focused on a task, say emailing vendors for quotes, they want and expect an immediate response. They have been brought up with immediate gratification, so when planning their wedding they expect the same. As I have talked about before, 24 hours is an eternity to them, less than an hour is ideal and sadly 5 minutes or less is expected. If your e-mail does not come directly to your phone when you are
out of the office you are probably missing the boat with many clients. I am not suggesting being accessible 24-7, but the more we embrace the “need for speed” the better! 2. Be Brief…Get Briefer!
JUNE 2017 In This Issue:
Page 2: Mike Walter Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 4: Brian S. Redd Page 5: Dean Carlson Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 6: Jeremy Brech Page 7: Jake Palmer Page 8: Chris Politylo Page 9: 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 10: Joe Bunn Page 10: Dan Carpenter Page 11: Mike Lenstra Page 12: Dave Ternier Page 13: Brian Buonassissi Page 14: Top 50 Charts Page 14: Different Spin Page 15: Recurrent Charts Page 15: Jeremy Brech Page 16: Jason Spencer
Deadlines: Advertisement deadlines are the 20th of the month. The publication is distributed on the 1st of every month. Subscriptions: Subscriptions to the Disc Jockey News are $30.00/year for US addresses. Subscription forms and foreign rates are available on the website. Advertising: Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of the advertiser’s order. Press Releases: Press releases can be emailed to the Disc Jockey News at pr@discjockeynews.com
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Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 3
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PAGE 4 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
Three Focuses To Make Thousands VS Hundreds By Mitch Taylor
Do you want to just make a sale and earn a commission? Or do you want to know how to make a relationship and actually earn a fortune? That’s the difference. Too often we’re focused on that one-time sale. You know the deal. I’ve got to book this next one. I’ve gotta book this next one...I’ve got to book that one. Here’s the problem. You need to do the daily work it takes to focus on cultivating the relationship with the client. I can’t stress how important this is. I want to give you three things that you need to go through to cultivate that relationship with the client. The first thing is attitude. Attitude is everything. I spoke about this in Cre-
ative Consultations at Mobile Beat a little while back in 2011. You must have an attitude of service. You can’t go into it like Tommy Boy in the restaurant with his new sale, his pretty new pet, where he DESTROYS his roll. You can’t screw with your mind like that. You have to go into it with a “how can I help you” attitude. “It’s a conversation not a confrontation.” Thank you, Jake Palmer, for that nugget from years ago at Northern Disc Jockey Conference. I still love it today. You need to clear your mind of everything else going on and figure out how you can serve them best. The second thing you want to do is to talk about their vision. What’s their vision? What is your vision? Do they match? That’s a huge question mark. You want to make sure that you’re not booking clients that you’re going to look back on later and wish you didn’t. Many people have recommended in the past that disc jockeys ask this question of their wedding couples “Tell me three words to describe your day.” LAME. Let’s make it a little more conversational.
Try this instead. Ask, “If you could be a fly on the wall as your guests are driving home from your event…what do you want them to say? That’s very conversational. Another question you could ask “What is the biggest memory you want to take away from your wedding day?” or “What do you want your guests to feel? It’s a year later. What do you want said about your wedding?” By asking emotional questions that paint the picture of the outcome already happening, you’re going to put that client there, in that moment, on that day. You also ensure that she knows you understand how important this day is, the importance of their event. The third thing is you want to find out their story. Not necessarily how they met and fell in love and all that, but more so about why are they looking to hire you? What problem are they looking for you to solve? Then it’s your turn to pick the right story from your past experience that can prove to them that you are the person for the job. For most couples this is their very first
five or six figure party ever. Rely on your expertise to help them through that process. Your job isn’t to make announcements, play music, show up on time, ask them what songs they want to hear or any of that. What’s your ultimate job? Your ultimate job is to help your client. Period. If you follow the above steps, have a helping attitude, talk vision with your clients and share stories of how you can address the problems or challenges they are facing - if you paint the picture of their outcome with you at the helm of their event and put your clients first, you will make thousands versus hundreds. The formula is here, now it’s time to put in the work. 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.
the hand held mic a little closer to her mouth. Speaking of toasts, our MOH confessed this was her first time speaking in front of this many people. Her toast was scripted, and you could tell because she read it that certain style. You know the one I’m talking about, where she sounded like she was reading a greeting card out loud. Our best man talked more about what he couldn’t talk about than anything else. You know, the whole “I can’t really tell the stories from back in those days because I don’t want to offend anyone” kind of thing. The groom spoke as well, thanking everyone for coming, commenting on what a beautiful day it was, and inviting everyone to enjoy themselves. During the first dance of Louis Armstrong’s La Vie En Rose, we even had a surprise vocalist stand up and sing. I knew it was happening, as did the bride and groom, but nobody else knew it was coming. The idea I had for the vocalist, who was a friend and guest as well, was to just go sit at a table like everyone else until the vocal bit of the song kicked in. Then, stand up, start singing on the mic and slowly make your way to the dance floor. The vocals on this one kick in about 2/3 of the way into the track, so our bride and groom got to have the
spotlight for most of the song. Then there were the other spotlight dances. We had a Father Daughter, Mother Son, and a special dance for the groom’s parent’s anniversary. After that, everyone danced. They also made requests and dedications to one another. In the end, it was a really nice wedding. So, as I was driving home, I wasn’t really thinking of that Shakespearian quote I mentioned earlier. I was thinking about what my role was that evening. Sometimes, I’m billed as the entertainment, but besides organization, music programing, and a whole bunch of technical stuff, was I really much of an entertainer? Then, I remembered a theater joke I heard in high school. Not that I was ever involved in theater, but classes like Stage Craft were easy elective credits. Anyway, the joke asks the philosophical question: “If all the world is a stage, then who’s running the lights?” Last Saturday, turns out it was me. Have a great June, everyone. Practice & Enjoy! Brian S Redd is a Mobile/Club DJ in Milwaukee WI, DJ Youtuber and an official “American DJ” Artist/ You can reach Brian at: brianredd@discjockeynews.com/
All The World Is A Stage By Brian S. Redd
I’m sure most of you have heard that Shakespearian line before. It goes on to say something about everyone in the world being actors that make several entrances and exits their entire lives. C a n you tell I don’t q u o t e Shakespeare much? Anyway, the idea of everyone being a part of the show kind of reminds me of the weddings I have been DJing for the past 10 years or so. As I was driv-
ing home from Saturday’s gig, I started thinking about who the real players were that night. The Pastor, who I really liked and now refer to as “Pastor Bro”, delivered a rather entertaining 45 minute wedding ceremony. For his dinner prayer, after everyone had already said “A-men”, he even went on with a bonus monologue for a few minutes. Kind of like a prayer encore, perhaps? For speeches, the bride and groom’s fathers both spoke. They both did a really nice job. His dad had everything written out where her dad winged it and spoke from the heart. I did take a moment before they spoke to give them a crash course on how to properly hold a microphone, which they both listened to and applied very well. In fact, the groom’s father even reached over during the maid of honor’s toast and boosted
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Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 5
Fearless
By Dean C. Carlson Remember when… I was listening to Howard Stern a couple of days ago when he was interviewing Rachel Maddow f r o m MSNBC. I’m not really a big Stern fan, and unless he is actually interview ing somebody, I tend to move on. But I will say this; Howard Stern does great interviews, because he does his research and he is always willing to go off script to go one question deeper. So, I was listening to the Maddow interview and they began to talk about when they both first started on air, and how raw they were. In fact, neither of them accepted much in the way of feedback from those that had come before them. This is when Rachel said something interesting; “Because I didn’t watch other news casts, I really forged my own path, which in turn is what developed my uniqueness. I didn’t know how else to be anything but me.” This really made me think about my own path in the DJ world. When I began in 1989, the only exposure I got from other DJs was the 3 months before our DJs started calling in sick
at the bar where I worked. I had seen a handful of club jocks before, but being drunk and just loving music, I never really paid them much attention. So when I started, I really had no concrete idea what a DJ should be like - and to be honest, looking back at that I wouldn’t have changed a thing. As I started on my own path I realized very quickly what I liked and didn’t like, and over the first two years I developed my own style; fearless. Because I didn’t know that DJs weren’t supposed to do this or that, I did it with all the passion I could muster. This gave me a very authentic feeling from our customers’ perspective, and for the next eight years our bar was the must-be-at place in central Minnesota. It probably would have even been bigger had social media been around then. So my question to you would be - are you fearless or fearful when it comes to performances? Fearless performers take risks, and will allow themselves to fail because that is where the true greatness emerges. Sometimes people who live in fearlessness don’t know any better, yet I will argue that some of the best performances come from this. To be honest I have gone from fearless to fearful and back again. If I don’t keep a close eye it I find myself sliding back into fearful… which for me can be devastating. There are so many examples of performers who lose their magic, it’s tragic. An obvious one would be actor Jim Carrey. When he began his career you could visibly see his fearlessness. It is what drew us into In Living Color each week. It made him one of the biggest comedic draws of the early 1990s, but
then it happened; somewhere along the way he visibly lost that fearlessness and moved into the reserved fearful way of acting. And quite frankly it has probably cost him his career. When I transitioned from being a club DJ to a mobile wedding DJ, the same thing happened for me. I didn’t know what other DJs were or weren’t doing, so I did what I did best and charged headfirst into bringing myself to the event. If you were to look at how much interaction I did at a wedding in 2004 thru 2006 you would probably be quite shocked. I became the most requested DJ at Pro Sound and I never had a bad review. People saw my authentic fearlessness and it worked. Then it happened to me; around 2009 something changed, and I know what it was. I started attending every conference I could, and I also took workshops from what I do consider the best in our industry. I saw the success they were having with what they were doing - and that grass looked greener than the stuff on my side. I wanted other DJs, (get that – other DJs) to think I was great instead of my clients. That meant I was trying to be just like someone else, and I lost both my fearlessness and my uniqueness all in one swipe. It took me several years to get my fearlessness back, because it is much harder to reengage yourself into being fearless than it is to stay on that fearless path in the first place. Let me give you a nugget or two here. First off, be yourself. You are the perfect you and to be honest the world loves you just for who you are. This is not to say don’t attend workshops or go to conferences, because I still do. But take and only use things that accent who you are. The second you stop be-
ing you, you become fearful. In Mark Ferrell’s workshops he never “demonstrates” how he did what he did, but he gives you the tools so that you can enhance you in your performances. So do yourself a favor and stop ranking, comparing, judging, yourself by the standards of others. I know - easier said than done, but with some practice it will come. Second, fearfulness builds a wall that holds off fearlessness very fast. It’s quite effective. So just like Pink Floyd would say, tear down that wall. It will take time. There is a saying that asks ‘how do you eat an elephant?’ Well, one bite at a time. Start finding the fearless stuff you have done before and reengage it. One piece at a time, until finally that fearful wall is so minimal it can easily be stepped over at any time. Fearful will always be there, but it doesn’t have to be a complete block to your success. Fearlessness is a muscle and you can build its’ strength over time. Finally, let me ask you again; are your performances living in the realm of fearfulness or are you embracing the performance-altering awesomeness of fearlessness? The first step to getting there is admitting you are or are not. Once you know that, you can always take action, moving in the right direction. Think about the changes you have seen in actors like Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, and now, to some degree, Johnny Depp. Have your performances suffered at all because you were unwilling to make that stretch from mundane to incredible? Challenge yourself today, and do it! Good Luck and great shows. Dean Carlson can be reached at deancarlson@discjockeynews.com.
PAGE 6 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
Cracking The Code Of Creativity By Ron Ruth
“Creative processes must not end when business processes begin; the two are interdependent.” That quote from the Disney Institute has quickly become one of my favorites, because it is a constant reminder that every successful business has embraced the imaginative spirit in some capacity to achieve greatness. Apple is perhaps the most notable example. Steve Jobs didn’t get bogged down in settling on the status quo. He didn’t let public opinion, what they may have thought they wanted or needed, sway the trajectory of his company. He even said, “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Those words simply validated his belief that delivering innovative products developed through creative thinking would trump whatever the consumer thought they wanted. It was a risk that turned out to be absolutely correct. But, Steve Jobs is just one example of how creativity plays into building iconic businesses. There’s similar examples like Howard Shultz (Starbucks), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Tony Hsieh (Zappos), Richard Branson (Virgin), Bob Iger (Disney) and the list goes on and on. These business giants also know that creativity is vital to gaining an edge by doing something nobody else is doing. And the best way to do that, of course, is to come up with an idea that nobody else has thought of, or to improve upon ideas that have come before. I’ve always thought of the DJ industry as being one of the most creative on the planet. I’ve seen DJs come up with some pretty amazing, original ideas that have set them apart from their competition. But then, other DJs get a hold of those ideas and suddenly, what was once
fresh and exciting is now stale and commonplace. I’m not offering this thought as a critique. I’m simply saying that even in an industry and profession where creativity should flourish, many of us (Yes, I’ve included me in this assessment) tend to allow our creative spirit to be driven by outside forces rather than internally. One of our greatest challenges is that we stall out after the idea creation stage of creativity. According to Linda Neiman, founder of Creativity at Work, “If you have ideas and don’t act on them, then you are imaginative but not creative.” I’m not sure why, but for some reason I’ve become fascinated with how imagination and the creative spirit work. I’m on a quest to crack the code of creativity. What makes some people appear to be more creative than others? Is being creative a skill or a talent? Is it hereditary or is it influenced in other ways? And, if we are in fact born with it, is creativity lost somewhere along the journey from childhood to adulthood? When I look at myself I believe that my creative spirit was influenced by my father’s insistence that my sisters and I learn how to play a musical instrument at a very early age. That creative connection of skill and music, and eventually music to theatre, and later theatre to performance have probably served as the greatest reason I eventually found my way to the DJ industry. Even so, my ability to be creative is not controlled by an “easy button.” I find that frustrating at times and wonder what’s holding me back. What are the obstacles, mentally or imaginary, that keep any of us from achieving our full creative potential? To begin the journey to the answers of the questions I’ve posed, it’s important to know exactly what creativity is? If you do a Google search you’ll find a gazillion (I’m not exaggerating) definitions of creativity to choose from. After reading through them all, I’ve found one from an unknown source to be the most descriptive. It reads, “Creativity is the state or quality of being creative. The ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas.” That sounds simple enough, right? But… A 2012 Adobe study on creativity
shows that “8 in 10 people feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel creativity is valuable to society, yet a striking minority – only 1 in 4 people – believe they are living up to their own creative potential.” The study also “reveals a workplace creativity gap, where 75% of respondents said they are under growing pressure to be productive rather than creative, despite the fact that they are increasingly expected to think creatively on the job. Across all of the countries surveyed, people said they spend only 25% of their time at work creating. Lack of time is seen as the biggest barrier to creativity.” Granted, the second half of the results of the study are far more reflective of a corporate environment rather than the sole proprietorship world in which a good many of us reside, but I still see similarities. We invest so much time in getting new business and to taking care of the business we already have on the books that we can feel overwhelmed---as though we barely have enough time to do what we have to do to stay in business, let alone devoting time to create something new. But, the lesson that should be learned from the forward thinking and innovative companies that I mentioned at the top of this article should provide more than enough motivation for you to find the time. “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” -Edward de Bono Earlier I wrote about how we tend to take new and fresh ideas and quickly wear them out with an abundance of exposure. That doesn’t mean that every idea is 100% devoid of prior, creative influence. In their book, “Everyone’s An Artist” written by the trio of authors Ron Tite, Scott Kavanagh and Christopher Novais, they write that “Being authentic and original does not mean creating something out of thin air. All art, whether it is literature, painting, music or dance, is informed by what has gone before. Great art, however, brings something new to the enterprise.” Much like an improviser, though, saying “Yes, and…,” true artists (regardless of the art form they practice) take “old” ideas and build
on them to create new ideas and ventures that will truly make the works their own. These words remind me of what I heard Randy Bartlett say from the stage at a Mobile Beat conference in the early 2000’s, “Don’t copy what I do. Take my ideas and make them your own.” Toronto-based designer Andrew Vucko says, “Originality comes from making connections. Seeing patterns where others see chaos. Taking old ideas and elevating them to new perspectives. It’s a remix. A fresh pair of eyes.” According to creativity experts, you can learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, defying the status quo, using your imagination and taking risks. Learning to be creative is similar to learning a sport (or musical instrument). It requires practice to develop the right muscles, and a supportive environment in which to flourish. I interpret that to mean that to be more creative requires that adaptation of a 3-step process. It begins with “collaboration,” either with others where every idea is allowed to flourish and to survive based on its merit or within an environment of inspiration where “old” ideas are prime for rejuvenation. The second step is “creation” where action is taken to mold, manipulate and transform the collaborative ideas into operational possibilities. And the third and final step in my process to becoming more creative is “connection.” No amount of creativity endures if it doesn’t connect with its intended audience. Look at the Disney Theme Parks as a perfect example of being able to seamlessly make the connection between idea and patron. But, even Disney’s level of innovation can’t live up to another, far different and overlooked entertainment source. Don’t be blue. I’ll be back next month to share that fun and uniquely creative story with all of you. Ron Ruth is a 20 year veteran of the wedding and DJ industry and the owner of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment in Kansas City. He’s also a self-described “Disney Geek” and a nationally recognized speaker who presents seminars at conferences for DJs and wedding professionals on the topic of delivering quality service. Ron can be reached at 816-224-4487 or ronruth@discjockeynews.com
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How Big Is That Dance Floor? By Jake Palmer
One of the struggles that Wedding and Event DJs are constantly dealing with is room lay-out. We’ve all been there, every one of us can recount several tales of a bride handing us a poorly thought out room diagram and saying, “the venue says this is what they normally do for weddings”. The first thing we look for is the placement of the DJ set-up relative to the location of the dance floor; let’s face it, you don’t want to have 4 tables of guests between you and the dance floor… it just doesn’t work. I think it’s important to look at the ENTIRE room lay-out. Where are all the elements that you will be using located. Is the cake in the hall or pre-function area so people can view it during cocktails, and if so how are you planning to do the cake cut? Do you plan on parading everyone out to the pre-function area to view the cutting, or are you planning to have the cake moved into the main room, or would it be best to have the cake in the main room? These are all valid questions that should be discussed with the client as well as the venue. There are other things to consider as well. Most venue or event managers will tell you they want a certain “flow” to the lay-out so guests can move freely and efficiently into the room - guest book and gift table first, then onto pictures, snacks, bar, etc… The guests can move through displays and elements in a way that makes sense. You want to drop the gift first so you don’t have to carry it around, a snack or appetizer to enjoy as you view pictures or other items of that nature while making your way to bar. The same is true for the main ballroom where the dinner and party will be. Will you be able to stage
elements and events in a way that everyone can see what is happening? Do you want guests to simple see and hear some of these things, or do you want the guests to be a part of these elements like cake, entrance, 1st dance, bouquet, garter, etc. This will help you and your client determine where things should be in the room. For example, it’s hard to get everyone involved with a cake cut that is against a wall in the back of the room. As you can see there can be a lot of decisions that need to be made to host a truly spectacular wedding, reception, dinner and dance. The decision that I think gets the least amount of attention is the dance floor, and more specifically, the size of the dance floor. One of the hardest things to get clients, as well as venues to understand is the effect the size of your dance floor has on guests at an event. I am a firm believer in using a smaller dance floor, as most dance floors I see are dramatically over-sized for their surrounding and party size. Venues have a tendency to use the same huge 24 foot by 24 foot dance floor for every event, whether there are 150 or 350 guests, and they are really defensive about altering the size. Let me say that I like a smaller floor for very specific reasons that I will list and explain, but if you prefer a larger dance floor and it works for you, that’s great! There is no right or wrong here, what I am talking about is creating a better experience for the guests, and if more DJs start to take the same approach with clients and venues, it will only get easier for the venues to follow suit and start taking a closer look at the whole room lay-out. So here are some reasons I think a smaller dance floor is better than a very large dance floor. 1) Big dance floors are scary. 2) Guest feel like they’re “on display”. 3) Big dance floors always looks emp-
Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 7 little small, the next people will talk about 4) Much fewer “ballroom” or “coun- how full it was all night, not how small try” style dancers that spin around the it was. You wouldn’t put 200 people in a floor now. room designed to sit 600, you would re5) Small dance floor means striking duce the size of the room to keep the mood tables after dinner is less likely. more intimate and not lose the energy of 6) Don’t need that much space, not all the guests. Almost every venue nowadays 300 people will be on the floor at the same has a portable dance floor that can be adtime. justed in size, and typically these floors 7) Guests do not stand on the dance are in 3 x 3 or 4 x 4 sections, so take a floor and visit during cocktails, therefore closer look at your layout next time and cutting room into two sides. consider talking with your clients about Dance floors are a lot like house par- adjusting the size of the floor to better suit ties, no one wants to the first person there the size and dancing style of your event. I and no one wants to be there alone. I have think you’ll find it’s easier to fill it up. never seen someone turn away from a full Jake Palmer can be reached at jakepaldance floor but I have seen people avoid mer@discjockeynews.com. getting on an empty floor. If the floor is a ty.
Tamara Continued From Page 2 be overwhelming. 2-3 at most. Videos should be less than a minute. 3. What’s in it for me? Yes, WIIFM is here to stay and if your e-mails are filled with the words “I, me and my” you may want to replace them with the words “you and your.” She cares about one thing and that’s her wedding day and how your company is going to make her day unique, special and stress-free. Again, give her what she wants. 4. Start conversations on their terms. When she asks you a question simply answer it. Don’t answer questions she hasn’t asked. Mirror her communication by responding with the same number of sentences, the same form of communication, same grammar, same greeting and same tone. If she opens an e-mail with “Hi! We are so excited to learn about your services!” Respond with “Hi! What type of services do you need?” Make it conversational. DJ Marz shared an invaluable tip with us: “Respond in an e-mail as if you were talking to them face to face.” We don’t speak in paragraphs when we are in front of someone right? So why do we bombard our clients with paragraphs and paragraphs of information via e-mail? And during your e-mail
conversation, ask as many questions as you can about them and their wants and needs. You may have to overhaul your e-mails and update your processes, but it will be worth it to connect with this population. 5. She is your only Bride! That’s what she wants to believe, so never talk about your other brides. She does not care nor does she want to hear about the wedding you did last weekend. Focus on her and her wedding so she doesn’t feel like she is one of many brides you are working with. If she suggests an idea that you have seen a hundred times, act excited like it is the first time you heard her idea. Remember, she wants to feel special. Be Fast, Be Brief, Be Fun so we can finally conquer this new generation of brides! Please feel free to share your comments with Tamara at: tamarasims@discjockeynews.com Tamara is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Something 2 Dance 2 DJ Entertainment in Schaumburg, IL, which she proudly owns along with her husband Jay Sims. She has over 20 years experience in the wedding industry and loves creating wonderful wedding memories for her brides and grooms.
PAGE 8 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
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When the photo booth first came onto the scene, there were many in the event industry who believed that it was going to be a fad that lasted a year or two, never to be popular again. But here we are many years later and I think it’s safe to say the photo booth is here to stay. The long line that forms when we have our photo booth at an event and the laughter and excitement that surrounds it is infectious. I believe that the photo booth is quickly becoming a staple for many events. As I mentioned in my previous post, the cost of a good photo booth (and you probably should buy a manufactured booth, don’t try and fabricate one out of shower rods and curtains) is significant; ours was nearly $8,000. We were fortunate to have a decent savings account and could afford the cost, but I wasn’t about to just lay out $8,000 without some validation first. The goal of validation is to eliminate as much risk as possible. So don’t go down to your county office and file a D/B/A or start designing your business cards just yet. Here are the steps: 1. Find the competition. Google “photo booth rental (your city)” and check out the competition. First, look at who is running a Google Adwords campaign, they will be the very first search results in the grayish banner. Are they a local, regional, or national company? If the companies running Google ads are regional or national that’s a great sign, they have decided that your market is worth spending money on ads. Second, look at the organic search results on the first few pages. When I did this, I found that there was no local photo booth rental businesses running a Google Adwords campaign. The ads that were running were for companies about 2 or more hours away. In the organic, unpaid search results I did find that there already was a photo booth rental company in my city. In fact, they are within 5 miles of me. Don’t let this scare you away. It is likely a good thing, as there is probably already a market for photo booth rentals in your area. Go on Facebook, search for their business name(s), and see when their first posts were. This is likely close to their start date and see how busy they are. You could also go on WhoIs, enter their domain name, and look at the date their website was established. If they have been in business for a few years, that’s great, there has to be some market for photo booth rentals. 2. Evaluate the competition. Are there ways you could provide a higher-quality or different/unique service? Take an in-depth look at your nearest competitor’s website. Is the website outdated? Is there room for improvement? Keep in mind that it is mostly women who will be your customers, and they like things that are visually appealing. If a website is looks like an old Geocities site or is not user friendly, they will keep looking. What does their photo booth look like? Does it look as high-quality as the one you are considering? There are some companies who rent make-shift, homemade looking photo booths that are not attractive. The last thing a bride really wants is some shower curtain rods with fabric attached to hooks and an iPhone taking the photos. It is likely that the manufactured photo booth you are considering is classy and elegant because their design has come a long way. Look at the example photos they have put on their website. Are they of high quality or are they dark, with red eye, flash ghosting and a poor choice of backdrop color? It is pretty easy to see if they are using a DSLR camera and studio quality lighting. On your competitor’s site, do the props
By Chris Politylo
look cheap, predictable and cheesy? Some companies only use the cheap, plastic, paper, cardboard props and instead, you could position yourself as the photo booth company with the best props out there. What is the pricing structure of their packages? Is it confusing with lots of add-ons and extra fees? Perhaps you could be the photo booth company with flat rates, all inclusive packages with no extra fees. Email the competition, see how quickly they respond to you and what their response is like. How quick do they reply to you? Do they reply at all? Do they respond in a professional manner? When we started our business we noticed our potential customers often thanked us for responding at all, and responding quickly. Customers in this business want lots of communication and quick responses to questions. They want to remove any doubt in regards to whether you will come through on their special day. The reality is a lot of photo booth owners treat this business like a hobby and not a business, so there can be a lack of motivation. You will likely find some DJs or photographers that have decided to also do a photo booth business and they don’t take it very seriously. Perhaps everyone around you only has open-air style booths and you could be the only enclosed booth company. Maybe no one else has a green screen or social media station and you could fill that void. What I’m getting at is, there is a way you can stand out from the competition, just find your unique value proposition. All cars will take you from one place to another but there isn’t just one car manufacturer. Car buyers have different budgets, are after different options and like different styles. When I conducted a market evaluation in my local area, I noticed a hole in the market for a high-end, luxury photo booth rental business and decided to fill it. 3. Spend a little dough before you spend a lot of dough. Run a Google Adwords campaign. The best testing ground for your potential business is to actually run a small budgeted Google Adwords campaign. Sure you can post an ad on Craigslist and you might even get some inquires, but I don’t think even to this day, we have ever gained a customer from Craigslist. Let’s be honest, the folks on Craigslist are looking for great deals and are probably not your ideal customer. People on Craigslist are also likely not specifically searching for a photo booth rental. The great thing about Google ads is that you will quickly find out if people are trying to find a photo booth rental in your local market. With the significant cost of a photo booth, it is worthwhile to spend $100 in actual test marketing. Sometimes you can even find a free $100 coupon around the web somewhere for Google Adwords. Setup a simple one page website (aka a landing page) with Wix, Squarespace or Leadpages, just to see if people are searching for a photo booth rental and will click through on your ad. Setup an “opt-in” box and collect email addresses so you can follow-up with customers once you get the booth. So what are your results? Drop me a line at the email below and let me know, I’d love to hear what you found out. Before you call the photo booth company with your credit card in hand, read my next article, where I’m going to outline some things unique about this industry that you need to know. You can contact Chris at chrispolitylo@discjockeynews.com
Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 9
The Photobooth Section I suggested they remove the 9 or 10 that don’t get chosen, then make all the othCan You Uber-ize Your Business? ers the same price, sell them “chicken,” By Alan Berg
In my frequent travels, I find myself in need of transportation, either from the airport, or from a hotel. I started wondering why I’ll go on my phone and order an Uber or Lyft car, instead of choosing to get a cab, when there are often cabs right at the airport or hotel? I could just walk outside and find a cab… but maybe I’ll find a line waiting for cabs; or maybe a hotel attendant will have to call me a cab. For me, it’s the convenience — and certainty — of knowing that I have a ride, and when it will arrive. It’s also the convenience of having the charge go right to my credit or debit card, without having to make that physical transaction. It’s also a history of problems I’ve had with cabs in the past. Things such as dirty cars, long waits and drivers not accepting credit cards or — as happened to a friend of mine in New Orleans the other day — a driver conveniently telling her he didn’t have change for a $20 bill, and her fare was only $6.50. (He ended up giving her $15 in change, shorting himself in the process.) Is Uber perfect? Far from it (and I’m not referring to things in the news lately about their corporate or legal issues). Many of us who have used Uber, or Lyft, have had our share of less than courteous drivers, cramped cars and, as happened to us yesterday, a driver whose cologne smelled very much like alcohol (true story, and Uber refunded my fare for that one). How did they do it? So, what have they done to make Uber and Lyft my preference for ground transportation? They disrupted an established player (taxis, limos and car services) by making it easier to do business with them and by providing information and transparency. Being able to watch the car icon moving along the map towards me doesn’t actually get the car there any sooner, but it somehow makes me feel better because I can see the process. In one click, I can call or message the driver. Whether I ever use that feature isn’t important; the fact that I can is the bigger benefit. Years ago, when toll-free phone numbers were expensive, a large consumer products company put one on their packaging, with wording that encouraged their customers to call, toll-free, with any questions. They didn’t get that many calls, but the perception of the company in the eyes of consumers went up noticeably. Can you be the disrupter? Have you thought about how you can disrupt the status quo in your industry category? I remember seeing a videographer’s website that had a queue of the weddings that were being edited. It showed each couple exactly where they were in the list, and they could watch their name move up the list. He told me that he used to get numerous emails and calls from couples asking when their video would be ready. Since implementing the online queue, those calls and emails had almost completely gone away. It has benefitted both the customers and the
video business. I can’t do that! (or can you?) I’ve met many floral designers who tell me they can’t make a proposal on the spot, they need to research and get back to the customer. Not being able to give a price in the appointment, in my opinion, is costing them sales. Customers who are interested are being told to go home and wait for a proposal. Then, you have to get them back in, or chase them down after you’ve emailed the proposal. I’ve also met floral designers who have invested in technology to be able to create a proposal right now. Others have told me that they’ve been in their business long enough that they can make an estimate on the spot. While they might occasionally be off, sometimes it’s in their favor, and sometimes in the customer’s favor. It averages out over time, but makes them more sales because of the immediacy. What was once cutting edge becomes the norm Toll-free numbers were only for big businesses, willing to invest in them. Then the price came down and we all had them. Credit card processing used to involve expensive technology. Now, anyone with a smartphone can process a credit card anywhere. Live chat was only for businesses with large staffs. Now, you can live chat on your smartphone from wherever you are. Someone who’s out of the office as much as I am used to rely on voice mail. Now, when you call my office phone, my cell phone rings as well. I’m about to start using a service that will allow my customers to text my main office land line. I’ll be able to see, and respond, to those texts on my phone or desktop. Easier to sell is easier to buy What can you do to make it easier and more convenient to do business with you? How can you reduce the friction, at every step in the process? Having a better website experience, especially the mobile experience, will get you more inquiries. Giving them more choices on how to connect with you will get you more inquiries. Responding better and faster, will convert more of those inquiries to appointments. Giving them fewer, but better, options will make it easier to sell and easier to buy. You can have dozens of options, just don’t show them all to the customer. You don’t want to hear this often: “You’ve given us so much to think about, but we need to go home and process everything. We’ll get back to you.” How many choices is too many? In my consulting with wedding and event businesses, I often help businesses like yours scale back your offerings. While it may seem like you’re being a better resource by having a multitude of choices, it can often work against you. I see lists of products and services that look like my attic. Stuff goes in, but nothing ever comes out. I once did sales training for a venue that had 12 different chicken dishes on their menu. I asked them why they had so many choices. They said that over the years, as their customers requested new ones or their chefs invented new ones, they added them to the list; but none ever came off the list. I asked how many of the 12 options actually get chosen, and it was two or three. The others were just clouding the decision-making process. Showing all those options to the customer before they’ve reserved their date was delaying closing the sale.
and have them choose which one after they’ve reserved their date. I’ve suggested to many wedding businesses, especially smaller ones who only do one wedding on a day, to only offer one package on their most popular dates. If you get multiple inquiries for those dates, but can only sell one, why offer your lower package? That ends up costing you profit. One of my venue clients only offers the “Chef’s Tasting Menu” – where the client knows how many appetizer and entrée choices, but the chef decides on the actual menu. DJs or Photographers may only offer an AllInclusive package for Saturday nights in high-season. Many wedding venues have “revenue minimums” for certain dates, so why not the rest of you?
一䔀圀℀ 倀䠀伀吀伀 䈀伀伀吀䠀 匀吀䄀刀吀䔀刀 倀䄀䌀䬀䄀䜀䔀
Don’t just look at our industry Pay attention when you’re the consumer, and see what other businesses are doing to make your customer journey easier, and can be adapted to your business. Starbucks gets us to pay way more for coffee than McDonalds, yet people line up every day. I’ve used Uber in at least seven countries, all of which have taxis. What are your competitors doing to make it easier to do business with them? Can you disrupt the way business is done…before someone else does it to you? 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
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PAGE 10 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
Taking Beter Photos At Events By Joe Bunn
If you’ve noticed our @bunndjco Instagram account over the past six months or so, you’ll see that I got away from posting dark, blurry, behind the Serato screen photos and started using only pro photos from events that we’ve done. I just couldn’t take it anymore! However, after meeting with a couple of different social media experts recently, I may start trying to get pictures from my guys again and incorporating them into our posts. So without further ado, let me give you my top five tips for taking good photos at events without hiring a pro photographer. 1. Light. The light (sun, flash, etc.) needs to face the subject of the photo. When the sun is behind the bride and groom or cake or whatever, you’re always going to get a very dark image. You can filter it all you want, but it’s never going to be a good picture. If you have to change position to get that great first dance shot, do it, or send your assistant out there to grab it! 2. Clean It. You know the reason that about 50% of your photos are garbage? A dirty lens. Yup, that’s right, it’s that simple. Every time you put your phone in your pocket or purse, something rubs against that lens. Look at any of the new iPhones. What sticks out the furthest on the outside? The lens! Take five seconds before taking a picture and use your shirt tail or a clean towel or tissue to wipe off the lens. It will immediately make your images better, trust me! 3. Off Center. Here’s the reality; centered photos are boring! Do this. Google “Rule of Thirds” and check out a few examples of what photographers mean when they use this term. You will immediately start to see things differently as you frame your images. Instead of walking up and just snapping a photo
of a wedding cake and posting it, try to off center it. You’ll see the difference, and so will your social media followers! 4. Focus. I don’t necessarily mean YOU focus here, I mean focus your camera on your phone. The best way to do this on an iPhone is to simply tap on the screen on the spot where you most want to focus. Try to steer clear of actually zooming in on something, for example a first dance when you are 20 feet from the dance floor. Again, it’s not going to look good. Smartphone cameras can only do so much when it comes to zoom. Trust me, the photo will be grainy and it’s not going to get likes or engagement on social. 5. Try Again. Instead of just taking one picture and then rapidly trying to post it from the event, take several from different angles. If you don’t have a moment to post from the event, don’t sweat it. Save it for the next day or the next slow social media day. It will give you more time to flip through what you took, pic the best angle, or off centered one, filter it, and then post the best! As my good friend that helped me with this article once said, “Remember Joe, at the end of the day, Instagram is all about pretty pictures”. She’s exactly right, whereas Facebook is all about politics, my dog died, etc. etc. Instagram is about pictures. You want people that are scrolling through their feed to come across your stuff, to stop, like the picture and even better, engage with you about the photo. It all starts with taking a good picture in the first place. Pro tip: If you don’t have a personal account and a company account, I highly suggest creating both! Instagram has made it much easier these days to switch between your multiple accounts. As always, if you have any questions about taking pictures or Instagram in general, I’m here to help! Joe Bunn is the owner of Bunn DJ Company in Raleigh, NC. He is available for consulting and speaking engagements. His DVD “Marketing the Music” is now available at www.djjoebunn.com. Contact him at joebunn@ discjockeynews.com.
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Is It Always Better To Get Paid? By Dan Carpenter
I just had an experience that I’ve never had in my seventeen years in business; the groom for an upcoming wedding changed. Now I’ve had weddings get called off because a couple split, but I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of one where the couple split and then one of the members was still getting married to someone else on the same day, at the same venue originally planned. It was weird because I reached out to the bride to setup our meeting to discuss the reception. When she replied, she informed me that she wasn’t with guy #1 anymore, but was still getting married. Now this whole thing seemed strange to me. When I first met this bride to be, she had won my photo booth in a silent auction, but was worried that her boyfriend wasn’t going to propose anytime soon. Within six months of that auction, she contacted me to see if we could set something up for her wedding. After hearing about the change, I double checked just to see if the wedding was still on for the same date, and sure enough it was. So needless to say, this was going to be an interesting evening. However, that’s not where this story ends. During our back
and forth conversation trying to set up a night that would work for all three of us, she starts to explain that things may be on hold. Given how everything progressed in the last three weeks, for her sake I was hoping she would postpone (last thing I want to see happen is for someone to rush into marriage). I tell you that story to explain what came next. I have it in my contract that if they cancel within sixty days of their wedding that they still owe me as if I performed at their event. In all my time with this in my contract, I’ve only had to collect on this once. Now I was faced with possibly having to enforce this clause again. However, something told me that I might want to hold off. This is a girl who was going through something significant, and the last thing I wanted to do was push her into a commitment that she really needs to wait and think about. I’m going to paraphrase something I’ve heard many times before, would you rather prove you’re right and lose business, or keep your mouth shut and make more? We live in a social media world, where a negative statement can quickly go viral. I know that this cancellation wasn’t my fault, but would I never have a chance to explain that to her friends when they read about the DJ who wanted his money for doing nothing. How much could that enforcement of my contract cost me in the long run? In talking with this potential bride, I treated her like a friend. I expressed my desire to help her make the right decision, however I also put a time limit on it. When she was going back on Dan Carpenter Continued On Page 13
The Way I See It: Requests Revisited
Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 11
By Michael J. Lenstra
This is a subject I touched on in October of last year and I wanted to revisit. It deals with requests in the modern era and some of the solutions I have found in handling them. CHANGES OVER TIME Unlike the not so distant past, when DJs had the largest music collections in town and were by and large viewed as the experts on how to make a party sizzle, the general public now has the ability to have musical libraries that are just as impressive thanks to iPods and MP3s, and with that expanded library often comes an expanded feeling that they should be the ones directing the way the music is programmed—overlooking the DJ’s experience and treating him or her more like a human jukebox whose purpose is to play what’s demanded without consideration of how the music flows or blends together. As our 2017 wedding season began, I started pulling together some suggestions for dealing with these types of requests and maintaining control of the music. As it seems to be a frequent issue among DJs, I’d like to share my ideas with you now. TAKING BACK CONTROL I’m going to be talking most specifically about weddings here since this is predominantly what I do. I know that school dances are a whole different can of worms that I do not profess to be an expert in. For weddings it starts with the art of the consultation. My routine is typically to review the contract with couples, then go over the itinerary of their reception and get those songs for their special
moments. Then we talk dance music. I typically, before talking about specific songs, ask to review the different genres with the clients and ask them to let me know which ones are most likely to inspire their guests to dance. Note I did not ask them which genres they would like to hear. Like it or not, we are judged on how much fun people are having at their event. And the tell-tale sign of that is how many people are dancing. I also preface the genre list by saying “as we go through these genres you can say yes, no, maybe a few of those, or that’s okay if someone requests it,” thus planting the seed that— even though they may not be a big fan of line dances or a certain genre—they may not want to deny their guests the pleasure of hearing the song if they ask for it. Next we get into specific songs. As I look at the list that the couple may have e-mailed me or filled out on their virtual planner, I look for any notes or any songs that would seem odd to me and ask about them. I always then ask if, on their list, there are any songs that have a special connection to any certain group, like a sorority or team song or a certain family connection, thus knowing that we have to know that those people are present and, hopefully, on the dance floor when we hit it. It has happened before that we went to a client’s list, pulled off and played “Sweet Caroline,” only to find out that the song was requested for Grandma— whose name was Caroline—and she was not in the room at the time. Before wrapping up the conversation I ask if there are any specific artists or tracks that are absolute DO NOT PLAYs before I circle back and ask about requests. I ask, “Is it okay—with your per-
mission—if I screen out the requests to make sure that they fall into one of two criteria: One, that it is within the genres that you have selected, and two, that it is danceable? Sometimes people don’t realize what they like to listen to and what people will dance to is not always the same thing.” I’ll then give them an example of a song that may be popular but not deemed a good dance song—like something from Adele. I also let them know up front that I will not be able to use any YouTube links because of legalities and I will not be allowing anyone to plug their phone into my system to play something that I may not have. Do that once and see what a Pandora’s box you have just opened. Suddenly you’ll see a half dozen guys scrolling through their phone deciding what obscure song they have that they think will woo the crowd. By doing this I have established with the clients: I will be playing their key requests. I will not be playing music they definitely do not want played. I have been given permission to take the suggestions that I deem will work, but have permission to nix the ones I think will not. AT THE EVENT Armed with a specific direction by the client, and permission to pick and choose which requests I deem will be the best fit for their event, once again puts me in control. On site, I need to exercise my customer service abilities. Inviting requests is still a must, but the wording on how to do so will help determine which type of requests I will get. Instead of saying “If there is something you would like to hear tonight let me know what it is,” I might use “If there is something that ab-
solutely makes you want to dance, come talk to me,” thus planting the seed that I am looking for dance music tonight. I treat those who come with a request with respect; however, if I am apprehensive about a request, I let them know that my first obligation is to the couple. “I’m working on the bride and groom’s list right now, but I’ll write that down,” is something I often say to people making requests. I’ll sometimes make that list visible so they can see what specific songs the client has asked for. I’ll also quite frequently, after surveying the crowd or picking up on some cues during dinner or toasts, write down some of my own ideas that may work with this crowd. TAKING A CHANCE Still, I try not to be too rigid in my playlists. Even with all of my years of experience it does not mean I know everything. Sometimes an offbeat request can be a big hit. Some of the quirkiest requests that I have gotten in the last year have been “Boom Boom Boom” by the Vengaboys, “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night” by Bon Jovi, and “Jane Fonda” from Mickey Avalon. They’ve all worked, but only with that specific group. That’s when experience helps in determining whether a song is worth taking a chance on—and how quickly I can get out of it if it doesn’t work. The way I see it, even though guests at an event should have a voice, we are the ones hired for our expertise and knowing what and when to play a tune. That skill will be a large determining factor in how a couple’s wedding day is remembered. So, whatever we can do to fit in appropriate requests will only help in making those memories. 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 • JUNE 2017
Let’s Do This! By Dave Ternier
I am an optimist at heart. My wife sometimes chides me for this. My kids think it makes me playful. My wedding couples trust me because of it. The wedding industry here in Manitoba knows me as the happy wedding guy because of it. Then come my feelings about the “DJ industry.” It might surprise you, but the feelings I have about the DJ industry have not always been overly optimistic. Many feelings have come and gone with regards to the DJ community and my involvement in it. Some days it would be easier to hide away in a hole, do my thing, make the wedding couples who hire my services happy, and spend all of my free time with family and friends. I think you get the picture. I stay involved though. Something keeps me here. As I wrote about recently, there are some remarkable people in the mobile DJ community and my life has become far richer because of that. On top of that, many DJs have gone before me, laying the groundwork for much of the success I have experienced. This has, in turn, encouraged me to spend some time giving back to you, my friends and colleagues in the mobile DJ world. As Mark Ferrell said from the stage of Mobile Beat Las Vegas in 2015, “If you’re doing well, you have an obligation to help others.” I sit here writing this, conscious of the fact that I stand on the shoulders of many mentors, friends, colleagues and teachers who have taught me what it really means to work as a mobile DJ and MC. For that, I will be eternally grateful. This idea motivates each and every word I write on this blog. Now here we are…today…and I have never been more confident and optimistic about the DJ industry here in Canada. Nothing is perfect, of course, but I am happy with the direction we are headed and feel very fortunate to be involved. While we don’t always agree on everything, I have found an incredible community of selfless people to work with, in order to build the next generation of leaders. These people will be the leaders for those currently in our line of work and for those up and coming mobile DJs. This leads to the purpose for today’s post. While the current momentum is creating results…without new people, new ideas, and new energy, this momentum will eventually run out of steam and it will stall. With that said, I put this appeal to you, dear reader, to consider becoming a part of leadership. Maybe you have special skills with technology (websites, software, etc.)? Maybe you enjoy organizing people (networking nights, vendor get-togethers, etc.)? Maybe you enjoy working with highly detailed documents (policy documents, standard operating procedures, etc.)? Maybe you have exceptional business skills (finance, corporate negotiation, etc.)?
Maybe you are an Instagram pro? Every organized group of people requires a team of individuals with a variety of skills, in order to accomplish everything that needs to be done. Maybe you have some of the skills needed. If you have experienced any definition of “success,” consider giving a little of yourself to the greater good. “Industry supports its’ members” as Mark Ferrell once said. And remember, a rising tide lifts all boats. When we lend a hand to others, everyone suc-
ceeds. When Mark presented Who Do You Think You Are? at Mobile Beat Las Vegas in 2015, he motivated a lot of people to think about leadership in a very dif-
(or haven’t watched it recently), I implore you to please watch it. This presentation may impact you like you’ve never felt before. So…did YOU feel like standing at the end of that presentation? Who do you think you are? Will I be hearing from you? Will the leaders in your country be hearing from you? I’m feeling pretty optimistic. Let’s do this. ~ 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. ferent way than they once had before. If you have not viewed this presentation
5 Tips To Guarantee A Great Event By Brian Buonassissi
I know this seems like quite the guarantee, but for years I have lived by these 5 tips and I can’t remember the last bad event I had. If you don’t do these, you put yourself behind the 8 ball. Since I do a ton of weddings, I’m going to tailor this post towards that but it could really work for any private event type. Tip #1: I WANNA KNOW, I WANNA KNOW...Doing your homework before the event is critical. I could spend hours on this one tip. What I mean here is to know everything you possibly can about the event (which means asking a ton of the right questions) – from where your clients and their guests are from, the make up of their crowd (college friends? first time both sides of the family are meeting?), what your clients like/dislike about weddings they’ve seen/been to, a site inspection of the venue, the hot buttons of the vendors you’re working with, equipment you’re using and the music/ mixes you’re going to play are just a few of the many questions I ask. For the last one, I don’t mean come in with a prepared setlist but never play a mix of a song (or a song in general) that you’ve never heard or played before. That used to burn me in my early DJing days more than I care to admit. Tip #2: BACK THAT THANG UP... I can’t emphasize enough how impor-
tant this. I have all formalities songs on 3 different backups (iPad, Phone, and thumb drive). I carry a duplicate external hard drive with all my music. I travel with 2 computers. I am over the top on this on so many levels. You don’t get a do over for private events (especially weddings). Having as many fail safes as possible is just smart business. It’s not a matter of if but when you will need to use one. As I like to say, the event is often won or lost before you arrive. Tip #3: ...BUT I’M ALWAYS ON TIME... This is about giving yourself margin. By getting to the venue on time, get there early – WAYYYY early (for me, I arrive a minimum of 4-5 hours before the event). From not having to rush on setup, to being able to test and check all gear, to rehearsing your important moments, playing through every formality track in its entirely, to putting your event planner/Maître D’ (and potentially the clients) at ease, this is just a best practice. Tip #4: WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK WORK...In a perfect world, I would just mix my favorite tracks and the dance floor would be packed all night. Since we’re talking weddings, the dance floor would start during cocktail hour and it would be hard for them to stay seated for the meal because the music is that good. That happens at a lot of my events but not ALL of them. I have had a few tough ones. Sometimes it means I must go to a genre that I don’t particularly like or I may even have to go into cheese mode (assuming the client wants it). I never let my personal preference take precedence over what’s best for the event. I’ll keep grinding and do whatever it takes until I find the right
Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 13
formula for my crowd. Tip #5: P P P POKER FACE, P P P POKER FACE...Playing off the tip above, let’s say your event is going terrible. Maybe your crowd is just a nondancing crowd or you just can’t seem to please anyone with the song selection. You’ve put in a ton of work but it’s just not happening. What’s the remedy? Smile and look confident – like you know exactly what you’re doing and that you meant for it to be like this. Never let the crowd know you’re struggling. Show that poker face. Make them believe you’re having a great time (even if it’s killing you inside) and often, it’ll get them out there.
If nothing else, I’ve found it makes me feel better about the event at hand. I’m going to post a part 2 to this because there are many more things that I believe can ensure a great event. The ones above are the foundation. Follow them and you’re on your way to success. Based out of NYC, DJ Brian Buonassissi is a successful internationally traveling D J / M C 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.
Dan Carpenter Continued From page 10 forth on keeping the date or postponing, I reminded her of the sixty day clause in my contract and how we were within that window now. I also told her that if within three days she could come up with a definite answer and chose to wait, then I would waive any extra amount she owed and would be willing to transfer her retainer fee to a future date (if done within a year and a half). When she got back to me to tell me that the wedding was definitely being postponed, you could tell she was relieved. It was as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. I kept the conversation with her going. I wished her well, and I that I hoped when
she was ready to get married, that she would reach out again. That is when I knew I made the right decision. She wanted me for her wedding no matter what, she just didn’t know who that groom was going to be. Had I handled this differently, yes I would have gotten paid for her wedding, but I doubt the negative press would have been worth it. I do feel the clause in my contract is there for a reason, and in the right situation, I would enforce it. However, sometimes you just have to trust your gut and walk away. Dan Carpenter can be reached at dancarpenter@discjockeynews.com.
Smile and look confident – like you know exactly what you’re doing and that you meant for it to be like this.
PAGE 14 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
Top 50 Charts for JUNE 2017
http://www.discjockeynews.com • http://www.djntv.com Pop 1 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 2 THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY Something Just Like This 3 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 4 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 5 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 6 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 7 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 8 DJ KHALED I’m The One f/Bieber/Quavo... 9 LUIS FONSI & DADDY YANKEE Despacito f/Justin Bieber 10 CALVIN HARRIS Slide f/Frank Ocean/Migos 11 ED SHEERAN Castle On The Hill 12 HALSEY Now Or Never 13 HARRY STYLES Sign Of The Times 14 DRAKE Passionfruit 15 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me... 16 LINKIN PARK Heavy f/Kiiara 17 THE CHAINSMOKERS Paris 18 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 19 JASON DERULO Swalla f/N Minaj/Ty Dolla $ign 20 LADY GAGA The Cure 21 MILEY CYRUS Malibu 22 SELENA GOMEZ Bad Liar 23 MARTIN GARRIX & DUA LIPA Scared To Be Lonely 24 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands 25 MAROON 5 Cold f/Future 26 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 27 AJR Weak 28 DNCE Kissing Strangers f/N. Minaj 29 CAMILA CABELLO Crying In The Club 30 CHEAT CODES No Promises f/Demi Lovato 31 KYLE iSpy f/Lil Yachty 32 SAM HUNT Body Like A Back Road 33 RAG’N’BONE MAN Human 34 KENDRICK LAMAR HUMBLE. 35 LIAM PAYNE Strip That Down f/Quavo 36 KATY PERRY Swish Swish f/Nicki Minaj 37 DUA LIPA Be The One 38 POST MALONE Congratulations f/Quavo 39 HEY VIOLET Break My Heart 40 HAILEE STEINFELD Most Girls 41 TRAIN Play That Song 42 CHILDISH GAMBINO Redbone 43 NOAH CYRUS Stay Together 44 KHALID Location 45 PARAMORE Hard Times 46 JON BELLION Overwhelming 47 MAX Lights Down Low 48 PLAY-N-SKILLZ Si Una Vez (If I Once) 49 AARON CARTER Sooner Or Later 50 LOGIC 1-800-273-8255 f/A.Cara/Khalid Urban 1 KENDRICK LAMAR HUMBLE. 2 FUTURE Mask Off 3 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 4 MIGOS T-Shirt 5 YFN LUCCI Everyday We Lit f/PnB Rock 6 GUCCI MANE Both f/Drake 7 2 CHAINZ X GUCCI MANE X QUAVO Good Drank 8 CHILDISH GAMBINO Redbone 9 LECRAE Blessings f/Ty Dolla $ign 10 TEE GRIZZLEY First Day Out 11 KODAK BLACK Tunnel Vision 12 DRAKE Free Smoke 13 TREY SONGZ Nobody Else But You 14 CHRIS BROWN Privacy 15 DJ KHALED I’m The One f/Bieber/Quavo... 16 LIL UZI VERT XO Tour Llif3
17 FRENCH MONTANA Unforgettable f/Swae Lee 18 WALE Fashion Week f/G-Eazy 19 TRAVIS SCOTT Goosebumps 20 J. COLE Neighbors 21 AYO & TEO Rolex 22 JEREMIH I Think Of You f/Chris Brown 23 MONEYBAGG YO & YO GOTTI Doin 2 Much 24 SAHBABII Pull Up Wit Ah Stick 25 JOE GIFTED Water f/FrontStreet 26 DJ KHALED Shining f/Beyonce & Jay Z 27 MIGOS Slippery f/Gucci Mane 28 RICK ROSS Trap Trap Trap 29 YO GOTTI They Like f/YFN Lucci 30 DJ E-FEEZY Got Me Crazy (No Better Love) 31 DRAKE Passionfruit 32 WIZKID F/DRAKE Come Closer 33 RAE SREMMURD Swang 34 LIL YACHTY Peek A Boo f/Migos 35 KAYLA BRIANNA Luck f/Dreezy 36 BRYSON TILLER Somethin Tells Me 37 J. COLE Deja Vu 38 JACQUEES B.E.D. 39 PNB ROCK Selfish 40 RICH HOMIE QUAN Replay 41 GOLDLINK Crew f/Brent Faiyaz/Shy Glizzy 42 MONEY MAN How It Feel 43 BIG SEAN Jump Out The Window 44 FAT JOE & REMY MA Heartbreak f/The-Dream 45 2 CHAINZ It’s A Vibe f/Ty Dolla $ign... 46 THE WEEKND Reminder 47 MARY J. BLIGE Love Yourself f/Kanye West 48 RAY JR. NozeBleedz f/Ripp Flamez 49 BLAC YOUNGSTA Hip Hopper f/Lil Yachty 50 XXXTENTACION Look At Me! Adult Contempory 1 THE CHAINSMOKERS & COLDPLAY Something Just Like This 2 JAMES ARTHUR Say You Won’t Let Go 3 ED SHEERAN Shape Of You 4 BRUNO MARS That’s What I Like 5 ED SHEERAN Castle On The Hill 6 MAROON 5 Cold f/Future 7 KYGO X SELENA GOMEZ It Ain’t Me 8 JULIA MICHAELS Issues 9 IMAGINE DRAGONS Believer 10 ALESSIA CARA Scars To Your Beautiful 11 LINKIN PARK Heavy f/Kiiara 12 ZEDD & ALESSIA CARA Stay 13 HARRY STYLES Sign Of The Times 14 OCEAN PARK STANDOFF Good News 15 SHAWN MENDES There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me... 16 CHARLIE PUTH Attention 17 CLEAN BANDIT & ANNE-MARIE Rockabye f/Sean Paul 18 SAM HUNT Body Like A Back Road 19 LADY GAGA The Cure 20 JUDAH & THE LION Take It All Back 21 RAG’N’BONE MAN Human 22 NIALL HORAN Slow Hands 23 DNCE Kissing Strangers f/N. Minaj 24 MILEY CYRUS Malibu 25 PARAMORE Hard Times 26 TRAIN Drink Up 27 THE REVIVALISTS Wish I Knew You 28 THE CHAINSMOKERS Paris 29 HALSEY Now Or Never 30 DJ KHALED I’m The One f/Bieber/Quavo... 31 THE 1975 Somebody Else 32 THE BAND PERRY Stay In The Dark 33 THE RUA Fire And Lies
34 GAVIN DEGRAW Making Love With The Radio On 35 KATY PERRY Chained To The Rhythm 36 LP Lost On You 37 LUIS FONSI & DADDY YANKEE Despacito f/Justin Bieber 38 HAILEE STEINFELD Most Girls 39 BLUE OCTOBER I Want It 40 LANY ILYSB 41 NEEDTOBREATHE Hard Love 42 DRAKE Passionfruit 43 CALVIN HARRIS Slide f/Frank Ocean/Migos 44 CAMILA CABELLO Crying In The Club 45 SHAWN HOOK Reminding Me f/Vanessa Hudgens 46 JOSEPH White Flag 47 KEITH URBAN The Fighter f/Carrie Underwood 48 FOR KING & COUNTRY Priceless 49 GOO GOO DOLLS Use Me 50 ED SHEERAN Galway Girl Country 1 BRETT YOUNG In Case You Didn’t Know 2 DIERKS BENTLEY Black 3 DARIUS RUCKER If I Told You 4 LUKE COMBS Hurricane 5 DAN + SHAY How Not To 6 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE God, Your Mama, And Me 7 BLAKE SHELTON Every Time I Hear That Song 8 DYLAN SCOTT My Girl 9 THOMAS RHETT Craving You f/Maren Morris 10 KEITH URBAN The Fighter f/Carrie Underwood 11 RASCAL FLATTS Yours If You Want It 12 LADY ANTEBELLUM You Look Good 13 COLE SWINDELL Flatliner 14 MIDLAND Drinkin’ Problem 15 JUSTIN MOORE Somebody Else Will 16 ZAC BROWN BAND My Old Man 17 OLD DOMINION No Such Thing As A Broken... 18 TIM MCGRAW & FAITH HILL Speak To A Girl 19 BILLY CURRINGTON Do I Make You Wanna 20 BROTHERS OSBORNE It Ain’t My Fault 21 BRANTLEY GILBERT The Weekend 22 CHRIS LANE For Her 23 KIP MOORE More Girls Like You 24 BRETT ELDREDGE Somethin’ I’m Good At 25 DUSTIN LYNCH Small Town Boy 26 KELSEA BALLERINI Yeah Boy 27 LOCASH Ring On Every Finger 28 MAREN MORRIS I Could Use A Love Song 29 CARLY PEARCE Every Little Thing 30 DRAKE WHITE Makin’ Me Look Good Again 31 JON PARDI Heartache On The Dance Floor 32 EASTON CORBIN A Girl Like You 33 GARTH BROOKS Ask Me How I Know 34 JASON ALDEAN They Don’t Know 35 ERIC CHURCH Round Here Buzz 36 KANE BROWN What Ifs f/Lauren Alaina 37 MORGAN WALLEN The Way I Talk 38 BIG & RICH California 39 SETH ENNIS Woke Up In Nashville 40 WILLIAM MICHAEL MORGAN Missing 41 BRAD PAISLEY Last Time For Everything 42 ADAM CRAIG Just A Phase 43 MIRANDA LAMBERT Tin Man 44 CHRIS STAPLETON Either Way 45 AARON WATSON Outta Style 46 LANCO Greatest Love Story 47 JAKE OWEN Good Company 48 HIGH VALLEY She’s With Me 49 LITTLE BIG TOWN Happy People 50 WALKER MCGUIRE Til Tomorrow
Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017 • Page 15
Recurrent Hits For The Dance Floor for JUNE 2017 http://www.discjockeynews.com • http://www.djntv.com
Pop Recurrents 1 ADELE Send My Love (To Your New... 2 KATY PERRY Chained To The Rhythm 3 WALK THE MOON Shut Up And Dance 4 MACHINE GUN KELLY At My Best f/Hailee Steinfeld 5 MARIAN HILL Down 6 JON BELLION All Time Low 7 FLO RIDA & 99 PERCENT Cake 8 ARIANA GRANDE Dangerous Woman 9 THE WEEKND Can’t Feel My Face 10 JUSTIN BIEBER Love Yourself 11 ZAYN Pillowtalk 12 JASON DERULO Want To Want Me 13 KIIARA Gold 14 MAJOR LAZER Lean On f/M 15 DNCE Cake By The Ocean 16 SIA The Greatest f/Kendrick Lamar 17 SHAWN MENDES Stitches 18 THE WEEKND The Hills 19 NIALL HORAN This Town 20 ARIANA GRANDE Into You 21 G-EAZY Me Myself & I f/Bebe Rexha 22 MAJOR LAZER Cold Water f/Justin Bieber, M 23 FLO RIDA My House 24 MIKE POSNER I Took A Pill In Ibiza 25 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Ride 26 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Can’t Stop The Feeling 27 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Heathens 28 HAILEE STEINFELD & GREY Starving f/Zedd 29 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Stressed Out 30 ADELE Water Under The Bridge 31 JUSTIN BIEBER Sorry 32 THE CHAINSMOKERS Don’t Let Me Down f/Daya 33 FIFTH HARMONY Work From Home f/Ty Dolla $ign 34 SHAWN MENDES Treat You Better 35 CALVIN HARRIS This Is What You... f/Rihanna 36 BRUNO MARS 24K Magic 37 DRAKE One Dance f/Wizkid & Kyla 38 SIA Cheap Thrills 39 DJ SNAKE Let Me Love You f/J. Bieber 40 SHAWN MENDES Mercy 41 RIHANNA Love On The Brain 42 MAROON 5 Don’t Wanna Know f/K. Lamar 43 ARIANA GRANDE Side To Side f/Nicki Minaj 44 THE WEEKND Starboy f/Daft Punk 45 ALESSIA CARA Scars To Your Beautiful 46 MGK X CAMILA CABELLO Bad Things 47 THE CHAINSMOKERS Closer f/Halsey 48 THE WEEKND I Feel It Coming f/Daft Punk 49 CLEAN BANDIT & ANNE-MARIE Rockabye f/Sean Paul 50 ZAYN/TAYLOR SWIFT I Don’t Wanna Live Forever
Urban AC Recurrents 1 AFTER 7 Let Me Know 2 CHRIS BROWN Back To Sleep 3 BEYONCE All Night 4 R. KELLY Backyard Party 5 WALE The Matrimony f/Usher 6 KEITH SWEAT Good Love 7 ERIC BENET Insane 8 AFTER 7 I Want You 9 DRAKE One Dance f/Wizkid & Kyla 10 VIVIAN GREEN Get Right Back To My Baby 11 BABYFACE Exceptional 12 BBD Run 13 GREGORY PORTER Holding On f/Kem 14 ANDRA DAY Rise Up 15 USHER Missin U 16 FANTASIA Sleeping With The One I Love 17 KIRK FRANKLIN Wanna Be Happy? 18 ADELE Hello 19 ALICIA KEYS In Common 20 MAXWELL 1990x 21 DRAKE Hotline Bling 22 JILL SCOTT Fool’s Gold 23 ERIC BENET Sunshine 24 ANTHONY HAMILTON Amen 25 JAHEIM Back In My Arms 26 CECE WINANS Never Have To Be Alone 27 RIHANNA Work f/Drake 28 JAZMINE SULLIVAN Let It Burn 29 FANTASIA No Time For It 30 JILL SCOTT Can’t Wait 31 SOLANGE Cranes In The Sky 32 TYRESE Shame 33 JANET JACKSON No Sleeep 34 TYRESE Waiting On You 35 JOE So I Can Have You Back 36 JOHN LEGEND Love Me Now 37 GUORDAN BANKS Keep You In Mind 38 MARK RONSON Uptown Funk f/Bruno Mars 39 KEM Nobody 40 MAJOR. Why I Love You 41 JOHNNY GILL This One’s For Me And You 42 YUNA Crush f/Usher 43 THE WEEKND Earned It 44 MARY J. BLIGE Thick Of It 45 LA’PORSHA RENAE Good Woman 46 YUNA Best Love 47 LEELA JAMES Don’t Want You Back 48 KEVIN ROSS Long Song Away 49 LALAH HATHAWAY Angel 50 MAXWELL Lake By The Ocean
Stop, And Chase The Butterflies By Jeremy Brech
I have noticed that I run my life the same way I run my business. I have taken away opportunities from my own children because I get so caught up in my own busy schedule that I create. Don’t get me wrong, I still want my kids to work hard, diligently, and be focused. I notice myself telling my children every morning to, “hurry up” or “stay focused.” Then I realized I was too much business and not enough play. I was cheating my kids out of opportunity and creativity because I was working on my schedule and my agenda. So how do you teach your kids to work hard, focus on tasks, and to never give up while giving them the freedom they deserves and kids and how does this relate to the way our business now runs? This whole thing came to mind one day when I was out on a walk with my family on the trails. I caught myself telling my kids in the first half of our hike to hurry up, and let’s keep moving. My youngest daughter Norah who turned five today was running around crazy like
she usually does. I remember my parents always saying, “Jeremy isn’t naughty, he just really loves life.” I know I wasn’t the perfect kid while growing up and I did always seem to be in the principal’s office at least once a week. Even though the teachers dreaded having me in their classrooms my parents still gave me the opportunity to love life. They never took away my creative and energetic self. They never told me I couldn’t do something that was ambitious or out of the norm. He had very stellar parents that allowed me to be me. They knew I didn’t like to be like other kids or try to fit in. All of this kind of just dawned on me as I was watching my kids explore the surroundings. In that moment a switch just flipped. My kids deserved to be kids and I want them to love life just like my parents allowed me to love life. I encourage my kids to go out and build, create, and imagine anything is possible. Never allow yourself to stop or slow down. I was always told I marched to the beat of my own drum and now I encourage my kids to do the same. I allow them to explore, act as silly as they can, and chase butterflies. When the ask me to come look at this or watch that, I stop what I am doing and give them my entire focus, because that is what they deserve. This is their one opportunity to be children and live life to the fullest and the last things I want to do is miss that.
Hot Adult Contempory Recurrents 1 THE WEEKND Starboy f/Daft Punk 2 THE WEEKND Can’t Feel My Face 3 MIKE POSNER I Took A Pill In Ibiza 4 LUKAS GRAHAM 7 Years 5 MEGHAN TRAINOR Like I’m Gonna Lose You 6 TAYLOR SWIFT Style 7 DAYA Sit Still, Look Pretty 8 X AMBASSADORS Renegades 9 CHARLIE PUTH One Call Away 10 FLO RIDA My House 11 ADELE Hello 12 JUSTIN BIEBER Sorry 13 TAYLOR SWIFT Wildest Dreams 14 THE CHAINSMOKERS Don’t Let Me Down f/Daya 15 ELLIE GOULDING Love Me Like You Do 16 MAROON 5 Sugar 17 MARK RONSON Uptown Funk f/Bruno Mars 18 FITZ & THE TANTRUMS HandClap 19 SHAWN MENDES Stitches 20 HAILEE STEINFELD & GREY Starving f/Zedd 21 RACHEL PLATTEN Fight Song 22 ELLE KING Ex’s And Oh’s 23 CALVIN HARRIS This Is What You... f/Rihanna 24 JASON DERULO Want To Want Me 25 SIA The Greatest f/Kendrick Lamar 26 X AMBASSADORS Unsteady 27 JUSTIN BIEBER Love Yourself 28 DNCE Cake By The Ocean 29 WALK THE MOON Shut Up And Dance 30 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Heathens 31 TRAIN Play That Song 32 SHAWN MENDES Treat You Better 33 ADELE Send My Love (To Your New... 34 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Ride 35 THE WEEKND I Feel It Coming f/Daft Punk 36 JAMES BAY Let It Go 37 BRUNO MARS 24K Magic 38 NIALL HORAN This Town 39 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Stressed Out 40 PINK Just Like Fire 41 SIA Cheap Thrills 42 DJ SNAKE Let Me Love You f/J. Bieber 43 LADY GAGA Million Reasons 44 THE CHAINSMOKERS Closer f/Halsey 45 MAROON 5 Don’t Wanna Know f/K. Lamar 46 RIHANNA Love On The Brain 47 SHAWN MENDES Mercy 48 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Can’t Stop The Feeling 49 ZAYN/TAYLOR SWIFT I Don’t Wanna Live Forever 50 ADELE Water Under The Bridge
I was at a conference about three years ago and I asked a panel of very successful businessmen and DJ owners and they were answer questions about their success. My question was, “If you could rewind and look back at yourself, what would you have done differently?” Without skipping a beat, a man that I truly admire and respect said, “I would have cherished the time with family more. I would have given them more attention.” When I heard that it made sense but when I thought about that a couple weeks ago on our hike I truly understood it. My parents allowed me to be a kid who loved life to the fullest and I am grateful for that because I am who I am because of their decisions in choices, allowing me to make my decisions and choices. In our business today, we have fun and enjoy what we do. Our clients are like our children, as they deserve the attention and opportunity to dream big and I get to be a part of that. There are also so many DJs who somehow can’t make a living by doing this one job as a DJ. First, if you can’t make ends meet then you aren’t charging enough and if you can’t justify
your price at $2000+ per show then you should probably take more training and raise your value. Don’t take away from your client’s opportunity because you aren’t willing to put in the time and energy that raises your value. I am thankful that Mark Farrell has provide inspiration and training to raise our level. Because of that I now run a very successful DJ business that my wife and I manage with a total of 11 staff. It isn’t all about business in our business because we know how important life is outside of business. This industry and success has allowed us to have the flexible schedule we deserve and enjoy time with our kids. It allows us to go camping and spend time at the lake house, while allow our kids to enjoy life. We are fortunate to be an in industry where we get opportunity to touch lives but better yet enjoy our lives. Not being held to a time clock but sit back listen to our kids giggle and stop and watch them chase the butterflies. Jeremy Brech is Owner/Entertainer/ Lighting Designer of DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design. Jeremy can be reached at: jeremybrech@discjockeynews.com.`
PAGE 16 • Disc Jockey News • JUNE 2017
What It Means To Under Promise And Over Deliver By Jason Spencer
The movie Armageddon starring Bruce Willis hit theater box offices in 1998. Little did most DJs realize that it would spawn a two-decade mainstay for “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith that can be played at any event needing a slow rock song. Something else happened that year, something that would forever change the online retail space. Nick Swinmurn, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, was walking through the mall looking for a pair of Airwalk desert boots. One store had the right color, but not the right style. Another store had the right style, but not the right size. After bouncing from shoe store to shoe store, Nick went home empty-handed and
quite frustrated. Twenty years ago, no major retailers were specializing in selling shoes online. After all, the visual Internet, with web browsers that we use and love today, had only been around for about three years. Brick and mortar stores didn’t quite understand how it helped them yet - and worse they didn’t see the competition. In 1998, that competition came first as Nick rolled his frustration into the online store Shoesite.com, before meeting with Tony Hsieh and realizing that they needed a more distinctive brand. That’s when Zappos was born, named after the Spanish word “zapatos” (meaning shoes). Together, they desired to create something that would be fun and different. They asked themselves what would the company stand for. They didn’t just want to sell shoes. They wanted to provide the best customer experience possible. I’m sure that many of you reading this story have bought something online from Zappos. What you may not know is that when they started as a little nobody, there was another major competitor in
their industry that you probably know, called Footlocker. And in 1998, Footlocker had a store in every mall in the country. They were fully backed by venture capital, with millions of dollars behind them. Zappos was a little San Francisco startup, and the first ten venture capital firms that Nick approached for funding turned him down. They all said that nobody would want to buy shoes without trying them on first. Eventually, Zappos did find an investor, with an initial $500,000 funding. The folks at Footlocker spotted an opportunity on the Internet and said, “we’re moving in,” while Zappos said, “there’s this opportunity on the Internet, and we’re going to start there from scratch.” Hundreds of millions of dollars behind Footlocker, practically nothing behind Zappos. However, Zappos won. And in 2009, they sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion. How? Because of a customer service technique known as Under Promise, Over Deliver. I’m sure when you made a purchase
from Zappos, you noticed their strategy where they thank you for your purchase. They usually tell you that you’ll get your shoes in about a week. And then they show up the next day via UPS, right? They probably even told you that you are a Zappos VIP? Well, I hate to break it to you, but they tell everybody that. Zappos made you a promise that it would take five days, but then UPS had it to you overnight. And when it arrives overnight, it’s like it’s your birthday! “This is amazing, my shoes are here!” you exclaim. Remember I told you that Footlocker made a move into the online market around the same time? They said, we’re going to take shoe orders, and we’re going to promise overnight delivery. You could order the exact same shoes, Footlocker would say you’d have them the next day, and they’d arrive the next day. But that’s what they promised you in the first place. Sometimes UPS would get stuck in a snow storm, miss a package, and it might take two days. Footlocker promised you’d get your shoes overnight when, in fact, it takes two days. You’re sitting around with cold feet waiting for your shoes, grumbling that your overnight order is late, and guess what? Footlocker sucks. They can’t deliver on their promises! Zappos, on the other hand, said it’ll take five days to get to you. When it comes overnight, you’re blown away. But sometimes they’d run into the same shipping problems. Sometimes it would take the shipping company an extra day. Instead of coming in five days, it’s now arrived in two, and it’s still like it’s your birthday. Under promise, over deliver. The biggest way to improve your business is not by getting better on your deliverables. It’s by improving your promises. You need to start setting promises to your clients that are just on the outer side of reason and then beat those promises. Most people over promise. We want to promise the world to our customers. The problem is that if we miss that promise, even by just a little bit, we’ve set our client up for a huge disappointment. Even worse, when people have expectations, meaning they can already anticipate you’ll do something (like Footlocker’s overnight delivery), it becomes the standard way of doing things. It’ll never help you be recognized as different because it was what the client expected you to do in the first place. You never set yourself up for the chance to WOW them. It’s only when we under promise and then over deliver -- when we take the opportunity to deliver something beyond expectations -- that people experience genuine surprise. That’s when our customers become gleeful, and they will want to buy more from us or become happy to refer us to their best friend and shout from the rooftops of all things social media. Jason Spencer is a Certified Profit First Professional and founder of Profithood Academy. He has over 20 years of wedding and event industry experience and is the owner of Spencer Weddings and Entertainment in Northern California. He can be reached at 916-264-9777 or by email at jasonspencer@discjockeynews.com.