|
"Please
Do Not Just Hire A DJ"
by
Steve
Lemons, President, DCI, Inc.
Tune
Time Entertainment division
If
you "just hire a DJ" you might get lucky and get
your money's worth and still have an awful event. Or, you
might not get your money's worth, and still have an awful
event. Please allow me to explain. Hiring a DJ to just stand
up there and play songs is an easy goal to achieve. But, that
does not make for a successful event. But even this simple
goal can be missed by some DJ's that don't even know what to
play or when to play it. Whether
the event is a wedding reception or a corporate party, the
success of the event can only be measured by the guests after
the event is over. If they had a great time and enjoyed the
time spent at the event then all is well. So, how can so
many DJ's get it so wrong so often?
Disc
Jockeys are not an endangered species. On the contrary, there
are many more today then ever before. Why? Because the
amateurs think that equipment prices have dropped, downloaded songs are
cheap and too many amateurs assume it is easy money. No, no, no, on
each front:
Professional
equipment is not cheaper than ever.
Music
is still expensive if purchased legally.
Doing
it right is not quick and it is not easy.
So,
how do many well intentioned DJ's get it so wrong? That one is
easy: They are clueless as to what it takes to perform a
professional event. They see the two little characters,
"DJ" and stop looking. They assume that a Disc Jockey just jockeys discs and everybody is happy.
They believe that loud music is the key and the louder the better. Play loud songs
and the dance floor is full and you get paid and go home. It is
possible that they get this impression from watching bad DJ's in
their local market and assume that they are seeing the standard.
Bottom
Line: The Tools of the Trade do not make good DJ's out of the
Fools of the Trade.
Bad DJ's are not completely at fault. Somebody hired
them! And, if that somebody did not do their homework and
"just hired a DJ", then they fell short of the goal. A
goal that should have read, "Hire A Good DJ". A
"good" DJ is somebody that has the experience,
training, knowledge, and skill to do the job right. If that job
is a wedding reception, then they know how to choreograph the
best reception possible. And, that requires a partnership with
your DJ. You cannot "just hire" a DJ to get the job
done. The success of the event requires a close
relationship and communication to meet the goal.
The
following checklist should help reach the goal.
1.
Meet with your DJ entertainment.
The relationship must be
comfortable and this cannot be conveyed over the phone or in
emails. Do not expect good results unless you have
invested the time with the DJ to plan the details.
Experienced DJ's can, and do, coordinate successful events over
the phone when travel or scheduling does not permit a
face-to-face meeting. But, this is not the best process. Some
communication is not accomplished with words alone. A personal
meeting is the only sure way to get the best
results.
2.
Nail down the GOAL.
Do not assume that "success" means
the same thing to everybody on the planet. A successful wedding
reception only means what the client says it means. Then, if the
DJ can make it happen, they should say so. And, if they cannot
make it happen, they should say, "No". Of
course, many clients only know that they want everyone to have a
good time and that is certainly a valid point. But, what is a
"good time"? Does that mean everybody is going to
dance? Talk this out with your DJ and detail your expectations
so that the DJ can have a clear target.
A
professional DJ is paid to reach goals. Most often that goal is
simply that everyone at the reception has a great time. If
the DJ has the experience to know what that means, then all is
good. But, if for any reason, the goal is different to the
client than the DJ, then the outcome will not reach the
target.
3.
Expect the DJ to have the answers.
Experience in pulling off
successful events only comes with experience and hard
work. Do they have the experience? Do they have the
references to show that they know how to get it done? Let them
guide the planning process. This might be your first wedding
reception ever. The DJ can be a valuable tool in planning the
perfect event. Feel free to simply ask the entertainer what they
would recommend. Let them detail the ultimate reception and then
see if is sounds good to you. If so, book it. Here is where the
best of the best get abused by the best of the cheapest. You
might get great ideas from the best DJ in the area and then
decide to go out and hire a cheaper DJ to meet these goals. Good
Luck. Knowing what to do and knowing how to do it
are two completely different things. Do not be too surprised if
the pro DJ restricts his or her full planning meeting until
after the contract is signed and the deposit is in the bank. Pro
DJ's also know how to avoid wasting their time. It is a business
after all. There may be a surplus of "DJ's" in the
business, but there are only 52 Saturdays in a year. Pro DJ's
fill their prime nights without worrying too much about the
competition.
4.
Hire the best DJ, trust them, and then let go.
Once the event starts, the DJ is going to be busy
and cannot be asking permission at every step of the evening. If
the client wants to do it all, they do not need to hire a
DJ. Once the music starts, the DJ is busy crafting each
song to meet the crowd. Each event and each crowd is
different. The pro's know how to start the event based on
the information from the client. But, as soon as the dancing
starts, the atmosphere takes its first breath and the crowd
comes to life. Knowing how to read the crowd, how to react, how
to interact, and how to work the crowd is the stuff that sets
DJ's apart. Professional DJ's know when to work the microphone
and when to shut up. Sometimes it comes down to skill. Some have
the talent, and some do not. Entertainment requires a very keen
sequence of receptors. Feeling the pulse of the crowd, the
exact time for faster and louder, and the exact time to cool it
down and quiet it down. The professional DJ can tell at
each moment if he or she has the crowd or if the crowd and
the DJ are out of sync. And, that is why you do not
"just" hire a DJ. If all you want is noise near
the dance floor, don't save some money and hire the
cheapest DJ, go ahead and save all your money and put a
boom box on the floor and kick in your favorite songs.
Plus, this approach will get you home earlier. With an empty
dance floor you can turn out the lights and go home.
5.
Find out the DJ's bag of tricks.
What does the DJ do to get the
crowd moving? Crowds are very peculiar. There is no magic
formula that works each and every time. Some crowds come fully
equipped with plenty of great and excited dancers that keep the
floor alive without a lot of extra work. But, more commonly
there are a only a few couples that only dance to certain very
specific types of music. Every DJ has a different approach to
these problems and should feel comfortable explaining their
tactics. Dance contests, dance instruction, games, and
working the microphone are among the cures for dance floor
vacancy.
6.
Know the DJ's approach to games and contests.
Nothing is
more embarrassing than watching an amateur DJ start a formal
wedding reception with an inappropriate game that lowers the bar
for the rest of the evening. A professional DJ knows what
games to play and when to play them. Certain games are
great at certain times. No game is good at all times.
Most professional DJ's are also
pretty good on the dance floor. After all, most events that hire
a DJ are events that focus on the dance floor. If the DJ cannot
lead dance contests or offer dance instruction, then what do
those that do not know how to dance do all evening? No
question about it: The success of a dance event is measured in
large part on the percentage of participation in the event. Part
of this is the raw statistic of what percentage of the audience
made it to the dance floor. But part of it is also those that
really enjoy watching everyone having a good time. Not
everybody dances, but that does not mean they cannot
really enjoy the event. Pro DJ's never embarrass
anyone to get on the dance floor. Tweaking the lights,
adjusting the pace, and changing the volume can draw some slow
comers to the floor. Watching a master at this craft is
incredible because the talent is so rare. All too often the DJ
plays what they like, when they like it, and then go home. And,
then they wonder why their business is slowing down.
7.
Discuss the flow and direction of the event.
Pro DJ's have to be
good emcee's for event management. As the M.C. (Master of
Ceremony) the DJ should be very capable at working the
microphone to announce events and motivate the crowd. Getting
this job done right requires the same set of receptors and
senses as knowing how to play the right song at the right time.
Too often, a DJ will run their mouth to the point of annoyance.
When everything is just right, the DJ is an unseen element. The
focus of the event is on the wedding party or event crowd. Then,
when it is necessary to bump the group one way or the other, the
DJ can make it happen with the right words at the right
time. Some crowds require more direction than others.
Knowing how much and how little is the talent.
8.
Make sure that the DJ, and their equipment, will properly attire
for the event.
Discuss very openly the plans for the
event's atmosphere. Investigate the DJ's equipment to make sure
that it will not distract from the event's decorations. Ask to
see pictures of the equipment as it will appear at the
event. This discussion also includes the attire of the DJ. The
client gets to make this choice. DJ's should match, not
overwhelm, the commonplace attire at the event. DJ's that insist
that they "always wear their tuxedo" are probably
going to be on the mic all night long showing off as well.
Beware. Again, the best DJ is the one that is not too
often the focus of attention. They will appear as needed to get
something accomplished and then just as quickly disappear until
needed again. And, it is hard to disappear in a crowd of
informal wear in a tuxedo.
9.
What happens in the event of an equipment failure?
What
backup equipment is available on the site in the event of the
unexpected. Pro DJ's travel with professional equipment that
carries names that most clients have never seen before. If the
DJ's setup is junk from the local department store, be
concerned. What if it fails? Professional entertainers are
always aware of the unexpected and plan accordingly. Keep in
mind that having backup equipment is not cheap.
10.
What is the backup plan if the DJ is sick on the magic day?
The
pro's work together and can usually call on a backup
entertainer. Most companies also have backup talent that can run
the show on a moment's notice. Is it the ideal? No. But it is
far better than, "Sorry, we cannot make it". Ask the
DJ how many gigs they missed last year? The pro's know the
phrase, "The show must go on".
11.
Discuss the DJ's song lists.
Many
DJ's brag about having thousands and thousands of songs.
Well, that is great if you are going to
sit and listen to songs. But, if dancing is the focus of the
event, then thousands and thousands of songs are not
at all necessary. If the DJ has really studied the vast
library of songs within their reach, then the only songs that really
matter are those that are great for dancing.
Pro
DJ's will maintain a very current list of "Top Dance
Hits" from the past 50 years. Most lists would include
enough music to fill over 250 hours of
non-stop dancing. How much do you need? This does not include
their full library of "dinner" music listings. Some
will say, "But I need them for Requests." That
is only partially true. Most requests are not suitable for the
event in progress. The
DJ's job is to mix the music to the crowd and stay focused.
Playing every request can please the one person
making
the request but irritate the crowd on the dance floor.
Professional DJ's know how to handle requests.
12. Do you really
want karaoke?
OK,
so everybody likes karaoke. (Really?)
If
the event is a stationary DJ at a bar, then karaoke can be fun
and self-entertaining. However, at more formal events
(like wedding receptions) the addition of karaoke can be in very
poor taste. And, for many reasons:
First,
when the first child is denied use of the karaoke microphone,
the parents and their entire party will be upset. Secondly,
if a professional DJ has been hired to perform, let them
perform. If they rely on the karaoke machine to
provide the entertainment, they could have mailed in the
entertainment. Adding karaoke to an event must be chosen
carefully. Too many times, the karaoke starts and is hard to
stop. Think about it carefully before plugging it in. Even
with the best intention of only playing two karaoke songs for a
friend of the bride to sing, once the unit is on, the DJ will
get requests for the karaoke list. And, way too many people
think they can sing only after they have been to the well too
long. Handing them a microphone can be certain disaster. Don't
be surprised again if the entertainment passes on the event if
this is a mandatory requirement. After all, the pro's live on
great crowd feedback and referrals. Taking an event just for the
money can lead down a path with little
return.
Finally,
without the need to list it on the checklist, is the matter of
the entertainer's fee. Match the fee expectation with the
event's expectation. It is really that simple.
Find the
right DJ entertainment, partner with them, and go enjoy the
evening!
©Copyright
2007 DCI, Inc. Fairfield, IL All Rights
Reserved.
|
VISA and MasterCard Accepted