Are you a "mobile" mobile DJ?
- Thread starter Papa Deuce
- Start date
I look at it different. I use these tools for MY benefit. Being able to books shows right away is good for my business. It adds to the quality of my life to not have to be in my office to conduct business. I agree with you on the points of having stuff in your car...ready for the moment someone calls doesn't add much value. There has just been a few times in my life when I have gotten last minute phone calls. Most have been from other dj companies and most could have been handled by going back to the office and pick up equipment. However, one time a few years ago, me, my wife, and another couple were at an Irish Pub/ Restaurant. The band didn't show up. My wife jokingly says you should go get your equipment from the car. The waitress hears her and tells the owner. He comes over and asks me if I would. I really didn't want to, but he started pleading. So I said, tell you what, comp the meal and the drinks for all 4, I'll do it for an hour. If its going good, we'll discuss money and time. This was about 8 and it was crowded. I just wanted an out if I wanted to leave. I did some DJing and karaoke, I played till midnight for $250 plus the meal and drinks. And yes, i did have a few drinks. It was fun, but I certainly don't carry my equipment around in hopes that someone will ask me to break out the stuff. It's only happened once, and if it never happened again, i'd be happy with that.
How mobile are you really?
1. When your customers call, are they reaching you on your cell phone? Or are they reaching your answering machine?
Cell. Cell is office line.
2. Do you use a cell phone, laptop, or iTouch to access client info on the go? Could you, for instance, get a call in your car, and be able to tell a potential client whether or not you are booked?
Right now, yes, because I know my schedule. The ability to tell them my availability or not while on my way to the hardware store for a few six-packs of plants isn't a deal breaker
3. Do you carry music on your cell phone "just in case"? Could you actually do a party from your phone in a dire emergency?
Don't carry music on my cell phone at all. If all cd-decks, including backups fail, Im packing it in. Sorry gents. As much of a dedicated "the show must go on" business owner as I am, wiring a cassette-walkman to a battery powered Radio Shack bull-horn to finish the event (in the most dire of DIRE situations when my CELL PHONE back-up fails) is not an option. If Im unable to finish a gig the way it should be finished Im done. Call me a slacker if you want!
4. Do you carry enough gear in your primary vehicle to do a party at the drop of a hat?
Interesting idea. May someday, not right now. Could easily do a cd-mix 2 and a couple cheap powered speakers.
5. Do you have a contract that could be emailed from your cell?
Again, no, and again, not a deal breaker. Anyone who is that freakin' short-attention-span and instant-gratification-based is not a client I want or need to work with, and will translate into issues later.
How "mobile" are you, really?
Don't get my responses wrong - I'm not at all anti-mobile or against these kind of instant "on-the go" solutions. They are GREAT if you have them to offer - but if its a situation where NOT having it is a deal-breaker, I'm not worried about losing that gig. If they DON'T expect such instant response, and you can give it to them and blow their socks off, thats great. But if they EXPECT it, and are moving on if you don't HAVE it.... See YA!
.....
Well... for my purposes, a cell phone makes for an expensive pocket watch. Guess that covers that. 
G
Guest
Guest
Although I don't DJ anymore, I can tell you I am completely and totally available to all my clients 24/7.
My cell phone is my business line and is on every second of every day.
I carry my laptop with me EVERYWHERE I go (even into restaurants) and have 24/7 internet access with my Sprint USB broadband card.
I have every single piece of information on every single client have had or potential client with me at all times.
My cell phone is my business line and is on every second of every day.
I carry my laptop with me EVERYWHERE I go (even into restaurants) and have 24/7 internet access with my Sprint USB broadband card.
I have every single piece of information on every single client have had or potential client with me at all times.
G
Guest
Guest
What's her name...?
No Rick, he is talking about his clients not her's! She keeps all her contact info in the Book of Johns
K
Kirby Ball
Guest
They reach my cell, and I will generally at the time. The exeptions being from blocked or witheld numbers, or those outside of my normal work range. I will let those calls go to VM, listen, and reply ASAP.
Being a luddite, I carry a PDA as well as my cell- I rarely use combination equipment. The PDA will have any info I need ( and yes, I keep a paper appointment book with me too)
My primary passenger car is just that. The work vehicle is fairly well loaded in the garage, but in most cases I make changes for specific clients. However, I don't like to take last minute work, preferring to prep for an event, so it's kind of a moot point for me.
Paper contracts only.
I couldn't- and WOULDN'T - DJ off of my cell OR an MP3 player.
Being a luddite, I carry a PDA as well as my cell- I rarely use combination equipment. The PDA will have any info I need ( and yes, I keep a paper appointment book with me too)
My primary passenger car is just that. The work vehicle is fairly well loaded in the garage, but in most cases I make changes for specific clients. However, I don't like to take last minute work, preferring to prep for an event, so it's kind of a moot point for me.
Paper contracts only.
I couldn't- and WOULDN'T - DJ off of my cell OR an MP3 player.
DJing from a phone?
My phone speaker is as big as a gnats ass..It would not begin to cover even the smallest dance floor.
My phone speaker is as big as a gnats ass..It would not begin to cover even the smallest dance floor.
G
Guest
Guest
Mark,
I think he was referring to plugging the phone into your system through it's headphone jack.
No paper for me. Ewebmin, google calender, and phone calender. If all of those go down at the same time, it's anarchy anyway.
No paper contracts. All contracts sent via email. Correction...I think I did send out 2 last year to people with no email. When contracts mailed back are paper(and that's getting less and less), they are scanned and recycled. While I believe the whole global warming caused by humans is a farce, nothing wrong with using less paper and saving some trees....and saving me money.
As the big shots have taught me: the more "24/7" that I am available, the more "desperate" I am. You see, the fact that they have families and kids and stuff, or the fact that they just don't care, and are therefore unable to answer the phone all the time means that it is wrong if anybody else does it.
Ya.
Just do a search on the DJ forums for yourself. They even use enormous literary devices in order to extrapolate an effect; regardless, the syntax of the documentations result in an equation that produces a sum of negative zero point one.
Ya.
Just do a search on the DJ forums for yourself. They even use enormous literary devices in order to extrapolate an effect; regardless, the syntax of the documentations result in an equation that produces a sum of negative zero point one.