Besides a packed dance floor what makes the job fun to you?

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I feel you and you keep going to the mechanic you're used to dealing with. My mechanic is a great one and the people that work for him are great as well. They stay busy. Sometimes I have to call first to see when they can fit me in.

They have a lot of business coming there way and some repeat customers. So all those people can't feel that they are being taken advantage of. Besides I go there for peace of mind instead of taking a chance on someone else who might be cheaper but also not get the job done right.

You've been on here a lot of years and I know you've heard of a horror story where someone booked a DJ because their price was super low, only to wish they had spent more money on another DJ that would have more than likely done a much better job.

Taso no disrespect sir but I'm sure you've heard people say your price was ridiculously high and no way they would pay that much. I bet you also have heard people say they wished they would have booked you instead of who they booked. Sometimes it's just worth spending a little bit more money because the results you get are worth it.

Then again it's about you and anybody else on here. Hopefully people are booking you because they feel you're the right DJ for the event and they feel comfortable with you. If they don't feel that way then they shouldn't book you or me.
I didn't write that comment you responded to, so I'm not quite sure why my name randomly got brought up as if you were addressing me lol... but I'll bite.

Lots of people say I am expensive, know I'm worth it and wish they could book me, but can't afford it... many people that even book me say I'm expensive, but they all say I'm worth it. Many people think I'm expensive and would never pay that much or think I or any dj is worth the price point i am at... but they don't tell me that because they never really contact me to begin with... but I do know it's being said. I rarely hear someone say they wish they booked me instead of the person they did hire. Once in a blue moon I get hired for a sweet 16 for one daughter when they went with someone cheaper for the first daughter... but I rarely hear someone say they wished they got me instead. Why?... probably pride... or perhaps there's never another chance for it to be brought to my attention that their event would've been better off with me.

Everyone does what they can that's best for them. I respect that. I'll never tell someone with a budget of $1000 their event is going to suck, or make them feel uncomfortable and try to pressure them to book me. I do believe in purchasing the best you can for what you can afford and doing your research, and I will gladly help them find a dj in their price range if they do contact me unknowingly of my price range. Unfortunately, hiring a dj is something that is time sensitive, and you can't really "Save" for one as you would say a brand new tv or a better computer. You gotta do the best you can at the moment with what you got. It's why I sought after 2 sets of clientele...a wealthier clientele with disposable income, and a clientele that values entertainment enough to invest heavily into it, even if it means cutting back on other things. I also recognized that no one location directly has enough of these clientele from a word of mouth perspective at this point in my career (I still need to reach more mouths), and I had to diversify my markets and be willing to travel. I don't take offense to someone saying I'm expensive... mostly because over the years it's been justified by the clients I do have. If I didn't have the number of bookings I do, then I would need to reevaluate.

Everyone has a different struggle in this business. Some can't reach enough clients, some reach a lot but don't know how to close the sale, some don't know how to increase pricing or get bigger paying events, and some just don't know what they're doing period... they just like to dj and that's all they're good at. My personal struggle is to maintain my edge over other dj's in the markets I compete in, as well as finding ways to stand out and services to offer so I don't become stale, while also getting clients to book bigger packages with me so I make more per event.

Mix, you seem to be caught up in the "you love to dj, but have absolutely no clue how to run a business" situation. There is no one thing alone that can help you... and normally I'd say you probably need to join another company who will handle all of these aspects for you, and you just show up and do what you love. However, I think you love to dj only a particular genre or style of music for a certain demographic. You've literally been on these boards for years and I can't recall the last time you did a legitimate private event or wedding at a reputable venue solely on your own as the main dj/mc... and many of these other events you do, you always have issues.Therefore you wouldn't be of any use to a company who attracts the generic kind of client... the one that would request genres and songs you're not experienced in playing such as drake and marshmello and lil uzi and galantis... one that would give you long playlists to follow for dancing music, dinner music, etc... and one that you won't have any personal connection to... all things you've admitted you don't like. With all that said, Mix... just keep doing what you're doing, but please stop complaining about it, because as you've proven time and time again, you won't change... and if you don't change... nothing else will.
 
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Taso you mentioned one name I know and that is Drake. The rest I never heard of to be honest. I just mentioned you because of the success you're having. Keep up the great work because not everybody can do it the way you do it.
 
Taso you mentioned one name I know and that is Drake. The rest I never heard of to be honest. I just mentioned you because of the success you're having. Keep up the great work because not everybody can do it the way you do it.
If out of all that all you got to say was that you know drake then I don’t know why you even bother asking for input. But hey if that’s the only artist you know I guess point proven.
 
Most people hiring DJ's know nothing about how good you are unless they have seen you before.
The shop you keep using as a reference has done work for you before so you know there abilitys, most people that hire you don't know your work.

Besides, I hate to breake it to you, but your are just that, a human juke box. You chose your path. Your the hired entertainment, I pay, you play.
Dance puppet boy!!!:djparty:
When looking for someone to do a job for you that you don't know, do you ask that person questions to see if you want that person to work for you? Or do you just go with that person to do the job?

People that don't know me contacting me ask me questions and I do my best to answer their questions. I find I need to be careful how I answer a question because it can make or break me getting the job.
 
When looking for someone to do a job for you that you don't know, do you ask that person questions to see if you want that person to work for you? Or do you just go with that person to do the job?

People that don't know me contacting me ask me questions and I do my best to answer their questions. I find I need to be careful how I answer a question because it can make or break me getting the job.
The people that KNOW you, AREN'T the ones with the money to hire you for a decent paying job. The ones that DON'T know you, don't have any means of finding you since you have no advertising or social media presence .. and if they did, it seems you really don't want to learn what's necessary to be successful with them.

You're in a closed loop and not a real good one ...
 
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i see a request list as a cheat sheet to their happiness....
100% correct. Even if it is a 100 song list.

If you hired someone to cut your yard and they mow your neighbors yard instead, would you still pay them
When you get a haircut, do you choose what style you wear, or do you let the stylist decide whats best for you because they know what they are doing?
Good luck. I tried similar examples to make that point....he totally skipped over it.

How many of you have no issues with a client giving you a list of 100 songs to play at their event and how many do have a problem with that?
I've had this situation, and in a few cases...even WORSE. You talk to the client and find a happy medium.

When was the last time you got an offer to do a gig with a long request list?
Did you ever (recently) turn down a gig because they had too many requests?
You do gigs for $200 - $250 dollars. If you got an offer for $700 to be a jukebox, would you turn it down?
Besides, when was the last time you got ANY gig?
 
When looking for someone to do a job for you that you don't know, do you ask that person questions to see if you want that person to work for you? Or do you just go with that person to do the job?

People that don't know me contacting me ask me questions and I do my best to answer their questions. I find I need to be careful how I answer a question because it can make or break me getting the job.


It's more important to ask former clients about your ability's then to ask you. Just because you think your talented doesn't mean everyone does.
Being careful about answering questions reminds me of a politician. Instead of being honest and truthful, you only tell the client what they want to hear. Except what music they get to listen to.
 
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Most people hiring DJ's know nothing about how good you are unless they have seen you before.
The shop you keep using as a reference has done work for you before so you know there abilitys, most people that hire you don't know your work.

Besides, I hate to breake it to you, but your are just that, a human juke box. You chose your path. Your the hired entertainment, I pay, you play.
Dance puppet boy!!!:djparty:

He also overpays said mechanic. As a vendor, would you turn away a client that continues to overpay?
 
I feel you and you keep going to the mechanic you're used to dealing with. My mechanic is a great one and the people that work for him are great as well. They stay busy. Sometimes I have to call first to see when they can fit me in.

They have a lot of business coming there way and some repeat customers. So all those people can't feel that they are being taken advantage of. Besides I go there for peace of mind instead of taking a chance on someone else who might be cheaper but also not get the job done right.

You've been on here a lot of years and I know you've heard of a horror story where someone booked a DJ because their price was super low, only to wish they had spent more money on another DJ that would have more than likely done a much better job.

Taso no disrespect sir but I'm sure you've heard people say your price was ridiculously high and no way they would pay that much. I bet you also have heard people say they wished they would have booked you instead of who they booked. Sometimes it's just worth spending a little bit more money because the results you get are worth it.

Then again it's about you and anybody else on here. Hopefully people are booking you because they feel you're the right DJ for the event and they feel comfortable with you. If they don't feel that way then they shouldn't book you or me.
You brought your mechanic into this discussion - and you overpay him as well. You should know how much it costs for x, y, z service. When you bought your van, you should have known how much it should have sold for.

To you, it shouldn't matter if anyone else is being ripped off by the mechanic. If everyone else walks off a cliff, are you going to as well just because no one else complained? Above all, It should matter to YOU if you are being ripped off. Maybe they know they can take advantage of your 'trust' so they rip you off. I don't know why they rip you off, but they do - and everyone (here and other forums) has stated that you overpay for things - often.
 
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You brought your mechanic into this discussion - and you overpay him as well. You should know how much it costs for x, y, z service. When you bought your van, you should have known how much it should have sold for.

To you, it shouldn't matter if anyone else is being ripped off by the mechanic. If everyone else walks off a cliff, are you going to as well just because no one else complained? Above all, It should matter to YOU if you are being ripped off. Maybe they know they can take advantage of your 'trust' so they rip you off. I don't know why they rip you off, but they do - and everyone (here and other forums) has stated that you overpay for things - often.
That's your opinion about the mechanic I've dealt with for all those years and you have a right to your opinion. There are always going to be people like you who say that's too much to pay someone for a job they're doing. I'd rather pay them to do the job than take a chance on someone I don't know and risk them not getting the job done right.

Like I said and I meant it. Sometimes it's worth it to spend a little bit more to have peace of mind. What about those who thought they were saving money by picking a cheaper DJ or what some will call a cheap DJ? I've heard and been at an event where I was told they picked that DJ because they didn't have a lot of money to spend. Only to be sadly disappointed and wish they had found someone else spending more money to get someone to do the job right.

I will not forget a surprise birthday party I was invited to attend. It was a disaster. The cousin of the guy they were surprising told me they picked that DJ because they didn't have a lot of money to spend. This DJ had a very cheap crappy speaker underneath the table he was using trying to use it for a sub. It was a non powered speaker that you can buy for about $100 from one of those stereo stores that they sell TV's, microwaves and other electronic items like that. Those places have a lot of cheap DJ gear that are for beginner DJs.

That DJ kept pissing people off because he kept them going up and down all night. He would do alright for a little while and do something real stupid and the crowd on the dance floor would rush back to their seats.

I remember one time he was playing the song by Silvia Strickland Give Me Your Love and in the middle of the song he just slammed in Ain't No Stopping Us Now. Cleared the dance floor leaving 2 people on the floor when the floor was packed with people going crazy over that song. It was so bad that some people left long before the event was to be over. That's how pissed off they were.

I and a ex of mine stayed because I knew the person who they were doing the event for personally. Let me say it this way and I'm not kidding. Nor am I getting ready to say this because I wasn't the DJ doing the event. That DJ was worth not even $100. I don't know how much they paid that DJ but what ever it was they got robbed.
 
When I take my van to my mechanic I give them an idea what is wrong and I trust they know what to do to fix the problem
As a "retired" mechanic, if you came in telling me what the problem was, I would have you sign a waiver saying that we are not responsible if the repair did not fix your problem. But you cannot compare mechanics to DJing, if I was given a list of 100 songs to play, great, if not, oh well. My job is to play the songs people want to hear, and give them a good time. If that means taking a list of 1000 songs, so be it. I have been noticing on a lot of other posts that you are fairly closed minded and unwilling to concede points, and quickly change your point to be correct. If that is how you deal with customers, I can see why you are not very busy. This is a business, and I personally, am out to make my customers happy, no matter what it takes.
 
As a "retired" mechanic, if you came in telling me what the problem was, I would have you sign a waiver saying that we are not responsible if the repair did not fix your problem. But you cannot compare mechanics to DJing, if I was given a list of 100 songs to play, great, if not, oh well. My job is to play the songs people want to hear, and give them a good time. If that means taking a list of 1000 songs, so be it. I have been noticing on a lot of other posts that you are fairly closed minded and unwilling to concede points, and quickly change your point to be correct. If that is how you deal with customers, I can see why you are not very busy. This is a business, and I personally, am out to make my customers happy, no matter what it takes.
Like I said if you're comfortable with someone giving you a list of 100 songs they want played at their event then fine. I said I don't like that. I don't feel I need someone to give me a list of say 100 songs to be played at an event. Either you trust that I know what I'm doing or you don't. Plain and simple. A few songs is fine. That way I get an idea of what you're looking for me to play.

When I talk to a potential client I ask what styles of music do they want the DJ to play. That way I have an idea of what they want. The point I was making is when I take my van to the mechanic, I don't tell them how to do the job.

So you were a mechanic and had people sign a weaver that if what they say is wrong is not the problem then you're not responsible!? If you know what you're doing isn't it your job to tell them what the real problem is and if you don't know tell them you don't know what the problem is?
 
If you know what you're doing isn't it your job to tell them what the real problem is and if you don't know tell them you don't know what the problem is?
Again, it goes back to making the customer happy, even if they are wrong. We gave them what they wanted, warned them of the possibilities, and had them sign a waiver, after we told them that it would not work, so that they could not blame us for not fixing it. Some customers are just that stubborn, and it was my job to make them happy, as well as fix their car.
 
Again, it goes back to making the customer happy, even if they are wrong. We gave them what they wanted, warned them of the possibilities, and had them sign a waiver, after we told them that it would not work, so that they could not blame us for not fixing it. Some customers are just that stubborn, and it was my job to make them happy, as well as fix their car.
Isn't it your job to let a person know when the issue is really one thing instead of what they think it is? That to me would show people how good you are and that you know what you're doing.

When you look for someone to do a job for you, don't you look to hire them because you believe they know what they are doing? Same thing with DJing. Why would someone hire a DJ they don't think will do a good job for them. Of course there are going to be people who don't know you looking for a DJ to do an event for them. It's up to you to look at how you can convince them you're the right DJ for the event.

Sometimes it's about getting your ego out of the way and being honest with a potential client and tell them you don't feel you're the right DJ for that event.

Then there are those situations where some of us have repeat clients. That's where we've done an event for a client and when they are having another event they will get us to do it and not hesitate to contact us.
 
Actually I thought about it and I haven't had a person give me a super long list of songs they want played at an event in a long time. I have people that have either seen me in action or hired me to do an event and know what I can do. People that don't know me contacting me about possibly doing an event for them, I'm usually able to convince them I know what I'm doing. So they trust that when it comes to playing music at the event I will get it right.

Anytime I don't feel we would be the right company for the event or I simply don't feel comfortable with doing an event for a potential client I will pass on the job.