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Jon Tuck said:
Were you the only one remotely dressed as such? What were the band members at this event wearing? Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo with hound dogs milling around is what fit this client. Did your attire fit the event?:triwink:
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The bride's family were dressed nicely. They were the ones who hired me. The groom's people absolutely reveled in their redneck-ness and it was almost an issue of pride as to who had the most realistic, camoflauge hunting outfit on. It was awful. And they bought my full lighting package.
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
Wrong - the issue of presenting ones self professionnally goes to the exact same thing; being perceived a a legimate industry.

I would have thought you, of all people, would see this....
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Business License - Check
Licensed Music - Check
Registered with the Gov't - Check
Liability Insurance - Check
Professional Equipment - Check

The core of being a business is first meeting the most basic obligations of being a legitimate business.

After that it becomes more about personal prefernece. I don't tell people what to charge, but it makes me mad when someone is doing it at a price I can't touch, a price that is below the cost of business for me.

It is about personal choice. I choose to do this full time, others don't. I believe I can provide better service because I have all the time in the day to do what ever it is I think I need to do for my client. Am I really any better than any other DJ who doesn't do it full time? I don't know, I do my business my way to meet my needs. My clients who choose to hire me believe in my abilitiy and I work very hard to meet or exceed their expectations.

The bigger issues are, for every quality DJ (I wont get into what makes a professional in terms of part time/full time)there are how many more people pretending to be a DJ doing bad jobs, ripping people off, and generally making the industry look bad?

I advertise on Kijiji and probably get 50% of my bookings on there. I charge $1200 on average and my competitors on the same site charge $400-$800. I show up in a shirt and tie, dress pants I use makie SRM450's for speakers and a couple subs if I need them. Am I less professional because I don't use EONS or L1's? I use CDs and a laptop. I like to look like I have something to do than just a laptop on a stand. I take up a whole table not a night stand.

My light show... 2x vue 1, 1x vue 6 and a Chauvet Line Dancer and a black light.

So anything here make me less of a professional than anyone else? If I didn't wear a tie would that change anything? The jacket comes off by the end of the 3rd dance and my shirt is a short sleve. I got tired of catching the cuffs on sliders. But I keep the tie on all night.

I will never wear a tux, I am not a member of the wedding party and have no business dressing like I am a grooms man. But you might and that is your choice.

Cover the legal basics, that is what makes you legitimate. Being a professional is actually showing up and doing a quality job.
Lions-Camp-Ground-Devon-150x150.jpg
 
TJtheDJ said:
You are trying to make the point that how you dress says something about how good you are. So if you are fat, then you must be lazy, unhealthy and probably wont do much but sit behind a table all night with your face in a bag of cheesy poofs.

While I agree you should dress for the moment, a button shirt and dress pants at least, I also dress for the theme. How many of you dress up for your consults? I know most DJs I know, and the friends who live too far away for me to DJ for their events tell me more DJs show up in jeans and a T-shirt or some leasure suit larry looking outfit. Most don't show up in a suit and tie etc.

Your image is more than just the clothes you wear, it's your own fitness level, it's how clean your gear looks. How polished your presentation is etc.

Now I personally do think a buttion shirt and dress pants should be a minimum. But I am not in this business to be a personal image consultant. If someone thinks I am a better Dj simply because I show up with a tie on, that is a choice they make. If you want to dress in a polo shirt you will most likely get the clients that might feel I am stuffy.

Someone might not like the idea of a fat sweaty DJ who can't catch his breath after a set up. (on avg skinny people are just as unhealthy as over weight people but it is an IMAGE thing). So they hire a skinny looking dj who can't lift his speakers and ends up sitting them on chairs or on the floor when they should be on stands. It's all about what the client sees, what they want, and what they are comfortable with. It all depends on how well we sell ourselves and how the client compares our sales with another DJ.

There is more than enough work for all of us, so nit picking about a shirt seems pointless when there are so many other variables that go into what we do, how we do it and why.

If you think how you dress is sooo vital to your business, make sure you make it at least a 3 minute point in your sales pitch. My consults cover it in 30 seconds or less. "I dress appropriately for the event and the theme if there is one. If there is no theme or special dress, I prefer a Jacket/tie and dress pants unless you have a preference."
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TJ - you're not getting it either and I'm surprised seeing as you're all over other boards clamoring that our industry gets no respect.

I'm not saying dress equates to quality, nor does price.

People are whining and complaining how the so called bottom feeders denigrate the business wit their illegal libraries, cheap gear, messy set ups...wearing T shirts to a gig....etc.

Hmmm - how to set one apart from this poor image...hmmm....???

By presenting yourself in a professional manner...at weddings for instance; If 95% of the crowd is dressed formally, doesn't it make good business sense to perhaps at the minimum wear a dress shirt/pants?

I see you do,,,Why? Is it because you think you're better, or you simply want to make a good impression. Why do DJ's use facades, neaten wires, etc.

I present myself at a 300 person wedding. You have 298 perspective clients; doesn't one want to put the best impression forward?
 
Let's take a trip into reality; from the clients perspective....

TJtheDJ said:
Business License - Check
Licensed Music - Check (doesn't careRegistered with the Gov't - Check doesn't careLiability Insurance - Check doesn't careProfessional Equipment - Check most don't care
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You can have all of the above; yes you may be a professional, legitimate dj business...Yet , you might no make a dime.

What's left after all that? The customers perception. That perception is based on the way you present you and your company in the public light.

Do you think you'd get 1200 a gig showing up with two Tapco thumps on sticks, slap that laptop on the table, plug in the external drive and away you go?

Perception is everything....
 
I'm not on any other boards... This is the only DJ forum I am on and have been on.

Based on this thread the OP makes it clear how he dresses and the people who attend the parties are also semi-formal to casual.

If a DJ shows up to a room of 300 people and they are all in suits and tuxes and the DJ is in a polo shirt... he better know a ton of line dances and lead all night so people will understand why he is dressed that way or you are right, he is going to look pretty silly.

But if the DJ is charging a lot less than the upper level of price, you get what you pay for. But it doesn't mean the DJ can't have the room rolling up their cuffs, tossing the jackets and ties to the chair back and wishing they were dressed lighter too.
 
MIXSIRS said:
Thank you :tribiggrin:

I was answering according to the definition of the two words:

hobby: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

profession: An occupation or career
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The dictionary offers another definition of professional: “a person who is expert at his or her work :tricool:
 
TJtheDJ said:
I'm not on any other boards... This is the only DJ forum I am on and have been on.

Based on this thread the OP makes it clear how he dresses and the people who attend the parties are also semi-formal to casual.

If a DJ shows up to a room of 300 people and they are all in suits and tuxes and the DJ is in a polo shirt... he better know a ton of line dances and lead all night so people will understand why he is dressed that way or you are right, he is going to look pretty silly.

But if the DJ is charging a lot less than the upper level of price, you get what you pay for. But it doesn't mean the DJ can't have the room rolling up their cuffs, tossing the jackets and ties to the chair back and wishing they were dressed lighter too.
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Are you sure you haven't posted on Mobile Beat forums or WEDGuild?

You're from Red Deer?
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
Let's take a trip into reality; from the clients perspective....



You can have all of the above; yes you may be a professional, legitimate dj business...Yet , you might no make a dime.

What's left after all that? The customers perception. That perception is based on the way you present you and your company in the public light.

Do you think you'd get 1200 a gig showing up with two Tapco thumps on sticks, slap that laptop on the table, plug in the external drive and away you go?

Perception is everything....
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I know what you are saying and I agree on a fundamental level. I also agree most people don't care, but the commend was what makes a legitimate DJ, so I told you. Wether anyone cares or not doesn't change the fact that those things make you legitimate.

I keep my cords neat because it reduces wear and tear, they last longer, I can set up and pack up faster because there is nothing tangled up. Yes I agree there is an visual appeal to it as well, but that is just a side effect and someone thought it made a really good selling point too.

How much do you charge? Do you wear the suit and tie? Do you charge more or less than I do? So because we both choose to dress in a suit type outfit should we charge the same price just to be consistent?

I don't wear a vest, some do, so should they charge more because they have an extra layer? I have at least 2 parties a year where I am in shorts and golf shirt. So is everyone else. I dress to the event and not all require the suit.

It's also regional, some people would get no work if they didn't own a tux, most DJs in my area don't own a tie. So yes I do think when I show up for a consult in a shirt and Tie a and my spring jacket with my logo on it to their hall they are impressed because most other DJs will meet them in jeans and a shirt. I also try to meet them at their halls, I am driving an hour north tonight to meed a couple half way for a wedding next year. I have no commitment they will book, but I make the extra effort to get the work and they see value in that. I will book a $1400-$1600 show tonight.

But it is my choice. I don't have to do it, and they might still book me. I am sure you do things I don't and that makes us different, but as long as you have what it takes to be legitimate, good on you. You obviously care about that you do, great we can be friends. If you get 5 star reviews even better lets start our own association.

I agree, how you dress says a lot. In the case of the OP he should probably hang it up because he's tired, jaded, worn out and lost his passion. But that is just an opinion based on a series of comments in a thread. I don't know any of you from adam and the last time I was here I made the wrong assumption that we were all passionate about what we do and why we do it. Some of the people here are just here for the beer money, others are making it a career and their primary income and others just like to push other peoples buttons.

The OP is not my competition. But if he was, I would amend my sales pitch to take advantage of the fact he is casual. I would add in, this consultation is an interview, you are the employer and I am someone who is looking for work, so I think it is very important to show up dressed like I will be when wroking for you at your event, to wear what you would expect any professional to wear for an interview. Or something like that. So when they meet him, they will think, how much does he want the job compared to me? I made a greater effort to impress.

But sometimes it's about the money too, and the OP caters to a budget I couldn't touch.
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
Are you sure you haven't posted on Mobile Beat forums or WEDGuild?

You're from Red Deer?
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I think I posted on Wed guild 3 times almost 2 years ago. Mobile beat... if I did again long long time ago. Just like here, I havn't posted here in forever either. I have also learned a lot in that time. (Wed Guild is still a waste of money IMO) but I still think it has value, just not $1100/years worth.

I do a ton of networking, I am getting a much bigger picture of the wedding industry as a whole and pushing for more accountability of DJs though being licensed. They can still suck, but at least the Bride can find them and get their money back if they do.
 
Randy A said:
Profession & professional are different words. :tritongue: :triwink:
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Profess, profession, professional and professor are all related words.
Hobby and hobbyist are in a completely different category.

IMO, Tom and Steve are both professionals from reading their posts.
 
So working in pajamas is unprofessional???? :D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
MIXSIRS said:
Thank you :tribiggrin:

I was answering according to the definition of the two words:

hobby: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

profession: An occupation or career
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Profession does not necessarily equate to the act of "Being Professional".

A person partaking in a hobby can perform in such hobby as a true professional in how they behave and/or but not limited to attire and manor in which it is conducted.

There are plenty of non-professional's performing in professions.
 
Silk teddy, my customers have never complained :D:D:D:D:D
 
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