I used to think this was ok but i've had a big change of heart.

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It's not unusual to be paid big dollars to produce a show for a charity. I did one last year where basically I controlled the production of the floor show and DJ'd the afterparty. The fee was $12,000. Did I make $12,000? Not even close. My job was to make sure everything was in place in the A/V part of the show. I hired another company that specializes in that stuff and just made sure everything was running according to schedule. You are paid on those events mainly for the time you put in before the event not the night of. By the night of you should be able to sit back and watch
 
What is the point of explaining further? Look at Mix's track record. He sold good gear to buy equipment that most DJs use, so now he is in competition with the masses. If I were him, I would have found a market for what I had so my competition would be in a different arena. How many regular DJs own and use Earthquakes (Like the ones he sold)? Those that do are able to do the kind of Events that the others only dream of doing.
 
ahoustondj said:
How many regular DJs own and use Earthquakes (Like the ones he sold)? Those that do are able to do the kind of Events that the others only dream of doing.
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Me ;)
 
ahoustondj said:
What is the point of explaining further? Look at Mix's track record. He sold good gear to buy equipment that most DJs use, so now he is in competition with the masses. If I were him, I would have found a market for what I had so my competition would be in a different arena. How many regular DJs own and use Earthquakes (Like the ones he sold)? Those that do are able to do the kind of Events that the others only dream of doing.
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I think a lot of DJs make the mistake in thinking like this. Competing based on the equipment one owns is a mistake, I believe. I don't compete based on what equipment I own. Any equipment that I may need for an event that I don't have is a very simple rental. There is nothing wrong with telling a potential client the equipment you'd bring if you believe it will help sell the deal, but most times it wont. I've done events where i had to rent most of the gear required.

The DJs ability to run an event effectively and understanding what equipment and personnel is needed is where the true value lies, unless of course, you are in the rental business.
 
Scott Hanna said:
I think a lot of DJs make the mistake in thinking like this. Competing based on the equipment one owns is a mistake, I believe. I don't compete based on what equipment I own. Any equipment that I may need for an event that I don't have is a very simple rental. There is nothing wrong with telling a potential client the equipment you'd bring if you believe it will help sell the deal, but most times it wont. I've done events where i had to rent most of the gear required.

The DJs ability to run an event effectively and understanding what equipment and personnel is needed is where the true value lies, unless of course, you are in the rental business.
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That is NOT what I mean Scott. What I mean is that with certain equipment that one already has, if they open up their eyes, they will see that there are other Markets other than Weddings! There are Sound rentals to Bands, other DJs, Clubs etc. That requires one to have said equipment. You can't go out and rent equipment and then use the rental equipment to rent out again. Final Price will be cost prohibitive. Mix had some of that equipment and he did not use it to generate a different type of revenue.

However, I do know that size does matter in some cases. I have been gaining more Golf Clubs as Clients because the DJs who have been going there have been using the bare minimum. When I go in and introduce the guests to a different sound, they eat that up and beg for more.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Performance take it down a notch. I posted those things not as a personal attack on you but just an observation. What Bob Carpenter is saying is correct. His meaning is to stop selling yourself short. Are you the same performance from DJ CHAT? If you are there were a lot of people on there who didn't beleive your credibility.

With that said this whole thread was about looking at getting what you're truly worth and not just settling for whatever comes along. Sometimes i've learned you got to turn down some gigs to get the ones you truly want and deserve.
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Focus on yourself, what you know, and what you yourself can control. The only credibility that should matter to you is your own. You are the only one who suffers when you're not true to your own talent and convictions. You pay too much attention to people you don't know, have never met, and read too much into things they say or imply. For example, Bob Carpenter is an average DJ who charges a premium price - he's good at finding the clients he wants and that's what matters. (I've met him, seen his shows and know his history.) It's not his "show" that allows him to charge more. He's not doing anything unique. It's the effort he puts into finding the right customers. What he says is right for him - period. He's decided to limit himself to one type of client and one type of service. It works for him but, isn't necessarily compatible or interesting to others. Why not adopt your own philosophy instead of his?

A lot of premium priced DJs are really just average performers, that's not news. Getting paid is what matters if you do this full time and it's really not that hard to impress a wedding crowd - they all come looking forward to a night of dance. It takes a real noob to screw up a wedding. What takes more than a noob is knowing how to find a qualified bride willing to pay $1800 or more for piece of mind. That requires a business plan and enough resources and drive to follow through with it. Bobby's done that. His clients are satisfied long before he even shows up to the event and that is the secret no one is telling you.

It ain't your gear, and it ain't your title - it's what you can convey to people long before you load the truck. All you have to do after that is follow through. Reputations are built on follow through.
 
ahoustondj said:
That is NOT what I mean Scott. What I mean is that with certain equipment that one already has, if they open up their eyes, they will see that there are other Markets other than Weddings! There are Sound rentals to Bands, other DJs, Clubs etc. That requires one to have said equipment. You can't go out and rent equipment and then use the rental equipment to rent out again. Final Price will be cost prohibitive. Mix had some of that equipment and he did not use it to generate a different type of revenue.

However, I do know that size does matter in some cases. I have been gaining more Golf Clubs as Clients because the DJs who have been going there have been using the bare minimum. When I go in and introduce the guests to a different sound, they eat that up and beg for more.
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You are talking 2 different things. You were talking about competing as a DJ. Now you are talking about renting equipment. 2 completely different things. Competing as DJ and competing at sound rental are very different. Of course someone can use equipment they own to generate money. I own a good amount of equipment. I do it all the time. You said he now competes with the masses of DJs simply because of the equipment he now owns. I don't agree with that. My point is if one offers their equipment as their most valuable asset, they will be competing against others who are simply renting equipment. The masses of DJs that compete with each other do so because they simply are not very good DJs. They don't understand what is important to clients and guests. The equipment is only a small part of what they are missing.
In your scenario above, I would say you did NOT get more golf clubs because of your equipment, but that you offered a better sounding solution than someone bringing an underpowered solution. Your equipment is a tool to help you do that. I'm guessing its not the size of the speakers, but the quality of the sound that they liked.
Are you suggesting that someone with bigger speakers than you could come in and take those golf club gigs away? With sound, size doesn't matter, and never has. Quality matters, and always will.
 
Well it is the Choice of Equipment I have which in turn equals the Quality of the Sound it delivers which equals the acceptance by the client. Why should they ride in a Taxi when they can get better service by riding in a Limo. Same result but a different experience.

The reason Mix sold his gear was because according to him he was not using it much plus the fact of the weight. So now he has settled for what the masses are using, so he now has more competition. If he was in a different market he could probably make more money with less competition.

When I go to a Venue/Club/Bar and get an existing Gig from another DJ, not only do I get the Gig but the Client pays me more money as they are getting a better value and product/service.
 
I think Scott is making the point that it really didn't matter what Mix had or what he has .. he has to be comfortable selling himself .. not his equipment, not his price .. they follow. He needs good equipment to make the client happy, but most clients have no clue what is or isn't good as long as it sounds good.

I would have unloaded the Earthquakes as well. 2 doesn't buy an awful lot more than a couple of good 18s and it's tough to rent additional ones. If he had 6 or 8, that would have been different. He will be challenged finding additional Yamaha powered speakers to rent, but that's a different issue.
 
I understand.
 
ahoustondj said:
The reason Mix sold his gear was because according to him he was not using it much plus the fact of the weight. So now he has settled for what the masses are using, so he now has more competition. If he was in a different market he could probably make more money with less competition.

.
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You said it's not what you mean, but then you said it again. You've stated that his equipment creates more competition for him. For me, you can give me any brand of equipment, as long as it looked good, and sounded good, and my competition as a DJ wouldn't change one bit. The sound rental would.

I've got a friend that most DJs cringe when they see his set up. His set up looks sloppy, he still uses CDs, he doesn't dress very neat, his speakers and amps are probably 15 years old and patched together and his lights are very basic. He doesn't have a website. But he is booked ALL OF THE TIME. Everybody loves him. He's been a full time DJ for years. I'm sure if you ask him, he'll have no idea what brand of speakers he uses.


I am not saying equipment is not important. I think the right equipment is very important. Just not nearly as important as the person using it.
 
steve149 said:
I think Scott is making the point that it really didn't matter what Mix had or what he has .. he has to be comfortable selling himself .. not his equipment, not his price .. they follow. He needs good equipment to make the client happy, but most clients have no clue what is or isn't good as long as it sounds good.

I would have unloaded the Earthquakes as well. 2 doesn't buy an awful lot more than a couple of good 18s and it's tough to rent additional ones. If he had 6 or 8, that would have been different. He will be challenged finding additional Yamaha powered speakers to rent, but that's a different issue.
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You make some great pointa. Most clients won't know the difference betweena pair of Gemini speakers and Yamaha speakers. Nor will they care. All they will be concerned with is that you show up, play the music they want and it sounds good. It doesn't have to sound great to them but good is good enough for most slients. The only ones that will most of the time notice if a DJ is using true quality professional gear is another DJ.

Now performance you mentioned something about me posting on here about Bob Carpenter and trying to follow his business mode. No i don't want to be just like him. His lidestyle is different from mine. I don't own a home nor am i married. He just loves to drive home a very good point that he often talks about. And that is to not sello yourself short. Get all that you're truly worth.

As for him being just an average DJ. He definately is way above being an average DJ. If you check his website his starting price for doing a wedding which is what he mostly do is what a lot of DJs wish they could say was the most they could get. So in that regard he definately isn't just an average DJ. As for how good a DJ he truly is. You don't get to charge what he charges and keep consistantly getting it without being some kind of good. No matter how good a salesman he is to get what he gets he still has to deliver a good or great show to stay at that level.

Trust me on this. With the gear i just bought if i'm dealing with the right client and know how to properly sell myself (and not just the gear alone) i can get 1k to do an event. I also can get paid $200.00 too if i don't know how to sell myself and keep dealing with clients that won't budge from that price.

On DJ CHAT a member said he can get no more then $500.00 to do a wedding where he is at and he's been doing this for 16 years. First he shouldn't tell himself that the most he can get for his services is $500.00. If he markets himself right, deal with clients that are willing to spend more then $500.00 on entertainment for their wedding and knows how to properly sell himself he could get more then that. I found out something very important! Don't be afraid to ask for what you truly beleive what you're worth. Quote a price with confidence and if the client books you then that's when it's up to you to show that client you are or are not worth the price you quoted them..

Lastly as for selling some of the gear i did such as those earthuakes. They were in athe basement where i live now and were very tough to get in and out of the basement. If i had a garage to store them in and it was on level ground, i probably would have kept them. I'm 53 years old not 23 when i first got started. I have a pinched nerve in my back right now and i'm leaving to get a MRI done this morning. So i decided i need some gear that i would be proud to say i owned, sounded great, looked good and would be much easier to get out of the basement to go do gigs with. Sometimes les is more. Meaning that once again just because i don't have that big setup any more doesn't mean i can't get paid a nice dollar. Also it's not about the fact that i have gear that's just like every other DJ but knowing how to sell myself to get what i truly deserve, knowing what to do with the gear and delivering a quality show.
 
Scott Hanna said:
You said it's not what you mean, but then you said it again. You've stated that his equipment creates more competition for him. For me, you can give me any brand of equipment, as long as it looked good, and sounded good, and my competition as a DJ wouldn't change one bit. The sound rental would.

I've got a friend that most DJs cringe when they see his set up. His set up looks sloppy, he still uses CDs, he doesn't dress very neat, his speakers and amps are probably 15 years old and patched together and his lights are very basic. He doesn't have a website. But he is booked ALL OF THE TIME. Everybody loves him. He's been a full time DJ for years. I'm sure if you ask him, he'll have no idea what brand of speakers he uses.


I am not saying equipment is not important. I think the right equipment is very important. Just not nearly as important as the person using it.
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Scott,
I sell me first. I have taken formal Sales and Marketing Courses. I know how to first find a prospect's Hot Button. With that said, my differentiation from other DJs comes from my Personality, Experience and the Professionalism that I engage to execute a successful Event. One of the first things out of my mouth when I am making my Sales pitch is "I am not your average DJ". When asked about why I use what I do, my reply is " I am glad you notice the difference, my goal is to give more than your money's worth. I strive for the best and I am happy that you had the confidence to hire me for this Gig".

Again, I try not to act like the other DJs, I try not to do what they do, I try not to sound like they do and I listen to my Clients when they articulate their needs.
 
Speaking of gear and what it means to clients.

I use dual 15" sonic cabs that are 15 years old. EVERY gig. They've been reconed...they've been stripped of carpet and covered with truck bed liner. They sound tight. They are black with no labels. Not the greatest sound but to the average high schooler with a boner they are perfect.

EV Eliminator Subs....10 years old. Tight in a couple frequencies but pretty much a joke as far as subs go if you don't have EQ. But my wedding clients seem to enjoy them.

Typical QSC/Crown to power them. All used amps. Started with the almighty CS-800 Peavey.

Most recent purchase?
2 JBL-SRX cabs purchased used for $900. I bought the JBL's 2 years ago. Love em. My first "real deal" set of speakers came after 10 years of being WELL established. But they were a steal and used. Blemished and all.

Borrowing some CV subs for bigger dances (Earthquakish subs). No plans to invest. Personally the CV stuff is good but its really just typical DJ cabs as far as I'm concerned. Not sure why anyone would think a pair of Earthquakes is so awesome but I digress.

I've invest more in lighting than anything. But still its just Diversitronics strobes...old school Pars, Chinese LED. I sold my movers. I might by some more. I'm kind of all about Lasers now....used ones.

My clients can't get enough. My gear isn't perfect but my clients really can't tell the difference.

To them it has always been me. Not my gear. Can't stress this enough.
 
I love used equipment .. I buy new when it makes sense and used just as often if not more. I'm a gear-o-phile. I like to play with stuff, so I buy, then re-sell (usually at a profit) and then buy some more. Some stuff I keep, the others, I learn from. There are apparently lots of others out there, so if you search properly, you can add equipment pretty painlessly.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
You make some great pointa. Most clients won't know the difference betweena pair of Gemini speakers and Yamaha speakers. Nor will they care. All they will be concerned with is that you show up, play the music they want and it sounds good. It doesn't have to sound great to them but good is good enough for most slients. The only ones that will most of the time notice if a DJ is using true quality professional gear is another DJ.

Now performance you mentioned something about me posting on here about Bob Carpenter and trying to follow his business mode. No i don't want to be just like him. His lidestyle is different from mine. I don't own a home nor am i married. He just loves to drive home a very good point that he often talks about. And that is to not sello yourself short. Get all that you're truly worth.

As for him being just an average DJ. He definately is way above being an average DJ. If you check his website his starting price for doing a wedding which is what he mostly do is what a lot of DJs wish they could say was the most they could get. So in that regard he definately isn't just an average DJ. As for how good a DJ he truly is. You don't get to charge what he charges and keep consistantly getting it without being some kind of good. No matter how good a salesman he is to get what he gets he still has to deliver a good or great show to stay at that level.

Trust me on this. With the gear i just bought if i'm dealing with the right client and know how to properly sell myself (and not just the gear alone) i can get 1k to do an event. I also can get paid $200.00 too if i don't know how to sell myself and keep dealing with clients that won't budge from that price.

On DJ CHAT a member said he can get no more then $500.00 to do a wedding where he is at and he's been doing this for 16 years. First he shouldn't tell himself that the most he can get for his services is $500.00. If he markets himself right, deal with clients that are willing to spend more then $500.00 on entertainment for their wedding and knows how to properly sell himself he could get more then that. I found out something very important! Don't be afraid to ask for what you truly beleive what you're worth. Quote a price with confidence and if the client books you then that's when it's up to you to show that client you are or are not worth the price you quoted them..

Lastly as for selling some of the gear i did such as those earthuakes. They were in athe basement where i live now and were very tough to get in and out of the basement. If i had a garage to store them in and it was on level ground, i probably would have kept them. I'm 53 years old not 23 when i first got started. I have a pinched nerve in my back right now and i'm leaving to get a MRI done this morning. So i decided i need some gear that i would be proud to say i owned, sounded great, looked good and would be much easier to get out of the basement to go do gigs with. Sometimes les is more. Meaning that once again just because i don't have that big setup any more doesn't mean i can't get paid a nice dollar. Also it's not about the fact that i have gear that's just like every other DJ but knowing how to sell myself to get what i truly deserve, knowing what to do with the gear and delivering a quality show.
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Price tells you nothing about a DJ ...it only describes the invoice. There are $500 DJs out there who can blow away a $3,500 guru on real DJ talent alone. What keeps them at $500 is the desire to work often and find new and constant challenges. The $3500 guys don't work nearly as often and are typically good at only one thing. They are predicable and lack versatility. You have no way of knowing whose practice is more successful because the price does not indicate how much money they actually earn or keep.
 
Proformance said:
Price tells you nothing about a DJ ...it only describes the invoice. There are $500 DJs out there who can blow away a $3,500 guru on real DJ talent alone. What keeps them at $500 is the desire to work often and find new and constant challenges. The $3500 guys don't work nearly as often and are typically good at only one thing. They are predicable and lack versatility. You have no way of knowing whose practice is more successful because the price does not indicate how much money they actually earn or keep.
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Yea but check this out. The $500.00 may work more often and i do mmean they may work more often. But the DJ who gets to make $3,500.00 on event only has to work so hard in actually doing the event. Their hard part is in selling to a client. So keep on being a $500.00 DJ that has to do 7 gigs to make what the other DJ makes in one. Nobody says he has to be a great DJ but it sure don't hurt that this DJ from one gig get to make $3,500.00. Yes there are exspenses that have to be paid and then there is a profit but i bet his profit is more then what that $500.00 DJ charges alll together.

So he's not a DJ that is great at beat matching or scratching (if that is true), he is consistantly getting paid a lot more then what most DJs are getting. Not putting down any other DJs to make Bob look good but isn't the whole reason for this is to make money from DJing? I know most of us do this because we love to DJ but what's wrong with making as much as you can make doing what you love to do? I'm not saying that i will ever make as much as he does for one gig. Even though it sure as hell wouldn't hurt. ASll i'm saying is that i'm tired of being known as the DJ that will settle for doing gigs for practically nothing and leave us being broke. So we both decided to no longer settle for the $250.00-$350.00 any more. I knbow i'm worth a whole lot more and i ne4ed to act like i am.

As i was told that's not having a big ego but being confident in what i do and knowing i'm worth more.
 
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