1. People are not patient and selfish:
"Play my song now!" "I have other requests in front of you." "I don't care. Play my song now!"
These were adults
2. DJs are supposed to stand all the time.
I was called unprofessional on many boards because my back did not believe this. Even though I could mix just as well sitting on a stool giving my back a break I was still unprofessional.
3. Playing line dances is the mark of cheesy DJ.
If the client wants line dancing then play line dances. If the client does not want line dances and they are requested then note the request but don't play it.
4. Playing games at weddings is the mark of a cheesy DJ.
If the client wants games, play games. If the client doesn't want games then don't play games.
5. The customer is always right.
But if you do not agree with them then they should not be your customer.
For example, my whole concept was an enjoyable experience for the client as well as their guests. To determine how to make that happen during the interview I'd ask questions about guest demographics that would help me determine, in general, musical taste of the guests and questions about the musical tastes of the client. Knowing the demographics I would then follow up with questions regarding the music genres that the client required to be played and how explicit the lyrics should be, generally I'd couch that with a statement that my music subscriptions are radio edited.
If I got a client that wanted explicit lyrics for an event that was to be attended by children I would indicate that it was my company policy to not do that. If I got genres that could be flooded with a large content of beeps and innuendo then I would recommend toning it down if there were children present. Objections to these policies or recommendations oftentimes lead to rejection of the client. Remember, you don't have to take all clients.
Also I would mention that it was advisable to develop a music program that catered to the older folks in the audience at the beginning and moved toward the younger folks as the night progressed and the older folks left. Most of the time this was agreeable to the client but when it was not and they refused to bend they would be rejected.
Rejection of the client is not mean or spiteful. I would just say, "Sorry, I am not the DJ for you. Good luck on your search." If asked, I would explain why but most of the time I was not asked. On a few occasions where I was asked and I explained why I was asked to reconsider and I gave grounds for reconsidering and that was simply me being in control of the content; in each case that was agreed to and a very successful event resulted.
6. A wedding is all about the bride and groom.
Not really. The bride and groom's guests are important as well. If they are not considering the good time of the guests then they were not my client.
More to come...
