Hiring
a Disc Jockey for your
wedding ceremony, wedding reception or other event here in
Northwest Indiana? It is my hope to give
you the tools to pick the RIGHT
entertainer. Please read this carefully...and choose
well.
When you
plan a party of any sort, your objective is
to ensure that your guests have a good time, period. The company you
choose to handle your wedding reception or special event entertainment
will have a greater degree of effect on the success of
the event than any other factor. The DJ that you
choose will be your spokesperson that day
and everything they say or do will be a DIRECT
reflection on you.
Here are some important points to remember when you
interview a DJ company.
Will the person that you interview perform
at your event?
This is the most common complaint about the DJ
industry today....The person you interview is NOT the person that will
actually perform at your event. Ask the DJ service you plan
to interview if he/she will be the actual person performing, or if
someone else will perform the event. Ask if you can meet the person who
will be assigned to your event. You need to know this UP FRONT before
you decide or sign a contract. Preferably, you should meet
both the owner/contact AND the actual DJ.
There are
plenty of "Multi Operator" services out there who
will be 100% upfront with you regarding this
particular aspect of their service and will be
glad to arrange for you to meet your
prospective entertainer.
Likewise, there are dishonest companies that will
purposely mislead you into thinking that the person you interview
is your DJ. When it comes time for the show, someone
you have NEVER met shows up. This tactic, known as "bait
and switch", represents the most damaging act that DJ companies inflict
on the buying public.
Bottom Line: If you don't get a good answer when you
ask this question, FIND a different DJ service.
Can you expect prompt return of your
phone calls or Emails?
You should expect to get a call back or an Email
back within 24 hours. There are many DJ's who may be at
a show when you call. Be sure to leave a good call back
number and your name, as well as the time frame you need
entertainment for. In fact, provide as much information as
possible. This will help the DJ to give you more
information about their service and give you an accurate assessment
of what they will charge to handle your event.
Bottom Line: Be persistent in
your contact as many services are very busy, and provide detail so
that they can talk to you.
Will they ask to meet with you and
present his/her service?
A good DJ
Service will want to meet with you and anyone you wish to be present to talk about your special day
event. They will
want to make sure that you are 100%
comfortable, and will not try to use fear or pressure as a
mechanism to book you. They will speak about all of the
aspects of his/her service, and answer any questions you
have.
Bottom Line: Avoid DJ services that do not want
to meet you, and only want the contract or check before they
will try to help you.
What value are you placing on your
entertainment?
You need to assess the value you place on the
entertainment service you choose. For example, on a scale of
1 to 10, how important will your entertainment be? Think about
what the impact of having bad entertainment (or
worse, no entertainment)is with respect
to the success of your event. Find out
what services your DJ has available and can perform
for you.
Select
your DJ service on the overall VALUE that they bring
to your event. In many
cases, your event may be a one of a kind or one time
only event. You most likely are not planning
to simply show up and "wing it" through an event
such as your wedding. You shouldn't hire a DJ service that will do that
either. Understand what specific services your
DJ company will bring to bear when you interview them.
A list of many of those services are at the bottom
of this page.
Bottom Line: Choose entertainers based on their
value rather than look at them as a commodity.
Will the DJ offer to meet with you AFTER
signing the contract to plan your event?
A professional DJ is ALWAYS willing to discuss your
event at any time before the event starts, and should display the
flexibility to accommodate changes and help you solve problems. Meeting
your DJ to plan your event is of paramount importance to a successful
event such as a wedding reception. Your DJ should
discuss the follow up planning. The DJ should also work with you to
decide on an appropriate time to meet with you to
accomplish the planning phase of your event.
Will you have to plan this by
yourself?
A new
trend these days is the use of "online planners", where the client gets to "plan their
own party" on the Internet. While many clients think
this is "cutting edge" and "cool", the reality is
that many companies employ this tool to minimize
the time they spend with you, maximize their profit, and
place the responsibility for the success of your own
reception on your shoulders. The use of technology is a
good thing, but nothing takes the place of well invested
time to advance plan the event. If the company you
interview is not willing to invest that time with you in
advance, you may be in for a big disappointment come time for your event
to start. In
some circumstances, such as out
of state, where email and phone are the primary
avenues of communication, as long as you feel good about
the level of communication taking place, this is OK.
Bottom Line: Plan your party in person with your
entertainer if at all possible.
Do you LIKE the person that you interview
at your meeting?
There is NOTHING worse in the world than having to
do business with someone you do not like. Choosing the person who
"feels" right is the most important factor in picking the right
entertainer for your party or reception. The DJ you choose should be
very open about what he/she can do for you and should volunteer
information and show you that they are comfortable with
the type of event you are planning. A good DJ
service wants you to be 100% comfortable with your
choice you make and will not use fear tactics to
scare you into booking them. Bottom line, this is a
completely emotion driven choice.
Bottom Line: If you do not feel good about
choosing a DJ service, do NOT book them.
Is the person knowledgeable about your type
of event?
Not every DJ is qualified to handle every
type of event.
Rather than ask "how much do you
charge" as your first question, you should ask your
DJ, "Can you handle my event"?
Ask the DJ
how many events of your type that he/she has done. As you interview your DJ, if you do not
get the impression that the DJ is
comfortable with your event and specific needs, you
should interview more companies before you make a selection. The DJ
should spend time listening to you describe
what you want to happen, and get excited about your event.
What does the DJ use to procure your
business?
You should expect to see several documents that the
DJ service uses to display their service and demonstrate
HOW they will conduct and plan your event. First and foremost is a
planner. This planner should impress you enough to the point where you
understand that the DJ you are hiring is a professional, and is capable
of handling your event. A sample copy of the CONTRACT to be used should
be available as well as a schedule of pricing information. A DJ may also
give you a list of references. CALL THEM!! Ask if there were any issues
or problem areas when the person dealt with the DJ.
Of course, you will most likely not get a
bad reference, but you should be able to note elements
of consistency between what the DJ tells you in the interview
and what his/her clients have told you.
Does the DJ have a music list
?
You need to be assured that the DJ you hire not only
has a sizeable collection, but has a variety of music, especially for
wedding receptions, where many different styles of music will be
requested and several different age groups will be in the same
room together. Ask to see a music
list. Find out if the DJ service you want
to hire will work to acquire the music you
need to ensure your event's success. Having a large
library is not nearly as important as having a large selection
of music that you, the client, need to have played at your
event. Find out if your DJ will be flexible
with requests for special music, and will follow
your direction(if you give direction) about "do not
plays" and "must plays".
Does the DJ use professional grade
equipment?
If the DJ does not have pictures of his or her gear,
you should ask to set up a time to see the equipment or see pictures of
the DJ's set up. You should not expect to be invited to someone's
wedding or private event to accomplish this however. The DJ
should be able to tell you what he/she uses and characterize the
equipment as professional grade. You should not
expect to recognize off the shelf stereo
components from Best Buy or Circuit City in use
at your reception.
In
Closing:
You should consider your DJ entertainer as an
insurance policy you buy that ensures that all of the other
money you spend will not result in bad memories or a less than enjoyable
occasion. Good entertainment is NOT cheap, and cheap entertainment is
NOT good.
If you answered 9 or 10 in the value question
raised above, that means you are placing 90 to 100% of the success of
your event on your entertainer. Now consider the percentage of
money you are spending with respect to the amount you have budgeted for
the event. In many cases, clients budget less than 5% of their money on
entertainment, but expect the entertainment to be the main factor
in making the event a success.
Does
that make sense?
Your DJ, if you have chosen a good one, will display
many of the following skills and attributes before and at your
event:
