5 MORE Tips To Guarantee A Great Event

By Brian Buonassissi:

I may have misspoken at the end of my last post. I had said that the first five tips were the foundation and made it sound like these aren’t as important. After thinking more about my own process, they all carry equal weight and I pay just as much attention to #10 as I do to #1. With that in mind, here’s the rest of my playbook for a great event.

Tip #6: CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP…Never put your event on auto‐pilot or take a time‐out. From the time it starts until the time it ends, make every moment, every song, every announcement count. I often hear how some DJs will play the same cocktail hour for the season or they’ll put on a mix for dinner while they go eat — or worse play the same dance sets at every event. The longest wedding I’ve ever had was 8 hours but generally they are between 4‐6 hours. That’s a relatively small amount of time to be “on.” You owe it your clients to stay completely engaged the entire time. You ask your clients and their guests to be engaged for the full event. Shouldn’t you be leading by example?

Tip #7: JUST EAT IT? The pushback I get for not eating at the event is that you get hungry (especially if you follow one of my first tips of arriving super early). For me, the cocktail and dinner music I play is critical and if I do it right, it makes the dancing portions easy. Every event is different and even if I know the couple extremely well, I am constantly tweaking in real time what I’m playing based on the dynamic of the room. The guest count, weather, time delays, energy/mood of the crowd all play a part in what selections I chose. I can’t afford to take one song off to eat. The other pushback I get is that the client paid for your meal and it would be rude NOT to eat. Here’s what I do – I eat a protein filled lunch and then an energy bar 10‐15 minutes before the event begins. Not only do I stay full but it keeps me away from eating non‐ healthy foods. If the main course looks amazing, I’ll ask the catering staff to make me a “to go” plate. I’ve never had a caterer not offer to do that for me. Bonus: I get an amazing meal the next day.

Tip #8: I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU…I’m referring to your vendor partners. Make sure you support them as much as possible. Never let anything happen (you control the mic, right?) without making sure they know what’s happening and that you’re about to do something. Also, if you can help them out with something (even outside of your job scope), do it. Help a planner/venue staff move chairs, corral the family/wedding party for the photographer if they ask, be flexible with their requests, etc. DJs have a terrible reputation of being hard to work with, on a power trip and not willing to do anything that is not in their job description. I’m constantly fighting against this stigma and the vendors I work with comment that they love working with me because I consider us all on the same team. Not only will they refer you when asked for recommendations by potential clients, but they generally offer to give you professional images/video to use for self‐promotion, give you an early load‐in time, etc.

Tip #9: YOU’RE THE BEST AROUND…This is the separator between the good and great DJs and has nothing to do with your skills. I call it “surprise and delight.” It’s customer/client service. A week before the wedding, I call both sets of parents to see if there’s anything I can do to make the day extra special for their son/daughter. The morning of I send my clients a quick text (separately) just letting them know I’m thinking of them and excited for their day. At the reception, I bring them mints during dinner because I know they’re going to be talking to a lot of people. I try and snag a quick pic of their first dance and e‐mail them a thank you with it attached immediately after the event. I may create a snapchat GEO filter at no cost to them. Sometimes, those things mean more to clients than what I do DJ‐wise because it’s unexpected and something I don’t telegraph until I do them.

Tip #10: GIVE ME EVERYTHING TONIGHT…This also doesn’t have to do with your skill‐set necessarily. It’s about effort. I treat each event like it’s my last and I leave it all out on the floor. I don’t want there to be any regrets on my part. I am going to use every tool in my arsenal (as the events call for them) to put on the best event I possibly can. A successful event to me is where I’m so worn out that I need the next day to recover. Never short‐change your clients or the guests attending the event. That’s the reputation you should strive to have.

Hope these tips give you some things to think about. Have great events. You can do it!

Based out of NYC, DJ Brian B is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury private events. He runs a multi‐city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Southern California, Destin, FL and New York City. You can check him out at djbrianbofficial.com or bboyproductions.com

Introducing… Serato Sample!!!

serato-sample-logo-black

New from Serato – Serato Sample – a high-quality production plugin that makes sampling fast, simple and fun. Key features include the ability to quickly find, chop, key-shift and time-stretch samples, all with studio-grade sound using the power of Pitch ‘n Time.

At its core, Serato Sample is a beatmaking tool designed to get your ideas out quick. “During our R&D phase we found a real demand for something that allows producers to find and play around with samples without hassle,” says Nick Maclaren, Head of Strategy at Serato. “The result is a fully-featured tool that produces great sound and offers an intuitive, uninterrupted workflow.”

 

The plugin has already garnered praise from DJ Dahi, long-time Kendrick Lamar collaborator and Damn producer. This legendary beatmaker likened its ‘find samples’ modes to old-school sampling methods like popping a needle along a record. “We wanted to set producers up for those happy accidents – often the most enjoyable part of making music,” says Maclaren. “There’s a lot of features in Sample that help you discover entirely new parts of a track you may never have found otherwise.

DJ Dahi with Serato Sample

 

Sample is integrated with Serato’s original production plugin, Pitch ‘n Time. Adding this technology allows producers to manipulate samples freely (like adjusting the BPM from 1, all the way up to 999), without losing audio quality. “Pitch ‘n Time is almost 20 years old and is still the industry standard for pitch-shifting and time-stretching”, says Maclaren. “To have this tech in a $99 plugin is amazing value.”

Serato Sample is now available for download, including a free 30 day trial. Anyone who downloads will gain access to a bank of free Loopmasters sample packs, and in-depth tutorials.

Start a free 30 day trial

Serato Sample

 

Key features of Sample 1.0

Unrivalled time-stretching powered by Pitch ‘n Time

Time-stretch samples to extreme values using the power of Serato Pitch ‘n Time. It’s also easy to sync samples to your project.

Flawless Key Detection and Key Shifting

Find the key and then shift it with the power of Pitch ‘n Time.

Find the best samples

With one click Serato Sample’s algorithm finds 16 of the best samples to work with.

Change samples beyond recognition

You can manipulate each pad individually. Mess around with key, bpm and more with pad parameters.

Keyboard mode

Play one sample across the full piano scale like a synth.

Mono/Poly playback

Trigger your Cue Points with monophonic playback like Serato DJ. Or you can use polyphonic playback to play chords and drum patterns.

Familiar and fast Cue Point workflow

Use Serato DJ’s popular Cue Point workflow to quickly set and trigger pads.

Works in leading music production software

Including Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro and Maschine. Sample will also work in other DAWs that support AU/VST plugins.

Try Sample for free or buy now for $99

About Serato

Serato makes audio software for music lovers worldwide. In 1999 Serato launched with Pitch ‘n Time, still the world’s foremost studio plugin for time-stretching and pitch-shifting technology. On the strength of Pitch ‘n Time, Serato moved into the DJ industry, changing
the game with the release of Serato Scratch Live, and later Serato DJ and Serato DJ Intro.

Now, Serato has returned to the diverse world of production with the release of Serato Sample. A high-quality sampling plugin for producers.

Sample website: serato.com/sample

Free Trial download: serato.com/sample/free-trial

Tutorial Videos: serato.com/sample/tutorials

Sample Support: serato.com/sample/support

Sample Facebook: facebook.com/seratosample

Sample Instagram: instagram.com/seratosample or @seratosample

 

 

PIONEER DJ LAUNCHES INTERFACE 2

Today, Pioneer DJ is proud to announce it is opening up the rekordbox ecosystem to all DJs by releasing the INTERFACE 2. This new 2-channel audio interface lets consumers use rekordbox dvs to scratch and control the digital music on their computers using any DJ set-up.

Wherever DJs chose to perform, using Pioneer DJ products or other hardware, users can connect the INTERFACE 2 quickly to their equipment. It features LED lights to indicate signal flow and warn users about signal problems. It also delivers club-standard sound quality thanks to its high-performance components.

License keys for rekordbox dj and rekordbox dvs, as well as two timecoded vinyl records, worth a combined $258, are bundled with the INTERFACE 2 so users can start scratching digital tracks as soon as it’s unboxed.

INTERFACE2_3set_low_0518

 

The INTERFACE 2 will be available from early July with a retail price of $299.

 

Watch the introduction video

KEY FEATURES OF THE INTERFACE 2

 

  1. High-quality sound

You can use the INTERFACE 2 at gigs thanks to its crystal-clear sound, inherited from our professional DJ gear. Supporting audio up to 96kHz, it features a high-quality D/A converter and the S/N ratio exceeds 110 dB, so it’s well suited for use in clubs.

 

  1. Compact, robust chassis

Take the INTERFACE 2 out on the road with confidence. The unit is compact, portable and its seamless aluminium casting makes it highly robust, while the extended edges protect the terminals.

 

  1. LEDs indicate signal flow

Connect the INTERFACE 2 to any DJ set-up quickly and easily, even in a dark club. After plugging into your laptop via USB, LED indicators on the INTERFACE 2’s top panel show signal flow, giving you a visual grasp of the setting status. You’ll immediately see if there’s a signal failure or a problem with a connection, or if the signal level is too low or high, for example when a turntable is incorrectly connected to the line input. The LEDs flash if a signal is in mono only.

 

  1. Includes control vinyl plus licenses for rekordbox dj and rekordbox dvs

The INTERFACE 2 comes with bundled license keys for our professional DJ performance application rekordbox dj and the rekordbox dvs Plus Pack, so you can control and scratch digital tracks stored on your computer. Using the engine of rekordbox dj, which uses the same audio signal processing in our professional DJ mixers and multiplayers, you can enjoy high-quality audio and low latency response.

 

  1. Other features
  • Mains or USB power – choose your preferred source
  • Stand-alone audio interface – use the INTERFACE 2 for recording audio to your computer or to send audio to speakers
  • Large signal GND terminal – firmly holds turntables’ ground wires to reduce noise. The knob stays attached even when fully turned, so it can’t be dropped
  • High-quality audio – supports 1 kHz / 48 kHz / 96 kHz signals
  • DVS options – use time coded vinyl (included) or custom control signal WAV file for use via CDs or USB drive (free download available)

 

 

INTERFACE 2 Specifications

Frequency response 20 Hz to 20 kHz
S/N ratio 112 dB (USB)

103 dB (LINE)

100 dB (PHONO)
Total harmonic distortion 0.002 % (USB)

0.005 % (LINE)

0.007 % (PHONO)
Input/Output terminals Inputs RCA x2 (LINE/PHONO)
Outputs RCA x2 (LINE)
Others USB-B port x1
Power AC 100 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz
Power consumption DC 5 V, 600 mA
Maximum dimensions (WｘDｘH) 141 mm x 32.5 mm x 127.8 mm

5.5” x 1.2” x 5.0”
Weight 0.6 kg / 21.1 lbs.
Accessories Power cord, AC adaptor, USB cable, Quick Start Guide,

Warranty, License key card (rekordbox dj, rekordbox dvs)

Audio cable x4, Rubber feet x4

Control Vinyl x2

 

System requirements

Compatible OS Windows Windows: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

(The latest service pack)
Mac macOS Sierra 10.12 (Updated to the latest version), OS X:

10.11, 10.10, 10.9(Updated to the latest version)
CPU Intel® processor Core™ i7, i5, i3

Intel® processor Core™ 2 Duo

2.0 GHz or above

 

* Audio performance is based on 96 kHz audio format.

* Disclaimer: specifications and price are subject to change.

* rekordbox is a registered trademark of Pioneer DJ Corporation.

* Mac, macOS and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

* Windows is a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

* Intel® and Intel Core™ are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

* The names of companies, product names, and technology names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

 

 

Is your first impression the RIGHT impression?

By Mitch Taylor:

Recently I was about to order breakfast at a hotel restaurant and was shocked to see that a three-egg omelet was $20.00. While at first I was thinking of turning around and going across the street to McDonald’s, I decided to continue.

Why? Everything about this restaurant spoke FIRST CLASS: The surroundings were impeccable. The waiter was extremely polite and cordial, asking us how quick we had to make it to our next event in the morning. The menu had souffléés and other high-end options with top ingredients listed in their offerings. I thought to myself “Let’s see what a $20 omelet tastes like.”

Our food came and it was absolutely phenomenal. The eggs were fluffy, the vegetables were not too over or undercooked. The meat was perfectly seasoned and tender. The cheese was melted just enough to pull in all of the flavors of the omelet together.

What does this experience have to do with you? Everything. What’s your presentation? Look at all of your service offerings and see if they are congruent. Does your website match the level of service you offer? Think like a bride or better yet, create a focus group from your past brides. How? Ask them. Most brides would LOVE to put themselves back into wedding planning mode even if it’s just for a few hours.

Once you have your focus group, ask them to rate upcoming marketing materials you plan to put out to put all of your services in order of preference with regards to quality and appearance. See what resonates with them and what doesn’t. Take care of the brides you surveyed afterwards by giving them each a gift card to their favorite restaurant. Trust me, it may seem a bit much to money to spend on research but in the long run it will be worth that and more because you will have your target customers (past brides) review your materials and give you valuable insight as to what they liked and what they didn’t.

Next: Do your marketing materials (business card, website, brochure, bridal show display) equal where you are at in your marketplace? If not you may be sending the wrong message. For example, if you are the highest priced entertainer in your market but your bridal show booth involves you standing behind it or worse yet just having brides fill out a slip without any engagement, then you are not sending the right message and brides will get confused as to why you are priced at the top of the market. As a recent bride told me at a bridal show when watching a DJ perform there “I don’t know why they bring third rate equipment to sell to first rate brides.”

Everything you do and offer makes an impression. Someone is always watching you when you are servicing the public. Always make sure to put your best foot forward and ensure your marketing stays congruent with the level of service you are providing.

Mitch Taylor has worked in the Mobile Disc Jockey industry for over two decades, first cutting his teeth as an on-board club DJ for Carnival Cruise Lines. In addition to owning and operating Taylored Weddings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he is a sought-after speaker and Gitomer Certified Advisor whose sales training, books, coaching and workshops are in high demand all over the country. 

5 Tips To Guarantee A Great Event

By Brian Buonassissi

I know this seems like quite the guarantee, but for years I have lived by these 5 tips and I can’t remember the last bad event I had. If you don’t do these five things you put yourself behind the eight ball. Since I do a ton of weddings, I’m going to tailor this post towards that, but it could really work for any private event.

Tip #1: I WANNA KNOW, I WANNA KNOW… Doing your homework before the event is critical. I could spend hours on this one tip. What I mean here is that you need to know everything you possibly can about the event (which means asking a ton of the right questions) — where your clients and their guests are from, make‐up of their crowd (college friends? first time both sides of the family are meeting?), what your clients like/dislike about weddings they’ve seen/been to, a site inspection of the venue, the hot buttons of the vendors you’re working with, equipment you’re using, and the music/mixes you’re going to play are all just a few of the many questions I ask. For the last one, I don’t necessarily mean come in with a prepared set-list, but never play a mix of a song (or any song in general) that you’ve never heard or played before. That used to burn me in my early DJing days more than I care to admit.

 

Tip #2: BACK THAT THANG UP… I can’t emphasize enough how important multiple backups are: I have all my formality tracks on 3 different backups (iPad, Phone, and thumb drive); I carry a duplicate external hard drive with all my music; I travel with 2 computers. I am over the top on this on so many levels. You don’t get a do‐over for private events (especially weddings). Having as many fail‐safes as possible is just smart business. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ you will need to use one.

 

As I like to say, the event is often won or lost before you arrive.

 

Tip #3: BUT I’M ALWAYS ON TIME… This is about giving yourself a wide margin for error. By getting to the venue on time, I mean get there early – WAYYYY early (for me, I arrive a minimum of 4‐5 hours before the event). From not having to rush on set‐ up, to being able to test and check all gear, to rehearsing your important moments, playing through every formality track in its entirely, to putting your event planner/Maître D’ (and potentially the clients) at ease, this is just a best practice.

 

Tip #4: WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK WORK… In a perfect world, I would just mix my favorite tracks and the dance floor would be packed all night. Since we’re talking weddings, the dance floor would start during cocktail hour and it would be hard for them to stay seated for the meal because the music is that good. That happens at a lot of my events but not ALL of them. I have had a few tough ones. Sometimes it means I must go to a genre that I don’t particularly like or I may even have to go into cheese mode (assuming the client wants it). I never let my personal preference take precedence over what’s best for the event. I’ll keep grinding and do whatever it takes until I find the right formula for my crowd.

 

Tip #5: P P P POKER FACE, P P P POKER FACE… Playing off the tip above, let’s say your event is going terrible. Maybe your crowd is just a non‐dancing crowd or you just can’t seem to please anyone with the song selection. You’ve put in a ton of work but it’s just not happening. What’s the remedy? Smile and look confident – like you know exactly what you’re doing and that you meant for it to be like this. Never let the crowd know you’re struggling. Show that poker face. Make them believe you’re having a great time (even if it’s killing you inside) and often, it’ll get them out there. If nothing else, I’ve found it makes me feel better about the event at hand.

 

I’m going to post a Part 2 to this because there are many more things that I believe can ensure a great event. The ones above are the foundation. Follow them and you’re on your way to success.

 

Based out of NYC, DJ Brian B is a successful internationally traveling DJ/MC specializing in luxury private events. He runs a multi‐city mobile DJ/event business with offices in Southern California, Destin, FL and New York City. You can check him out at djbrianbofficial.com or bboyproductions.com

Music and DJs – Finding the Sweet Stuff

By Tony Fernandez

 

When I began DJing, I used cassette tapes. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I did. A lot of the tracks were bootlegged off the radio in NYC and then I’d bring these gems to VA, where I was in school (I was 14 at the time; I know better now). I quickly moved up to vinyl, eventually stepped up to CDs around ’89 and have been hustling for new tunes ever since.

Back then, I had established a network of people that knew me and knew what I liked. There were record stores. I knew the people in those stores and they knew me. There was mail order. I used to call 12” Dance in Washington DC, or Dancetraxx/Vinylmania in NYC more often than I’d like to admit. And there were record pools. Pools would have advanced copies and promo-only mixes that weren’t accessible to the public. Naturally I wanted those the most.

Having that new release or remix and dropping that track in your set is an awesome feeling.

It’s even a little sweeter, if you have that mix that no one else has.

I was fortunate to become a Billboard Reporting DJ for a time, which led to even more music that was not readily available to the public. Then the Internet happened. Napster happened. Limewire happened. WinMX happened. Audio Galaxy happened. The Internet became the great equalizer. Through legit (and sometimes not so legit) means, anyone could get almost any song created by any one.

And everything changed.

Music can now be streamed or downloaded at your desire: remixes, unreleased mixes, bootlegs, white labels, promo only releases, etc. — literally millions of songs and remixes await the click of a mouse. With a little effort you can find foreign edits and mixes done by DJs in the UK, France, South Africa, Germany, and more. That crazy version you heard at your club, concert, festival, radio, car, store, gas station, TV commercial, streaming service? Your chances of finding that version now are pretty high.

So if we ALL have the access, by and large, to the music being cranked out for public consumption, how do you find that unique banger that’s going to make you stand out? Trust me, it’s out there. There is new music to be found and new music to be had…

You just have to be proactive and find it.

 

  • If you just wait for your monthly subscription to feed you tunes, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you just echo what’s on radio, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you’re bemoaning the “fact” that there’s no “good” music, you’re not bring proactive.

 

Some would say (me included) that it’s part of your job as a DJ to seek, find, and play new tunes.

They’re right.

Be proactive in your approach. Be the proactive DJ you can be. Find those new tunes. Your crowds, your floors and your clients will thank you.

 

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

What does your job title say about you?

By Mitch Taylor

So I’m sitting in the Chicago O’Hare airport traversing flights when I see one of the cleaning ladies come by.  On her shirt, in red letters, is one word — one word that struck me as funny and odd at the same time.  I couldn’t actually believe what I saw.  That one word was “scrub.”

Scrub.  Now seriously, what company in their right mind would have an employee wear that on their uniform?  What person with any sense of self-worth would want to wear it?  I’m sure this was a woman who, like all of us, has her own struggles and everyday challenges.  I would even venture to say that this might be woman needs to keep working a job she might not necessarily love.  I would also be willing to bet that the owner of the company she works for doesn’t go to work everyday with the word “scrub” emblazoned across his or her shirt pocket where their name should be.

What if the cleaning company who employed Ms. Scrub had come up with something a bit more imaginative and/or something that their employees would be proud to wear, instead of embarrassed?  What about “Cleaning Wizard” or “Queen of Trash?” Might that job have been a little more enjoyable for the woman? Might the message it gave others be more enjoyable, too?

As Djs, we’re in the fun business.  My good friend Brian Kelm of Brian Kelm Productions in Madison, WI calls himself the Master Of I Do.  What’s in your name or title? What does your title say about you?

Your title should reflect your style and how you handle yourself.  It should be representative of your company and the level of service you try to provide.  Think clients don’t care about your title, that it’s meaningless?  Think again.  Everything about your company communicates a message to your prospective client.  Where do you think I came up with the idea for this article?

Take time now to get creative.  Ask your past clients how they would describe your services and what you offer.  Better yet, go through your past year of evaluations and write down all of the descriptive words that your clients use to talk about your services and see which one comes up the most, second most and third most.

There you have it — there’s your new, FUN, creative title.  Now be sure to LIVE that title everyday in every way.

You’ve earned it.

Mitch Taylor has worked in the Mobile Disc Jockey industry for over two decades, first cutting his teeth as an on-board club DJ for Carnival Cruise Lines. In addition to owning and operating Taylored Weddings in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he is a sought-after speaker and Gitomer Certified Advisor whose sales training, books, coaching and workshops are in high demand all over the country. 

Music and DJs – Finding the Sweet Stuff

By Tony Fernandez:

When I began DJing, I used cassette tapes. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I did. A lot of the tracks were bootlegged off the radio in NYC and then I’d bring these gems to VA, where I was in school (I was 14 at the time; I know better now). I quickly moved up to vinyl, eventually stepped up to CDs around ’89 and have been hustling for new tunes ever since.

Back then, I had established a network of people that knew me and knew what I liked. There were record stores. I knew the people in those stores and they knew me. There was mail order. I used to call 12” Dance in Washington DC, or Dancetraxx/Vinylmania in NYC more often than I’d like to admit. And there were record pools. Pools would have advanced copies and promo-only mixes that weren’t accessible to the public. Naturally I wanted those the most.

Having that new release or remix and dropping that track in your set is an awesome feeling.

It’s even a little sweeter, if you have that mix that no one else has.

I was fortunate to become a Billboard Reporting DJ for a time, which led to even more music that was not readily available to the public. Then the Internet happened. Napster happened. Limewire happened. WinMX happened. Audio Galaxy happened. The Internet became the great equalizer. Through legit (and sometimes not so legit) means, anyone could get almost any song created by any one.

And everything changed.

Music can now be streamed or downloaded at your desire: remixes, unreleased mixes, bootlegs, white labels, promo only releases, etc. — literally millions of songs and remixes await the click of a mouse. With a little effort you can find foreign edits and mixes done by DJs in the UK, France, South Africa, Germany, and more. That crazy version you heard at your club, concert, festival, radio, car, store, gas station, TV commercial, streaming service? Your chances of finding that version now are pretty high.

So if we ALL have the access, by and large, to the music being cranked out for public consumption, how do you find that unique banger that’s going to make you stand out? Trust me, it’s out there. There is new music to be found and new music to be had…

You just have to be proactive and find it.

  • If you just wait for your monthly subscription to feed you tunes, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you just echo what’s on radio, you’re not being proactive.
  • If you’re bemoaning the “fact” that there’s no “good” music, you’re not bring proactive.

Some would say (me included) that it’s part of your job as a DJ to seek, find, and play new tunes.

They’re right.

Be proactive in your approach. Be the proactive DJ you can be. Find those new tunes. Your crowds, your floors and your clients will thank you.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

3 Things About Handling Customer Complaints I got wrong — so you don’t have to

By Glen Ervin:

If there’s one thing that a few decades in the DJ biz have taught me, it’s this: When the people paying you have a complaint you can’t just put on your headphones and look busy. You have to address it. And not only address it, but spin that sucker into 24k customer-satisfaction gold.

I didn’t always know how to do that.

There was a time when my go-to response, as embarrassing as it is to admit, was to attempt to convince the complainer they were wrong: My music selection was perfectly on target; the dance floor was full all night; there’s no way bar sales were slow. 20/20 hindsight shows that of course the club manager was right; I hadn’t yet learned to rotate a floor and sell the booze that paid my salary.

 Lesson learned: Before you offer up your best defense (and for the record, NEVER offer up your best defense), try this: Listen carefully to what they have to say and let them finish. Begin by repeating back what you’ve heard to show that you’ve listened. You’ll quickly find you’re dealing with a more receptive critic and one step closer to a mutually satisfying solution.

This requires a lot more discipline that most think; it is not an easy thing to sit silently through a tirade. And harder still not to respond in kind. Don’t.

As I went from booth to buck-stops-here businessman, the mistakes didn’t exactly stop. I know firsthand how easy it is to get into the habit of firing off quick fixes as we power through our bloated inboxes each day. And felt firsthand the repercussions as my referral rate nose-dived.

 Lesson learned: If you don’t completely understand the problem you can’t completely solve the problem (so don’t try). Better to begin with “Can you help me understand this a bit better?” and finish with “What can I do to make this right for you?” than offer a solution that doesn’t satisfy.

Most of the time, your customers aren’t telling you everything.

That’s why it’s so important to ask.

Complaints happen. And when they do it’s never enough to simply address a customer’s concerns. If they’re frustrated or angry as a result of your service – even if you feel you’ve done nothing to warrant it — the most effective response is the most simple and direct: Apologize. Simply say “I’m sorry about that.”

Lesson learned: Only after you take a ‘my bad’ for the team and show an eagerness to do right by them can you begin to bridge the gap between a dissatisfied customer and an active promoter of your business.

Listen. Ask questions. Dig deeper. Learn what you can do to be truly great.

 And then do it.

 After being turned out to pasture following a 16-year club residency, Glen Ervin finds himself gainfully employed as Promo Only sales manager, media consultant and staff writer.

Oliver Heldens Joins Denon DJ as Brand Ambassador & Product Consultant for Prime Series

22-year-old DJ sensation is latest artist to come into the Denon DJ fold and embrace the innovation and standard-shattering performance of their all-new Prime Series gear.

Cumberland RI, USA (March 21, 2017) — Denon DJ (www.denondj.com), a leading manufacturer of premium DJ products and solutions, today announced that Oliver Heldens, already world-famous for his incredible, one-of-a-kind performances, has changed his rider and is now a brand ambassador and product consultant for their all-new, groundbreaking Prime Series SC5000 media player and X1800 club mixer.

Recognizing a critical need in the professional DJ space for equipment that delivers unprecedented levels of performance, ease of use, musical file organization and complete system synergy, Denon DJ’s Prime Series units represent the future of the professional DJ experience. Heldens has embraced these extraordinary Denon DJ Prime Series units:

  • –  The SC5000 professional media player with 7-inch multi-touch display, 24-bit audiophile sound, powered by Denon DJ’s incredible Engine Prime music management software
  • –  The X1800 Professional 4-channel club mixer with OLED screen, Sweep and BPM FX and LAN connectivity with multiple SC5000’s

    Either of these units by itself delivers exceptional DJ performance and is an innovation breakthrough. Used together, they form a complete system that is unsurpassed in professional DJ excellence.

    The Denon DJ Prime Series is a perfect match for the electrifying talents of Oliver Heldens. Although just 22 years of age, Oliver’s ascension into the Top 10 DJ A-List was fast and furious once his single ‘Gecko’ catapulted him into global recognition. His live sets often show him standing apart from many other DJ’s as he regularly explores house and dance music’s roots, weaving elements of amazing musical diversity into his contemporary selections, such that his audience feels as if they are experiencing something fresh and innovative, at every show.

    This kind of distinctive musical spontaneity needs DJ gear that has the features and instantaneous response to match the imagination of the DJ controlling it. That’s exactly what Denon Prime Series gear delivers. Heldens can perform mix transitions, mash-ups and even live remixing on-the-fly using the multicore processor-driven features that are on-board the Prime units. Explaining why he chose to change his rider and join forces with Denon DJ, Oliver said: “Denon DJ Prime gear gives me the freedom to perform fluidly and quickly. That’s exactly what I need. I don’t worry about the equipment;; I just let my imagination take control, so now my audience gets the best from me, every time.”

Paul Dakeyne, Denon DJ Brand Manager said of Oliver, “Without doubt, Oliver is one of the world’s most musically diverse A-List DJ’s anywhere.. His shows—whether in clubs or at festivals—are always a musical and visual delight and we couldn’t be happier that he’s changed his rider to the SC5000 and X1800 Prime units. Now he can explore even more creative performance possibilities within his live sets and skyrocketing career path.”

U.S. retail pricing is as follows: SC5000—$1899, X1800—$1899. Both units are available now.

For more info, visit www.denondj.com.