Here are some Q&A's that I've received over the years. I hope you find this helpful.
From the hip
Q. How long have you been performing as a DJ?
A. I’ve been a professional DJ since 1997.
Q. Is this your full time job?
A. Yes it is. You cannot service your clients the way I do being part time.
Q. Are you insured?
A. I carry a liability policy that protects you and me for up to $2,000,000.00
Q. Do you belong to any professional organizations?
A. Yes. I belong to the ADJA, the AMAEA, and the BBG. All advocate fair and professional business conduct.
Q. What type of events are you best at?
A. Weddings are what I do the most. I love corporate events and school events. I would say any event requiring good music and lots of fun. I love a hyped up crowd.
Q. What equipment do you use?
A. I am a fan of Pioneer, Denon, QSC, JBL, and Shure, to name a few. I carry expensive and professional equipment to every event including the brands mentioned above.
Q. Do you carry back up?
A. My back up equipment is the same as the equipment I use. I don’t cut corners on my back up. In a few moments I can be up and running in the same capacity. A lot of DJs don’t carry back up because they don’t plan ahead.
Q. What happens if you can’t make it to my event?
A. One of our partners in the industry who is on call will cover for me. Please note that unless I’m dead I’ll be there.
Q. How are your prices different than other DJs?
A. DJs are not consumable products. We are all different and have different skills. You get what you pay for in this business. I stay competitive in my pricing. However, my actual competition is who I compete with. I don’t compete against a part time or bedroom DJ who offers bottom feeder prices. They don’t have my experience and they can’t do what I do. Their equipment is also not as professional or well cared for.
Q. Can we meet before the event?
A. I encourage meetings and conference calls. I schedule them around your schedule, not mine.
Q. Do you provide a contract?
A. Absolutely. Everything is spelled out and crystal clear. Our contracts are very plain and straight forward.
Q. What do you need for a deposit and is it refundable?
A. Deposits are usually 20% of the total cost and are not refundable after 72 hours. There are exceptions to that rule. Please inquire about them.
Q. When is my balance due?
A. Balances are due 1 week before the scheduled event. We encourage you to follow that schedule as we will not be accounting for the balances until that time.
Q. What if I cancel my event?
A. If you cancel your event you are responsible for the balance due if cancellation takes place less than 90 days before the event. Otherwise, you are only responsible for half of the total.
Q. Do I provide a table for you?
A. Yes, you will need either an 8 foot or two 6 foot tables that are strong (standard banquet tables are fine)
Q. What kind of power do you need?
A. For a regular DJ system, household current is all we need. If you add special lighting we may need additional dedicated lines. Typically, 20amp service is all we need for a DJ set up. Lighting could increase that. It’s something we can discuss and map out.
Q. Do I tell you what music to play?
A. Please provide the titles and artists that you enjoy listening to and let me put them in the correct order. It works best that way.
Q. Do you eat at the event?
A. Yes. It’s customary to provide a meal for the DJ if there’s a meal served at the event.
Q. Do I tell my caterer to provide a vendor meal?
A. There’s nothing wrong with vendor meals. The message behind a vendor meal, however, is that we are not good enough to have what you are having. Some vendors even see it as an insult. I do as well.
Q. Do you provide lighting?
A. I can provide all types of lighting. We just have to talk about it and find out what you need. There’s dance lighting, mood lighting, and accent lighting. There’s more to it. However, we can get specific prior to adding any of it to your contract.
Q. Do you make the announcements?
A. I make all announcements and keep the event moving from start to finish. I also communicate with the photographer throughout the event so that they don’t miss a photo. I am your emcee for the day.
Q. If I have a couple of songs that I know you don’t have, can I provide them on CD?
A. I am happy to play your music. If you take the time to do that, I’ll be sure to oblige.
Q. What style of DJ are you?
A. That’s a loaded question. I let people know upfront that I am capable of being low key, high profile, and very outgoing. Every event is different. Low key to moderate seems to be the most popular choice my clients have for me. It absolutely works out better because less is more. The thing that my clients do not have to worry about is whether or not I will be cheesy or obnoxious. I’m not that guy. For a full explanation please see my Bio page.
FROM THE HIP -
Do you know....???
...Why I care about your event and why I do what I do for a living?
It's because I love what I do first and the satisfaction of being paid for it second. That is a rare quality that I have known about myself for many years. There are a million ways to serve people in this world. I have found that artists and musicians enjoy what they do so much that they don't mind doing it for nothing. It's the joy of being able to perform or to satisfy a need to provide entertainment. If you take someone with a good work ethic who happens to be creative, you will come to know a very professional and ethical individual. When you are paid for what you love to do, it's like winning the lottery.
...Why I am a great choice for your event?
I will follow through every single time. I will communicate effectively, every single time. You will get what you pay for every single time. Your event is important. I get it. Your event is important to me as well. Having me as your DJ is a great way to demonstrate to your guests that you made the right decision when you hired me or anyone of my staff. If I make you look good, I have done my job. There's always a chance that someone from your event will hire me at some point. Their impression of me is important. I love my job and what it does for others when I work. It's a unique way to be creative. I see what I do as a blessing and not a way to just make money.
...Why I am so particular about almost everything related to my business?
This is easy. It's my business. If you don't believe what I'm selling, you're not going to buy. Everything from our personalities right down to the tips on our cables is carefully scrutinized on a regular basis for flaws. No stone is left unturned and we are certain to spend several hours of prep time on each event. There is no other way to do it right the first time.
That's it for now. However, I think that's enough. :-)TOP OF PAGE
