For some people, choosing the DJ for their event can be just as difficult as choosing the caterer. Selecting your entertainment should not be taken lightly as you will
need to depend on your DJ for a lot more than simply music. Throughout this article I will offer some tips and suggestions that I have found to be very helpful in
making the right decision. All the following information is based on my personal experience and the use of “mystery shopper” tactics.
THE SEARCH - There are many DJ's listed in the yellow pages but not every DJ has website and that alone should raise a warning flag. My experience has shown that
more than 70% of DJ's without a website are more likely to provide less than sufficient service simply because they are not 100% devoted to their profession.This can
be very stressful to a potential client because now getting the answers to your questions depends on whether or not the DJ will be available when you call. This may
also indicate an attempt to hide or mask certain facts that will not become known until it is too late, eventually leading to a big waste of your time. Almost 95% of all
businesses are online and so should your DJ.
PHONE TAG - The last thing anybody wants to deal with is phone tag and unfortunately, most DJ's also work a full-time job during the week and are less likely to be
available when you call. The end result is that you have to sit around and wait for a return call that may never come. By being provided with a website, you can
browse the information available and find many answers to your questions in an instant. Perhaps you will decide that you do not like the information provided and can
easily move on to another choice. Another key factor is that most DJ's who offer a website will have a Contact link available that can be used to get a message to the
DJ. This can be a real lifesaver because most reputable DJ's constantly monitor their inbox and are more likely to respond immediately.
SOLE PROPRIETOR VS. COMPANY - A great cost-effective way to hire the right DJ is to look for a DJ who is self employed rather than employed by a large company. DJ
companies are always going to charge much higher rates because of all of their employees need to be paid. You have the owner to start with and they may also
employ an event coordinator, manager and of course office personnel and multiple DJ's. Everyone of these employees is looking for a weekly paycheck and in order to
pay them all, the company has to charge top dollar for each booking so everyone can get their cut. Don't be fooled into thinking that a DJ who works for a large
company is better. Some of the top DJ's in the world are self-employed and are more likely to work with you. If you are lucky enough to find a DJ who is self-
employed, you will find that the rates will be much more competitive since you won’t have to pay extra for those employees that you’ll never meet. You will also get a
higher level of care and devotion because your DJ will be planning for your event and not trying to work with many clients at one time. A great way to identify these
self-employed professionals is by looking at their name. Most self-employed DJ's will use their name as opposed to an informal and fictitious company name.
INCENTIVES - When searching for a DJ look for someone who will offer you a return on your investment. This can be as simple as a free gift, discount or additional free
services. For example, I offer free invitations and a thank you gift for every client to show my appreciation and to add a little more value to my service. I also am proud
to offer my exclusive Birthday Raffle for all teens 16 and younger. This is another free service that rewards the Guest of Honor with an iTunes Gift Card valued at up to
$50.00! Simply put, you are getting more for your money!
DEVOTION - As a DJ, I always do my best to make sure everything is just right for your big day. Whether it's a big wedding reception or a small private party, I will treat
it as high priority and go out of my way to provide you with outstanding service. Another important item to look for is devotion to you and your event. Try to find a DJ
who is willing to come to your home or office and meet with you in person to discuss your needs and concerns. Also, try to find a DJ who will be willing to take your
call at any time, not just during business hours. I am available by telephone everyday of the week from 11:00am to 1:00am. Regardless of your work schedule, you will
always be able to speak with me as needed. Remember that I am here to help you and want you to be taken care of always. Unfortunately many large companies are
there just because it's a job and want to get paid. The end result is poor service and lack of concern for you and your event.
Rates Vs. Value - It's not always easy these days to find the price you are looking for but if you find the right DJ, you may be surprised at how willing the DJ is to work
with you on the price depending on your situation. This may include a discount on your services or simply something extra like a free gift or a special promotion just
for you. My rates are considered to be among the best in the Lehigh Valley based on the level and quality of service that I provide. If you are offered a special
discount or promotion, you're still going to receive my best! I discount rates, not quality. I also offer a Price Match form for those of you who have already received
quote and a Service Estimate form. I will do my best to match or beat any competitors price for a comparable service.
PROFESSIONALISM - Any reputable DJ will offer you state of the art equipment that is mainly why the average price for a DJ can run between $400 for a smaller event
and $600 for a Wedding Reception. This equipment is very expensive but necessary to provide you with the quality you deserve. Please feel free to ask your DJ
candidate about the equipment that he or she will be using. Any reputable DJ will have no problem telling you about their gear. Some of the top names in the industry
include Peavey, Crown, QSC, American Audio and Behringer. If your DJ claims to use a Sony sound system or anything from Radio Shack, you'd better look somewhere
else.
MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER - An increasing battle among DJ's is who has the most music. This is simply foolish! The average event will allow enough time for 50 to 60
songs so having one million songs available is pretty wasteful. A great way to avoid being sucked into this trap is to find a DJ who will bring the music you want. I
personally try to keep the top 100 songs from each music genre, which has worked out very well for me. I have a Music Request Form available on my website that will
allow you to submit any songs that you would like for your event. If I don’t already have them, I will make sure to get them. So remember, when searching for a DJ,
don't be impressed by the size of the music library, be impressed by the selections within the library and the willingness to get you the music you want.
CAUGHT IN A TRAP - Most DJ's require a deposit and a contract, which is understandable and should be expected. Beware though as some fly by night DJ's use this to
their advantage. What you need to watch out for is the DJ who demands an excessive amount of money up front. In some cases you may be asked to provide as much
as 50% down or even pay off the whole amount up front. This is a bad idea. If either of these situations occur, you should be aware that if you cancel your
reservation, you will most likely lose any amount that you paid and the DJ will be eating dinner at your expense. A fair deposit for any event would be around $100.00
or 25% of your total bill. I only require $100.00 down. The main reason that a deposit is charged is simply because you are buying the date from your DJ's availability
calendar and doing so will close out that date to others. Not only may your DJ have to turn away another potential client but many DJ's work regular full-time jobs as
well and chances are, your DJ may have to take a day off of work to be at your event. So as you can see, it is important for your DJ to be guaranteed some sort of
payment for your event even if it is only a modest amount.
In closing, I hope that you have found this information useful. I have gathered all of this information over the last 15 years in the business and hope my opinion will
help you to make the right decision. I know it’s hard to choose a $600.00 DJ over a $300.00 DJ but the reality is that you get what you pay for and unfortunately many
people don’t realize this until it’s too late. Please feel free to call if you have any questions or would like some additional information about my services or hiring a DJ
in general. I am always willing to assist in any way possible!
Respectfully yours,
DJ Chris Englert
need to depend on your DJ for a lot more than simply music. Throughout this article I will offer some tips and suggestions that I have found to be very helpful in
making the right decision. All the following information is based on my personal experience and the use of “mystery shopper” tactics.
THE SEARCH - There are many DJ's listed in the yellow pages but not every DJ has website and that alone should raise a warning flag. My experience has shown that
more than 70% of DJ's without a website are more likely to provide less than sufficient service simply because they are not 100% devoted to their profession.This can
be very stressful to a potential client because now getting the answers to your questions depends on whether or not the DJ will be available when you call. This may
also indicate an attempt to hide or mask certain facts that will not become known until it is too late, eventually leading to a big waste of your time. Almost 95% of all
businesses are online and so should your DJ.
PHONE TAG - The last thing anybody wants to deal with is phone tag and unfortunately, most DJ's also work a full-time job during the week and are less likely to be
available when you call. The end result is that you have to sit around and wait for a return call that may never come. By being provided with a website, you can
browse the information available and find many answers to your questions in an instant. Perhaps you will decide that you do not like the information provided and can
easily move on to another choice. Another key factor is that most DJ's who offer a website will have a Contact link available that can be used to get a message to the
DJ. This can be a real lifesaver because most reputable DJ's constantly monitor their inbox and are more likely to respond immediately.
SOLE PROPRIETOR VS. COMPANY - A great cost-effective way to hire the right DJ is to look for a DJ who is self employed rather than employed by a large company. DJ
companies are always going to charge much higher rates because of all of their employees need to be paid. You have the owner to start with and they may also
employ an event coordinator, manager and of course office personnel and multiple DJ's. Everyone of these employees is looking for a weekly paycheck and in order to
pay them all, the company has to charge top dollar for each booking so everyone can get their cut. Don't be fooled into thinking that a DJ who works for a large
company is better. Some of the top DJ's in the world are self-employed and are more likely to work with you. If you are lucky enough to find a DJ who is self-
employed, you will find that the rates will be much more competitive since you won’t have to pay extra for those employees that you’ll never meet. You will also get a
higher level of care and devotion because your DJ will be planning for your event and not trying to work with many clients at one time. A great way to identify these
self-employed professionals is by looking at their name. Most self-employed DJ's will use their name as opposed to an informal and fictitious company name.
INCENTIVES - When searching for a DJ look for someone who will offer you a return on your investment. This can be as simple as a free gift, discount or additional free
services. For example, I offer free invitations and a thank you gift for every client to show my appreciation and to add a little more value to my service. I also am proud
to offer my exclusive Birthday Raffle for all teens 16 and younger. This is another free service that rewards the Guest of Honor with an iTunes Gift Card valued at up to
$50.00! Simply put, you are getting more for your money!
DEVOTION - As a DJ, I always do my best to make sure everything is just right for your big day. Whether it's a big wedding reception or a small private party, I will treat
it as high priority and go out of my way to provide you with outstanding service. Another important item to look for is devotion to you and your event. Try to find a DJ
who is willing to come to your home or office and meet with you in person to discuss your needs and concerns. Also, try to find a DJ who will be willing to take your
call at any time, not just during business hours. I am available by telephone everyday of the week from 11:00am to 1:00am. Regardless of your work schedule, you will
always be able to speak with me as needed. Remember that I am here to help you and want you to be taken care of always. Unfortunately many large companies are
there just because it's a job and want to get paid. The end result is poor service and lack of concern for you and your event.
Rates Vs. Value - It's not always easy these days to find the price you are looking for but if you find the right DJ, you may be surprised at how willing the DJ is to work
with you on the price depending on your situation. This may include a discount on your services or simply something extra like a free gift or a special promotion just
for you. My rates are considered to be among the best in the Lehigh Valley based on the level and quality of service that I provide. If you are offered a special
discount or promotion, you're still going to receive my best! I discount rates, not quality. I also offer a Price Match form for those of you who have already received
quote and a Service Estimate form. I will do my best to match or beat any competitors price for a comparable service.
PROFESSIONALISM - Any reputable DJ will offer you state of the art equipment that is mainly why the average price for a DJ can run between $400 for a smaller event
and $600 for a Wedding Reception. This equipment is very expensive but necessary to provide you with the quality you deserve. Please feel free to ask your DJ
candidate about the equipment that he or she will be using. Any reputable DJ will have no problem telling you about their gear. Some of the top names in the industry
include Peavey, Crown, QSC, American Audio and Behringer. If your DJ claims to use a Sony sound system or anything from Radio Shack, you'd better look somewhere
else.
MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER - An increasing battle among DJ's is who has the most music. This is simply foolish! The average event will allow enough time for 50 to 60
songs so having one million songs available is pretty wasteful. A great way to avoid being sucked into this trap is to find a DJ who will bring the music you want. I
personally try to keep the top 100 songs from each music genre, which has worked out very well for me. I have a Music Request Form available on my website that will
allow you to submit any songs that you would like for your event. If I don’t already have them, I will make sure to get them. So remember, when searching for a DJ,
don't be impressed by the size of the music library, be impressed by the selections within the library and the willingness to get you the music you want.
CAUGHT IN A TRAP - Most DJ's require a deposit and a contract, which is understandable and should be expected. Beware though as some fly by night DJ's use this to
their advantage. What you need to watch out for is the DJ who demands an excessive amount of money up front. In some cases you may be asked to provide as much
as 50% down or even pay off the whole amount up front. This is a bad idea. If either of these situations occur, you should be aware that if you cancel your
reservation, you will most likely lose any amount that you paid and the DJ will be eating dinner at your expense. A fair deposit for any event would be around $100.00
or 25% of your total bill. I only require $100.00 down. The main reason that a deposit is charged is simply because you are buying the date from your DJ's availability
calendar and doing so will close out that date to others. Not only may your DJ have to turn away another potential client but many DJ's work regular full-time jobs as
well and chances are, your DJ may have to take a day off of work to be at your event. So as you can see, it is important for your DJ to be guaranteed some sort of
payment for your event even if it is only a modest amount.
In closing, I hope that you have found this information useful. I have gathered all of this information over the last 15 years in the business and hope my opinion will
help you to make the right decision. I know it’s hard to choose a $600.00 DJ over a $300.00 DJ but the reality is that you get what you pay for and unfortunately many
people don’t realize this until it’s too late. Please feel free to call if you have any questions or would like some additional information about my services or hiring a DJ
in general. I am always willing to assist in any way possible!
Respectfully yours,
DJ Chris Englert
| How to choose the right DJ |
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