Posts Tagged ‘DJ or Band’
Why grilling a DJ or Band before hiring them does not eliminate the chances of getting a raw deal
Posted by admin | Filed under General
Since 1955, PSR Productions has been answering questions from prospective
customers. These questions have a two-fold goal. The first, and a lower
priority, is planning a great party. The second, a higher priority, is
avoiding a negative outcome. Negative outcomes include everything from
not showing up to the less severe scenario of incompetence or communication/per
sonality issues.
Here’s what buyers fail to consider when interviewing prospective vendors
(so yes, this article applies to almost any service a buyer is considering):
1. Disc Jokey/Band business owners and salespeople (B.O.’s and SP’s) typically
have excellent rapport building skills, are outgoing and incredibly charming.
These characteristics are what made them get in the business in the first
place. Whether you talk to them on the phone or face-to-face, you aren’t
likely to find many duds. Sure, you may very well hit it off with one
in particular, but all that means is you were in rapport with them. They
could still be incompetent, inexperienced or even a talented performer
ill-suited for your event. It’s great to find someone you can relate
to, but even better to find a performer that can show you examples via
video from past events doing something important to you, such as playing
different genres of music, or using the voice quality in announcements
appropriate for the tone you want to set for the event (crazy vs. classy,
for example).
2. Experienced B.O./SP’s see through close ended questions like: Can
I create a music playlist? Will you personally promise to do my event?
Do you have backup equipment/performers? It’s blatantly obvious to a
B.O./SP what the right answer is, and whether they can fully deliver or
not, you will likely get the answer that increases the possibility of
doing business. That’s not to say that every B.O./SP is a liar. But
to think that salespeople/business owners don’t stretch the truth is naive.
So how do you avoid being scammed? Here’s how:
1. Get proof. Instead of asking if some of your important but possinbly
obscure songs are in the organization’s library/playlist, request video
or audio of the song, depending on whether it’s a band or Disc Jokey.
Worried about backup equipment? Visually inspect serial numbers for the
equipment that will be at your affair, for both sets, before you hire
someone. Then confirm it is actually there upon arrival at your affair.
Short of doing this, there may be no backup or low quality backup. Before
we started our business, we worked for the single largest entertainment
company in the country, and they had no backup gear, despite having the
financial ability to buy the gear and do the right thing for their customers.
Their biggest selling feature was the backup gear they didn’t have!
Last tidbit. Should you see a live performance at an actual event? Just
know there are challenges. It’s not uncommon to come at a bad time.
Watching people eat won’t help you, and timelines often change. Also,
the music you hear is the client’s request. So if you hate disco, and
the party you view has a client that loves it, how do you judge the performer
when the genre is a major turnoff? In addition, your Saturday night event
has a different vibe than the Sunday afternoon event you may be viewing,
where guests are glued to the seats because 1 PM on a Sunday is not the
best get-up-and-dance party energy. You may be better served by watching
a half dozen videos of past events.
Bottom line, when choosing entertainment, trust your instincts and get
proof if an issue is really important to you. You deserve the best.
