How do you measure success?

[dicky]

This is probably gonna be a bit of a tongue in cheek thread but what would make you class a night as a success. In particular what would give you a grin till morning?

For me it wasn't people on the dancefloor last night, or the fact I could hear them singing along to tracks before the dancing started......

It was the fact I actually had them dancing on the carpark!

The smokers were hanging around outside the main doors and I was set up near that end of the room and could clearly see them boogie-ing away outside on the car park. I even angled a couple of pinspots so they would shine out of the window for them

Now That, to me, is a good indicator of a succesful night

[Excalibur]

Success? Well my bar doesn't seem to be set as high as yours. I tend to lean towards these criteria from the aviation industry:

" A good landing is where everything comes down safely.

A great landing is when you can use the plane again. "

[Imagine]

I long ago gave up measuring the success of the night by the number of legs on the dance floor (mind you....this Saturday wasn't bad with 70 people partaking in a massive Cotton Eye Joe session...had to play it three times back to back under orders of the client).

For me, it's how happy the host is during and at the end of the night. I've done some surprising ones with very few dancing this year, but where they've sat at their tables happily singing away and tapping their feet, and had nothing but praise lavished for those ones (weird). I've got referrals from those ones too....seems some people just won't dance no matter what you do.

Yes, I'd rather have the dance floor heaving with hot and sweaty bodies all night (much more fun and there's been plenty of those this year), but so long as the client's happy at the end of the night.....that's the job done in my book.

[dj foureyes]

My measure of success is how long the ringing in my ears from the booing last.
5 minutes = good night.
10 minutes= the pits.

[yourdj]

I long ago gave up measuring the success of the night by the number of legs on the dance floor (mind you....this Saturday wasn't bad with 70 people partaking in a massive Cotton Eye Joe session...had to play it three times back to back under orders of the client).

For me, it's how happy the host is during and at the end of the night. I've done some surprising ones with very few dancing this year, but where they've sat at their tables happily singing away and tapping their feet, and had nothing but praise lavished for those ones (weird). I've got referrals from those ones too....seems some people just won't dance no matter what you do.

Yes, I'd rather have the dance floor heaving with hot and sweaty bodies all night (much more fun and there's been plenty of those this year), but so long as the client's happy at the end of the night.....that's the job done in my book.

Although the packed floor, play anything and they will dance crowds can be a breath of fresh air.
People tend to have so much exposure and access to live music these days they often rather chat and socialise at functions.
If it was not for women wanting to have fun and be the centre of attention we would all be out of a job.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

If it was not for women wanting to have fun and be the centre of attention we would all be out of a job.

Ha how many times ha Proud Mary or 9 to 5 kicked off an up until then dead dancefloor

I'm in the same boat as most of you - is my client happy?

I specifically don't make spurious promises like "you're dancefloor will be filled all night." because 1. you can't ever guarantee anything like that and 2. how good a night is is only partly based on how many people dance.

[Benny Smyth]

I specifically don't make spurious promises like "you're dancefloor will be filled all night." because 1. you can't ever guarantee anything like that and 2. how good a night is is only partly based on how many people dance.

When clients tell me that they just want people dancing, I tell them that depends on the people they have invited. If they have invited people who enjoy a good laugh and are known to have a dance, then I dare say that they will be dancing. If you've never seen great aunt Mable dancing in your life, then I'm not gonna be able to change that in the space of five hours. We can't change people's personalities.

[funkymook]

If people aren’t dancing you need to turn the volume up and play faster music....

[ukpartydj]

It's incredibly hard to measure success IMO.
Nice people will say "thanks a lot and great night" when it was pretty average.
Horrible people will say you're when you did a good job.

I did get a very big indicator I did a good job a couple of weeks ago ... a £100 tip and a bottle of Taittinger Champagne! Needless to say I was speechless!

[Nakatomi]

I agree that you can't always judge a night by how many people danced. Or how few glasses were hurled in your direction, or whether they were full or empty. Or what liquid the glasses contained, come to think about it.

It's tricky, because unless people go out of their way to give you thanks there's no real way to know they were happy with things. We're not known as a nation for being good at complaining. Whining to people around us, oh yeah we're brilliant at that. But going to the source of our grievances with a complaint? Hahahaha. So no, unless praise is delivered & isn't prompted.. it doesn't count IMHO.

Regarding panicking about nobody dancing.. it's an easy trap to fall into for a lot of people, but relax. If they're gonna dance, chances are they will - and if they want to dance, just not to whatever you're currently playing they're fairly sure to let you know soon enough. Don't go on about it. Don't beg.. and certainly don't ever lambaste folk for not dancing (I've seen & heard that happen. It's not pretty).

I've had some great times since starting up again, where I've both felt they went well and have been told as much, but even then there are improvements I'd have made in my final analysis during the drive home. Could've delivered that line better, definitely should've played THAT instead or as well as. It beats the hell out of the last couple of clubs where I was resident 10 or so years ago.. where a good night was one where I wasn't threatened with hospitalisation or 'having a word with your boss'.