"Can we come & see you performing?" Advice please

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

No, I wouldn't expect them to watch it all, unless they were really bored - but if you made chapters they could skip through it and get the jist of the evening - hopefully showing an active dancefloor for most of the night, and shiny happy people!

When I did my video, I just made sure that there were different styles of music being played and lots of dancing.

The wedding I got the footage from was a fantastic night (luckily)

[rob1963]

It's something I already use on my site, although it needs updating, as it's a few years old now.

Darren...I've just seen the video on your site, which I think gives potential clients a good idea of what they can expect...

...and it's good to see that you play all the same cheese that I do!!!

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Darren...I've just seen the video on your site, which I think gives potential clients a good idea of what they can expect...

...and it's good to see that you play all the same cheese that I do!!!

I made sure all the tracks featured were well known and generally work for weddings.

[ross@rds]

Hi everyone

You dont need to make it long just 5 min clips from a number of gigs showing your diffrent set-ups and events you do etc.

Has worked well for me putting them on your site is also a good way as alot of bookings come from there.

[Stephen_N.I.]

Hi.
I'll just give my opinion.
Over here in NI a few disco suppliers have convinced people not to accept videos as proof of work as "they can be edited to be better than they are."
It seems to have put potential clients off.
Just something to think about.

[Dragonfly]

Its a tough one this I know some who do it very successfully yet I totally agree with Darren that each event is tailored to specific requirements that may not be what the "having a look client" wants to see? I have in the past offered to let people come to venues prior to the start of an event say if ive had an early set up to have a look and listen ..... although they get no more from this really than looking at the website?

I think with some its a power thing they feel important and in control if they have had a look. The kind of person that wants to come and have a look at something you are selling on ebay never mind the 72 pictures you have got on there.

Of course footage will be edited to show your discos best side as it is an advertising tool.

I offer meetings for any client that wants one to put a face to a name and dicuss in person what I do and offer , but don't offer to hold them at shows.

[Shaun]

The way I deal with it, is to explain that every disco and DJ is tailored to individual clients and what they might see or hear might not be what they want.

For example, they could see you work in a pub, dressed in jeans, playing the kind of music that you wouldn't necessarily play at a wedding. Or you could be DJing at a wedding where the client has specified cheesey music and lots of chat and the prospective client wanted mainly dance music and no chat, so would get completely the wrong impression.

This is exactly how I've handled this situation in the past.

They're more than welcome to view my testimonials from past clients if they want to evaluate the type of service I offer.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I had this in february. A girl called me as she wanted a DJ for her 16th birthday party in June. She said she had seen the website and was impressed with the way I was on the phone and the customer feedback I have received. We agreed on a price and I sent the booking forms, then 2 weeks passed and I didn't get the forms back or the deposit so I rang her to make sure that she had received them. She put her mum on the phone and her mum was...well..not rude but wanted (and rightly so I guess), to know the in's and out's and everything.
She talked on the phone for ages and asked me if she could see me in action (ooer!!)....she wanted me to email her some dates of my whereabouts and I wasn't that keen on doing so but next to each function or event that I was doing / am doing, I added a little note to say what the music style and set up was etc...
For example :
Friday - Shakermaker - Indie/Alternative club night - This will not really give a true impression of what I would do at a 16th birthday as it is a club night and a specific genre.
Saturday - Wedding - As this is a wedding, I feel that it would not be suitable or adviseable to turn up on someone elses big day to check out my services.
Friday - Request Fest - This is at the local pub and is a small set up (no lights etc) and again, is not the type of thing that I would do at a 16th birthday.

It was stuff like that, worded better of course but it gave a good, clear indication that the dates I was doing would not give the right impression of me.

The mum called me again after the email and surprisingly said words to the effect of "Well, I would like to book you but I won't until I see what you are like. I am sure it won't matter if I poke my head round the door for 10 minutes at the wedding you are doing" - I disagreed totally and asked her how she would feel if she had some stranger poking their head round the corner just to see what the DJ was like. She said that she would be ok with that but I think that's rubbish.

Anyway, I still haven't heard from them and my guess is that she has found someone else which is fair play. To be honest, I did get the impression that she thought I may have been making excuses so that she couldn't see me in the hope that she would book me anyway. Looking back on it, I think I did give that impression but it was not intentional. It's a tough one really isn't it.

[CRAZY K]

I do the same - you just can;t invite clients to come to someone elses function.

The way I deal with it, is to explain that every disco and DJ is tailored to individual clients and what they might see or hear might not be what they want.

For example, they could see you work in a pub, dressed in jeans, playing the kind of music that you wouldn't necessarily play at a wedding. Or you could be DJing at a wedding where the client has specified cheesey music and lots of chat and the prospective client wanted mainly dance music and no chat, so would get completely the wrong impression.

Well Ill go against the flow here although as you know I dont do Discos every week and possibly clients view things slightly differently and my dress code is always the same---Silly Hat and check shirt---he he!

I have a few clients who are considering booking me for Barn Dance /Disco Weddings and want to see me " live" before booking because it aint cheap!

My approach is not to get them along to other Weddings which I agree can be obtrusive but try other things maybe like a 40th Birthday where in my experience often the Party person says-yeah no problem well be having a good time anyway--- I did this last year at several events and there was absolutely no problem and I got 3 Wedding gigs on the strength of that for this year.

I did ask some people to see me at a Wedding once as I knew the Bride--- and after the first Dance they said--yup were booking you for ours---cheerio!

I do make it very clear that the people "looking" will simply come up to the DJ unit and talk to me and look--they will be less obtrusive than a couple of roadies.

Clearly you have to be selective, careful and professional.

There is the downside--for no good reason the booking bombs out and you look very naff.

The alternative is to ask satisfied clients to give you a recommendation--again that doesnt always work as some cant be bothered--and some can.

Just my experience---no one has been offended at any time by any of this--
well actually no--one client who was happy to let other people see how great his party was ( now theres a physcological approach to this) said to me --where are those people who were coming to see you--they are missing a great night--

So some people actually LIKE it because its telling the people out there what a great popular person they are ( large ego maybe)

Anyway tread carefully.

Are you loving this Rice?

CRAZY K

[theoloyla]

I must admit I am very uncomfortable about people coming along to gigs to see if I am "any good". There are some venues and occassions when it is possible for someone to unobtrusively get a quick look - and usually that is all they want. The video idea is of course very sensible and yes of course they can be edited but then you arent going to show potential clients your turkeys and bloopers - same as you will only show them good references and press cuttings etc - not any letters of complaint etc. It isnt rocket science.