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! :banana::banana:

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. :o:o 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.

:agree:

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 :D

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.

:agree:

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 :Censored: 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'.

[Daryll]

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).



:like:

Daryll

[yourdj]

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 did a promobile article on this a couple of years back and listed 10 ways to not let paranoia get to you. I have found that going out from behind the booth every 20 mins and walking about really give a good feel for the atmosphere and whether everyone is happy our not (depending on the venue). Some events I have actually put it on background and sat with the guests, which has really given me a good insight to what they want. One particular function I discovered that one table were ballroom dancers and hey presto after hours of nothing everyone was dancing.

Chatting with the hosts is best as it puts your mind at rest. On events when you get a weirdo client who thinks its your job to keep the floor packed (despite the fact all her friends are boring), then i just put my head down and get on with it the best i can ;) As long as the track list is nailed then they have no reason to have any issues as, after all its their music taste :)

Generally, If everyone is chatting and laughing then great, let them get on with it. Wedding especially result in empty floors for large parts of the night, but its so satisfying creating an event or going on that gets the evening going (such as a dance off or link to something earlier perhaps). You can then relax knowing that the client will be happy. So, my main goal is to

1: satisfy the clients musical requirements 2: get some form of feedback from the guests (requests, going to tables and chatting) 3: creating events/moments if it will work to kick start things at the right time. 4: adapt to the guests/client and at times even take over as the entertainer (weddings), which is required when you get a very shy bride and groom 5: Use the lighting (venue lighting too) and volume + music selections at the right times to instigate the start,lulls and restarts of the party (rather than dark & loud all night) 6: Try every genre under the sun and if that and the norms don't work, then i have tried my best!

If its perhaps something you are doing and are unaware of then videoing yourself all night and watching it back is gold, as you will see all of those body language cues that send your dancers off the floor from perhaps something you say, music you play or even just having lights flashing in peoples faces all night etc.

[ckpr2]

One of my best gigs was a TA Christmas do at Kendal.
I was booked until midnight working along side a band.
The band disappeared about 11pm and I carried on until midnight.
A young chap came up and asked if they paid me a bit more would I play on.
I said no problem.
But they kept coming up and asking me to play on.
I eventually got away at around 4am.
Great night everyone up and dancing all night.

[Excalibur]

I d4: adapt to the guests/client and at times even take over as the entertainer (weddings), which is required when you get a very shy bride and groom

Whoa Toby, now hold on there a cotton-pickin minute. I thought perceived wisdom was that the Bride and Groom should be the centre of attention at all times? :whistle:

The day they start entertaining all the guests and whipping them up into a frenzy, I'll subscribe to that view. Till then I'll side with Toby.

[funkymook]

Feedback like this will do for me....

Hi Martin,
We wanted to say thanks very much for doing such a great job on Friday. Lucy was really pleased with the music and was saying 'how did he know to play the Muppet theme!'. Everyone had a great time and my cousin said 'Where did you get the dj, he's too good to be a wedding dj!'.
Cheers,
Rich

Only a couple of lines, but it tells me that the preparation beforehand was noticed by the bride and my aim of not being seen as a standard ‘wedding’ DJ is being achieved.

[Excalibur]

Everyone had a great time and my cousin said 'Where did you get the dj, he's too good to be a wedding dj!'.
Cheers,
Rich

Only a couple of lines, but it tells me that the preparation beforehand was noticed by the bride and my aim of not being seen as a standard ‘wedding’ DJ is being achieved.

Preparation? Preparation? Pah. Live dangerously Martin, do like I do, turn up with an open mind, and an expectation of many surges of adrenaline as you cope with the hurdles placed in your way. Keeps me young.:D

And " Standard Wedding DJ" ? Blimey! :sofa: time, methinks. Mind you, I was once advertised as a " Wedding style Disco ". ;)

I may return to this when I've collected my thoughts.