HIRING A DJ: POINTS TO
CONSIDER

Hiring a Disc Jockey for your wedding ceremony, wedding reception or
other event here in the Greater Pittsburgh
area?  It is my hope to give you the tools to
pick the RIGHT entertainer.  Please read this carefully...and choose
well.

When you plan a party of any sort, your objective is to ensure that your
guests have a good time, period. The company you choose to handle your wedding
reception or special event entertainment will have a greater degree of effect
on the success of the event  than any
other factor. The DJ that you choose
will be your spokesperson that day and everything they
say or do will be a DIRECT reflection on you.

Here are some important points to remember when you interview a DJ
company.

Will the person that you interview
perform at your event?

This is the most common complaint about the DJ industry today....The
person you interview is NOT the person that will actually perform at  your event. Ask the DJ service you plan
to interview if he/she will be the actual person performing, or if someone
else will perform the event. Ask if you can meet the person who will be
assigned to your event. You need to know this UP FRONT before you decide or
sign a contract. Preferably, you should meet both the owner/contact
AND the actual DJ.

There are plenty of  "Multi
Operator" services out there who will be 100% upfront
with you regarding this  particular aspect of
their service and will be glad to arrange for
you to meet your prospective entertainer.

Likewise, there are dishonest companies  that
will purposely mislead you into thinking that the person you interview  is
your DJ.  When it comes time for the show, someone you have NEVER met
shows up. This tactic, known as "bait and switch",
represents the most damaging act that DJ companies inflict on the buying
public.

Bottom Line: If you don't get a good answer when you ask this question,
FIND a different DJ service.

Can you  expect
prompt return of your phone calls or Emails?

You should expect to get a call back or an Email back within 24 hours.
There are many DJ's who may be at a show when you call.  Be
sure to leave a good call back number and your name, as well as the time
frame you need entertainment for. In fact, provide as much information as
possible.  This will help the DJ to give you more information
about their service and give you an accurate assessment of what they will
charge to handle your event.

Bottom Line: Be persistent  in
your contact as many services are very busy, and provide detail so
that they can talk to you.

Will they ask to meet with you and
present his/her service?

A good DJ Service will want to meet with you and anyone you wish
to be present to talk about your special day
event. They will
want to make sure that you are 100%
comfortable, and will not try to use fear or pressure as a mechanism  to book you. They will speak
about all of the aspects of his/her service, and answer any
questions you have.

Bottom Line: Avoid DJ services that do not want to meet you, and
only want the contract or check before they will try to help you.

What value are you placing on your
entertainment?

You need to assess the value you place on the entertainment service
you choose.  For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, how
important will your entertainment be? Think about what
the impact of having bad entertainment (or worse, no
entertainment)is with respect to the success of your
event. Find out what services your DJ has available and
can perform for you.

Select your DJ service on the overall VALUE that they bring
to your event. In many cases, your event may be
a one of a kind or one time only event.  You most likely are
not planning to simply show up
and "wing it" through an event such as your wedding.
You shouldn't hire a DJ service that will do that either.   Understand
what specific services your DJ company will
bring to bear when you interview them.  A list of
many of those services are at the bottom of this page.

Bottom Line: Choose entertainers based on their value rather than look at
them as a commodity.

Will the DJ offer to meet with you
AFTER signing the contract to plan your event?

A professional DJ is ALWAYS willing to discuss your event at any time
before the event starts, and should display the flexibility to accommodate
changes and help you solve problems. Meeting your DJ to plan your event is of
paramount importance to a successful event such as a wedding reception.
Your DJ should discuss the follow up planning. The DJ should also
work with you to decide on  an appropriate time
to meet with you to accomplish the planning  phase of your
event.

Will you have to plan this by yourself?

A new trend these days is the use of "online
planners", where the client gets to "plan their
own party" on the Internet.  While many clients think
this is "cutting edge" and "cool", the
reality is that many companies employ this tool to minimize
the time they spend with you, maximize their profit, and place the
responsibility for the success of your own reception on
your shoulders. The use of technology is a good thing, but
nothing takes the place of well invested time to advance plan the event.
If the company you interview is not willing to invest that
time with you in advance, you may be in for a big
disappointment come time for your event to start.  In
some circumstances, such as out of state, where email and
phone are the primary avenues of communication, as long as
you feel good about the level of communication taking place, this is OK.

Bottom Line: Plan your party in person with your entertainer if at all
possible.

Do you LIKE the person that you
interview at your meeting?

There is NOTHING worse in the world than having to do business with
someone you do not like. Choosing the person who "feels" right is the
most important factor in picking the right entertainer for your party or
reception. The DJ you choose should be very open about what he/she can do for
you and should volunteer information and show you that they
are comfortable with the type of event you
are planning.  A good DJ service wants you to
be 100% comfortable with your choice  you
make and will not use fear tactics to scare you into
booking them. Bottom line, this is a completely emotion driven
choice.

Bottom Line: If you do not feel good about choosing a DJ
service, do NOT book them.

Is the person knowledgeable about your
type of event?

Not every DJ is qualified to handle every type of event.

Rather than ask "how much do you charge" as your
first question, you should ask your DJ, "Can you handle my
event"?

Ask the DJ how many events of your type that he/she has done. As you
interview your DJ,  if you do not get
the impression that the DJ is comfortable with
your event and specific needs, you should interview more companies
before you make a selection. The DJ should spend time listening to you describe
what you want to happen, and get excited about your event.

What does the DJ use to procure your
business?

You should expect to see several documents that the DJ service uses to
display their service and demonstrate HOW they will conduct and plan your
event. First and foremost is a planner. This planner should impress you enough
to the point where you understand that the DJ you are hiring is a professional,
and is capable of handling your event. A sample copy of the CONTRACT to be used
should be available as well as a schedule of pricing information. A DJ may also
give you a list of references. CALL THEM!! Ask if there were any issues or
problem areas when the person dealt with the DJ.

Of course, you will most likely not get a
bad reference, but you should be able to note elements
of consistency between what the DJ tells you in the interview and
what his/her clients have told you.

Does the DJ have a music list ?

You need to be assured that the DJ you hire not only has a sizeable
collection, but has a variety of music, especially for wedding receptions,
where many different styles of music will be requested and several
different age groups will be in the same room together. Ask to
see a music list. Find out if the DJ
service you want to hire will work to acquire the
music you need to ensure your event's success. Having a
large library is not nearly as important as having a large selection
of music that you, the client, need to have played at your event.
Find out if your DJ will be flexible with requests for
special music, and will follow your direction(if
you give direction) about "do not plays" and "must
plays".

Does the DJ use professional grade
equipment?

If the DJ does not have pictures of his or her gear, you should ask to
set up a time to see the equipment or see pictures of the DJ's set up. You
should not expect to be invited to someone's wedding or private event to
accomplish this however. The DJ should be able to tell you what he/she
uses and characterize the equipment as professional grade.
You should not expect to recognize off
the shelf stereo components from Best Buy or Circuit City in use at your reception.

In Closing:

You should consider your DJ entertainer as an insurance policy
you buy that ensures that all of the other money you spend will not result
in bad memories or a less than enjoyable occasion. Good entertainment is NOT
cheap, and cheap entertainment is NOT good.

If you answered 9 or 10 in the value question raised
above, that means you are placing 90 to 100% of the success of your event on
your entertainer.  Now consider the percentage of money you are spending
with respect to the amount you have budgeted for the event. In many cases,
clients budget less than 5% of their money on entertainment, but expect the
entertainment to be the main factor in making the event a success.

Does that make sense?

Your DJ, if you have chosen a good one, will display many of the
following skills and attributes before and at your event:

- Master of Ceremonies and Time
management

- Party/event planner and
event coordinator

- Comprehensive library of music

- Professional grade equipment

- Follow the plan that you and he/she have
worked out using the planner

- Flexibility to adapt to sudden changes -

- Problem solving skills and
innovative out of the box thinking

- Seamless continuous music at all times unless
otherwise specified

- Sound technician/Light technician

- Ability to read a crowd and pick the right
music

- Audience motivator

- Referral service for other event professionals