“I Want To Hold Your Hand”
The first time I heard the song “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles (at about age 14) was when I was first getting exposed to Rock & Roll on a golden oldies station. I had been pretty sheltered from “secular” music up ’til that point…so that first golden oldies station really expanded my understanding of what was considered great music. A few weeks later, I discovered my first top 40 station (KNBQ) and found my understanding of what was good music expanded even further.
In the DJ industry, there are quite a few in our ranks who refuse to have their understanding expanded when it comes to the value or our services and the roles we should fulfill both as the DJ and the Master of Ceremonies. Instead of opening themselves up to this expanded understanding, they opt instead to minimize the services that are being offered by others in ways that are both ignorant and demeaning.
A clear example of this was put on display on a not-so-popular DJ forum where I just happened to become the subject of discussion. A DJ was upset because he had given a friend/co-worker a “great deal” for their upcoming wedding…but then they wound up in the wedding party at one of my recent receptions. After experiencing my personalized introductions along with several other ideas my bride and groom had requested to make their reception more fun, this DJ’s clients now wanted him to incorporate those ideas into their upcoming reception. He was pining that this was going to take a lot more prep work to pull off and that was not what they had originally negotiated in their contract…so rightly…he was questioning if and how much more he should charge them to pull those ideas together in time for their reception.
The most common advice parroted by many of his cohorts sounded like this…
“Peter Merry gets $5,000 plus for doing all that. If you have the money, I can do it for you; otherwise, you will get what I can give you for what you paid. If you don’t like it, here’s everything but the booking fee back and go hire Peter.”
One would think they might want to see if I were even available on the client’s date before telling the client to go hire me. But the best example of “down-playing” the services we should be providing was summed up in this post…
“Peter Merry does a lot of hand-holding, and people pay him for that. Before you try to attach a price to your own hand – decide if letting people hold on to it is something you even care to do.”
So what this person is asserting is that I get paid my premium pricing because I offer “hand-holding” services. He then challenges the other “pros” in this particular forum to weigh whether or not they want offer “hand-holding” services themselves.
Is giving our clients as much control over their music selections as they desire…hand-holding?
Is helping our clients design a smooth-flowing agenda that will be consistently entertaining…hand-holding?
Is brain-storming personalized ways to help our clients get their guests involved in their celebration…hand-holding?
Is double-checking the behind-the-scenes details that need to be managed for our clients so the reception will flow as flawlessly as possible…hand-holding?
Is conferring in advance with the rest of our client’s vendors about the timeline of events prior to and at the reception…hand-holding?
Is scripting out personalized introductions and announcements to make them as uniquely fitting for our clients as possible…hand-holding?
Is rehearsing our announcements and training ourselves in the arts of public speaking and voice-over so we can give our clients the most polished MC presentation possible..hand-holding?
Is mixing music from a variety of genres and eras in an effort to involve as many of our client’s guests as possible during the open dancing…hand-holding?
Is wearing the right clothing and dressing our equipment in the most atheistically pleasing way possible…hand-holding?
Is bringing the very best in audio PA equipment (in my case…BOSE) to make sure our client’s guests can hear everything they need to clearly without going deaf…hand-holding?
I’m hard-pressed to think of any other services I offer my clients beyond the ones listed above. So am I truly offering “hand-holding” services? Or could it be possible that the services I am offering are the full services EVERY wedding entertainer SHOULD be offering…but isn’t…because they are:
A. Ignorant (They are simply unaware of the full services that should be offered when providing entertainment at a wedding reception.)
B. Arrogant (They believe the guests at their weddings who tell them “You Rock!” and have opted to close their minds to any outside info that might challenge them to do better, give better, be better.)
C. Indolent (They are content just being “the music” and really don’t want to be expected to put in the time and effort needed to help their clients have a truly fun, memorable, and personalized wedding celebration.)
Call it “hand-holding” all you want…if my clients want to know how passionate I am about helping them create a fantastic reception…my response will proudly be…
“I Want To Hold Your Hand!”
Viral Video “Truthers”
People who still to this day espouse the incredibly convoluted idea that Geroge W. Bush fired a missle at the Pentagon and had a special ops team plant explosives in the Twin Towers to ensure their destruction on 9/11 are now often referred to as “9/11 Truthers” because they are convinced that they and they alone know the “real” truth about the events that occured on 9/11.
So imagine my surprise when I discovered that some in my own industry have been going over the Worst Wedding DJ EVER! viral YouTube video footage as if it were the Zapruder film in an attempt to uncover evidence of a conspriacy of some kind.
One DJs observations showed a severe lack of attention being paid to the details when he said…
“I saw this footage, and was especially disturbed by the odd transition, that led to the weird ‘breast drumming.’ That’s what happens when you let the laptop do all the work and you stand there apparently drunk.”
The transition he is referring to is when the music changes suddenly from “Conga” by Gloria Estefan to “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins leading to the DJ’s “boob bongo” routine which is timed perfectly with the drum solo segue…which occurs at 3:40 seconds into the original song.
Obviously the song was started at a set cue point to hit the drum solo for comedic effect…and the fact that the backround noise of the crowd drops out at the transition and the DJ begins to move in slo-mo while still clapping to the original beat of “Conga”…combined with the replay of the his “boob bongo” in even slower slo-mo…should all be clear indicators to anyone watching that this song was mixed in by the person who posted the video and was not actually played live at the event.
It makes one wonder how well a wedding DJ who could miss these details would be able to manage the finer details at an actual wedding.
But the next comment by a DJ was even more astounding…
“After watching this, I honestly believe it was staged.”
REALLY? This person has got to be kidding…right? I even saw one response where the person was suggesting that the “boob bongo” segment itself was actually put into the clip using CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).
I am painfully aware that our industry has had a serious image problem in the public’s perception of us long before this viral video became all the rage. So what purpose would be gained by documenting EXACTLY what can happen when an unqualified and uncouth “entetainer” is given the reigns at a wedding reception? Look at all of the people in that video. How much effort would it have taken to get them all together to “film” this fake event…and then NONE of them have come forward to admit their scam after 2,000,000 views? Seems about as unlikely as a missle being fired into the Pentagon while a plane filled with people is somehow “disappeared” with no wreckage or living survivors. Ever seen Capicorn One?
Instead of looking for the hand of “Dr. Evil” behind this latest viral video…maybe we should be looking at what we can do to help this industry grow up and truly become a profession?
Finally…to put this issue to bed once and for all…here is the highlight reel from the same (not-so-staged) wedding with the “boob bongo” routine understandably left out.
It is interesting to note how fun and beautiful this wedding looked with only one person’s performance edited out.
Raven, Duck, or Chicken?
In my last article, I shared about a DJ who stated the following…
“all these self help gurus and people who make instructional videos and write books on any business do it for one reason…ti fill their pockets. if you doubt what i say, then name me ONE author, dvd producer, or instructional guru who did all the work and didnt fill their pockets.”
He decided to identify himself as DJ Raven in the comments section and when I asked him about the DJ Business Consulting services he offers…he responded with the following…
“dj’s get paid by their clients…dj 101…I give the knowledge I share with other dj’s for FREE!!! Maybe I should start charging? Thanks for the free business advice!!! No wonder you’re so successful! ~ hugs and kisses!”
But when I pointed out that his web site shows those services come with a price tag…he responded once again…
“I do not charge any member of our association, I do not charge any dj who wants to exchange ideas, I do not charge any member of any other association, and I wouldn’t even charge you!…If i spend one on one time exclusively with one individual in a learning that has been scheduled to last more than one hour for the sole purpose of education, and they are not a member of any association, I DO CHARGE! since we’re on the subject, send me your book for free, as well as any other material you sell…for free. If I can do it, I’m sure YOU CAN TOO! Maybe free information for all adja members? all snap members? all name members? If I can share mine, why can’t you?” (emphasis added)
So I had to follow up with a very simple but direct question…which Raven then proceeded to repeatedly…Duck.
The question was…
“Why?
Why are you charging to help “other” DJs?
Don’t you care about helping them too?”
Instead of answering…he challenged me to give away my book for free or offer refunds to DJs in the ADJA who had bought my book all the while acting more and more like another form of fowl.
I found myself wondering what could possibly be so hard about such a simple question that it would cause a Raven to Duck and run like a Chicken?
This double standard in our indsutry that says if you truly “care” about helping the industry then your information and time should be given away for FREE (but he can charge for his information if they are not a part of his local association) has become a stumbling block for progress in our midst.
How long will information that costs money to produce and has value that can be measured in increased demand and profits for those that utilize it be mocked by our own brethren as “kool aid” that “won’t work in my market” while those that are sincerely making huge efforts to help our indsutry move onward and upward are cut down publicly because “they ONLY care about lining their own pockets”?
When will Ravens quit Ducking and running like Chickens and instead stand up straight and bold and say “I charge DJs for my educational services because my time and information is worth it!” with no fear of reprisal for doing so?
I hope it will be sooner rather than later.
Don’t Drink The KOOL-AID!
In a recent facebook wall-post conversation I was having with a DJ who shall remain nameless, I was challenged to lay out 5 things every DJ can do right now to “better” their business. Here was my list.
1. Take at least one performance based workshop this year (and dare-I-say every year). (Love Story, Acting, Stand-Up Comedy, Improv, Hosting, Voice-Over, Public Speaking, Etc.)
2. Videotape yourself at a wedding and watch it with a hyper-critical eye. Make a list of the things you notice and write a plan for changing them ASAP.
3. Seek out someone you respect and ask them to review your video (or watch you live at a wedding) for the purpose of giving you a solid critique. Take note of the things they noticed that you were unaware of. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know…and only an outside set of eyes will help you identify those things so you can improve.
4. Buy Mark Ferrell’s “Getting What You’re Worth” CD’s and listen to them with a pad and pen. Then listen to them 9 more times on your way to meet your clients.
5. Survey your clients about the value you provided at their receptions. If they say you gave them more than they paid for…BELIEVE THEM and RAISE YOUR RATES. If they don’t say you gave them more than paid for…repeat the first 4 actions steps until your ratings change for the better.
His response?
“ahhh yes…drink the kool aid… those are the same exact things ive heard for years…in fact, i kind of expected those and knew you would go there lol…look where they have gotten us… to the point we are at now… i think its safe to assume we actually agree on one thing, the industry is in need of change, however i disagree with the “kool aid technique” entirely.”
He then responded again with a long diatribe using the phrase “kool aid” 8 more times. So I thought I’d share a few of his more “interesting” views along with my thoughts here.
“the steps i used are the same steps that have built major corporations, are you saying that company with popular brands are doing it wrong?
no wonder we have all heard of mcdonalds and coca cola. hmmm, i dont see the peter merry method building a brand that is nationally recognized.
the old time tested ways are still the foundations that build good business.”
The “steps” he is referring to were his top 5 things every DJ can do to “better” themselves which he listed before asking for my top 5. They are…
“1. be more conscious of how we are perceived, and how you in particular are perceived, and don’t lose sight of your focus in the eyes of your clients.
2. remember that we are all under the microscope at one time or another. you never know when you are being watched…hence booby bongo boy.
3. be open to the ideas of other industry professionals and do not assume you know everything about the industry, but remember, advice is only advice…not the gospel
4. Dj’s need to stop worrying about business outside their own markets, focus on your yard, not the neighbors yard. different neighborhoods have different property values. the dj markets are the same. never presume that your market is just like every other market. what works here in New England is different than what may work in CA or anywhere else.
5. remember that you are a “brand” when you are in business. how your brand is received is entirely up to you.
perception is reality… how do you think people perceive you and your business/service? ask…and take criticism and compliments equally.“
It should be noted that steps 1, 2 & 5 are pretty much making the same point. It should also be noted that none of his steps are measurable actions steps.
So apparently he claims to have used these “steps” gleaned from major corporations like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola to build his successful business but then he poses this challenge…
“i dont see the peter merry method building a brand that is nationally recognized”
How many DJs out there are really looking to build a national brand? Most DJs I know are looking to build a regional brand. But once again…if he used these “old time tested ways” himself…why wasn’t he able to build a nationally recognized brand himself? Clearly he is setting a higher standard for my suggestions than he is for own.
His next statement was a blatant example of the narrow thinking that has been holding our industry back to far too long.
“all these self help gurus and people who make instructional videos and write books on any business do it for one reason…ti fill their pockets. if you doubt what i say, then name me ONE author, dvd producer, or instructional guru who did all the work and didnt fill their pockets.”
Most of the people in our industry who have offered workshops, produced instructional DVD’s, or written books…have also given away more of their time, knowledge, ideas, and consulting for FREE than this DJ could ever allow himself to imagine. Narrowly defining the motives of those who offer such materials and training became especially ironic when someone sent me a link to this (retired) DJ’s web site where he offers DJ Business Consulting Services…for a fee. I wonder…is he also guilty of only being concerned with filling his pockets? He even went so far as to say…
“remember, if all these books, dvd’s and cd’s were here to truly help the industry, then they would be available for free to all dj’s.”
Try that one at a college campus bookstore sometime. Go on iTunes and tell them you want to download all of the business marketing, and self-help books that are now available in the iBook format…because after all…if they were written to help people build a stronger business…they should be free…right?
Seriously…this idea has been infecting our industry for far too long. It harkens back to the day when people were told not to go to school because being book-smart might be seen as a bad thing. If I buy a book, a DVD, or attend a workshop that helps me make my business more successful…and increases my earning potential by thousands to even tens of thousands of dollars in the coming years…why should I have any concern about how much the author, DVD producer, or workshop instructor is making for their products and services? If their ideas have merit…I’d expect to see demand increase for whatever they have to offer. If their ideas lack any merit at all…demand for what they have to offer will dry up. But expecting them to give all of their best ideas away for FREE to simply help their fellow DJ has to be one of the most un-american ideas as I have ever heard.
Taking advanced performance training, learning to self-critique, seeking a mentor to offer additional critique, listening to positive messages about the real value we provide for our clients, and surveying our clients to better understand just how much value they see in us…are proven methods for improving the results our clients receive, which also helps to improve the way the public perceives us, and results in increasing demand for our services, and finally leads to better earning potential. If that’s kool aid…I’ll take a pitcher.
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend
So I posted an article here about the latest viral YouTube video titled “The Worst Wedding DJ EVER!” (1,200,000 views in 4 days!) and a friend of mine “shared it” with her facebook friends.
It just so happens that one of her “friends” is a DJ who has been removed from a popular online DJ forum for obsessively posting negative comments about me and a few others in our industry.
So…imagine my surprise (or the complete lackthereof) when he responded by criticizing me for calling out my industry’s latest poster-boy of unprofessionalism. And then he said the following…
“There is a DJ for everyone. This guy evidently found his niche and market and is welcome to it. Someone has to service the $300 wedding DJ market. There is more to this wedding I’m sure. Could be a bikers wedding, could be a friends wedding, who knows. Who cares. I’d have to hear from the clients first before passing to much judgement. Some people just jump the gun and use videos like this for their own marketing benefit.” (emphasis added)
When I responded by simply asking “Really?” he countered with even more…
“We know nothing about this video other than the short few moments of humor we’ve seen. There’s always two sides to every story.” (empahsis added)
So…I decided to try and explore what the other side of the story might be.
My wife suggesed that maybe the lady was the client and the DJ was trying to get a tip.
My buddy Randy proposed that maybe the lady had recently undergone a low-budget breast enlargment surgery and her doctor had insisted that she had to keep them “moving” on a regular basis to prevent the cheap silicone substitute from hardening up.
But then I remembered the old proverb “The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend” and suddenly the “balanced” and “cautious” response by this particular DJ had nothing to do with him at all. And then it hit me…I suddenly realized what would cause him to throw caution to the wind and condemn this clown faster than a firefighter can untangle his hose.
If I were the DJ featured in the video. 
I Always Feel Like…Somebody’s Watching Us!
We live in a new world these days. Gone are the days of the Pony Express…reading breaking stories on the front page of a morning paper…or even looking for an update on the cable news scroll on the bottom of the screen. We now live in a YouTube world. What you do today can become news…and the latest viral video craze…mere moments after the events occur. I have been convinced that once brides can see…I mean really see…what most DJs offer as a “good” performance…their expectations…and their fears…about what they don’t want happening at their wedding…will cause a dramatic shift in the way they perceive us as professionals (or un-professionals for that matter) which could lead to one of two possible outcomes.
1. They will start looking for an alternative to hiring a “DJ” like a Band, an iPod, or dare-I-say maybe even a Wedding Entertainment Director™ .
2. They will start actively seeking verification via uncut video and iron-clad referrences to confirm the true level of skill, talent, and polish an entertainer possesses before hiring them…and they will gladly pay MORE for the best qualified candidate as well.
We need to start recognizing that everything we say and DO at a wedding will most likely be captured on someone’s flip video recorder and could very easily wind up on YouTube…like the following shocking example.
His DJ sign is proudly displayed. I wonder how much longer he and his…ahem…lady friend…will be in business?
If you have been feeling like someone has been watching you lately…just remember what Kurt Cobain said…
“Just because you’re paranoid…don’t mean they’re not after you.”
There Is No Right Or Wrong Way To Be A DJ! Huh?
A friend of mine recently shared with me that a DJ in her local association commented that “there was no right or wrong way to be a DJ” and “as long as each DJs clients are happy, no one should attempt to offer another DJ critique on their performances.”
I think this statement is only half right.
I agree that there is no “right” way to do our jobs. But there are clearly many “wrong” ways to do them.
Feel good blanket statements like the one cited above are designed to make everyone in our “industry” feel better about themselves in the short term but they do more harm in the long run than some may be willing to recognize. You might as well cue up Ray Stevens’ “Everything Is Beautiful” and dish up some Heaven’s Gate apple sauce if you think such statements hold any weight in the real world.
Sorry Ray…but not everything is beautiful in it’s own way. A few months ago in San Diego a young high school girl was brutally raped and murdered while she was out jogging in a nearby park. There was NOTHING beautiful about that situation.
The member’s of Heaven’s Gate sincerely believed that they would land a spot on a flying saucer hidden in the tale of passing comet by taking their own lives…but they were sincerely and objectively WRONG.
There are many wrong ways to entertain as a wedding DJ…and YouTube is getting populated with more and more examples of this every day.
Until we as an “industry” become willing to seek out the critiques that will identify our common errors and demand that a real measurable bar of professionalism be established…we have no objective basis for complaining about cheaper, less qualified DJs who are “ruining things” for the rest of us.
And the hard truth is…most of our clients are not even close to qualified to help us identify the things we may currently be doing wrong in our performances. Only a qualified and proven professional can give the necessary feedback to identify problems that need correcting.
So instead of dismissing the opportunity to improve by suggesting there is no wrong way to do our jobs, let’s avoid the mediocrity that kind of thinking will create by seeking out and acting on a qualified critiques of our skills and talents.
It Doesn’t Cost That Much! Really?
A friend sent me a link to a DJ’s site that featured the attached image. (The DJ’s company name has been purposely obscured.) When I first saw this add, I immediately picked up on the word “product” as it clearly defines how this DJ views his value. If the same “product” is being offered at local taverns for $200, why pay $650 or more for that same “product” at your wedding? Of course, this begs the question…why is this DJ charging $400 when the same “product” is sold for $200 at the local tavern? Why is his service product ”worth” double for a wedding?
On a side note…if the bride wanted the same “product” that is offered at the tavern for $200…don’t ya think she’d be hosting her reception at the local tavern?
Clearly he sees what he does as a product and not as a service. Sure…he’s offering his online planning and request forms…a bridal consultation…4 hours of dance music…name brand audio/PA…LED lighting…and an integrated backup system. But doesn’t the consultation and the dance music at least qualify as a service? Does he serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the wedding? I didn’t see that service being offered or promoted.
But here is the downside for him and for our industry. This is educating brides to shop for a DJ like a product…like a commodity…and not as a service…not as talented entertainers. If a bride were to fall for this line of thinking…then she would be completely justified to go find a DJ on Craig’s List that offers the same “product” for $300 or $200 or even less. After all, “It Doesn’t Cost That Much!”…right?
The only effective selling point he has is “Only $400″ The bride in the photo may be smiling now…but the only thing she’ll be able to smile about if this product-focused DJ is unable to deliver the kind of fun reception she’s been dreaming about…is the fact that she saved some money for the same “product.”
WARNING! The “products” may be the same…but the results may vary dramatically!
DJ Ra-Mu Encourages Peter Merry To Study His Video Footage
In a move that was almost as predictable as the path of Haley’s Comet or one of Jay Leno’s punch-lines, DJ Ra-Mu added me to his latest “breaking news” press release.
Overpriced California Wedding DJ Peter Merry Jr. Running His Mouth Again Via His Blog
I guess it was inevitable that I’d wind up in his ‘”crosshairs” again. And to be completely candid, I was not surprised that he completely side-stepped the fact that he is attempting to cherry pick brides who are not looking for him by name, but for his competitors. (Luke is certainly not the only person Ra-Mu has been targeting in his market.) I was also not surprised that he responded with accusations about how much “free time” I have which is ironic coming from a guy who has time to post hundreds of YouTube vides with gripping titles like “boston wedding dj boston wedding djs ri wedding dj ri wedding djs” and dozens of fake press releases with his competitors names in them. Talk about the pot calling the kettle…oh wait…probably shouldn’t go there. He’s already playing the victim card.
But one of the best parts about his latest press release (besides the whole man crush thing…which he clearly has for Luke Renchan) was his suggestion that I should study another one of his ubiquitously titled YouTube videos. He graciously provided the link in his press release and I have decided to take him up on his offer.
This week, on my blog… The Fun Wedding Guy …I’m going to study every aspect of his Grand Entrance footage and share my findings with all of you. The feedback I am putting together should prove to be very educational for all wedding entertainers (myself included) as well as for any brides who may be watching. Who knows…maybe even Ra-Mu will learn a few new things as well?
And finally, for the record. I hold no ill-will towards DJ Ra-Mu. I’d like to see him succeed as much as any other DJ. I’d just like to see him learn to do it on his own merits…instead of trying to cash in on the proven talents of others who have already developed their own fan base in his market the same way he should…by earning it.
Ra-Mu The DJ Strikes Again!
Ra-Mu (rhymes with Ragu or Shamu) The DJ is back at it again.
I recently was guilty of inadvertently starting a firestorm on a popular “chat” site for DJs after I posted some critical feedback for DJ Ra-Mu on his one of his YouTube videos. The reason why I felt compelled to give him a “critique” was because I had been hearing reports about him disrupting local DJ association meetings in his area by publicly challenging the local group’s president (who is serving as a volunteer), Luke Renchan, to a “spin-off” at an upcoming association meeting. Why? To determine who really is “the best DJ” in the Boston marketplace. I decided to show Ra-Mu that one’s MC skills carries more weight and value in today’s marketplace than mixing skills do and so I opted to post my thoughts on the caliber of his MC skills as presented in one of his many YouTube videos. Now…I should also point out…that I opted to post my thoughts there specifically because Ra-Mu would have complete control over the conversation. If he wanted to engage me, he could. If he wanted to delete my comments and block me from posting on his videos ever again…he could do that as well. The choice was entirely his.
Someone else picked up on our “conversation” and posted it on a popular “chat” site for DJs and soon the fire had been ignited. The funny part was seeing how many DJs thought I was wrong to post my comments on his video when they completely overlooked that he could have deleted my comments at any time. But clearly it became evident to all that Ra-Mu was enjoying the attention.
Ra-Mu soon challenged me to a “spin off” and an “MC off” (whatever that is?) on stage at the Mobile Beat Show in Las Vegas and he even posted “press releases” announcing his challenge, promising that he would only try to match my rates after he beat me in the challenge. I posted my own press release agreeing to his challenge and vowing to let him win as it would be clearly more entertaining to watch him try to book a wedding at 3-4 times his going rate than it would be to watch a fake competition in front of a fake crowd for a fake title.
What DJ Ra-Mu was failing to see was that he had already conceded that Luke was a better entertainer than he was…because he was pricing himself much cheaper than Luke and then he was throwing in lighting and LED video screens for free. We all know those things aren’t really free, right? Throwing them in just means that the DJ’s fee is actually much lower than the final “package” price.
I’m sure DJ Ra-Mu is a good DJ for his price range…but the fact that he obsesses over proving that he is “the best” by challenging Luke (or myself) clearly displays how badly he needs to prove it…to himself.
So imagine my surprise (or lack thereof) when I found this recently posted press release…
Rhode Island Wedding DJ Ra-Mu And The Crew Offers Luke Renchan Jr (Lukes DJ Service) DJ Lessons
Don’t be fooled…this is more than just an attempt to talk trash about a competitor…this is also an attempt on Ra-Mu’s part to attract any search engine traffic by bride’s who are trying to find Luke. Clearly…if DJ Ra-Mu were all that and a bag of chips…he’d have more new brides calling him than he can handle (which would also mean he could easily raise his rates to Luke’s level or even above Luke’s level) and he’d have no need to try and siphon off brides who are searching for Luke and not him. And yet…that is exactly what he is doing.
He even goes so far as to include a YouTube video link in the press release to demonstrate just how qualified he is to “teach” Luke. Here is the video in question…
He mixes from “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen into “Good Times” by Chic pretty seamlessly…so he does have some mixing skills. At 2:20 he does a vocal promo for “some Madonna on the way” and then he begins his transition from “Good Times” into “That’s The Way (I Like It)” by KC & The Sunshine Band which can be heard starting at 2:27 and the two songs run together until about 2:40. They don’t play over each other very well and the mix sounds like it went on far too long. “Good Times” should have clearly been faded out much more quickly to give “That’s The Way (I Like It)” more presence. Now…his dance floor didn’t clear…nobody stopped dancing…so mission accomplished. But…I’d have to give DJ Ra-Mu a B+ grade at best on the mixes he was so proud of–that he featured them in his press release.
So what’s the lesson here?
For DJs…the lesson should be that when we focus on continuously improving our own skills…we won’t need to waste any time or energy on our competitors. A truly successful entertainer doesn’t need to shout about how great he or she is (or put their picture on the cover of Time magazine)…their clients will do more than enough shouting for them. And if the phone ain’t ringing on Monday morning…try examining what you need to do to fix it…instead of trying to horn in one someone else’s achievements with fake press releases designed to cherry pick brides who still have no idea who you are yet.
For Bride’s…the lesson should be fairly obvious. Look at who is making the challenges…and look at who is being challenged. 9 times out of 10…the one being challenged is already the better option…that’s why they are being challenged and that’s why their clients are being targeted by the challenger.
And finally…for DJ Ra-Mu…maybe it’s time to grow up and act like a real professional. Most of us got our success the old fashioned way…we earned it. Maybe you should give it a try.