If you think about a professional concert venue, there’s two main areas for the performers: on stage and backstage. At a mobile DJ event, though, you are almost always on stage. Any place a guest can see you is “on stage” in our world, and that includes the bathroom! If you are not aware of how you appear to your clients and their guests, you could be costing yourself thousands of dollars in lost referrals and future events!
You are selling yourself and your DJ business with every interaction you have, big or small. But don’t let that freak you out. Here’s six tips on how to always put your best foot forward at your DJ events.
#1 – Show up on time and look professional
As a professional DJ, think about what happens when you arrive at an event. You meet the clients and the vendors you are working with. These are all professional networking interactions. You are setting your first impressions. It’s really no different than a job interview. Your actions are saying one of two things: either, “I’m someone who can be trusted to be hired again,” or “You may have made a huge mistake in booking me.”
The good news is this is so easy to get right. Show up early and look good. That’s really it! I get to my events at least 90 minutes before the start time, so I have plenty of time to introduce myself, get set up and deal with any last minute problems.
And, a professional appearance is equally easy. I get sweaty as I load in and set up my gear, so I will typically wear a nice polo shirt and tux or suit pants (whatever the attire is). That way, I can ditch my sweaty shirt later, but I still look nice while getting set up and (most importantly) meeting potential future business! If I were doing more events, I would even go so far as to get some polos with my logo embroidered on them.
By contrast, there’s nothing worse than those DJs who show up late in a dirty, ripped undershirt. If you look like trash or you’re late when you make that first impression, you’ll never recover.
#2 – Be ready to go early
When I ask about start times, I make sure to also ask when the first guests will be expected. I want to be completely ready to go with all my cases and covers stored away before anyone arrives. Especially for a wedding, guests tend to drop in early, so be prepared. If they are super early, you can put on some background music and dash off to get changed.
#3 – Smile always, dance and sing along if you want
Start watching DJs when you are out next time. They may be entertainers, but are they entertaining to look at? Usually not! That laptop screen in front of your face is the biggest cause of this. You may not know it, but your face usually goes blank when you’re concentrating on finding the next tune. Mine does it too!
So what’s a DJ to do? Really simple. Anytime you feel yourself not smiling, stop and smile. Even if you’re crate digging for your next song, or prepping for that killer mix, or about to drop the beat. Do it anyway! You are not just a music robot, you are an entertainer. So entertain already!
And, get yourself a few tracks queued up in advance so you can have fun too. Look up at the crowd. Dance along. Trust me, I’ve been told by professionals that I just can’t dance, but I do it anyway. Bop along to the beat and make it look like you are having fun too. Sing if you want to as well (just don’t drown out the music).
#4 – No grooming
I used to sing in The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club and we had an incredibly strict rule on stage. No touching your face or hair…EVER. It was totally necessary, because if you look at choirs who aren’t that strict, someone is CONSTANTLY touching their face. It looks awful. But, let me tell you, I had times when my nose itched so bad I thought I was gonna die.
I’m not saying to go that far. I just want you to be aware that at any given moment, someone in the crowd is looking at you. So, keep your face touching to a bare minimum. And, definitely, no hair fixing, scratching yourself, adjusting yourself or anything else you wouldn’t do on a first date. If something is really bugging you, make a run to the bathroom to sort it out. Just don’t fix it in front of the guests.
#5 – Eat out of sight
If at all possible, eat where the guests can’t see you. It’s so nice when you get to partake in the meal at an event, but I always try to find a spot where I won’t be seen while I eat. Either in the kitchen, or in another room. Even if you had plenty of time to enjoy your meal, eating at your DJ booth would just look bad. And the reality is, you don’t have time to eat like a polite human. You’re usually the last to be served and you have to work right after the meal. That means you will be shoving food in your face as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to watch that.
At the very least, sit at a table away from your booth. But know that if you sit where guests can see you, you’re probably going to be interrupted multiple times while eating. So the back of the house is much better.
#6 – Don’t sit on stage
This is another one that’s less of a commandment and more of a guideline. It comes straight from my days working in theme parks. Unless it was required for my job, we were never allowed to sit down on stage. I try to follow this while I’m DJing too. It just doesn’t look good for you to be sitting.
That’s not to say that you don’t need breaks, cause you absolutely do. I try to find a spot that I can put a chair where no guest can see me, like maybe in a service hallway or the kitchen. I’ll go back there for a 2-3 minute sit-and-rest-my-feet break every hour or so while I’ve got a song playing.
This is also a good place to mention that good, comfortable dress shoes are the best mobile DJ equipment you will ever buy. I also go one of those new kitchen shock-absorbing gel mats to stand on. It’s a lifesaver.
In Summary…
The more professional you look and act, the more prospective clients you are impressing. But a bad impression will last much longer than any DJ set you play. Follow these simple tips and you will know you are not shooting yourself in the foot with future clients.
