Waz up man well i just started out as a mobile dj, i already played 3gigs but i wanna learn how to get more i need help any advice.

Ah! sales and marketing.
1st - know your area, how many venues, how many mobile discos
2nd - what do other discos do, that you don't, better still what do you do the the others don't.
3rd - what type of music is prevelent in your area (if there is a lot of older / retired people that would enjoy big band, swing & 60's, your not going to get very far doing house & garage etc)
4th - Yellow pages, Thomson local, the town web site, your own web site - I haven't mentioned local papers as on a pound for pound basis it is not the best form of advertising.
5th - Emphasis what you don't do, I increased my work load by over 50%, by telling potential client that I don't use smoke, strobes etc.

That will do for starters, i'm quite sure there will be loads more posts on this subject

I find that if you put ads at local swimming pools during the summer you can get some nice high paying pool gigs that really help out a mobile dj.

Legwork.... Check out local venues in person. Call in, chat with staff, leave cards and leaflets if you have any. I have just approached 2 venues in my area. One is a pub which used to have Karaoke on a Sunday but recently changed hands and currently have not sorted out any entertainment. The other is a "Cocktail Lounge" (that`s what they call it). they have live entertainment Fri/Sat/Sun. I played an Irish night for them in March and they intimated that they "might" decide to have a Karaoke night on Thursdays.
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My ploy in both of these is to offer to do the first week for a very low fee and the following four weeks at a reduced fee. then, if it is taking off, I want my "regular" fee.
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2/ Local supermarket. Every time we go shopping at the Kwik Save I shove a few cards on the Customer Advert board. This has got me a few gigs, usually midweek kids` parties.
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Get Gobby!!
Tell everyone you meet that you run a disco/karaoke.
When you buy the paper, give the staff a card.
When you fill the car up at the gas station... give the staff a card and anyone else on the forecourt.
Never be afraid to blow your own trumpet - just don`t slag off other DJs, cos it`s unprofessional, and actually puts people off cos they think you`re a nasty bugger.
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All of the above are free (my favourite price).
You can if you wish advertise in local papers - I found this not very cost-effective as these usually bring enquiries for Sarturdays when you`re already booked.
You can use Thomsons and Yellow Pages. the cost might sound prohibitive until you look at it this way..
A small ad in the local free paper is usually about £12 - £15 a week.. that`s £600 to £800 (roughly). You can get a nice ad in Yellow Pages for half that.
My own experience is that ads in YP and Thomsons tend to attract a different type of client. They are generally less likely to haggle over the price, and often treat you with more respect, presumably cos you look to them more like a "proper" business and less like a fly-by-night part-timer.
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Phew! That`s `nuff.

QUOTE

My ploy in both of these is to offer to do the first week for a very low fee and the following four weeks at a reduced fee. then, if it is taking off, I want my "regular" fee.

Not a bad idea - but make sure that the landlord doesn't catch on to what you are doing, and just use you as a "stop gap" in order to get some cheap(er) entertainment for as long as you are willing to provide it!. Thanks to meetings at the LV Associations, landlords do talk to each other and when word gets around that you are able to offer this type of introductory offer then you are flooded with enquiries for work. Not a bad thing, until they also expect four weeks of low cost entertainment . Of course, if you decline to extend the offer to them they want to know why "so and so" at the nags head is getting your service for a reduced fee - then you get a bad rep for not honouring the offer.

Pretty soon, you are inundated with these offers, and in order to honour these committments you end up turning away the full price work for "Joe Public".

My own philosophy is to offer the first function for a 25% discount, then the 2nd booking for 10% discount - if you are confident in your ability then two bookings are usually enough to re-assure the landlord / manager of what you are about .

In order to secure future work, I ensure that I offer a reasonable discount for block or weekly bookings, but only if it's agreed in writing. Loyalty works both ways, so if they want the discount then they'll have to committ to the bookings. That also gives them the re-assurance that I am not likely to let them down if I'm also under contract.

QUOTE

You can use Thomsons and Yellow Pages. the cost might sound prohibitive until you look at it this way..

An Advertising tip - if you are wanting to advertise in Yellow Pages or T.L - then wait until the last week before the advertising deadline (A good way to ensure that you get a phone call just before their deadline is to call them around June / July and register you interest - then decline the ad when they tell you how much - this ensure's that your details stay on their database as a potential customer!). Advertising Reps are under immense pressure to sell unsold advertising space in the final few days before publication, so they call their "potential customers" in the hope of selling you a discounted spot! . I've paid around £170 for a £300 Ad using this method.

Always carry around some brightly coloured A5 posters or professional business cards, and a supply of drawing pins in the glove box, then before you leave the church / village hall make sure that your poster / card goes up on the noticeboard.

Here I go, giving away trade secrets again. I put request slips on the tables at functions, which have my name, address and tel. number at the top, the middle is for there requests and at the bottom it states in bold print that I will try and play there request. I have found this to be a good way of generating work. The people see you, like you, and your number is starring them in the face.

I have found that YP is good for general enquires and TL is good for the "better Class" of enquiry. Also haggle with TL, there books cover a small area, so you ask about the other books within the same YP area, and you'll be surprised at the discount.

QUOTE (Chris_Pointon @ Apr 13 2003, 10:50 PM)

My own philosophy is to offer the first function for a 25% discount, then the 2nd booking for 10% discount - if you are confident in your ability then two bookings are usually enough to re-assure the landlord / manager of what you are about .

I sometimes do a 30% off the 4th gig set-up. If they order 4 discos in a certain time period then the 4th one is 30% off or even more, the others are fully priced.
I find this the best for the way I work as you know you have work and when it is, and if they cancel then you still have the fully paid gigs done

A bit off-topic but.........
One thing which amazed me when I went from being a Club "turn" to a DJ was the number of "last minute" gigs you get.
As a club "Act" I was normally booked anything from 6 to 18 months in advance. When I turned to DJ-ing I got worried about the lack of pre-booked engagements. It seems that people must decide on the spur of the moment to have a disco.

Ok another slightly off topic one aswell.......... what do others do about family and 'friends'. You know the story you're everybodies friend as soon as they are having a birthday or wedding and can you do it cheap?

I know my answer is normally "Hang on guys this is how I make my living and pay my bills" I will charge you the going rate and you will smile and pay because you know how good I am at what i do. IF I then decide to give you £50 back as a wedding present, or I say no thats ok mate you've given me £30 too much for your birthday bash, nobody is offended, I don't feel pressured and everybody is happy.

Thing is I still end up doing loads of friends stuff so it seems to work for me, anybody any other ideas?

Spins post is a very sore subject for me,

When are the family gonna realise that us Dj's would like an evening off to enjoy a party????

Ive got a family do in May and yes Im doing it cheaply, very cheaply and although Im not over the moon about this what can I do,
GRIN & BARE it!!!!!!!
Friends ones I can deal with, allright most of my work is generated through word of mouth, but that dont mean they get it cheap.
Anyway I forgotten what the original post was now....
Ahh!!! how to get work....
Well Ive got cards up in the local halls that people rent/working mans clubs/gym/youth clubs/church..of course word of mouth being gobby as posted previously, & I got my 2 regular karaoke nights when a pub closed down and reopened under new management, I think I was the first customer on there opening night!!
Get in there quick....

Oooooh Paula you've brought up a very sore subject for me anyway.

I made the mistake of taking a night off (OK OK it was my wedding reception)

I asked a close friend in the business to take care of it for me at his going rate (no cheapie for me) cos i wanted the best. Most important day of your life etc.

He sent two teenagers crap gear not much choice of music it was a disaster........when I finally tracked him down and found out he was'nt sick (what he claimed) but working somewhere else, we had the row to end all rows and I have never spoken to him from that day to this. He later went out of business and no i did'nt shed a tear.

Which is why now if a couple book me for a wedding they get ME, I have never farmed a night out even when I was offered twice my normal fee to pass one on and do another instead.

I agree with spin, no matter what u do, once u made an arrangment, keep it. You commited urself, so ride it through. IF you do have to cancel, make sure you have, i guess, a "friend" who is just as (or about) good as you, and has a close reputation matching yours, and the people u made the deal with knows about this several weeks before. If u don't know anyone that is good enough, then you should have never signed on the deal to end up cancelling

QUOTE (modo @ Apr 15 2003, 11:56 PM)

A bit off-topic but......... One thing which amazed me when I went from being a Club "turn" to a DJ was the number of "last minute" gigs you get. As a club "Act" I was normally booked anything from 6 to 18 months in advance. When I turned to DJ-ing I got worried about the lack of pre-booked engagements. It seems that people must decide on the spur of the moment to have a disco.

Or is it that there are loads of DJ's who are unreliable

QUOTE

Or is it that there are loads of DJ's who are unreliable

I think that statement is very true, and a sad reflection of the industry in general . I get around 1 eleventh hour booking every fortnight from people who have been let down for whatever reason.

Sure, even D.J's have emergencies to attend to but a true professional would have facilities in place should this happen. I'm sure that I'm not the only D.J who has still attended a booking in person whilst suffering from Stomach bugs etc (Long tracks and roadies can be a godsend sometimes ).

Funnily enough these last minute bookings always treble around Christmas time and especially New Years Eve - when I can get around 5 enquiries the very Afternoon - usually the result of the cowboy element themselves getting a "Better Offer" at the last minute and letting down their customer.

Get some good quality coloured business cards , you can get good cheap ones at vistaprint.com.
I do a lot of weddings and I generate quite a lot of business from flyers left in bridal shops and ladies hairdressers. Always have your number on display at your gigs , I do this with 3 pvc banners which are hung from portable clothes rails which I bought from Argos at about a fiver each. Looks good and fills up the gaps making your roadshow look even more impressive.

i use books of matches and leave then on tables before the gigs start.... the funny thing is theres never any left at the end of the night.

last lot cost me £80 for 500 printed with name, phone and website.