Mike Lenstra Page 12

Disc Jockey News Subscription is valid thru date above on the label JANUARYJANUAR 2017Y 2 •0 Issue17 •#147 IS SUE # 147 The MoThent hMonthlyly Di sDiscc J Jockeyocke Newspapery News paper $25.00 fo$25.00r 12 forIs 12su issueses You’ll Thank Yourself Later PAGE 2 New Year - New Marketing Plan! PAGE 5 Lighting-The Good, The Bad, The Ugly PAGE 18 Free Online DJ Training 40 Seminars On: Performance, Business, Music, Branding, Marketing, Weddings And More From Industry Pros. January 29th Starting At: 3:00pm ET www.djntv.com/minisessions PAGE 2 • Disc Jockey News • JANUARY 2017 You’ll Thank Yourself Later Invest In Yourself By Mike Walter By Tamara Sims There’s a billboard on the New Jersey its toll on me, but I do stay active, which Happy New Year! Booking season over the country sharing knowledge and Turnpike heading into New York City I think is the key to overall health. My has arrived which means fewer events learning how to improve business from that reads “You’ll Thank Yourself Lat- office is half a mile from my bank, so ex- here in Chicago. The first quarter is one two of the leaders in our industry. er.” I think it’s for some kind of retire- cept for the coldest days, I usually walk of the best times of the year to think about My primary focus at Something 2 ment plan (which would make sense), my deposits over. And I walk my dogs. how you are going to invest in yourself. Dance 2 is sales, so learning from Mike but I guess And I do some pushups and situps in the What conferences will you attend in Walter on how to sell multiple services that shows a morning. I’ll never look like Marcello 2017? What was invaluable to me. I often struggle flaw in ad- with my shirt off, but staying healthy is b u s i n e s s to find the balance between overwhelm- v e r t i s i n g , the key to me operating at my best, and or self-im- ing a client with too many options and considering I the key to staying healthy is to avoid the provement leaving money on the table by not shar- remember the dreaded couch of doom. My goal is to books have ing all of our services. Mike made a catchphrase get up after an hour of writing and do you been great point about focusing on the con- and not the something. You don’t go for a walk or p u t t i n g venience of one-stop shopping and the specific com- short run and then, voila! you’re in great off read- synergetic relationship between ser- pany. I pass shape. It’s a slow and steady process, ing? What vices that are housed under one roof. it all the time and I believe the future me will thank me n e t w o r k - Your client needs photography, DJ and and those for it. ing events Lighting, so why not make it easy for words stick 3. Showcases. were you them to buy multiple services from one with me. I We have ten showcases scheduled too busy to vendor? If they seem overwhelmed dur- always want for the first quarter of the year. Show- attend in ing the initial meeting, book the service to be doing cases are a pain in the you-know-what. 2016? What most important to them and give them something that the future me would We set up our gear, we bring our DJs industry mentors have you wanted to the option to add on additional services thank me for. You do too, right? out, we work our you-know-whats off, reach out to but never made the time? at a later date when they are feeling less Last year at this time I was spend- and it’s all for the possibility of future Now is the time, friends! overwhelmed. ing every Tuesday night training two work. There are no guarantees. We do If you don’t take a moment to block So what should you be doing after new MCs, Thomas and Alex. No one some shows that are poorly attended and out some time on your calendar now, you make the sale? Mike suggested was paying me for my time; I’d put in we get nothing out of them. But we do you will find yourself in the same place scheduling several follow up/check-in a full day at the office then head home plenty that are packed and we book a at the end of this year. Too busy, too e-mails throughout the year to keep the and meet the two of them in my base- bunch of events. And when we get to a tired, too apathetic and too complacent. bride engaged with your company and ment (which is where I train now that I busy weekend in June and the schedule I know that feeling all too well. As a on-track with her planning. You can no longer have the big old warehouse), is jammed and I look and a quarter of the matter of fact, at the end of last year also use these e-mail follow ups to gen- and we’d spend an hour or two working weddings came from showcases, that’s my husband Jay surprised me by taking tly remind them of additional services on bridal party introductions or honing when I look back and thank the past me me to my second PhDJ workshop with you offer such as lighting, photo booths their skills on a line dance or voicing up for doing all that work with no guaran- Mike Walter and Joe Bunn in Raleigh. I and videography. a song. By the spring of last year they tee. I know some DJs who complain that was nervous about attending and leav- Wouldn’t it be great to know what a were ready to headline their own events. business is down, and when I ask them if ing the office for a few days—a com- bride is thinking? Well, our afternoon For the rest of 2016 they each did about they’ve done some extra shows to make mon feeling among business owners as of PhDJ included a panel of brides as- 30 parties. If I could go back, I’d thank up for it, they look at me kind of strange. we often tend to be micromanagers. But sembled by Joe Bunn. This. Was. In- “2016 Me” for putting in the time and I don’t lament that business is down. I the minute I arrived for our first work- valuable. We all submitted questions effort. There are certainly no guaran- go and chase more work so we’re never shop, I couldn’t have been more grate- and received honest answers in real- tees when you train a new DJ. They can Mike Walter continued on page 5 ful to be in a room with DJs from all Tamara Sims continued on page 5 fizzle out before they get to the starting line—or worse, right after—or they get started and move to California a year The January 2017 Issue: later. But I believe in the power of training my own DJs, and the vast majority Page 2: Mike Walter Page 12: Dan Carpenter of the time it’s worked out, which is how I’ve built my staff. I thank all those Page 2: Tamara Sims Page 12: Alan Berg past “me-s” who put in the time and effort to train all our current DJs. Page 4: Brian S. Redd Page 14: Jeffrey Gitomer So, as 2017 begins, what am I doing that my future self will thank me for? And what can you be doing that your Page 4: Mitch Taylor Page 15: Recurrent Hits future self will thank you for? Here are a few things I’m doing (hopefully you Page 5: Kristin Cole Page 15: Harvey Mackay have your own list, but if not, feel free to copy mine): Page 5: Mark Sanborn Page 16: Top 30 Charts 1. Writing. I noticed last year how our company Page 6: Ron Ruth Page 16: Different Spin website had fallen off page one in com- mon Google searches for DJs in our Page 7: Jeremy Brech Page 17: Dave Ternier area. It’s because I haven’t been dili- gent about adding content. So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. I set Page 8: Ruthie Flaa Page 17: Stevie Ray a goal for myself and also for my sales person, Kris. We each have to contribute Page 9: Dean Carlson Page 18: Joe Bunn two blog posts a week to our website. Blog writing is time-consuming, and Page 10: DJNTV Mini Sessions Page 19: Matt Anderson it’s not the type of thing that pays off in- stantly. But I already see some results, Page 11: Mike Lenstra and with consistent practice, I’m sure it’ll continue and only get better. One of the biggest challenges for Kris and me www.discjockeynews.com Deadlines: Advertisement deadlines are the Photos: Photos can be submitted to the Disc 29442 120th St. 20th of the month. The publication is distrib- Jockey News via email. Photos must be in is subject matter. We both scour the in- Grey Eagle, MN 56336 ternet for wedding related stories—any- uted on the 1st of every month.

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