There isn’t a DJ on the planet who hasn’t had an “oh $h!t!” moment recently in some form – at least, among those who usually perform gigs for money. I’m no exception. I don’t need to explain it either, because we are all there.
But what I do want to explain is the positive business direction we should all be focusing on at the moment. Because the truth is that we are about to have more gig opportunities than any of us are going to be able to handle, once this all passes.
So how are you preparing for that?
Read this next: How To Become a Mobile DJ (5 Part Series)
Most businesses are in a really bad spot right now, with social distancing wreaking havoc on everything imaginable. We are going to see really big businesses close, the type that we thought were going to be a staple in our culture for a lifetime. Some or even all that survive will be changed forever.
And of course, those of us who run our own DJ businesses are no different.
But let’s think about once this passes. There will be people who will continue social distancing bahaviour even when the rules have been lifted. Legislation maymean the lockdowns actually “lift” gradually. Things won’t be exactly the same, we can be sure of that.
But of course there will also be some who run to party so fast that you would almost think they’d forgotten anything was wrong at all!
How working DJs should be thinking
As working DJs, the two things we should be thinking about are survival (from a business perspective in this instance), and our game-plans for further down the line to deal with the two population behaviours as lockdown lifts.
There isn’t much we need to do concerning the group of people who are going to be excited to get out once this is legally lifted. They will flock to wherever the party is, so those individuals will be our customers again without any excessive effort, just as soom as the clubs and venues are back in business.
Those of us still able to do business once this has passed will likely all be adopting a similar approach: Get income now to survive, and advertise, promote, party, and/or pray to draw people in. That goes for all businesses – not just DJs.
So that is where we should be focusing our energy.
4 Things To Do Right Now
- Check your calendar is scrupulously up to date (and keep it there) – It’s all about reschedules, and we need to be sure we have an accurate insight into our availability when asked to do gigs in the very short term. Many businesses, venues, clubs, bars, and so on will be rushing to get a “grand re-opening” on the books to urge people out of their houses. They could, and probably will, be looking to hold events within a week or two from the quarantine lift. Are you ready to say “yes” instantly to those enquiries?
- Update and improve your social media pages, website and/or DJ/wedding directory entries – Many of the businesses looking for a DJ will have new or different people doing the enquiring – not least because there are likely to be businesses throwing parties that don’t habitually do so. So they’ll be Googling for DJs. Make sure that when they do, your business is the one they’ll find. If in the past your have been idle in all of this, and neglected to make improvements in all/any of these areas, then now is the time to fix that
- Collect contact info for target businesses to “cold call” the day they open – No need to wait for them to call you! This is all about being proactive, about calling to propose they book your services for their event. Tip: Don’t just ask, “Do you need a DJ?” Instead, tell them you are glad they are open again, and suggest they promote their reopening with an event to increase their bart traffic, which you would love to be part of the draw for. In other words, promote the benefit, rather than proposing a new expense
- Make sure key industry players have you on “speed dial” as a fallback DJ – For mobile, event and wedding DJs particularly: Those cancellations are all being rescheduled, and they’re piling up! There is going to be a glut of wedding event, with weekday weddings and Sundays becoming a “new norm” in many places. Venues will be offering new dates as last resorts to couples who not all their vendors will be able to book, especially DJs who are already committed. So, collect venue numbers to contact. Reach out to your photographers, photo booths operators and so on and let them know to contact you when their DJs fall through. Partnering up with your friend DJs can help here as well
Finally…
So do the above. Keep livestreaming (it’s a perfect way to stay “front of mind” with your audience, and will create lots of material for you to use post-lockdown, too). Use your time wisely. And be prepared. Because positive change is coming, and you want to make sure you’ll be ready to capitalise on it. Meanwhile, good luck and stay safe!
• Have you been thinking of becoming a mobile, corporate, wedding or event DJ? Many business leaders say that the best time to start a business is in a recession. Our New Mobile DJ Blueprint course gives you everything you need to get up and running fast – you could have it all done before the lockdown lifts. Go here to learn more.
Michael Gerth
