If you are in the market for a DJ, it must feel a bit daunting as there are a lot of horror story’s out there. If you are reading this chances are you've never booked a DJ before or you have booked a DJ before and they weren't very good. The truth is not all DJs are 'qualified' to be a DJ, and not all professional DJs are qualified to do your party. So I believe if you follow the following tips you it will aid you to find the perfect DJ for your party.
Presentation
First way to whittle down which DJ is worth booking is to go to their website.
Try
to find a Gallery and see if you can find a typical set-up, If there are no clear shots of the DJ's set-up that suggests that it may not be worth looking at. Every DJ with great presentation can't wait to show off the hard work they have put into their presentation. once you have made a short-list It's time to get in touch.
The Mistakes
The first mistake I feel people make when booking a DJ is their approach. Many people book like they are booking a commodity. When buying anything whether it be a car, a watch, a washing machine even insurance. The best way is to way up the features and see what works out best value for money, after all spending a little extra for a car with air conditioning makes sense right? Of course it does.
However I really dislike the question what do I get for that? My natural reply to this question is to talk about all the technical details of my set-up and why they are superior components, I used to do this and I could audibly hear peoples eyes glaze over with boredom. The alternative to this just sounds like rhetoric, 'well you get a professional set-up, speakers, lights and a great DJ' well all the other DJs have speakers, lights and are a great DJs, this question will get neither of you anywhere.
So what I suggest is to treat it more like a job interview, you need to interview them to find out if they understand you and your guests needs. I would imagine your concern at the end of the day is the music and the vibe the DJ creates, these are far more important.
Don't text your DJ!
Please try to speak to your DJ as part of the 'job interview' process you need to find out if you are on the same wavelength. Some DJs are friendly and offer a more personal and unique service, some are more distant and professional. Find someone’s demeanour you like. This is very hard to gauge through texts and emails. If you can meet your DJ even better, chances are you'll be spending a relatively large amount of money, get it right the first time. You can whittle down the short-list of DJ's via email by all means as it may save some time but make sure you have some kind of contact beyond this.
What to ask?
What to ask a DJ will depend on what you want out of your party. Try to work out what you want out of the evening, if it's specialized music make sure they know about your music taste come up with a quiz see if the answers are satisfactory. If the objective is to keep people dancing find out how they feel will be the best way to do this. For example here some questions I feel may help and give you an idea for the kind of questions that I feel should be asked.
What Kind of Music Do You Like?
This will tell you what kind of music they choose to listen to, you may have a common interest and talking point.
What kind of music do you like to play at a typical party?
Funnily enough DJs don't always play what they like, I know it may seem like the same question but you may be surprised what the answer maybe. It will also tell you which musical direction the DJ will push towards if no requests are made.