Educate Yourself!
I guess I've been slacking off a bit in the blog department. My utmost apologies to you faithful Music Guys blog readers.
*cough*
I was up in Nashville last week attending the 2014 Wedding Market Expo there. I was able to network with lots and lots of wedding vendors from across the country and pick their brains about what works for them in their areas and how they do things differently from how we do them down here in Alabama.
In addition, I was able to learn about the latest trends in weddings and receptions as well as the future trends around the corner. It was a very educational week for me and one that will help improve my services to my clients.
You may be wondering ... "Gee Jim ... you've been a DJ for 30 years ... what could you possibly still be learning?"
(You're probably NOT wondering that. But for the sake of this blog post, let's just say you were.)
To which I reply ... "You can never stop learning to impress your clients".
The more I can learn about weddings - not just DJ'ing but the entire wedding industry - the better I can serve each and every one of my clients.
On your wedding day, don't you deserve to be surrounded by experts? People who not only have done hundreds of events before but KNOW what to do when (not if) something goes wrong? Someone who can take care of an issue before it becomes an issue?
THAT'S why I still continue to educate myself at every opportune moment. That's why I get to my son's school's carpool line 40 minutes before school gets out. That's my "reading" time. There is always a book in my car and ironically, most of my educational time is spent in the parking lot of my son's school. And every book I read has something to do with either the wedding industry or DJ'ing.
And that's why I encourage each of my potential clients to educate themselves. I feel they must meet and talk to other DJs in the area and find the right DJ for them. That may not be me and I'm completely fine with that. My goal is for YOU to have the wedding day of your dreams. If that includes me, great. If I can steer you in the right direction to achieve that goal without me, I still consider that a "win". I have helped another couple have a day they will always remember. And I know that on their tenth anniversary they're going to be sharing a romantic dinner and talking about their wedding day and my name will not come up. They won't even remember that I sent them into the arms of the entertainer that was right for them. And honestly, neither will I.
But that's what I do and I'm happy to do it.
