Is Your Direct Marketing to Schools Working?

As this school year comes to a close, you should be working on filling your unbooked dates next school year with new school clients. Many schools that have dance dates selected for next year have already booked with you, but there are others that will have their dates finalized before summer and will want to book before leaving for the year. In addition, there are schools that will inevitably be looking for a change for next year after their spring dances this year and may want to take care of it while it is fresh on their mind.

In order to obtain the best response (or any response at all) on your direct marketing efforts to schools, such as direct mail or e-mail campaigns, there are a few important things to remember:

• Be specific on who you’re targeting. Don’t just send your mailing to the school and expect the person (sometimes a student aide) sorting the mail to know where to direct it. If you have a name of a person, that’s best. Otherwise, send your mailings to the attention of a specific titleholder.
• Cast a broad net. Sure, you’d love to only work within 20 miles of your home, but realistically there probably aren’t nearly enough schools within that radius to see results from direct marketing. Plan for a 1% response rate on direct marketing, meaning 100 prospects must be reached to obtain 1 response.
• Medium is as important as the message. Be sure your materials are all professional-looking. If you’re not an expert on graphic design, seek help or send a letter instead. Amateur-designed marketing pieces can be detrimental to your efforts. Invest in having your materials professionally designed – your response rate will increase dramatically.

Are Your Business Practices School-Friendly?

Take a moment to think about the terms of the contract you send to schools when they engage your services. Do you require a deposit? Is there a cancellation fee? Do you require payment in full before the event?Do you charge a fee to change the contract? Mobile DJs that have been in business for a while tend to load their contracts up with these “bad profits” because, frankly, they’ve been burned in the past. The rationale is that a fee or money upfront will lock a client into their end of the agreement if they change their mind about their event or the DJ services. Now think about businesses you have long-term relationships with like your cell phone provider or your grocery store. How inclined would you be to purchase again from a grocery store that charged you a restocking fee on a unopened box of cereal? What is your perception of your cell phone provider when they charge you to switch plans?

Mobile DJs need to think of their partnerships with schools as long-term business relationships and their business policies and practices should reflect that. Charging a school a cancellation fee for a dance that didn’t sell enough tickets or is cancelled due to weather is a certain way to lose that client permanently. Evaluate the way these common mobile DJ business practices are thought of by schools:

Deposits: Often require additional paperwork (more hassle) for the advisor, and since the dance is not held yet, no revenue to offset this expense has been generated.

Cancellation Fees: Since dances are held as fundraisers, the school doesn’t want to cancel the dance any more than a DJ wants to lose the gig. If it’s being cancelled, the reason is legitimate. A cancellation fee would come straight from the activity fund bottom line.

Payment in Full Prior to Event: Many schools will not pay purchase orders before the services are rendered. Inflexibility on this will require the school to take their business elsewhere.

It’s always hard to just walk away from a cancellation on your most in-demand weekend of the year, but the long-term repeat business generated by a strong partnership with your school clients will more than make up for a lost gig or two over the years!

Tricky New adds to Safe Songs for Schools

Out of the 4 new adds to this week’s Safe Songs for schools, two of them should be approached with caution.

Nicki Minaj seems to always push the limits…her song “Starships” is a great “put your hands in the air” dance song, but you must make sure to play the edit.   There are some choice words included in the original.  In addition,  be aware that there is a reference to Bud Light  in the first few seconds of the song…..while this song does not actually glorify drinking the brief but apparent reference to this adult beverage  might have some administrators on the edge of the stage ready to leap.

The other song of special note is Dev with Enrique Iglesias.  First, it is called NAKED.  That ought to get some attention.  There is a version available on Prime Cuts (maybe elsewhere) where the song actually doesn’t ever have the word Naked in it.  If you don’t introduce the song by it’s title and if you play the right version, no one will know the better.  A couple of important “Ifs”.

Join me on the  ”made for DJs”  non-boring blog at www.DJHotTalk.com

 Top 30 Safe Songs List for March 10, 2012

LW	TW	Artist	Title	Notes/info	Prime Cuts #	BPM
3	1	David Guetta/Nicki Minaj	Turn Me on	Just don’t watch the video
6	2	Gym Class Heroes	Self Back Home   (New recording)	Re-do of  “A** Back Home”	201203	130
1	3	Pitbull/w Chris Brown	International Love	Requires edited version	201140	120
2	4	Rihanna	You Da One		201147	127
16	5	Kelly Clarkson	Stronger		201201	116
15	6	J. Jessie	Domino		201135	127
5	7	Flo Rida	Good Feelin		201137	128
4	8	Hot Chelle Rae	I Like it Like That	FT-New Boyz	201139	101
22	9	LMFAO	Sorry for Party Rockin	Play Xtra clean version	201201	134
8	10	Rihanna	We Found Love		201140	128
9	11	Selena Gomez	Love you Like a Love Song		201131	119
7	12	Bruno Mars	It Will Rain	One reference to morophine	201140	75
26	13	Outasight	Tonight is the Night		201142	120
11	14	David Guetta	Without You	Usher	201136	128
10	15	J Cole	Workout	Edit N**ga,  S**t	201126	93
29	16	Katy Perry	Part of Me		201210	130
12	17	LMFAO	Sexy and I know it		201133	130
13	18	Jason Derulo	It Girl		201133	92
14	19	Drake	Headlines	Must be edited! F**K, Sh*t, Nig**	201132	76
28	20	The Wanted	Glad You Came		201134	128
18	21	Gym Class Heros	Stereo Hearts	Adam Levine	201125	91
17	22	Lady Gaga	Marry the Night		201145	131
30	23	Foster the People	Don’t Stop		201146	133
New	24	Chris Brown	Turn Up The Music		201206	130
New	25	Nicki Minaj	Starships	Reference to Bud LIte. Edited only	201209	125
21	26	Nicki Minaj-Rihanna	Fly	Must edit Motherf**ker	201132	120
19	27	Maroon 5/Aguilera	Moves Like Jagger		201132	128
20	28	Britney Spears	I Wanna Go		201124	131
New	29	Dev & Enrique Iglesias	Naked	Version without singing NAKED only	201201	125
New	30	B.O.B	So Good	Reference to Dominican Beer	201209	86

Add Some Weekday School Gigs During Testing Week!

March and April are two common months for standardized testing in schools. These tests are used to measure student achievement, and in many cases, serve as the school’s report card on the effectiveness of the education it is providing its students. Teachers and administrators do everything they can to ensure students are prepared and ready to do their best on the tests. Many schools offer a range of incentives for their students that perform well on standardized tests, everything from final course exam exemptions to a party for students that have perfect attendance during testing week.

Each year we perform several such incentive dances at schools we work with. These dances occur during the school day and typically result in several bookings in each school since the incentive dances are sometimes divided by grade level. Unlike normal school dances usually organized by student council or a parent organization, these incentive dances are sponsored by the school’s administration.

When marketing these types of events to schools, keep the following in mind:

• Pitch the idea! This is something that many schools aren’t currently doing, so may not have a concept of how it looks or would work in their building.
• Contact the Administration. Principals are the decision-makers for this type of event and will often be footing the bill from their fund.
• Find out when testing occurs. Be sure your materials arrive in time for schools to plan accordingly.
• Price accordingly. Schools are always sensitive to price, but for an event that won’t generate revenue, the money comes straight out of their pocket. Since most events occur during the weekday, be sure to consider your opportunity cost (usually nothing) before setting your rate.

Start Your 2012-13 School Dance Bookings NOW!

This school year is barely half way over, but school teachers and administrators are beginning to actively plan next year. High school students are completing course registration, human resources are in the early stages of hiring staff, and school year calendars are starting to become finalized. Are you waiting until school’s almost out to market your school dance services for next year? (Certainly, you’re not going to wait until next fall, are you?!) NOW is the right time to begin your marketing efforts towards schools to book their dances for next year. By acting early, you are more likely to earn consideration from a school that is currently hiring your competition because you’re showing them what you can offer before your competition locks them in for another year. Your schedule can potentially become filled with events through June of 2013, nearly 18 months out! So what exactly can you be doing now to kick off your marketing efforts for next year?

Direct mail – I am firm believer in direct mail as a means to market to schools. Names and addresses of schools are free and easy to come by and direct mail is still relatively cheap. In addition, in an age where people are communicating digitally more frequently, old-fashioned mail gets more attention than it used to. Don’t expect to mail out a flyer to 50 schools one time and see huge results. Direct mail is most effective when you cast a broad net and you follow up with repeat mailings.

Set a “Kick Off” Date – I announce one specific date when I open my calendar for bookings the following school year. This helps to create a sense of urgency for my clients to get their dates in before our availability is taken. I would never decline a booking that is requested before the date, but for most of my clients this marks the beginning of my booking season. Be sure to announce this date in your emails, newsletters, and direct mail pieces.

Understand that some schools AREN’T ready to lock in dates for their dances next year, so don’t give up on schools you don’t hear from right away. However, make sure your materials are what your prospects see first and most often, so when they are ready, you’ll be the first call they make.

How to Turn Down a School Booking without Saying ‘No’ to the Business

How many times have you been called by one of your best school clients to book a date in which you are already sold out or otherwise can’t perform? As your client base of schools grow, this will enviably occur more often than you’d like, especially considering schools tend to hold their dances around common times of the year. Of course, you’d like to book the event because you certainly don’t want to risk losing a long-time repeat client to a competitor. Do you have the staff to book one more event that night? Do you have the right equipment to book another school event on a day you’ve already got a full plate? If the answer is “No” – you just can’t book the event, what’s the best way to tell the client without risking losing their long-term business?

I imagine most of the time the conversation goes something like this:

School Dance Advisor: “We’d like to book you for Saturday, February 11^th for our Valentine’s Day dance. Are you available?”

You: “Unfortunately, we’re all sold out that day, but we’d love to work with again you in the future!”

School Dance Advisor: “OK. I understand. Do you have anyone else you can recommend?”

This is where the slope can become slippery for retaining future business. Instead, I suggest the conversation go something like this:

School Dance Advisor: “We’d like to book you for Saturday, February 11^th for our Valentine’s Day dance. Are you available?”

You: “Unfortunately, we’re all sold out that day, however, if you have any flexibility with your date, I do have openings on February 18^th and 25^th. Will either of those dates work for you?”

School Dance Advisor: “Let me check with the committee and my administration and get back with you.”

Many schools are very flexible with their dates and are picking them rather arbitrarily in the first place. They are often willing to move their date in order to retain the services of a DJ they trust. It also sends a much stronger message of your desire to work with the school, than simply deferring business to “the future”. Finally, it can avoid the potentially uncomfortable situation of having to recommend someone else to perform their dance, business you may or may not get back.

“Safe Songs” for Schools December list

We create a list each week of songs that are safe to play at school dances.  Because of the Holidays this month we just do two lists.  Here is the latest.

I am excited to announce an upgrade to the School Dance Network website.   It has more DJ content,  easier interface for DJs to become members, a better look and the same great passion to help improve school dances nationwide.  Please take a moment to check it out at www.schooldancenetwork.com or www.DJHotTalk.com.  If you have any suggestions or comments….I am all ears.

 Safe Songs for December 9th 2011

		Artist	Title	Notes/info	Prime Cuts #	BPM
1	1	David Guetta	Without You	Usher	201136	128
4	2	LMFAO	Sexy and I know it		201133	130
7	3	Rihanna	We Found Love		201140	128
2	4	Gym Class Heros	Stereo Hearts	Adam Levine	201125	91
3	5	Jason Derulo	It Girl		201133	92
5	6	Cobra Starship	You Make Me Feel		201120	132
11	7	Flo Rida	Good Feelin		201137	128
6	8	Maroon 5/Aguilera	Moves Like Jagger		201132	128
8	9	Lil Wayne	How to Love		201123	77
16	10	Bruno Mars	It Will Rain	One reference to morophine	201140	75
17	11	Drake	Headlines	Must be edited! F**K, Sh*t, Nig**	201132	76
9	12	Britney Spears	I Wanna Go		201124	131
15	13	Nicki Minaj-Rihanna	Fly	Must edit Motherf**ker	201132	120
10	14	New Boyz	Better with the Lights on		201120	112
12	15	LMFAO	Party Rock Anthem	Lauren Bennett	201102	131
14	16	Bad Meets Evil	Lighters (squeaky clean)	Bruno Mars	201125	90
24	17	Pitbull/w Chris Brown	International Love	Requires edited version	201140	120
26	18	Hot Chelle Rae	I Like it Like That	FT-New Boyz	201139	101
29	19	J Cole	Workout	Edit N**ga,  S**t	201126	93
30	20	Rihanna	You Da One		201147	127
22	21	Enrique Iglesias	I Like How it Feels	FT Pitbull	201139	128
13	22	Alexandra Stan	Mr. Saxobeat		201119	127
18	23	Nicki Minaj	Super Bass		201115	127
21	24	Kanye West	All of the lights	Kid Cudi, Rihanna	201050	71
23	25	Breathe Carolina	Black Out	Use Radio Edit	201124	124
19	26	David Guetta	Where them Girls at	FloRida-Nicki Minaj	201119	130
20	27	Sean Paul	Got 2 Luv		201129	92
25	28	Beyonce	Countdown		201140	84
new	29	Lady Gaga	Marry the Night		201145	131
new	30	Karmin	Crash Your Party	Careful-”Oh My God”	201144	96

 

How Tough Financial Times for Schools Can Impact Your DJ Business

With talks of cuts on government spending sweeping the country, public schools are being forced to evaluate how they spend their resources. As a business partner to schools, you depend on their ability to hire you and pay for your services year after year. But what happens when schools must drastically cut their operations in order to simply provide the essentials to their students? One may not think it would impact a school’s ability to host a dance – an event that generates more than enough revenue to cover its expenses – for their students, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for several reasons.

First, supplemental contracts are some of the first on the chopping block when schools are forced to make cuts. The staff that hires you and runs student councils or other co-curricular student groups that host dances are paid under a supplemental contract. When their contract disappears, there is no longer an adult in charge to organize the dance and the group itself often fizzles out as well.

Next, even if the ability to organize the dance is not changed, the facilities might not be available after hours. Schools will often reduce their facility available to strictly school hours to save on utilities and custodial staff. It is not unheard of schools “locking the doors at 3pm” to all non-curricular activities.

Sometimes these cuts are put into place after you’ve already got a signed contract for an event. When a dance advisor approaches you with the news of their lack of ability to hold a dance, my advice is simple. Let the school off the hook without any penalty whatsoever. By imposing any cancellation fee on the school, already in financial trouble, will absolutely eliminate the possibility of being hired back when the tides turn a year or two down the road. Save yourself the future business by being understanding today!

Keeping Inappropriate Dancing out of High School Events

With fall homecoming season upon us, your schedule may be filled with high school dances. This year, like every other, is filled with administrator and dance advisor requests to help keep inappropriate dancing to a
minimum. As a business owner, you may be inclined to quickly assure your client that you’ll solve their inappropriate dancing problems. You must be committed to helping them address this issue, but not by making promises you cannot deliver on. Schools’ reputations hinge on their ability to provide a safe environment for their students and they will not put that reputation on the line for an extra-curricular dance.

So what exactly can be done dancing clean? More importantly, what can a DJ to work towards a solution? There is no quick fix that any school or DJ can put into place to solve the problem overnight. Schools that are making headway with this issue are holding class meetings, putting segments on their video announcements, posting specific guidelines for inappropriate dancing, providing many chaperones at the dance, and enforcing the rules. There is no one magic solution and it really takes a substantial effort from the school – not just unloading the issue on to the DJ, setting him or her up for failure. As a DJ, you shouldn’t promise to carry that burden alone.

Here is what you can do:

• Ask your school clients what they are doing to curb problems with dancing. Start a resource file of the information you collect, compile it into a document that you can share with your school clients.
• Don’t demand that all the lights in the venue be turned off for the dance – your light show will still have impact and the extra ambient light will eliminate dark corners where problems can occur.
• Strategically place slow dances in your set to give chaperones and administrators a “break”!

Savvy DJ business owners understand the future of their business is dependent upon loyal clients such as schools, so it is in their best interest to partner with the schools to develop solutions that satisfy everyone involved to allow dances to remain a fun part of the school culture.

Are You A School Dance Star?

I believe there is a DJ for every event and an event for every DJ. School events are a huge percentage of my business because I want them to be. Like many DJs, I have another job – I am also a school teacher. Believe me, this does not mean I am a “part time” DJ. It just means that I have little time for sleep! School events are a great fit for me because it brings together two realms I enjoy. My experience as an educator has provided me with a new frame of reference for which I am able to approach my school performances. I have begun to see many of the qualities I possess as an educator make me successful at performing school events. This is not to imply that one must be a teacher in order to do a great job playing a school dance, but I encourage you to evaluate your own personality and beliefs to determine if you really have what it takes to be a school dance star:

Do you believe that teenagers today can be trusted?
Do you leave yourself open to guests coming up to you during events?
Do you feel that most kids today lead drug, alcohol, and tobacco free lifestyles?
Do you believe that many teens are still naïve to explicit content in music today?
Do you think teens have an open mind when they are carrying on a conversation with you?
Can you guess the 10 most popular songs in the country right now without the list?
Are you OK with answering the same question multiple times?
Do you have a teenager of your own right now or spend at least 5 hours a day with one?

Count up your “Yes” responses above and score yourself!

Less than 4 – School events are not for you
4 or 5 – School events probably should not be your bread and butter, but you can pull them off
6 or more – You’re a school dance star!

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