Here’s an etiquette tip.  During a recent workshop I had the pleasure of conducting I went around the room of seated attendees and introduced myself.  I made it a point to specifically greet them by name, smile, look them in the eye and then outstretched my hand to touch both internally and externally the person I was trying to connect with.  NOT ONE of the workshop attendees stood up to shake my hand. Proper etiquette states that when someone introduces himself or herself to you and you are seated and they are standing that you stand up, look them in the eyes and extend your hand and with a firm but warm handshake to make ... [read more]

This week we continue where we left off last week in regards to Being A Chameleon in situations.  How’s your dining etiquette? You may or may not eat at your events but if you do you definitely should know proper etiquette for fancy or not so fancy meals.     What about your vocabulary?  You have to be able to adjust your vocabulary and mannerisms to fit any situation.  This is why I’m also not a big fan of scripting your entire presentation as you don’t always know in advan... [read more]

This is Part 2 of our article Solving Problems Is Priceless, exclusively here at MobileBeat.com.   Last week we talked about that money wasn’t the cure to your problems, but yet setting good habits is.  It’s important that you find ways to tackle and improve on existing challenges that you have. For me, a challenge I had was working out of one bank account entirely for my business.  Maybe you’ve been there and maybe you’re still there. When I first read the book “Profit First”, it changed all that for me by outlining a simple way to apply money management to my DJ business by using 5 simple accounts.  I hired ... [read more]

This week we continue with “What’s Your IQ?, Part 3”.  Reinforce your timeline creation and discuss one aspect of the night such as their cake cutting ceremony.  You might say “Before we introduce that moment we will behind the scenes ensure that your cake knife, plate, server, napkin, photographer and parents are in the room and all where they should be before we ever announce it.  Then we’ll also ensure that whatever is happening next after that moment is ready so there’s a smooth transition from one moment to the next, allowing your guests to feel more involved and informed of what is happening during the evening a... [read more]

Setting The Stage in almost any scenario is so important, but especially in the sales world.  This article will help you set the stage in your favor and give you some tips on how to do it more effectively. I first learned of this concept in the book “The Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes.  In this book Chet talks about the Threshold Effect. The Threshold Effect states that whenever you walk into a space and meet someone for the first time, you or they are making 11 different assumptions about you or your space, such as “What kind of money do they make?”, “What kind of car do they drive?”  “Are you afflu... [read more]

We wrap up our month long article discussing two of the most common last minute changes and how to handle them.  What do you do if the party gets out of hand...if a guest or two gets a little bit rowdy? I had this happen recently with two younger gentlemen (I’m not sure if they were of true drinking age or not) where they got a little out of hand and began crashing into the head table and I see it literally starting to topple.  Two of the ushers stepped in along with the Groom and handled the situation. Have you had that kind of discussion with your clients? Finally, what are your Plan B’s and Plan C’s if... [read more]

When dealing with last minute changes, the best thing you can do is to handle as much of the discussion surrounding who is the ultimate decision maker in advance if at all possible.  Most conflicts on event day are completely preventable if you are prepared ahead of time and have prepared your client’s mindset ahead of time. Let’s look at a couple of other scenarios where you may have last minute changes and how to handle them.   What do you do if the Event Planner changes things on you last minute?  First off, do they have approval from your mutual client? This again speaks to a previous conversation you... [read more]

Last week we discussed emotions running high and the psychology and preparation that goes into handling last minute changes.  This week we’ll expand on the topic at hand a bit more, and discuss WHAT you need to do. Knowing that you’ve done your preparation and understand the psychology of the event and how it impacts your clients lives, up next is managing expectations.  You of course want to expect that they will have a great event. The key is to under promise and over deliver in your client’s eyes. Don’t promise them the sun, moon and stars and only deliver the basics.  As Ray Davies of the Kink... [read more]

What's Your Legacy?  We continue where we left off last week.  I share this with you to hopefully inspire you.  To realize that your next event is NOT just another gig.  It’s NOT playing just another song. Your job is NOT just about playing music and making announcements.  It’s about impacting people’s memories. Moving people emotionally. Changing lives for the better. Giving a Grandfather a moment; to share with his granddaughter and flash that knowing smile of his life’s work left behind.  Creating a memory for a Mother who is in the middle of her life’s work. She can see from both sides of the hourglass i... [read more]

How To Handle Last Minute Changes?   Every client has last minute changes it seems.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a kids birthday party or a large wedding reception, they happen and sometimes happen often.  For some of us, (yours truly included), it can drive you CRAZY. How do you deal with a client who seems to ALWAYS be changing their mind?   You must have preparation going in.  You need to have everything laid out in your head of what to do. Not only in your head, but on paper too.  Do you write a script? Do you rehearse before your event, or are you practicing at the event itself? You may... [read more]