"Average Is As Average Does" by Alan Dodson

If you are considering hiring an Average Wedding DJ, will you be content with an average overall reception entertainment experience? Can something that is just average create something that is truly remarkable? Would you expect an average caterer to deliver the best quality food and service? Would you expect an average florist to create decorations that are breathtakingly creative and original, or would you expect them to look...average? Why would you expect anything more than average from an Average Wedding DJ?

Average means ordinary, commonplace, humdrum, fair, intermediate, moderate, undistinguished, run-of-the-mill, mediocre, unexceptional, or typical. Is that how you want your wedding to be remembered?

These words accurately describe what you can expect your guests to experience if you select an Average Wedding DJ. If you would prefer for your guests to experience a reception that is exceptional, first-class, marvelous, outstanding, phenomenal, remarkable, extraordinary, sophisticated and wonderful, then you might just be looking for Unforgettable Reception Entertainment. It is possible that you could find an Average Wedding DJ who also happens to be able to deliver a high quality service and level of performance, but chances are they won't be just an Average Wedding DJ for long. Average Wedding DJs tend to deliver average service along with average performances due to an average level of skill and talent which then garners them only an average amount of demand forcing them into the range of Average Pricing.

This average level of service and performance also creates a reception experience that can best be described as McWeddings! When more and more of your guests have been exposed to more and more Average Wedding DJs, their expectations for having an enjoyable time at your wedding reception become lower and lower. But when you seek out the best Wedding Entertainment you can find by asking the right Questions, not only will your guests enjoy themselves, they will be raving afterwards for months and even years to come that yours was "The Best Wedding and Reception...Ever!"

Average Pricing

When considering hiring entertainment for a wedding reception, the ability to make an informed decision can often be influenced by Average Pricing. Due to the large majority of Wedding DJs being only part-time hobbyists instead of full-time professionals, it's pretty safe to say that the Average Pricing you will encounter will be indicative of Wedding DJs who don't take their business seriously enough to make it their full-time career. In fact, in a DJ Times survey, 81% of the DJs surveyed make less than $46,000 per year, with almost 60% making less than $25,000 per year.. When you then speak with a full-time professional, their price may seem high in comparison to the Average Pricing you have already encountered. At that point, you will have an important decision to make. Will a Wedding DJ who offers Average Pricing deliver anything more than average results? Will spending more on a full-time professional Wedding DJ be a better value?

If you ask an Average Wedding DJ what they do that makes their service worth so much more than cheap Wedding DJs, they will most likely give you a short list of things they do and services they offer that set them apart from the bottom end of the pricing scale. But if you then ask them what a high priced Wedding DJ will do that is so much better than what they currently offer, they will typically try to tell you that there is no difference. They will claim to offer the same level of service and performance as the high priced Wedding DJ, only at their discounted, average rate. The really interesting part is this answer will be entirely similar when it is asked of the cheap Wedding DJ in comparison to the average priced Wedding DJ. "We do the same thing...we're just cheaper".

All Wedding DJs do many of the same things, but how those things are done determines whether you are dealing with a professional Wedding Entertainer or an Average Wedding DJ, because "Average Is As Average Does". Pricing for Wedding DJs is tied directly to their skill and talent levels, because the top performers will always see increased demand thus allowing them to charge increasingly higher fees. But an Average Wedding DJ will not see as much increased demand and will thus be stuck in the range of Average Pricing.

Think for a moment about your wedding reception. What aspects of it are most important to you? Will it be having the world's most memorable wedding cake? Will it be a photo album filled with artistic images that make you look like a celebrity? Will it be creating an enjoyable celebration that your guests will remember for years to come? Your priorities will determine the kind of reception you will experience. If decorations are your highest priority, you will have a well-decorated reception. If great catering is your highest priority, your reception will be well-fed. But if having Unforgettable Reception Entertainment is your highest priority, then finding the best Wedding Entertainer money can buy will be your goal.

Questions

Here are some basic questions that can help you identify an Average Wedding DJ:

1: What can you tell me about your service and performance that sets you apart from all the rest? a: Would you describe the quality of your services as below average, about average, or above average and why? b: Do you have feedback surveys that will verify your level of skill and talent?

2: Is this your full-time career? a: How many wedding receptions do you average per year? (Multiply this number times their fee and if the total amount is less than $46,000 gross, they are most likely a part-time or amateur DJ.)

3: Are your prices below average, about average, or above average and why? a: What services and/or performance ideas do you provide that allow you to charge more than cheaper Wedding DJs? b: Do you know of any Wedding DJs who are higher priced than you, and what do they offer that you currently do not?

4: What creative ideas can your share for making our wedding reception more fun in a personalized way? a: Will you charge us extra for additional speakers or cordless microphones? b: What is more important in your mind, professional equipment or unique talent?

5: What improvements have you made in your service and/or performance in the last 2 years? a: Are you a member of any industry trade associations? b: How many trade shows and/or workshops have you attended in the last 2 years?

McWeddings

When you're hungry and don't have much time or money, you might go to McDonald's® for a hamburger. But when you're going out on a first date you'll probably want to have an enjoyable meal (maybe even a great hamburger) at a nice sit-down restaurant. On your wedding day, you'll probably get your hair done by a professional that you know and trust. Supercuts® will most likely never even be a consideration. Your guests will probably enjoy a 2 to 5 course sit-down meal or a well-stocked buffet. McDonald's® hamburgers most likely won't be on the menu. But when it comes to wedding entertainment, how many receptions have you attended that felt just like McWeddings? Just like every other reception...boring, run-of-the-mill, or average?

Some Average Wedding DJs may deliver slightly better-than-average service. But most Average Wedding DJs may likely be comfortable with delivering a McWeddings style of service and performance for several reasons. If this is their part-time hobby instead of their full-time career, then they might not have as much time to invest into improving their overall service and performance. If they are stuck in the range of Average Pricing, they may not be able to afford investing in their success by attending industry trade shows or workshops. If they have mistakenly focused on Gear Vs. Talent then they might be choosing to buy newer and better equipment instead of investing in techniques and opportunities for improving their talents. If they are not involved in a professional trade association, then they may only be exposed to the performance techniques and services provided by other Average Wedding DJs which will then further compound the fact that "Average Is As Average Does".

Here are some things to look for when trying to avoid getting stuck with McWeddings service and performance. Will your DJ meet with you in person to help plan your reception, or do they want you to fill out a basic form and

just mail it in? Can they show you footage from their weddings, and not just footage of the guests dancing, but footage of the DJ making announcements in a polished, professional and personalized manner? Watch and listen closely. Do they call the Bride and Groom "The Bride and Groom" all night long or do they refer to them by their names? Do they announce the special dances in a uniquely personalized manner, or does it sounds like just about every other wedding announcement you've ever heard? Ask the DJ to share some creative ideas they have developed for other couples in the past. A professional Wedding Entertainer will have great answers to all of these Questions and then you can be confident that your reception won't feel like a McWedding, but instead you will have "The Best Wedding and Reception...Ever!"

Gear Vs. Talent

Another common trait of the Average Wedding DJ is the misconception that what they bring (their gear) is more important or has more value than what they can do (their talent). This can be plainly seen when visiting their web sites. Prominent pictures of their speakers, microphones, light shows, mixers, amps, DJ setups. Or best of all...pictures of themselves holding their microphones in front of their speakers while being illuminated by their light shows.

Did your caterer show you photos of their chafing dishes? Did your photographer show their collection of lenses? When you see photos like these being emphasized over the unique talents and skills a Wedding Entertainer will regularly provide, you can be sure you are dealing with an Average Wedding DJ. This form of marketing reveals that the Average Wedding DJ believes you should be most concerned with the amount and quality of gear they will bring to your reception. They are selling products. But if you want yours to be The Best Wedding and Reception Ever then you are really looking for Unforgettable Wedding Entertainment and that means you want a wedding entertainer who has the specialized skills and the unique talent to make your reception as much fun as possible. Talent and skills are services, not products, which can be verified by former clients and feedback surveys.

* Reproduced by permission  DJ Alan Dodson 423.383.7577

http://www.thoseweddingpeople.com/

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