DJing should be all about rocking a dancefloor, pulling off those flawless mixes that are perfect moments in time and getting more DJ gigs. Yet there are some less exciting but still vital skills needed to communicate with promoters, labels, other DJs, venue staff and all the other people that make up the electronic dance music scene. Follow the below tips and you’ll be fast on your way to becoming a class A communicator.
Be Courteous and Kind
Your mother was right, of course. In all your communication with industry types, from emails, to texts, to Facebook messages to over the phone, it pays to be kind, respectful and polite. While affecting a rock star air of ego and attitude might seem appealing, you catch more flies with honey in the end. That is, you’re more likely to get booked, and get asked back for a second or third appearance if you are polite.
Integrity
While mixing two or more tracks together at a time to get a dancefloor rocking is your prime objective, developing (or honing) some personal integrity might see you rocking that dancefloor more often. By integrity we mean being where you say you’ll be, when you’ll be, and doing what you say you’ll do.
For example: you meet a promoter at a club night, and say you’ll be in touch early the next week. Giving them a call on the Monday or Tuesday following the weekend gives the impression that you’re a person of your word, and you can be relied on. When that promoter then has to pick a DJ for the prime spot on a big night, you’ll be ahead of the pack.
On the same topic, if you ever find yourself running late for a gig, do phone ahead and let the promoter know, and with an estimated time of arrival. That way, they can find someone to fill the gap until you get there. This is much better than leaving them pulling out their hair, scrambling for a DJ only to have you breeze in twenty minutes late with no notice.
A Word About Self-Promotion
When writing self-promotional materials for your website and social media accounts, it pays to pay attention to spelling and grammar. Even the smallest mistakes can make you seem a bit silly, and stop a potential listener (or promoter) from clicking through to your Soundcloud or Mixcloud. Take some time and run your content through an online app like Hemingway. Also, don’t just rely on your word processing software’s spell checker, as it doesn’t pick up everything. If writing isn’t your strongest point, get a friend to check it for you. If you have the coin, you could always outsource your copy writing on a platform like Airtasker or Freelancer.
The post How To Effectively Communicate In The DJ Game appeared first on DJ Master Course.