Most people believe that being a “mobile DJ” or “entertainer” is all about creating a particular atmosphere for the couple and their guests — and, of course, to provide great dance music. Do they want a Western theme, beach, hip-hop, shabby chic, military, etc.?
Although we want to always follow the theme the client wants, that isn’t the goal. The goal is to make the event enjoyable and memorable for the hosts and the guests. Fox Feltman, owner of BTA Entertainment in Greenville, N.C., has been thinking about this a lot.
“How,” he asks, “do we know if we reached the goal? We know, by their reactions. So how do we facilitate the reactions we want?” Feltman says you must create a clear path that leads the client from start-to-finish, creating the reactions you want every step of the way for the couple and guests – and for the entertainer.
“DJs play music, they don’t manage reactions,” he says. “But we can be taught how to create reactions, so clients and guests have a magical event.”
Feltman is a huge fan of Jon Taffer from the reality TV show “Bar Rescue.” Says Feltman: “He actually came up with the term ‘Reaction Management,’ relating it to restaurants, bars and clubs. But I took it to heart and really looked at it from a mobile-DJ-entertainer’s point of view.”
One of the first things DJs should ask themselves is: Are you getting the reactions you want as you explain your brand to potential clients?
“Sitting in a sales meeting, you need to listen first and find out what the bride and groom want out of their day,” says Feltman. “If you can’t or do not want to provide that specific picture, it’s OK to say, ‘We aren’t for you.’ But for our company, 99.9-percent of our guests say, ‘I want fun. I want everyone walking away having a great time.’
“I feel that going over how our brand works, what we provide and explaining step-by-step how we create so many reactions… we see smiles, we hear laughter, we see intrigue, we see excitement, we see tears, we can see and feel the connection — just by putting this movie into the client’s head. If we can emotionally connect, we can hook them.”
Fox Feltman will present his “Reaction Management” at DJ Expo Aug. 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.
