Looking For More DJing Income? Just Say, "No."

“Good afternoon. Premier Entertainment.”

“This is Ed,” replies a voice from the telephone receiver. “You spoke with my fiancé earlier.”

“I did,” answers Randi Bartlett, trying to figure out if it’s Ed’s policy to be abrupt with everyone or if he’s just having a bad day.

“She liked what you had to say,” Ed continues. “I just have a couple of things I want to talk to you about.”

“Sure,” says Bartlett. “Go right ahead.”

“I have a couple of conditions here and, if you’re willing to meet these conditions, then I’m willing to consider having you DJ at our wedding.”

“Conditions? Are we negotiating for hostages?” Randi thinks to himself. “OK, what are they?”

“I’m going to give you a list of music to be played and music not to be played. I’m also going to give you a list of things to be announced. I don’t want anything said that I haven’t pre-approved.”

“This guy must be joking,” Bartlett thinks. “Anything else?”

“Uh, no,” says Ed.

“Well, I wish you the best of luck at your wedding,” says Bartlett. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find a DJ who’s willing to do that and I appreciate you considering us for your event. Maybe at some point in the future we’ll be able to work together.”

Pause.

Ed is confused. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m not going to DJ your event.”

Turn away income? Bartlett must be suffering from a severe sanity lapse, right? Why else would he so willingly hurt his business? By refusing this client and others like him, Bartlett is not only losing income, but future referrals, too. But in one of the business world’s most wonderful paradoxes, the simple word “no” invoked by Bartlett will, in the end, reap benefits for his company. And it can for your company, too. It’s just a matter of knowing why, when and how to say no to a client.

Why To Say No
Saying no is difficult. In fact, without thinking about it, most of us say yes too often. (A study done at a university library found that a large majority of people, waiting in a long line at the copy machine, would allow a stranger to cut in front of them, just for asking.)

So, saying no to business income is bound to be even more difficult. You’re afraid that a stern “no” will cost you income and referrals, the two foundations upon which your business is based. And it will. But income and referrals are not always the best ways to build your business. The power of a stern “no” will turn away customers, but it can also translate into more cash for you.

“The power in saying no is that you create a vacuum,” says Laura Berman Fortgang, author of Take Yourself To the Top: The Secrets of America’s #1 Career Coach. “If you keep saying yes to mediocre jobs, you fill up your schedule with mediocre events. You don’t have time for a really great job. If you say no, you make room for other opportunities.”

This philosophy is the reason why Bartlett’s DJ company charges the highest price in the Sacramento, Calif., market. “The common DJ mentality is ‘Gotta get another gig! Gotta get another gig!’” says Bartlett. “I spent three or four years trying to get the most number of gigs possible. So I stayed a $500 DJ by saying yes to everything that came my way. But now I charge $1,500 per event. If I didn’t say no to some clients, I wouldn’t be able to charge what I’m charging now.”

When To Say No
Understanding the “power of no” is a tool, one that’s best used if you know when to apply it. But how do you decide when to turn down business?

First, try analyzing your current client list. Do they book youfor events that match your desired reputation? Or, maybe the events match with your goals, but the clients can be “difficult.”

“When you get a client that gives you headaches, don’t even talk to their referrals,” says Fortgang, “unless, of course, you want more of the same. People tend to refer people just like themselves.”

Bartlett agrees. “Taking a gig with a client you don’t like will just lead to future problems. I only get 52 Saturdays a year. I might as well work with people that I like.”

Developing a checklist is a great way to learn how to spot a less-than-perfect client. “Make a list of who your ideal client is by thinking of your favorite customer,” says Fortgang. “It’s OK to include things like sense of humor, timely payment, respect for your ideas, etc. Say no to anyone else who doesn’t fit your criteria. It may sound idealistic, but when you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it.”

Next, review your business’ growth goals. Do you want to expand? Break into new markets? Equipped with a lucid “revenue-and-reputation” goal, you’ve got a clear picture of what gigs to refuse.

The first key is to say no to an event that doesn’t match your price. Saying yes to a less-than-ideal gig may keep you from a client, an event and a paycheck you really want.

“I was recently sitting with a potential client setting up a Saturday wedding in May – the busiest time of the year,” says Gerry Siracusa of New Jersey-based Golden Note Entertainment. “They haggled with me about my price. I told them I wouldn’t change my rates. I knew something else would come along. It did. The very next day, I got a phone call for the same date from clients who booked me right away.”

Lesson learned? Don’t scale back on your rates. No means no. “A lot of the time,” says Brian Doyle of San Francisco-based Denon & Doyle, “a client will ask, ‘Can you do this for $100 cheaper?’ If you say yes, you’ll get a lot of referrals, but every one of those referrals will expect $100 off. And if you don’t give it to them, they’ll be angry. So you have to say no to that or you’ll set yourself on a downward spiral.”

Of course, you can accept a gig and still wield the “power of no.” Remember, clients are paying for your entertainment expertise, so don’t be afraid to put a value on it. “I make a promise to my clients up front,” says Bartlett. “I tell them I’m not going to be a ‘yes man.’ If they have an idea that I know won’t work, I’m going to tell them, even if they don’t want to hear it. I never do it disrespectfully, but I have a responsibility to let the client know what I know. For example, I did a corporate event where the client wanted to stop the music and have a raffle every 15 minutes because he was afraid people would leave. I told him that was the best way to make people leave. These suggestions come from people who don’t know any better, and it’s our job to suggest something better.”

And if you don’t parade the value of your expertise? “There have been many times over the years that a client has wanted us to do something at an event and I knew it wouldn’t work well,” says Doyle. “But I would say OK, because it was the client and they wanted us to, for example, play songs in a certain order or do the toast in a weird place. I was always the sucker in the company who said yes to everything. When I did this, clients would come back to us and complain. They felt we were letting them down. Even though we explained that we did it their way, they said, ‘Well, you’re a professional, you should’ve done a professional job.’

“A client once really reamed into me for that. Her point was that I was the professional with the experience and I should’ve known to tell her what wouldn’t work. She insisted on her money back and everything. So it kind of struck home at that point, that the customer is paying for our experience in addition to our service.”

How To Say No
Just as you should recognize when to use the “power of no,” you should know how to say no. It won’t assure future business from a snubbed client, but it might gain you respect. You can do this by showing sensitivity and tact.

Advises Fortgang: “You don’t want to create a defensive situation by saying, ‘You’re not my ideal client because of XYZ.’ Blame it on yourself. Say, ‘I don’t think I’m the best person for this job. I want to be 100-percent committed to this job and because of XYZ. I’m not.’ Often what ends up happening is that the customer then wants to please you. Here you have an opportunity to ‘train’ a client. Maybe your initial reaction was to say no, but now you can say, ‘I’ll look at this again, but I need XYZ things to make it work.’ You then have the upper hand.”

Also, be as truthful as possible. Tell your customers on the “cut list” that you’re trying to stay focused on your target market. If you can, recommend some other DJ company which you know will help fill their needs. Handling a customer this way softens the rejection and preserves your reputation as an upstanding, sensitive businessperson. The customer will hang up disappointed, but with another option in hand. And maybe in the future, since you’ve explained what your business is about, this client will call you with an event that fits your needs.

This is how Bartlett ended the conversation we dropped in on in the beginning.

“So you’re saying you won’t DJ at my wedding?” Ed says, a little frantic.

“That’s right.”

“Why not?” he asks solemnly.

“You gave me a list of your conditions,” says Bartlett. “You asked me if I would meet them. I’m not willing to do that. You obviously feel very strongly about this and if you feel that strongly you ought to stick to your guns. We are not the right DJ company for you and I’m just going to have to pass.”

“Randi,” Ed says, desperation coloring his voice. “I’m giving you $600. What do you care if I give you just one song to play over and over again? You’ll still get your $600.”

“That’s true,” says Bartlett, “But understand that my reputation is worth more than $600 to me. While you might be thrilled to hear that same song over and over again, your guests won’t be, and what’s going to happen is that your guests will all leave and say, ‘Whatever you do, do not hire Premier Entertainment. All they do is play the same songs 75 times in a row.’ Even if I said the groom instructed me to play the same song over and over, no one’s going to leave there thinking, ‘Oh, he had his hands tied, but I’m sure he’s a great DJ. We’ll call him anyway.’”

Don’t operate out of the fear that if you don’t accept all business that comes your way, you won’t ever see any money. By being selective about your customers, though the phone may ring a little less at first, in the long run, your company will be gaining.

If you have any questions for TCB, please write to

DJ Times c/o TCB,
25 Willowdale Ave.
Port Washington, N.Y., 11050
fax 516-944-8372
e-mail djtimes@testa.com.