AS most of you know I am a wedding DJ and Videographer. Having been in the wedding business for the past 16 years I have just about done and seen it all. I started out as a photographer (I still dabble from time to time) and became a wedding officiant in 2009 as wedding insurance for my brides so that no matter what your day will go on as planned (They even all me the Rockin' Rev!).
On July 4th 2014 at my mother's house in the mountains of NC I myself got married. From the onset of the planning process I assured my bride to be that "I got this Honey....This is what I do!" I thought that having the experience I have would make this a no brainer. I have coordinated weddings before. I know what we want, and I have trained dozens and dozens of proteges over the years so I had the brilliant idea to save the money and teach my friends and family how do perform tasks like set up, video, photography and so forth.
Boy was I WRONG!!!!
For the most part everything went well. THe ceremony was a half an hour late but that was because certain key guests had transportation issues. My uncle (when I was growing up) was well know in South Florida as a great Wedding Photographer and he agreed to shoot my wedding for me. I was super excited until 20 minutes before my wedding was to start and I handed him my shiny new Nikon. He turned it over in his hands several times and then told me he has never shot digital before and was film "Back in the old days" No worries I gave him a quick crash course in how the camera works confident that he could take the stellar pictures I remember seeing hung in his home all those years ago.
Again WRONG!
He was a film photographer and although his pictures looked great (I will have to make some minor adjustments in post) he only took a few dozen shots of the entire ceremony!!! I usually take over 2500 pictures at an event, and he took 39? Okay not tragic but it is not even the worst of it.
I set the video camera on a tripod and gave my brother Wedding Video 101. He assured me that he could shoot it no problems. Both me and my bride had lavalier mics and it all ran through my state of the art sound system that I use to DJ weddings professionally so I decided to use a shotgun mic and pick up not only us but the crowd ambiance as well. Awesome right?
Ummmmmmmm No!
He shot the entire ceremony as I had instructed except for one minor detail....He forgot to turn on the shotgun mic so we have NO AUDIO!! At a Wedding that I am shooting for a client i use muliple audio sources and 2 cameras but I just wanted it recorded for posterity and I figured good enough is good enough. YIKES!
Needless to say I have learned a valuable lesson. Never have friends or family do something as important as a wedding. We cannot redo it. It is done and a memory. I erroneously thought that given my experience I could act as wedding coordinator, Videography Director, Photography Director, DJ and oh yeah....the groom!
AS I said Boy was I WRONG!
SMH
Monday, July 14, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Power of Online Reviews
In recent years online reviews have become a very powerful tool for people looking for products and/or services online. I am sure there are very few people left that shop online that haven't noticed that at the bottom of every product page on websites such as Amazon.com and the like there are almost always a long string of reviews for that product. It has become almost habit for me that before I buy anything I always take the time to read a few if not all of them. The funny thing is that not all reviews are good and yet still I may buy that product. Why is that? I believe that subconsciously we all do the math and weigh the number of positive reviews versus the number of negative and we even factor into that the apparent credibility of the reviewer especially if it is negative.
For example: You are looking for a Whatchadoozie on Amazon. The price for the Whatchadoozie is good and the product description is compelling. You scroll down and the first review you see looks like this...
WOW!!! I love this Whatchadoozie! My friends all bought one but I was hesitant. I finally got my Whatchazoozie in the mail and the shipping was right on time. I opened the box and there it was. The box was a little scratched up but that didn't matter because as I said WOW! It does everything I need it to do and I highly recommend everyone get one!
That is a great review because it is positive but not all positive in that I mentioned the packaging wasn't perfect so you know it probably wasn't written by someone who works for Whatchadoozie LTD. just trying to bolster sales with fake reviews.
So....you read more of them and you find one with one star and it reads as follows.
DO NOT BUY A WHATCHADOOZIE THEY SUCK, THE COMPANY SUCKS, AND I HATE THEM!!!!
Obviously the writer has a grudge whether it be personal or professional. They give no information as to why Whatchadoozies suck, and more than likely have a friend or family member that works for Whatchamadoogles Inc. As the urban youth are fond of saying...Haters are gonna hate.
So what does this mean? Simply that you will read and absorb the information in the positive reviews, weigh the negative reviews that are product specific and discount the ones that aren't. If the number of positive well written and concise reviews outweigh the negative ones you will more than likely take the risk and buy that product.
This also applies to online reviews that are not on a specific vendor page but rather found on sites like Yahoo, Google, and Yelp. Let's say you want to hire a Wedding DJ like myself to DJ your wedding in Atlantic Beach NC. The first thing you will do (unless I was recommended by a friend or family member that has already hired me before) is search for "Wedding DJ Atlantic Beach NC" You will then find a bunch of wedding DJ's to choose from. You will then click on sites, read a little and go on to the next. If you happen to find one that grabs you you may either fill out their Contact Form (if they have one) Email them directly, or call them. (Although more on calling the company later.)
The problem is that you missed a step. After you find one that you like, you should then go to your favorite search engine and type in the name of the company followed by reviews. (i.e. Crystal Sound and Magic DJ reviews) Then you will pull up any and all reviews that have been posted about them by past clients. This can do one of two things. Either it will make you a little more at ease when you listen to the sales pitch from the person you talk to, or completely dissuade you from even contacting them and make you continue searching for a better fit.
The Power of Online Reviews.
So let's say you find a vendor that has good reviews, you like the website content, the price is right and you are ready to do business. The best thing to do is either fill out the content form, or email but DO NOT call them. Why? Because this is a very important test of customer service. If a company want's your business they should make the effort to contact you within a reasonable amount of time. (Generally within 24 hours) A company that has poor customer service and doesn't check emails, and doesn't make the effort to win you over within 24 hours of getting your email is not a company you want to do business with and you will have communication problems down the line. (Now obviously if you are looking for a wedding vendor and you email them on a Friday night you may not hear from them till Monday or Tuesday especially if it is during peak wedding season so there are exceptions and common sense applies. Generally speaking initially emailing a company on a Tuesday is a pretty safe margin of error because most if not all business are open on a Tuesday and should get back to you no later than the close of business Wednesday.)
Taking that power to the next level.
Let's say you have emailed them and they emailed or called you back within a few hours and you have a great follow up conversation. You are excited to hire them and they are equally excited to have you as a client. So that it right? Done deal! Not really no. To make the power of online reviews truly powerful towards the end of the conversation you need to emphasize the following statement...
"Ok well I am excited. Lets set up a meeting and get the ball rolling oh and I will be reviewing you online when all is said and done because that's what I do."
By saying that you grant yourself power over that vendor. You almost guarantee that you get great customer service and his or her undivided attention. They will now bring their A game. Think of it like a restaurant or a Broadway Production where they know that there is a critic in attendance. They will snap into action and make sure everything is perfect. YOU are that critic and you have ALL the power and trust me when I say that they will do everything in their power to get that great review from you because at the end of the day the power of the online review is...well...powerful!
Stephen K.
www.crystalmagicdj.com
For example: You are looking for a Whatchadoozie on Amazon. The price for the Whatchadoozie is good and the product description is compelling. You scroll down and the first review you see looks like this...
WOW!!! I love this Whatchadoozie! My friends all bought one but I was hesitant. I finally got my Whatchazoozie in the mail and the shipping was right on time. I opened the box and there it was. The box was a little scratched up but that didn't matter because as I said WOW! It does everything I need it to do and I highly recommend everyone get one!
That is a great review because it is positive but not all positive in that I mentioned the packaging wasn't perfect so you know it probably wasn't written by someone who works for Whatchadoozie LTD. just trying to bolster sales with fake reviews.
So....you read more of them and you find one with one star and it reads as follows.
DO NOT BUY A WHATCHADOOZIE THEY SUCK, THE COMPANY SUCKS, AND I HATE THEM!!!!
Obviously the writer has a grudge whether it be personal or professional. They give no information as to why Whatchadoozies suck, and more than likely have a friend or family member that works for Whatchamadoogles Inc. As the urban youth are fond of saying...Haters are gonna hate.
So what does this mean? Simply that you will read and absorb the information in the positive reviews, weigh the negative reviews that are product specific and discount the ones that aren't. If the number of positive well written and concise reviews outweigh the negative ones you will more than likely take the risk and buy that product.
This also applies to online reviews that are not on a specific vendor page but rather found on sites like Yahoo, Google, and Yelp. Let's say you want to hire a Wedding DJ like myself to DJ your wedding in Atlantic Beach NC. The first thing you will do (unless I was recommended by a friend or family member that has already hired me before) is search for "Wedding DJ Atlantic Beach NC" You will then find a bunch of wedding DJ's to choose from. You will then click on sites, read a little and go on to the next. If you happen to find one that grabs you you may either fill out their Contact Form (if they have one) Email them directly, or call them. (Although more on calling the company later.)
The problem is that you missed a step. After you find one that you like, you should then go to your favorite search engine and type in the name of the company followed by reviews. (i.e. Crystal Sound and Magic DJ reviews) Then you will pull up any and all reviews that have been posted about them by past clients. This can do one of two things. Either it will make you a little more at ease when you listen to the sales pitch from the person you talk to, or completely dissuade you from even contacting them and make you continue searching for a better fit.
The Power of Online Reviews.
So let's say you find a vendor that has good reviews, you like the website content, the price is right and you are ready to do business. The best thing to do is either fill out the content form, or email but DO NOT call them. Why? Because this is a very important test of customer service. If a company want's your business they should make the effort to contact you within a reasonable amount of time. (Generally within 24 hours) A company that has poor customer service and doesn't check emails, and doesn't make the effort to win you over within 24 hours of getting your email is not a company you want to do business with and you will have communication problems down the line. (Now obviously if you are looking for a wedding vendor and you email them on a Friday night you may not hear from them till Monday or Tuesday especially if it is during peak wedding season so there are exceptions and common sense applies. Generally speaking initially emailing a company on a Tuesday is a pretty safe margin of error because most if not all business are open on a Tuesday and should get back to you no later than the close of business Wednesday.)
Taking that power to the next level.
Let's say you have emailed them and they emailed or called you back within a few hours and you have a great follow up conversation. You are excited to hire them and they are equally excited to have you as a client. So that it right? Done deal! Not really no. To make the power of online reviews truly powerful towards the end of the conversation you need to emphasize the following statement...
"Ok well I am excited. Lets set up a meeting and get the ball rolling oh and I will be reviewing you online when all is said and done because that's what I do."
By saying that you grant yourself power over that vendor. You almost guarantee that you get great customer service and his or her undivided attention. They will now bring their A game. Think of it like a restaurant or a Broadway Production where they know that there is a critic in attendance. They will snap into action and make sure everything is perfect. YOU are that critic and you have ALL the power and trust me when I say that they will do everything in their power to get that great review from you because at the end of the day the power of the online review is...well...powerful!
Stephen K.
www.crystalmagicdj.com
Thursday, March 13, 2014
I Love Multi-cultural Weddings!!
I kicked off the party with my usual energy as I announced the New couple and they went right into their first dance which was played and sung by their minister who was very talented on guitar. I played an array of selections made by the bride from the 70's to modern Top 40. The best part of the night though was when the Father of the Bride helped me find some authentic Lebanese music. At first it was only her side dancing the traditional Arabic dances, but it didn't take long for quite a few others to join in. I will be posting video clips on my You Tube page when I get everything edited to perfection. I have another wedding this weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about it.
This is gonna be a great Season!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
The Destination Is Only The Beginning Of The Journey!
Click the play button in the upper left hand corner of the link below to hear it....enjoy.
What is A Friend Nowadays?
I remember growing up when I had a best friend named Peter. We met when he moved in across the street from our house and we formed a lasting friendship that has survived over the past 30 some odd years in spite of the fact that we no longer live across the street but rather three states away now. We always try to catch up when our busy schedules allow but alas because of the time and distance between us we have long had to surrender the true title of best friendship. In fact if I must be honest I can say that we know each other but sadly I could not even tell you the names of his kids at this point.
For the past 7 years I have had new best friend and this time it is a woman. I can honestly say without fear of contradiction that she knows me better than I know myself, and I know even more about her. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t talk to her about this or that, and no matter how bad I may feel even a hello from her makes me smile even if she doesn't read my blog lol.
But what is a friend anyway?
It seems with the advent of social media that the word friend has become severely diluted. Lost are the meanings and nuances that set a person apart from the rest because that person is your friend. It seems that now just because you met a person whether online or in person and had even the briefest of conversations with them we are quick to slap the seemingly arbitrary title of friend on that person. “Hey I met so and so today and we are friends!”. I personally can count on one hand with fingers left over the number of people in my life that i can truly cherish as a real friend.
To most a friend is a person you call when you need a hand moving, or when you need to borrow a tool or some money but heaven forbid you should actually want to spend time with him or her. Worse there are those that will say boldly that they have so many friends as if it is a status symbol, but when you really need a helping hand or a financial rescue they scatter like cockroaches when the lights are turned on.
The term best friend has taken a severe hit as well. It used to be that your best friend was that one and only person you confided all of your trust in. It was the person who knew you better than anyone. The person that if you were lucky knew you better than you knew yourself. Now people will say they have many best friends. A best guy friend and a best girl friend are very common today.
To quote Elbert Hubbard: “A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you just the same”
How can you possibly know all about someone if you only know them in a text message, an occasional phone call, or on Facebook? I long for a day when this is realized and the word friend can hold the meaning it once did. Oh well what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...except bears. Bears will freakin kill you!
For more on what I do be sure to check out my website at http://www.crystalmagicdj.com
For the past 7 years I have had new best friend and this time it is a woman. I can honestly say without fear of contradiction that she knows me better than I know myself, and I know even more about her. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t talk to her about this or that, and no matter how bad I may feel even a hello from her makes me smile even if she doesn't read my blog lol.
But what is a friend anyway?
It seems with the advent of social media that the word friend has become severely diluted. Lost are the meanings and nuances that set a person apart from the rest because that person is your friend. It seems that now just because you met a person whether online or in person and had even the briefest of conversations with them we are quick to slap the seemingly arbitrary title of friend on that person. “Hey I met so and so today and we are friends!”. I personally can count on one hand with fingers left over the number of people in my life that i can truly cherish as a real friend.
To most a friend is a person you call when you need a hand moving, or when you need to borrow a tool or some money but heaven forbid you should actually want to spend time with him or her. Worse there are those that will say boldly that they have so many friends as if it is a status symbol, but when you really need a helping hand or a financial rescue they scatter like cockroaches when the lights are turned on.
The term best friend has taken a severe hit as well. It used to be that your best friend was that one and only person you confided all of your trust in. It was the person who knew you better than anyone. The person that if you were lucky knew you better than you knew yourself. Now people will say they have many best friends. A best guy friend and a best girl friend are very common today.
To quote Elbert Hubbard: “A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you just the same”
How can you possibly know all about someone if you only know them in a text message, an occasional phone call, or on Facebook? I long for a day when this is realized and the word friend can hold the meaning it once did. Oh well what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...except bears. Bears will freakin kill you!
For more on what I do be sure to check out my website at http://www.crystalmagicdj.com
Saturday, January 25, 2014
The amateur Incursion
I have been in the wedding business a long time and I have seen vendors come and go. What I find really disturbing is the number of amateur "professionals" that have been cropping up like weeds as of late and it is primarily because of sites like craigslist. Now don't get me wrong craigslist is great if you are looking for someone to mow the lawn twice a month or fix that sink that just wont stop dripping but do you really want to trust your wedding day to these "professionals"?
Take photography for example. It seems like every housewife that gets a Canon Rebel for Christmas suddenly thinks they can be a photographer at a wedding just because they shot their cousin's wedding once and the pictures came out "great". Do you really want to trust those precious once in a lifetime moments to someone that got lucky once because he or she knew everyone at the wedding? My seven year old can get "great" shots on my Nikon at a family get together because everyone is willing to pose for him. Throw that same seven year old into a crowded room where he knows no one and watch him freak the hell out! Now I am not slamming my competition by any means as there are some fine photographers out there, (having been one myself) and I can recommend some talented individuals but honestly I am tired of having to tell a photographer what shots to get because they are shooting what they believe is a "really cool" shot of the bouquet sitting on the table during the cake cutting!
I am in the DJ business and as a lark I went on craigslist to see what my "competition" was up to and I was appalled! I found so many DJs that while they may do well in a nightclub or frat party, had no business advertising themselves as a wedding DJ. I saw prices as low as 30 dollars an hour! That is awesome! Great deal right?
You get what you pay for and if all that matters is someone playing music that is not edited (i.e. non radio-friendly explicit versions that will make grandma have a heart attack and little 11 year old Susie twerk on the dance floor with her "fun" aunt) then that might be perfect for you but if you want a DJ that can announce and coordinate the party so it runs perfectly with appropriate music, then you may have to set your sights a bit higher. Your DJ should not be the most intoxicated person at your wedding reception which is why I never drink on the job!
There have always been amateurs that have tried to pawn themselves off as pros, and we all have that cousin, uncle, brother what have you that knows a lot about cars (computers, medicine, carpentry, etc) but please for the love of all that is holy DO NOT hire someone just because they are cheap especially on the biggest day of your lives!
Please be sure to check out my website at www.crystalmagicdj.com and even if you don't hire me, please call me and at least let me give you the tools you need to pick the right vendors for the job. I will be glad to arm you with the right questions to ask any given vendor and may even be able to recommend a few I have worked with over the years because the amateur incursion is coming!
Take photography for example. It seems like every housewife that gets a Canon Rebel for Christmas suddenly thinks they can be a photographer at a wedding just because they shot their cousin's wedding once and the pictures came out "great". Do you really want to trust those precious once in a lifetime moments to someone that got lucky once because he or she knew everyone at the wedding? My seven year old can get "great" shots on my Nikon at a family get together because everyone is willing to pose for him. Throw that same seven year old into a crowded room where he knows no one and watch him freak the hell out! Now I am not slamming my competition by any means as there are some fine photographers out there, (having been one myself) and I can recommend some talented individuals but honestly I am tired of having to tell a photographer what shots to get because they are shooting what they believe is a "really cool" shot of the bouquet sitting on the table during the cake cutting!I am in the DJ business and as a lark I went on craigslist to see what my "competition" was up to and I was appalled! I found so many DJs that while they may do well in a nightclub or frat party, had no business advertising themselves as a wedding DJ. I saw prices as low as 30 dollars an hour! That is awesome! Great deal right?
There have always been amateurs that have tried to pawn themselves off as pros, and we all have that cousin, uncle, brother what have you that knows a lot about cars (computers, medicine, carpentry, etc) but please for the love of all that is holy DO NOT hire someone just because they are cheap especially on the biggest day of your lives!
Please be sure to check out my website at www.crystalmagicdj.com and even if you don't hire me, please call me and at least let me give you the tools you need to pick the right vendors for the job. I will be glad to arm you with the right questions to ask any given vendor and may even be able to recommend a few I have worked with over the years because the amateur incursion is coming!
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