SPINCONTROL 

Increase Your Nightclub's Bottom Line
Become a Superstar DJ to Earn Extra Revenue and Respect

As the DJ has become more than just a jukebox with a microphone, it is very important that DJs continue to increase their importance as not just an employee, but as an integral part of their nightclub’s success.
    I often have heard DJs complain that they are not paid their value or even respected for the amount of talent and effort that it takes to become proficient at their craft. But, on the other hand, I have listened to several nightclub managers and owners complain that their DJs only care about their dance floor and that the DJs don’t have their bottom dollar in mind. Personally, I have found both arguments to have equal merit; however, I have chosen to take a path that creates a win-win situation for both the DJ and the nightclub manager and owner.
    Instead of just being another DJ that has dance floor tunnel vision, I have chosen to look at matters from the nightclub owner/manager’s point of view. This simple task has helped me to increase revenue at the nightclub’s door and bar sales. In return, I not only have gained the respect of the nightclub manager/owner, but I also have managed to increase my nightly salary and command the same high salary at several other nightclubs on various nights.
The following steps to achieve the goal of increasing a club’s take and your own are not difficult. It just takes a little extra time and the ability to open your eyes to the entrepreneurial mindset.

Steps to Success
    1. Start to look at your job as an ambassador for your nightclub. This means your job does not begin at 9 p.m. and end at 2 a.m. Your job actually is an all-week detail.
    This means taking steps to create databases of your club’s clientele and contacting them a day or so prior to your night, and inviting them to join you. Your databases can be either e-mail, cell phones, or home addresses for special event mailers. If you create a big enough database of clients that enjoy your DJ skills, you can then use the same mailer to increase your value on another night at a different club.
    2. Begin to think bar sales as you create the ultimate dance mix. This means meeting with your club manager and asking what drink specials are to be called throug out the night and then announcing them at the most effective times. An example would be to announce a very hot 10-minute drink special at the same time that you change the tempo or style of music that you are mixing. If I am playing Hip-Hop music and I decide to switch to Top 40 Dance, I will most likely call out a drink special that most of the Hip-Hop demographic will enjoy.
    Also, if you have a floating shot girl or beer tub girl, point them out and bring attention to their existence. Lastly, you should talk to your nightclub’s manager or owner on their thoughts of calling last call 30 minutes prior to closing as opposed to 20 or 10 minutes before closing. I have found that doing this and continually announcing last call in 5 or 10 minute intervals can increase the bar’s overall sales heavily.
    3. Study your music and today’s cutting-edge trends. All over the nation, there are a great deal of DJs attempting to employ music in their sets just because they have heard a superstar DJ playing it. A good DJ will realize that even though one sound may work in one region, it may not work in another. This does not mean that a DJ should not take chances; it just means study and evaluate.
    4. Create the right musical programming for your night. This means creating a music atmosphere with the right energy to attract your target audience and bring them back week after week. I prefer to play a wide variety of music in my sets, but I always keep my nightclub’s clientele in mind.
    There are, many more ways to increase top-line sales, but the first step is caring about your performance and your relationship with your employer. NCB