Disc Jockey News Article: February 2012

FEBRUARY, 2012

The Way I See It: You Must Like Me

Michael J. Lenstra

Sally Field has had a run that would be envious of most any actor or actress. A career that is going into its sixth decade, complete with Emmy, Oscar and Golden Globe wins.¹ Yet avid movie fans everywhere will probably remember her best for her 1985 acceptance speech for her second Academy Award, when she excitedly exclaimed that now famous phrase “You like me, you really like me.” And although it is not exactly what she said, she has probably been remembered and vilified more for that moment than anything she’s ever done on film.

However in that one legendary quote I feel she said more than any of her predecessors, many of who gave much longer speeches, simply by what she did not say. You see, she did not thank the academy for recognizing her for her hard work and years of training and studying. She did not feel it was worth mentioning the gratitude they had for her long hours of preparation for her roles. She felt that she was honored because, well, in the end, the academy really, really liked her.

And more often than not “being liked” may be the determining factor in many of the decisions that we make, especially in the sales and service field. How many times do we purchase, or have our clients purchase from us, based on comfort and likeability? The way I see it, when all sales pitches are finished, when we’ve stopped comparing X’s and O’s, when price is no longer a factor, we generally go with the person that we fill most confident and comfortable with – and that we trust.

"People don't care what you know - until they know you care."


In his book, The 29% Solution, co-author and founder of the Business Networkers International Ivan Misner wrote “people don’t care what you know, until they know you care.”² Maybe then, instead of refining the same sales pitch for each and every customer, we would better serve ourselves if we listened to what that customer wanted first. When I began my DJ business years ago I would fret over the bookings that I was NOT getting. I felt that if some of these potential customers would just take a chance on me I was certain that they would be more than happy with the product and service that I provided them. Call after call I would explain that I had a comprehensive music library, name brand equipment and could beat most anyone’s price. Yet, unless there was some kind of a friend or family connection, my pleas for their business went unanswered.

I realized that I needed to take a new approach. I started to take more time explain my services and what a difference I could make at their event and, more importantly, I began to ask questions and listened to what each individual client wanted. I made potential customers feel more at ease with me and more confident in me. It was only then that my business began to take off.

While it’s a good thing to have the latest technology and important to be well educated in your field, in the end I feel it's my ‘likeability’ probably more so than my gear, music library or even my experience that plays a greater role  on a client’s decision to include me as part of their event more than anything else. And, unlike the music and equipment that I utilize, that is not a tool that I can buy in a store or on line. It’s a constant tweaking and evaluation of oneself.

And hopefully, if I do that well, it’s my calendar that will scream, “You like me. You really LIKE me!”

sources:

1. Internet Movie Database

The 29% Solution







Mike Lenstra is the owner of Alexxus Entertainment and a full time DJ/Entertainer in Dubuque, IA. He can be reached at mikelenstra@discjockeynews.com