Monthly Archives: November 2014

(tips to get over the fears of public speaking at the bottom)

As if being one of the only female DJs in my area wasn’t scary enough, when I first started DJing, I had to learn to get over my fear of public speaking. Not every DJ has to be a MC. However, most mobile DJs do. What’s more, learning to become a great MC, has helped me to stand out from the crowd of DJs. Now, not only do clients hire me to play great music, but they hire me to speak at their events.

So how did I become a great DJ, MC and spokesperson? I learned these six public speaking tips that seemed to really work well at my events. I always go by, if something works, keep doing it! So, I did! What’s the result? I consistently host great events. Is my knowledge about music a huge part of my success? YES. However, learning and using these 6 MC skills has also made me successful:

Grab the audiences attention.
Tell them Who you are.
Make them feel Welcome.
Get them excited about Where they are.
Tell them a valuable piece of information.
Set the Tone for a FUN event!

Grab their attention: You’ll notice the very first thing I say is “Ya! Kalespera!” I grab their attention by speaking in Greek. (We are actually at the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge in Philadelphia, PA for a Greek themed event called, “Opa!”) By speaking in Greek it makes everyone turn their heads because they are now curious to hear more.

Tell them Who you are: Think about it. You are more inclined to listen to someone you know. So let your audience get to know you by telling them who you are. This is also an extremely important key in marketing yourself.

Make them feel Welcome: Give them the warm and fuzzy feeling! Let your audience know you are glad they are here. Welcome them to your event! Even though I didn’t say it here, its usually really good to say “Welcome and THANK YOU for coming”.

Get them excited about Where they are. Regardless if you are at the corner dive bar, or an extremely high end event, get your guests excited about being there. If you are hosting a themed event, create the atmosphere for that theme. Since this was a Greek themed event, I welcomed the guests to our “Greek Acropolis”.

Tell them a valuable piece of information: If you tell the guest something important, interesting, or something they may not know, they will really appreciate it. In turn, appreciate you being there. If you have nothing to share the best thing to tell them is where the bar is located! Going along with the Greek theme for this event I decided to tell them a piece of Greek tradition. You notice I don’t go into a long, elaborate story. Don’t be one of those MCs who just likes to hear themselves talk! Just give them a quick, short interesting fact.You could find out and tell them something interesting about the guest of honor. You could tell them something interesting about the location of the event.

Finally, always make sure you set the tone for FUN. Regardless, if you plan to raise the roof, or if it’s just a laid back event, it should still be FUN and enjoyable for your guests. You need to set the tone. Find out what your client wants. Do they want a crazy dance party? Or, do they just want upbeat, happy music played at their event? Since this was a huge networking event, my client really just wanted a fun and happy vibe with the entertainment more in the background. This way, the guests could mingle and talk to each other, yet still be a part of an interesting and fun event. Part of setting this tone is also being an interactive DJ. As you see, I’m not behind the ones and twos (my Numark Mix Deck Controller) the entire time. I’m out interacting with the crowd and having FUN!

I hope to bring you a new video each Tuesday on the Sounds By Shelly YouTube Channel. If you liked my video today please SUBSCRIBE! If you have other topics you’d like me to cover, please send them my way! You can post it here, or email me: Shelly@SoundsByShelly.com. Thanks for watching! DeeJay Shelly.

Is Public Speaking a tough fear to get over? YES. Can you do it? YES!!!

How did I get over my fear of public speaking?
First Steps:
1) Look over/above the crowd. (As you perfect your skills, you’ll start looking directly into the crowd. But when your scared to death for your first appearance, look over the crowd).
2) Treat the crowd as ONE not as 200 people staring at you.
3) WRITE your notes down and keep them in front of you! (I started writing them VERY BIG. This way if stage fright came over me – and it has- all I needed to do was look down at my notes. NOT small scribble notes, so I couldn’t read them. BIG notes so even if I got flustered all I had to do was look down at my notes. Set yourself up for success!)
4) PRACTICE! I practice my announcements before every event. I still do this today! (I Learned and PRACTICED how to Speak GREEK for this event.) People think I’m crazy sometimes when they see me talking to myself before an event. I’ve had staff give me the funniest faces. I don’t let it bother me. Why? I’m setting myself up for a successful event by practicing. This helps me feel more confident when I am about to speak.
5) FOCUS on something else. Tell yourself, if you make it through, you’ll buy yourself a new shirt. I know this may sound funny, but it works! Give yourself incentives and motivation. Don’t focus on, “OMG I have to talk in front of 200 people.” Focus on, “I can’t wait to buy my new shirt!”