OK, how about ALL equipment aside, WHY YOU?

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jokerswild said:
Tribbles are at least cute until they start eating your electronic devices and multiplying.... Gremlins enjoy mayhem, debauchery, world domination and killing....

Either way I think I'd prefer a Luddite...:sqwink:
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You said it! I heard ya! There it is in print! {{sniff}} I'm touched....:sqwink:


Awright!! Line up! More input! Why are YOU the best karaoke host for the job??!!!
 
Big difference in how I would sell a commercial venue as opposed to a private event employer. Each of these people have different needs. No matter who I was trying to get hired with, I would assess their needs, determine how best to meet their needs, or exceed them, and sell it from THAT direction.

As to selling myself...assuming we all had the same equipment and titles?

- I am a people person. I understand how to go into a crowd of strangers and make them happy.

- I have the ability to create and maintain a loyal following. (This item alone has MANY subsets under it...such as running a fair show, bribe policies, etc.....)

- I have an extensive musical knowledge which enables me to know the correct song to play from any generation, and to decipher cryptic requests your patrons may give me.

- I am a competant singer who can assist singers if necessary.

- I understand my purpose in the organization. I am not paid to entertain, I am paid to get and keep asses in the seats, and have them spend money in your establishment. What I do to do that is not as important to you as the fact that I do that, so I wont bore you with the minutae of my methods. (I personally think this is one of the most important points...our employers dont need to know every aspect...they dont care how many songs we have or what equipment we use, and selling that to them is a waste of time...cut to the chase, dont bore them with details, dazzle them with results.)

- I treat every venue I work in as if I own it...with the same pride and sense of responsibility. I am the best ambassador for your business you can have out there shilling for you.

- I will never be an embarrassment or liability to your organization.

- I am a responsible business owner...I keep to my word, am on time, dont call in sick unnecessarily, and keep adequate spare equipment on hand to ensure that a problem for me does not become a problem for you.


Lots more I am sure, but that is off the top of my head....
 
I have been retired from karaoke for over a year now but back in the day....

I think karaoke is all about having fun and hanging out in a bar is all about having fun. A bad singer can be more entertaining than a good singer and a group of bad singers all singing badly at the same time is lots of fun. People come to a bar to bond which is the reason that they are willing to pay three dollars for a sixty five cent glass of beer, fun is bonding and bonding is fun. My show promotes bonding.

That was my sales pitch.

Add to that the 19th century nudes featured on my flyers and the 21st century nudes that I tried to make appear during the show.... It was fun, fun is good for business.
 
Weed and Harry, all the good stuff I'm looking for!


Ok, we have musical knowledge, motivational skills, dependability, treating the venue as our own ( i.e., we are trying to turn a profit for the venue and keep ALL happy), technical knowledge, remembering that karaoke is for fun and enjoyment, our own charisma, the ability to interact well, present well and professionally. I'll throw in that I enjoy what I'm doing, and the patrons know it, and react in kind.

MORE? ANYONE?
 
OK, I gave it a few days...


Here's why I started this thread:


1) To learn possible new techniques. ( My thanks to all who shared )

2) To see how many actual Karaoke Hosts (or KJs) we have in this forum of over 800 members. (Looks like only about 8 will admit it....:sqfrown:)


3) As a reminder: If one were to peruse the Karaoke House, one would think it's all about the equipment. Not even close.

Yes, professional grade equipment is certainly a biggie, but that alone doesn't create success.

An observation from personal experience:


I started out with cassettes and lyric sheets. I used a drag-along system ( think a cassette version of a Vocopro Twister) that was home built, 125w per side, small onboard speakers. Did a LOT of private events- very successful. I'll skip the laser frisbee part and go to my first CD setup- a home system hooked up to a 300 watt amp (effects onboard the the player, many not available), 3-way Audio 2000 15" speakers on sticks ( actually not bad), connected to a 15" K-mart TV with a modulator velcroed on top. Mics per No Name wired, with the occasional RSQ P-10 ( like singing into a pillow). My CD collection to start? The 66 disc Sweet Georgia Brown set and the first 16 discs of the SuperCore set. Around 1100 songs, many of dubious quality.

Within seven months I was working 5 nights per week at different venues- and the last three approached me! No upgrades except additional and better quality music until after the first year...


Why did I become so successful? It sure as hell wasn't the equipment! Double the negative on my looks...Then WHY? Because I'm wonderful?......well, YES. However, I'm wonderful because I was smart enought to do all the good things suggested in this thread, and then some. It was, and is, ME.


OK, I'm finished breaking my arm patting myself on the back. The point is, despite all the threads about equipment, or luddite vs PC headbanging, or pricing, you should remember that the most important part of your work, whatever style of show you run, is YOU. Those of you who POSTED non-equipment answers already know this. My words are really for those who couldn't post, and depend too heavily on the gadgetry.

Remember, almost anyone can learn how to run equipment- operators are interchageable. Use YOUR talent, YOUR personality, YOUR interpersonal skills, and YOUR professionalism and ethics to make YOUR show unique, and YOU can't help but be successful......:sqcool:
 
Thanks, Joe. That says a lot about your character. :)

Joe, it ain't always about business equipment. You could manage a fun show with just a boombox-type karaoke thing and a handful of 99 cent discs. Everyone would have a great time just the same.

This is about entertaining. Machines cannot entertain. Only people can do that. :)
 
Fred Stewart said:
This is about entertaining. Machines cannot entertain. Only people can do that. :)
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Arcades entertain me. Slot machines entertain me. My computer entertains the hell out of me. My DVD player entertains me.

We are stewards of machines and collections in a public setting. I wouldn't enjoy the steward of my local movie theatre to get on the mic and start talking like he's announcing a monster truck rally.
YouTube - Hot Rod Association monster truck commercial
 
toqer said:
I wouldn't enjoy the steward of my local movie theatre to get on the mic and start talking like he's announcing a monster truck rally.
YouTube - Hot Rod Association monster truck commercial
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By golly neither would I! And the reverse is also true. I wouldn't want the anouncer at a monster truck rally in his office doing the books like a movie theater manager. Good thing this so seldom happens in the real world.
 
toqer said:
Arcades entertain me. Slot machines entertain me. My computer entertains the hell out of me. My DVD player entertains me.

We are stewards of machines and collections in a public setting. I wouldn't enjoy the steward of my local movie theatre to get on the mic and start talking like he's announcing a monster truck rally.
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Toqer, ya nudge. Joe-trolling, ain't ya? Well you posted non-equipment reasons, and were included in my thanks because I KNOW that you know the value of good hosting skills. So "TTTTTTHHHHHTTTTPPPP!" ( raspberry) :spgrin:
 
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