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How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
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Author:  musichound49 [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:03 am ]
Post subject:  How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
I would like to know some of the things that others are doing to stay ahead of the competition. I have bee at the same club for seven years.  Another club opened two miles away & I lost the majority of my regular singers.
I have the largest song library for miles & a great sound system. If a singer wants a song that I don't have, I order it right away. I send regular emails & keep them updated  about what is new. I have just upgraded from Sax and Dottys to Compuhost. I put a nice velvet curtain behind them & a spotlight  & am doing everything I can to make them feel special.
I also started selling 50/50 tickets. I put all the tickets in a plastic coffee can and all the singer's request slips in another can. Half the money goes to the person holding the winning ticket & the other half goes to the singer whose slip is drawn. I have thought about doing trivia, but don't know how to go about it. Does anyone have any suggestions to
(A) get my regular singers back
(B) Attract new Singers
(C) attract non singers
Author:  ok What Now [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
from all that u say i think ur doing enough....how long have ur singers been gone?
i feel it's more a let's check out the new place kinda thing....
is the other club's sound any good? i feel a great sound will bring in and keep very good singers....so personally i wouldn't worry too much about it right now....altho i'm not a k j.....but i do know what i like....seems u have it all, do u have good monitors?

i say they'll be back i wouldn't worry about it....JMO
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Quote:
I would like to know some of the things that others are doing to stay ahead of the competition.


OK, I see the question is actually "How do you stay ahead of the competition as a KJ", so I haven't a clue..


If the question was "as a singer", or in most areas of aesthetics, the answer is "You can't indefinately"...  But that's moot here..
Author:  Karen K [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Interesting dilemma.  If these "regulars" of yours are personally known to you, I would probably contact them personally, not in front of others, and ask them why they have chosen to patronize another show. Sometimes it is just the novelty of a new place ... ask if they are offering drink specials, if the food is really great (if there is food), etc., etc.  

karen
Author:  Babs [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Is your newsletter website based? Or do you send it by regular mail? You could add a questionnaire to ask what they are looking for in a show. Add questions like: Have you gone to a different karaoke show lately and if so why?

What is the other karaoke place doing that you are not?

I would ask regulars that you know who have gone to the other place why some of your crowd has switched over.

I have a feeling it is just because it is new. Maybe after time they will flock back.

Maybe try recording singers and giving out free cds - just an added idea.
Author:  lordairgtar [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Karaoke patrons can be more fickle than bar owners (and just as cheap. Could be for a lot of reasons...but you seem to be on top of the game. Check out the bar itself, it could be more clean, comfortable, cheaper booze, and I hate to say it, but maybe the KJ there is a woman. Guys like to see pretty women (I went to female hosted or assisted shows because of this, and I wound up dating the lovely assistants once or twice, sorry Spence.)  and women themselves may feel more comfortable with their own sex. Is the new venue just easier to get to, better car parking, closer to bus line, serve food that's good?
Author:  exweedfarmer [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Sex sells.  Anything short of pimping is good.  It always worked for me anyway.
Author:  Jian [ Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Ladies night on Mon and Wed is always standing room. I don't know why, but it does work in the club that I used to go to. :yes:
Author:  karyoker [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Without knowing the particulars I cant give you any specific advise. Seven years is a long run in one venue and one can get in a rut. Change change change. Things go in cycles. Is it a place that has regular customers (audience)? Has that changed are they gone?
Too many here measure their success with the size of their rotation. That has nothing to do with it. The major part of the crowd is non listeners as you call them. I thought I was fully retired and a KJ here asked me to do alternate sat at a small pizza bar. I agreed and the best host I have ever known wanted to help so he hosts. We are packing out and the owner has all but disolved the pizza business wants to expand and informed me last night I was booked solid for 3 months. We probably will move into the large pizza area.

We didnt do it with old karaoke dos and donts we done it with PR enthusiasm and a high energy show. And we didnt do it with a large rotation or even singers for that matter. For the last 3 or 4 shows I have never seen a crowd in a small bar so energized since the disco days.

So maybe you have been concentrating on karaoke and old karaoke stuff too much. Things go in cycles and things happen for a reason I dont know if you are at a fork in the road (sounds like you might be) but back off and relax and get the big picture again Maybe your goals will change and be more lofty than ever before. Re-evaluate  saddle up and ride.

Just to show you how different this place is about 11:30 the owner asked me how late do you play? Oh 12 but sometimes go over to get all the singers in Can you stay until 12:30? Sure (did we charge extra?) No.. But I did mention to to him you know if this  keeps working we want a pay raise. He just smiled He loves us!!!

Thats why I like this place This man is a businessman and a professional When he hires a professional then he lets that pro do his thing and doesnt  try to run the show. Also he listens to his customers. They more or less tell him who to hire for entertainment. Stay ahead of the competetition? We left them in the dust.,.
Author:  Lonman [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
musichound49 @ Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:03 am wrote:
I would like to know some of the things that others are doing to stay ahead of the competition. I have bee at the same club for seven years.  Another club opened two miles away & I lost the majority of my regular singers.
I have the largest song library for miles & a great sound system. If a singer wants a song that I don't have, I order it right away. I send regular emails & keep them updated  about what is new. I have just upgraded from Sax and Dottys to Compuhost. I put a nice velvet curtain behind them & a spotlight  & am doing everything I can to make them feel special.
I also started selling 50/50 tickets. I put all the tickets in a plastic coffee can and all the singer's request slips in another can. Half the money goes to the person holding the winning ticket & the other half goes to the singer whose slip is drawn. I have thought about doing trivia, but don't know how to go about it. Does anyone have any suggestions to
(A) get my regular singers back
(B) Attract new Singers
(C) attract non singers


Look at what the new club has or does that you or your club don't have.  Why are they going?  Are they going because it's something new?  Drink prices insanely better or better pours for the money?  Does the club offer anything more than the club you are in?  How's their selection/sound/host?   Are they mixing up dj music - some places this works in & people want it.  I have been at the same place since 92 7 nights a week, so I feel where you are coming from, have seen crowds come & go.  What I have also seen is the major rollercoaster ride of crowds, they get big, they get small they get big, they get small, etc....they get big because we are so dead that people get to sing alot so they start coming in more, but then after a while people start staying away because they can't sing as much because we are so packed - it's a never ending repeating cycle.
To me it sounds like you are doing everything right, but crowds get bored with routine, no matter how good you are and good you treat your customers they will go elsewhere for variety on occasion to experience new things & sometimes will stay at the new place.  

Reading a couple posts after I posted, yes ease of getting to, parking, bus line, all that may play a factor as well - I would just try to find out what the other club & karaoke show is offering that you & your club may be able to incorporate.  I have singers that love our karaoke, but only come in once in a while, I ask why, they respond they hang out at tnother place because they can record your perfomance & give you a cd every night - which is a legal discussion in itself that I don't want to rehash, but I won't record singers, so those singers I don't get regularly.  
As far as non-singers go, more often that not (in my experience) that most of the non singers that come in do outnumber the singers on most nights, but they are also usually there with singers & know it's karaoke.  We have a large dance floor, people pack it dancing to karaoke songs all night, which is partly why I won't dj during karaoke (another & main reason the bar don't want it), you can dance to karaoke songs so why break it up with regular music?
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Quote:
Ladies night on Mon and Wed is always standing room. I don't know why, but it does work in the club that I used to go to.



Reason being, the term "ladies night" draws males.. Same principle as fisherman trying to find the areas with the greatest concentration of fish  LOL  What better way is there to market a bar than advertise "women" ?
Maybe bars should advertise something such as..
"Men are requested not to watch the female naked singing here"

that'll keep us away ! LOL

There's always the option of advertising the Karoake Bikini contest because males NEVER would show up to that ! LMAO

That's the BIGGEST single draw to a bar.. Females being present.
Author:  karyoker [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Drafts no pitchers or bottles well drinks only schnaps shots discretion of the bartender. You want to know how to do it? It works...
Author:  karyoker [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
How do you stay ahead ? Google karaoke greeley  greeley co you comp[ete  you dont sit on , a forum and gripe about unfair S***  
Left you in the dust again!!! LMAO
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Quote:
Drafts no pitchers or bottles well drinks only schnaps shots discretion of the bartender. You want to know how to do it? It works...


They don't allow two-fers, or "shot" night around here believe it or not.  Pitchers advertised means the cops will hone in that particular night and wait for cat and mouse to begin.  Meaning,  they "have ways" of preventing such events from taking place
Author:  karyoker [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Out here we have booty in our bars!!!
Author:  Steven Kaplan [ Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
I didn't know those corner taverns were that large.  Between where the horses are parked and the hay-stack I'm surprised zoning allows it
Author:  musichound49 [ Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Competition?
Thanks for all the advice. I think it is just the newness of the other place. I do know that drinks are cheaper at the other place & they serve food later than my current venue. I have no control over that area as the owner refuses to lower prices & keep the kitchen open past 10 pm. As far as recording the singers, I offered to do that & give them a cd, so that's not the answer either. I'm just as glad anyway, because I'm not sure of the legality. I will talk to the boss about ladies night however. I'll just keep trying to make our karaoke the best. By the way, the other club tried karaoke last year & took all my singers for about a month, but they all came back. I just have a feeling it's different this time.
Anyway, 7 years is a long time & we've had a good run. I have had multiple offers from other clubs locally. The most enticing one is 50 miles away for someone I used to work for. A lot more money. I think I'll just talk to the singers & ask what changes they would like to see & let them know that if business continues to drop off, that I'll have to move on. I was a musician long before I was a DJ, & I know from experience, that when one door closes, another one opens.
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