[Otis the Rigger]

All of these are valid points...speaking as someone who's promoted, played, and lived in a myriad of different scenes over the past decade [Philly, NYC, Chicago, Louisville, Nashville, and now Dallas]. Persistence is key but patience is as well. You have to be mindful of the audience and venues in which you wish to play or play for. The key thing in that aspect is "when in Rome...do as the Romans do." Be flexible, adaptable, and open to learn as much as you can about your craft, the genre(s) you wish to play, the locale, and its clientele.

Don't just DJ. Produce as well. Do as much as you can with the sound you work with. Be a double threat. A triple threat...and so on.

Visibility and networking is always paramount. Attend conducive events often.
And yes, always be professional. I always liken being in a scene to politics; a lot of hand shaking, forming of alliances, maintaining neutrality in the face of Clubland beef and drama, and always putting yourself out there....letting people know the persona and concepts which you wish to project out there.

Don't come off being too eager, but show your motivation.

Make sure your work [studio recordings, DJ recordings, etc.] are made accessible to all....Always bring demos and copies of shit whenever you're out someplace...you never know what could fall into your lap....