Today's Guest Blogger is courtesy of Music Man, a Premier DJ Company. The first time I met Curtis Dean, within the first few seconds, I felt like we were old friends. Curtis has a wonderful, easy-going way about him that instantly puts his clients at ease so that they can focus on the wonderful mix of music that they are well known for.
The First Question
In 23 years as a mobile DJ, I bet I've answered well over 1,500 initial inquiries by potential DJ clients. In the early days, of course, most of those were over the phone. In recent years, more and more of those "leads" are coming from my website or other online referral tools, or by email.
Those conversations - electronic or by voice - inevitably begin with a first question from the client to the DJ. And that first question you ask may set the stage for how successful that contact will be.
Shopping
Occasionally I get a call from someone who knows they want my services. Oftentimes these are friends, acquaintances, past clients, or others who have seen me perform. However most clients are simply "DJ shopping". Perhaps they've scouted out a few DJ's on the internet, or received a vendor sheet from their venue with the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of a few DJ's. They don't know yet who they want to have as their DJ, so they are calling around or emailing to learn more about their options.
Like with any shopping experience, how the interaction begins often determines how it will end. So if your a prospective client calling a DJ, what should that first
question be?
What NOT To Ask First
There's one question that's on every client's mind, and in many cases it's the most important: how much will this cost? But for several reasons, I would advise you NOT to ask that question first.
When the first thing out of a potential client's mind is "How much do you charge?", the DJ immediately thinks, "This person is only interested in getting the cheapest DJ they can find." Even if that's not your intent, it can put the DJ on the other end of the line into a defensive posture. The DJ may think, "They are on a very limited budget and probably can't afford me, so do I want to waste a lot of time on the phone with someone who will end up hiring a 'Craigslist DJ' anyway?"
The other reason it's not the best first question is that usually the answer is "it depends". Most DJ's have service packages and pricing depends on what package is most appropriate for your event. So while it's obviously important for you to know what your financial obligation will be, it's better to engage the DJ in a conversation about your plans before turning to the financial matters.
Conversations Matter
Hiring a DJ is not just about hiring someone to perform a service for a few hours on the day of your wedding or other big event. I truly believe it's about establishing a relationship with someone who will be a partner in that event's success. So I believe the best place to begin is with a conversation.
Most mobile DJ's like to talk about themselves. After all, you couldn't do the job without having a bit of an ego and a penchant for communicating. So I would advise you to start your dialogue not with a question but with a simple request: "Tell me about yourself and your company." The response you get may very well tell you all you need to know about whether that DJ is right for you. If you don't get a positive feeling from that conversation, you may never get to the question of money.
In addition to asking the DJ to tell you about them, be prepared to tell the DJ about YOUR plans, even if they are only tentative. A good DJ will want to know what those plans are before talking about packages and pricing because of all the variables that go into offering a package of services. If all the DJ says is "It's $500 for 4 hours", that means they probably see themselves as offering a commodity...their time in exchange for your money. That's not to say that the DJ won't have a fixed package price, but if they don't take the time to learn more about what you have planned, how can they truly meet your (very specific) needs?
Ask To Meet
I've got to admit that most of the clients I've booked over the years hired me after a few phone calls and/or emails. I think that's because in northwest Iowa, I was already a known presence because of my years on the radio, as spokesperson for Spencer Municipal Utilities, or by my reputation as a mobile DJ.
Now that I've relocated to a central Iowa, my reputation doesn't precede me. The slate is clean. So, I've been asking potential clients for the opportunity to meet with them in person before they hire me. If you ask your potential DJ to meet with you and they express reluctance, then you're probably not talking to the person who's best suited for you. If they enthusiastically agree to meet with you, that means they are excited to engage you in a conversation about your event and they are confident in their abilities.
Some people might be reluctant to ask for an in-person meeting because they are afraid of a "sales pitch". But you're not buying a car from a used car salesman, or a TV from Best Buy. You're investing in a person who very well could make or break your event. So don't be afraid to sit down with that person and engage them in a conversation.
Meet, Have a Conversation, Then Talk Price
So you meet with a potential DJ. You have a good conversation about their services, and about your plans. You're getting a good vibe about this person. At that point, you're ready to start talking about how much their services are going to cost. But what happens if the DJ you just "fell in love with" is out of your price range? It's about priorities. If you've done this process with several DJ's, sit down as a couple 9for weddings) and discuss the pros and cons of each DJ. If the "perfect" DJ is $200 more than the "OK" DJ, think about whether or not you want to settle, or whether it would be worth it to economize elsewhere to make it work. A couple of hundred dollars is generally a tiny sliver of the total cost of a wedding, for example, but having a quality DJ is by far the biggest factor in how memorable that event will be. Think about it this way: what will your guests remember most about the evening a month later? Will it be how fancy the cake was...how stunning the floral arrangements were...what color the napkins were...or will they instead remember how much FUN they had? That fun is in the hands of your DJ, so choose wisely.
Music Man is a premier vendor with The Preferred Wedding Book
In 23 years as a mobile DJ, I bet I've answered well over 1,500 initial inquiries by potential DJ clients. In the early days, of course, most of those were over the phone. In recent years, more and more of those "leads" are coming from my website or other online referral tools, or by email.
Those conversations - electronic or by voice - inevitably begin with a first question from the client to the DJ. And that first question you ask may set the stage for how successful that contact will be.
Shopping
Occasionally I get a call from someone who knows they want my services. Oftentimes these are friends, acquaintances, past clients, or others who have seen me perform. However most clients are simply "DJ shopping". Perhaps they've scouted out a few DJ's on the internet, or received a vendor sheet from their venue with the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of a few DJ's. They don't know yet who they want to have as their DJ, so they are calling around or emailing to learn more about their options.
Like with any shopping experience, how the interaction begins often determines how it will end. So if your a prospective client calling a DJ, what should that first
question be?
What NOT To Ask First
There's one question that's on every client's mind, and in many cases it's the most important: how much will this cost? But for several reasons, I would advise you NOT to ask that question first.
When the first thing out of a potential client's mind is "How much do you charge?", the DJ immediately thinks, "This person is only interested in getting the cheapest DJ they can find." Even if that's not your intent, it can put the DJ on the other end of the line into a defensive posture. The DJ may think, "They are on a very limited budget and probably can't afford me, so do I want to waste a lot of time on the phone with someone who will end up hiring a 'Craigslist DJ' anyway?"
The other reason it's not the best first question is that usually the answer is "it depends". Most DJ's have service packages and pricing depends on what package is most appropriate for your event. So while it's obviously important for you to know what your financial obligation will be, it's better to engage the DJ in a conversation about your plans before turning to the financial matters.
Conversations Matter
Hiring a DJ is not just about hiring someone to perform a service for a few hours on the day of your wedding or other big event. I truly believe it's about establishing a relationship with someone who will be a partner in that event's success. So I believe the best place to begin is with a conversation.
Most mobile DJ's like to talk about themselves. After all, you couldn't do the job without having a bit of an ego and a penchant for communicating. So I would advise you to start your dialogue not with a question but with a simple request: "Tell me about yourself and your company." The response you get may very well tell you all you need to know about whether that DJ is right for you. If you don't get a positive feeling from that conversation, you may never get to the question of money.
In addition to asking the DJ to tell you about them, be prepared to tell the DJ about YOUR plans, even if they are only tentative. A good DJ will want to know what those plans are before talking about packages and pricing because of all the variables that go into offering a package of services. If all the DJ says is "It's $500 for 4 hours", that means they probably see themselves as offering a commodity...their time in exchange for your money. That's not to say that the DJ won't have a fixed package price, but if they don't take the time to learn more about what you have planned, how can they truly meet your (very specific) needs?
Ask To Meet
I've got to admit that most of the clients I've booked over the years hired me after a few phone calls and/or emails. I think that's because in northwest Iowa, I was already a known presence because of my years on the radio, as spokesperson for Spencer Municipal Utilities, or by my reputation as a mobile DJ.
Now that I've relocated to a central Iowa, my reputation doesn't precede me. The slate is clean. So, I've been asking potential clients for the opportunity to meet with them in person before they hire me. If you ask your potential DJ to meet with you and they express reluctance, then you're probably not talking to the person who's best suited for you. If they enthusiastically agree to meet with you, that means they are excited to engage you in a conversation about your event and they are confident in their abilities.
Some people might be reluctant to ask for an in-person meeting because they are afraid of a "sales pitch". But you're not buying a car from a used car salesman, or a TV from Best Buy. You're investing in a person who very well could make or break your event. So don't be afraid to sit down with that person and engage them in a conversation.
Meet, Have a Conversation, Then Talk Price
So you meet with a potential DJ. You have a good conversation about their services, and about your plans. You're getting a good vibe about this person. At that point, you're ready to start talking about how much their services are going to cost. But what happens if the DJ you just "fell in love with" is out of your price range? It's about priorities. If you've done this process with several DJ's, sit down as a couple 9for weddings) and discuss the pros and cons of each DJ. If the "perfect" DJ is $200 more than the "OK" DJ, think about whether or not you want to settle, or whether it would be worth it to economize elsewhere to make it work. A couple of hundred dollars is generally a tiny sliver of the total cost of a wedding, for example, but having a quality DJ is by far the biggest factor in how memorable that event will be. Think about it this way: what will your guests remember most about the evening a month later? Will it be how fancy the cake was...how stunning the floral arrangements were...what color the napkins were...or will they instead remember how much FUN they had? That fun is in the hands of your DJ, so choose wisely.
Music Man is a premier vendor with The Preferred Wedding Book
1 comment:
Hi,
Great blog creation for dj services....
Disco DJ Hire
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