I fail to see any wisdom in assisting a prospect to find a bottom-feeder DJ. First off, it's my belief that the $200 guys will mess up an event more than they'll help. When confronted with that kind of budget my advice is that they rent a sound system and use a laptop. I believe you're doing them a disservice by giving them hopes that they'll get something for nothing (or very near it).
You are comparing bottled water to bottled water. Yes, $2 is reasonable, and $8 is taking advantage of the customer simply because they are in a stadium.
Mcdonalds has a double cheese burger with small fries deal for $2.50. However, TGI Fridays sells a Jack Daniels Bacon Cheese burger with fries for $11.99 now. ...I would rather go to TGI Fridays and pay $11.99 for their burger over patronizing Mcdonalds and spend $2.50. Am I being un reasonable with my money because I want to eat a nicer burger, and not pay for and eat crappy food?
Sure, some guy can go and do this Halloween party with a laptop and a pair of book shelf speakers, and easily charge much less than a professional DJ who is charging a professional rate. However, the result and experience with both varying services will be very different.
Many people are satisfied with eating Mcdonalds their entire life. However, others want a greater taste bud experience. ....The same holds true for DJs. Many clients are fine with the Mcdees level of service. If the client wants to pay a dude to show up with a laptop, and book shelf speakers and play illegally downloaded music from the windows media player all night...then so be it. However, if they want a professional DJ who will provide a better service, and result in a better experience, then it will cost more.
There are people out there who only prefer to stay at the Hilton, or Four Seasons when they travel out there. They wouldn't be caught sleeping in a motel 6, or budget inn.
If the Hilton is charging $399 a night, and you go and get a quote from the Motel 6 at $69 for the night, was the Hilton being unreasonable?
How about the Holiday Inn? ...They quoted $159 for the night. Are they asking too much since you can get the Motel 6 for $69?
There was still plenty of water sold inside the park.
And therin lies the most difficult issue we face. Technology is the major cause of this. Fifteen years ago, just before digital music became widely used in this industry, our value and perception of what we do was on a much higher plane.
Feel free to discuss...or disagree.
I said: "I tell them how to find a good DJ at that price." My words have nothing in common with your description of: "Assisting them to find a bottom-feeder." The difference between you and I is that I can see past myself and know where good DJs with very modest prices can be found and what a customer needs to do to evaluate their potential.
I fail to see any wisdom in the presumption that customers are incapable of assessing their own needs and expenditures. When customers tell a DJ horror story it usually involves DJs charging many times that rate. When DJs tell these stories it's ALWAYS about a low priced bottom-feeder whom they know little or nothing about. The truth is much stranger than the fiction.
You are comparing bottled water to bottled water. Yes, $2 is reasonable, and $8 is taking advantage of the customer simply because they are in a stadium.
Mcdonalds has a double cheese burger with small fries deal for $2.50. However, TGI Fridays sells a Jack Daniels Bacon Cheese burger with fries for $11.99 now. ..
Demand for solid professionals, who can make an event stellar is just as high as it ever was, but you won't get it for just bringing in a pair of speakers and playing a bunch of tunes.
You are comparing bottled water to bottled water.
Mcdonalds has a double cheese burger with small fries deal for $2.50. However, TGI Fridays sells a Jack Daniels Bacon Cheese burger with fries for $11.99 now. ...I would rather go to TGI Fridays and pay $11.99 for their burger over patronizing McDonalds and spend $2.50. Am I being unreasonable with my money because I want to eat a nicer burger, and not pay for and eat crappy food?
Tilt. If you can turn a prospect onto a $200 DJ, who is just as good as you, then shouldn't you be doing that all the time?
The DJ horror stories that I've heard (from clients) are usually bottom-feeder types who brought their exact value to a situation where the client thought they were buying a better DJ on the cheap. It's been very rare when I've heard a prospect talking about hiring an expensive DJ who didn't live up to their worth.
The DJ horror stories that I've heard (from clients) are usually bottom-feeder types who brought their exact value to a situation where the client thought they were buying a better DJ on the cheap. It's been very rare when I've heard a prospect talking about hiring an expensive DJ who didn't live up to their worth.
Okay, you got that everyone? Steve is now our new reference point.<= I tried comparison to a piece of crap .. and lost. ba dum dum tssshh
Okay, you got that everyone? Steve is now our new reference point.
How much skill does it really take to play Monster Mash and Thriller?
At the end of the day you trained the customer that $335 is the price of a DJ then you tell them it's 65% higher 5 months later. They don't care it was a deal the first time and you never raised it the second time what makes you 65% more valuable now?
Really they could probably find someone for $200 that can do what you do. This isn't a complicated event it's pretty much entry level. They may not have the quality of gear or look as good as your setup but for the most part that's not important to the client. Getting value and a good party is
It looks like I am booking this same date on a wedding here in Baltimore. $1,350 for 5 hours. Different than a party, but couldn't the same be said? Why didn't the $1350 client think that our price is too much? I'm not even providing any lights for this price either. Am I over charging this client because there are others who could show up and play music for $400?