Love it when clients want the same price as last time....arggh
- Thread starter DJ Ricky B
- Start date
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.
If TGI Fridays charged 7.99 a few months ago, would you be as eager to buy it at 11.99 now? If the Hilton was 250 the last 2 times, would you still go there? The bottom line is value. If you can equate value to your customer, then they will pay for it. If they see no difference, then why pay for it? You would buy the 11.99 burger - many here would rather goto McD's because it's still a cheeseburger - and they save the difference. Again - perceived value vs what I feel I want / need. If your customer sees no value in your increased rate, then they won't buy it.
I know because I bought one of those $8 bottles of water along with a couple of $9 light beers (8 oz) for my buddy. I can assure you that transaction did anything but make me feel "more sophisticated."
Not exactly.
Yes, technology has lowered the value of facilitating prerecorded music playback - which is what historically characterized mobile DJs.
However, innovation and social change has transformed the value proposition for these events to entertainment rather than simply music. Thus, the value of a DJ has declined substantially while the value of entertainment still advances with respect to talent, creativity, and competitive availability.
Just because someone describes himself as entertainment - does not make it so. There are real entertainers working in the field today that utilize DJs in their offerring, as well as a plethora of DJs pretending to be entertainers. It is the latter that are the most vocal critics of customers who don't get their "value."
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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? I'm sorry but I have to differ. I've yet to see a cheap guy who brings a can-do attitude, excellent gear and excellent chops to an event. If he/she was all that good, they'd be charging according to what they bring to the table.
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.
No, that's not at all what I am saying. Although, advantage taking does occur in business, the validity of the higher price is not in question. The buyers perception is. I'm saying that if your price is xx% higher than others doing the exact same thing, you are going to have to hard sell it or hope that someone deems it reasonable.
If all my bills are paid and I get a call for a $300 cake walk, I'm likely to take it. It's gravy. Should I be expected to negotiate for more and risk losing the job because my peers are going to get pissy and call me names? Our issues with getting or losing a job are our own.
Like I said, the park sold plenty of water. What they didn't do was go online and gripe about how much they lost to the guys outside.
That's not the exact same thing, now is it?
Sometimes, the latter is all they want/need. Nothing wrong with that. Again, if that's not you, then step aside and let the next guy have it.
No big deal. ...and if that DJ is playing the right tunes through those speakers, then they and the party-minded people in attendance will be all it takes to make the event stellar.
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What's unreasonable is that you assume that value is a property of the cheeseburger - it is not. The value is defined by the customer's desired outcome.
If I want a cheeseburger of predictable consistency, in hand in under 3 minutes without having to get out of the car - then McDonald's is a substantially higher value than TGI Friday. If on the other hand, I want to kick back and socialize while someone else cooks and waits on my family, then clean up after us as well - then TGI Friday sounds like a good deal. The cheeseburger does not play any substantial role in closing that deal.
Just as you suggest comparing bottled water to bottled water - you must equalize the desired experience BEFORE you try to assign value to the cheeseburger. In that respect you can compare McDonald's to Burger King, or TGI Friday to Joe's American Grille, but cross comparison of the experience is meaningless.
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I did not claim the two offerings to be equal. Again, that is your desire to mold reality to fit your beliefs. When you hire a $200 DJ it should be to resolve a simple $200 need. (Which by the way, still represents wages from $33 - $67/hr making DJing an attractive sideline to a lot of very capable people.)
Again, you speak of something entirely different - that being a customer who knows what they need yet, willingly sets out to cheat or deny the economic reality of their need. If you buy a pickup truck to move what should be on a freight train - the resulting crush does not indicate any inherent flaw with the quality of the pickup truck.
See, now I hear more of the opposite. I hear more about $1200+ overbearing, ego maniacs that won't shut up, constantly self promote, bring in over-sized sound and lighting rigs, treat staff like shit and take forever getting in and out.
Bad DJs come in all packages and price ranges. None of us are here to micro-manage the industry and preach to potential clients. Anyone can compare themselves to a piece of crap and look good. The real trick is looking good all by yourself.
<= I tried comparison to a piece of crap .. and lost. ba dum dum tssshh
Ricky is talking about a Halloween party. What does a higher paid Halloween party DJ do besides playing music? I know how do be entertaining at weddings because I can use my MC skills and personality when making announcements and introductions. I can hype dancers at high school proms. But those attributes probably have little value to most prospects throwing holiday parties.
I'm thinking the client has to really love the DJ's personality to pay more. Anything else?
I'm thinking the client has to really love the DJ's personality to pay more. Anything else?
Okay, you got that everyone? Steve is now our new reference point.
Okay, you got that everyone? Steve is now our new reference point.
My .. we're setting the bar pretty low aren't we ...
I thought this was our reference point to providing a professional experience for our clients?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NospIS8mpKo
I try to wiggle my butt more, and make sure the microphone is a bit more muffled. He does use just the right amount of wires hanging in the front though.
I try to wiggle my butt more, and make sure the microphone is a bit more muffled. He does use just the right amount of wires hanging in the front though.
Where did you find that video of me in action?
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
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
Everyone wants Good Value for their dollar. That is just perceived at different levels by different clients.
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?
If we minimalize what we do as DJs, and show that to customers, then all they will ever want to pay you is a minimal fee for your service. If you believe that all a Halloween Party is ever going to be worth is $300 for a DJ, then that is all you will ever book them at. If you are fine with $300, then that's up to you. Why not quote $1,000 for that Saturday night Halloween party? Do they just want music, or do they want an entertainer who will bring a awesome fog and light show, and take them on a kick ass musical journey for their Halloween party? Have any of you ever asked for $1,000 for a Halloween Party? Probably not? Why? Is it just not possible?
There are photographers who charge $250, and photographers who charge $5,000. Why would someone want to pay $5,000 to some guy or gal stand there and take pictures? I could hire a guy to do that off of Craigslist, and have the "same" pics for years to come to look at. I could have my friend Bob use my smart phone to take some sweet pictures for free even!
I think this topic is exhausted. All have made fine points, but we are now re-making them for the third or fourth time...
GJ
GJ
You seem like a smart man. So, why can't you wrap your head around what's being said here?
Yes, others could show up for $400 and do the same thing. You yourself could probably do it for half and still make money. Are you taking advantage? No, you're being practical. You're on par with what other things for the event cost. If the venue, food, photographer and decor are all in that range or higher, there's no sticker shock. A $400 quote could raise a red flag by comparison. If you deliver what you promise, why shouldn't you get your money? At the same time, if you got a great product for half-off, is it then a lesser product? No.
However, at a standard event, if you're 1.5 - 2.0+ times higher than the individual costs of the room, the sandwiches or the bar, you'll likely raise the same flag. All that razzle dazzle that sells a bride, doesn't float for regular parties. It's like Jeff and others said above. You're just not expected to do much at these events. You have to know this.
So, the stripped-down blue collar bashes aren't worth your time or talent and you would rather work a more detailed and elegant event. That's completely okay. There's plenty of that work out there too. You also have the right to scoff and belittle those you consider to be beneath you. But that's NOT okay and they will respond.
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