Bookings for us are at a snails pace right now!

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B Sharp I just learned that some like to contact a person in different ways. Some are into emails. Some like to text. Others like to talk on the phone. So it's good to have more then one way to communicate with clients. Some don't want to give out their phone numbers to people they don't know and might not want people to keep calling them being a pest.

DJCC I wanted to know how many hours does a client get for their wedding at that price and dance floor lighting? I'm looking to go up to $795.00 for 4 hours and I'll throw in the 3 lights we just used this Friday.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
B Sharp I just learned that some like to contact a person in different ways. Some are into emails. Some like to text. Others like to talk on the phone. So it's good to have more then one way to communicate with clients. Some don't want to give out their phone numbers to people they don't know and might not want people to keep calling them being a pest.

DJCC I wanted to know how many hours does a client get for their wedding at that price and dance floor lighting? I'm looking to go up to $795.00 for 4 hours and I'll throw in the 3 lights we just used this Friday.
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4 hours. I live in rural Missouri. I could raise my rates, but I would have far less wedding bookings.

I moved here from Kansas City a little over a year ago. My rates were higher there.

But I'm also a more busy here and making more money.:sqwink:
 
Please hear me out DJCC. I don't know if you charging less and getting more gigs is truly making you more money. I learned on the other forum that sometimes more is better. You may not do as many events but you still make the same money and less work. Let me give you an example. 1st DJ does 2 events for $500.00 each. 2nd DJ does 1 event and gets paid 1k. 2nd DJ isn't working as hard as DJ # 1 because he only has to do one gig to make the same amount of money. Plus there's less wear and tear on the vehicle.

I was just shocked when you said for that price you also include dance floor lighting. I know I got sent an email from the guy who is the president of the association and he said the price for dance floor lighting to a client is $2,500.00 and the cost to me is $1,900.00. He said uplighting is $400.00 and a cost to me of $350.00. I was wondering what kind of dance floor lighting are you providing clients?
 
If I raised my rates I would not get the bookings, plain and simple. Like I stated before I live in a rural area. I am in the middle price range in my area. There area 3 others that are higher priced than I am and they average about one event a month. I average 5, not including bar gigs.

1 gig @ $800 = $800 per month

or

5 gigs @ $575 = $2875 per month

I'll take the $2875;)

Also keep in mind that most of my wedding gigs are 6 hours, so the price is higher.
 
DJCC said:
If I raised my rates I would not get the bookings, plain and simple. Like I stated before I live in a rural area. I am in the middle price range in my area. There area 3 others that are higher priced than I am and they average about one event a month. I average 5, not including bar gigs.

1 gig @ $800 = $800 per month

or

5 gigs @ $575 = $2875 per month

I'll take the $2875;)

Also keep in mind that most of my wedding gigs are 6 hours, so the price is higher.
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I beleive you're getting those gigs because you're offering dance floor lighting at no extra charge. It's something you just include in your price quote. If i were getting married i would want you to be my DJ too since you're including the dance floor lighting for $595.00 and for $800.00 they probably aren't. I wonder what you get with the other DJ's for $800.00.

Bob Carpenter has a pet peave about DJ's who just give something away that they can upsale just to get the gig. If it's working for you fine. I just wanted to give you something to take a look at. Can you please give a list of the lights you use for dance floor lighting? I ask this because with the 3 lights we have right now all we can do is just include them in the price. Nice lights but not enough to upsale to clients.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I beleive you're getting those gigs because you're offering dance floor lighting at no extra charge. Nope, Lights are $50 extra. It's something you just include in your price quote. If i were getting married i would want you to be my DJ too since you're including the dance floor lighting for $595.00 and for $800.00 they probably aren't. I wonder what you get with the other DJ's for $800.00. For $800 they get the same thing, more or less, then I offer.

Bob Carpenter has a pet peave about DJ's who just give something away that they can upsale just to get the gig. If it's working for you fine. I just wanted to give you something to take a look at. Can you please give a list of the lights you use for dance floor lighting? It depends on the venue or space. I have everything from led pars to lasers to scanners. I ask this because with the 3 lights we have right now all we can do is just include them in the price. Nice lights but not enough to upsale to clients.
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Answers in red

Frankly, I could give rats a$$ what Bob Carpenter's pet peaves are. I have been in the dj biz for 16+ years and have kept busy.

Like I said, this a rural farming part of the state. If I took gigs in St. Louis, adbout 80 miles north, I would charge more. But I wont take gigs there.
 
Mix Bob Carpenter is not God his Wife has made a name in a rather wealthy location of the State of Rhode Island. Bob has built his foundation around that and it has allowed him to flourish in an area no one in New Jersey would even believe exists. His Pet peeve has nothing to do with anyone outside fairytale land so take it for what its worth. I charge a very decent price for each of my gigs which I include a certain portion of lighting as its a great tool to reach success at each and every event. I do have large scale lighting, moving heads, upwalls etc which are beyond our entry level packages. Some like it all some like simplicity I feel all should have a bit of it no matter what their able to afford.
 
Be prepared for when the moment is right. Take Cialis!!!!:sqlaugh::sqlaugh::sqlaugh::sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
 
What about leads and referrals from your local DJ organization? Those that are booked should be passing your name along to those inquiring about "their" services.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
B Sharp I just learned that some like to contact a person in different ways. Some are into emails. Some like to text. Others like to talk on the phone. So it's good to have more then one way to communicate with clients. Some don't want to give out their phone numbers to people they don't know and might not want people to keep calling them being a pest.
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If you just learned that, you've got a long way to go. However, in 25 years, I've only booked one event entirely through email. All of the other clients all spoke to me on the phone before choosing my services.

I don't care if people like to text; it is not the way business is properly conducted. As for "some don't want to give out their phone numbers to people they don't know", that's not my problem. I work in a profession that is all about communication, presentation and personalization. If you can't tell from looking at my website that I do things right and you're still leery about giving me your phone number, then you're not the type of client I want to work for.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Please hear me out DJCC. I don't know if you charging less and getting more gigs is truly making you more money. I learned on the other forum that sometimes more is better. You may not do as many events but you still make the same money and less work. Let me give you an example. 1st DJ does 2 events for $500.00 each. 2nd DJ does 1 event and gets paid 1k. 2nd DJ isn't working as hard as DJ # 1 because he only has to do one gig to make the same amount of money. Plus there's less wear and tear on the vehicle.
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Amazing... you're telling someone else to charge more and work less when your bookings are at a snail's pace and the last job you posted about involved setting up your gear for free so a new DJ could get his feet wet. What gives?
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I stopped chasing $250.00 gigs and i'll certainly ask such questions of the association. I just thought i could get ideals here first.

Maybe that's just it. Lately all i get to see is clients looking for the cheapest DJ they can find in most cases. One thing i will admit i probably need to get better with what i send in an email. Not to sure about that but that could be a big problem.
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Mix a couple of months back you came home from a meeting and were convinced to raise your prices. If you remember I told you you would eliminate your referral base unless it was gradual. Looks like it happened.

When you raise your rates you have to leave some behind its just the way it is. If you dont make serious changes the people who are willing to pay more wont which in the end leaves you high and dry.

Youve backed yourself in to a corner you have upped your rates and havent shown why you are worth more. New gear alone cant justify a dramatic jack in price it would be like a plumber doubling his rate because he bought a new monkey wrench.

What does your business and marrketing plan tell you that you should be doing right now
 
B-Sharp said:
Amazing... you're telling someone else to charge more and work less when your bookings are at a snail's pace and the last job you posted about involved setting up your gear for free so a new DJ could get his feet wet. What gives?
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No my last post was about a 25th wedding anniversary we did this past Friday. I just hate that most of the pictures that were taken were very blurry. Poor quality. Only a few were ok and none of the ones of people dancing were clear. I was hoping there would be pictures good enough to put up on our site. There wasn't any.
 
B-Sharp said:
If you just learned that, you've got a long way to go. However, in 25 years, I've only booked one event entirely through email. All of the other clients all spoke to me on the phone before choosing my services.

I don't care if people like to text; it is not the way business is properly conducted. As for "some don't want to give out their phone numbers to people they don't know", that's not my problem. I work in a profession that is all about communication, presentation and personalization. If you can't tell from looking at my website that I do things right and you're still leery about giving me your phone number, then you're not the type of client I want to work for.
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You missed my point. It's about communicating in the way a client wants to. It's not about how you like to do things. Remember they don't have to use your company. They can easily choose someone else. Your job is to try to win their busines if you can. Now if you don't want to win someones business all because they don't care to give out their phone number, then you're missing the boat.

Look at it this way. Think of it in terms of the client. Some may not really care or don't have the time to have people calling them on the phone to talk. Some just don't want someone harrassing them about obtaining their business. Some can become a nucance and that can turn a client off. I learned that from a mistake i made emailing someone to death. My thinking was they are waiting till the last minute to book a DJ for their wedding and we need to hurry up and get the ball rolling. They wound up borrowing more money to book someone else.
 
Go up to $795 and your likely going to be posting again that the Snails are winning the race. OH wait your going to turn this around by texting potential clients. Keep us posted.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
You missed my point. It's about communicating in the way a client wants to. It's not about how you like to do things. Remember they don't have to use your company. They can easily choose someone else. Your job is to try to win their busines if you can.
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First of all, please stop calling everyone clients. Those emails/texts are from people who may or may not be interested in your services - but they are not your clients. Clients are the ones who have made the decision to hire you and have confirmed it with a check and a signed contract. Clients get treated like family.

Second, my job is not to "try and win business if I can". This isn't a contest. There's no prize involved. My job (and yours, too) is to be worth what you charge, whether it's $300 or $3000. You can't prove your value in an email or text - if you could, we'd be all be turning off our phones and booking jobs through Twitter right now. At least with a phone conversation, you can convey a little bit of passion for what you do. If the person on the other end picks up on that, then you've got a good chance of putting their event on your calendar.

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Now if you don't want to win someones business all because they don't care to give out their phone number, then you're missing the boat.
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Okay, I give up.
 
B-Sharp said:
First of all, please stop calling everyone clients. Those emails/texts are from people who may or may not be interested in your services - but they are not your clients. Clients are the ones who have made the decision to hire you and have confirmed it with a check and a signed contract. Clients get treated like family.

Second, my job is not to "try and win business if I can". This isn't a contest. There's no prize involved. My job (and yours, too) is to be worth what you charge, whether it's $300 or $3000. You can't prove your value in an email or text - if you could, we'd be all be turning off our phones and booking jobs through Twitter right now. At least with a phone conversation, you can convey a little bit of passion for what you do. If the person on the other end picks up on that, then you've got a good chance of putting their event on your calendar.



Okay, I give up.
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Ptospective client is the right way to say it and sending an email to a potential client should want that person wanting to contact you. However they choose to do so. Once they have gotten back to you it's then your job to see if that potential client is someone you're comfortable working with. And if they are then it's your job to try and show them or tell them why they should book you as their entertainment.

I rwmember one DJ saying most of the time he doesn't meet the couple or sometimes talk to the couple until the day of the wedding. I don't agree with him doing things that way but to each his own. It's for him ok but i can't see that being me.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I beleive you're getting those gigs because you're offering dance floor lighting at no extra charge. It's something you just include in your price quote. If i were getting married i would want you to be my DJ too since you're including the dance floor lighting for $595.00 and for $800.00 they probably aren't. I wonder what you get with the other DJ's for $800.00.

Bob Carpenter has a pet peave about DJ's who just give something away that they can upsale just to get the gig. If it's working for you fine. I just wanted to give you something to take a look at. Can you please give a list of the lights you use for dance floor lighting? I ask this because with the 3 lights we have right now all we can do is just include them in the price. Nice lights but not enough to upsale to clients.
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DJCC said:
Answers in red

Frankly, I could give rats a$$ what Bob Carpenter's pet peaves are. I have been in the dj biz for 16+ years and have kept busy.

Like I said, this a rural farming part of the state. If I took gigs in St. Louis, adbout 80 miles north, I would charge more. But I wont take gigs there.
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Jon Tuck said:
Mix Bob Carpenter is not God his Wife has made a name in a rather wealthy location of the State of Rhode Island. Bob has built his foundation around that and it has allowed him to flourish in an area no one in New Jersey would even believe exists. His Pet peeve has nothing to do with anyone outside fairytale land so take it for what its worth. I charge a very decent price for each of my gigs which I include a certain portion of lighting as its a great tool to reach success at each and every event. I do have large scale lighting, moving heads, upwalls etc which are beyond our entry level packages. Some like it all some like simplicity I feel all should have a bit of it no matter what their able to afford.
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Mix: When did Bob Carpenter become the measurement that we have to meet? Considering that each client is not the same, neither is each DJ. I'm certain Bob puts alot of effort in what he does but look at all the work he does to get those shows. Also look at how much equipment he may have at a show. I'm sure he has shows that he makes alot of money on as I'm also sure he has some, he does minimal on. Like most have inferred, he seems to have a fan base. FWIW, he is not the only DJ in the RI arena and definitely not the only one performing as well as he does. From what I gather, Bob is a normal person that has created a good base among some clients / guests and has been able to utilize that to his advantage. As JT said, Bob's pet peeves are his alone. Why does this have to transfer to us? Do you honestly care what your competitions pet peeves are? You do what you need, or feel you need to do, to get the show at the rate you think it (and yourself) are worth. Someone else's worth is NOT your worth.

If I told you my pet peeve was playing modern music, would this become the staple for everyone to now live up to - or does that limit my marketing / selling ability?

Like DJCC, I could give a rats petootie what another DJ's pet peeves are, especially if it's something I feel IS worth it.

Like JT, I have entry level lighting as well as a fleet of lights. Some want all of it (and will pay), some want a little and some want none. It's up to you as the owner to figure out if there should be a cost and what that's worth to you. Another DJ cannot set that for you - well they can, but I think it would work against you.

JT: FWIW, RI has alot of poor places too - so I'm willing to bet he caters to whichever side of the market he sees fit / desires and adjusts as needed.

I agree with both DJCC and JT.
 
The Hamptons and the High Roller side of the Island. His wife has been a well established Photographer with the rich and famous long before Bobs side came into play. Thats wht I have gathered from the experiences with Bob and his own words over the years.
 
Yes, I know that the big dollar places (like Newport, Block Island, etc), he can generally command a fee (just like most anyone else playing these areas) but if he plays the other parts of RI, he's going to be in a similar boat as everyone else. He still has to deal with people on budgets, etc. I can guarantee you that he's not making his fanbase on the high dollar parties alone.

This would be like asking the folks in the DC area to play at the high class facilities in DC. You'd be stupid to not up your costs, especially if you're doing alot of work for it. There are guys that will command alot and guys that won't. It's part of the game of life.

Take that same high dollar DC show and put it in the cornfields of Nebraska and see how much you get. You might have to pay them to listen to ya.

I'll also agree that if she had an established name in one field, it only makes sense that he would be 'connected'.

I am in no way putting Bob down. Good for him if he's doing what he wants to do.
 
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