Consultations and planning meetings: Laptop, netbook, or pen/paper?

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Jim Horn

Jim Horn

New DJ
Jan 23, 2007
105
1
56
Gautier, MS
www.jimhornentertainment.com
Currently, I'm still 'old schoolin it' with pen and paper for my sales meetings and planning meetings.

Can't decide on which direction I want to go to electronically document the proceedings.

Advice???
 
Pen, Paper & Netbook or Laptop.

Pen & Paper to take personal notes about the event.

Netbook or Laptop to exibit past performances and to show perspective clients how easy it is to plan their event from my website.

The laptop is an effective tool for show and tell... it shows what we do and can do.

Someone asks what your lights do you show them.

Someone asks how do I tell you what songs I want played, you show them the online music request system.

This is the 21st century... pen & paper planners are dead...
 
Pen and paper are alive and well here. My clients love the folder I give them at the consult with all the planning materials, etc.

They are uber impressed by the sense of organization and preparedness it conveys and goes a very long way towards instilling confidence in those areas.

Only thing I do electronically is the contact form on my website. :trirolleyes:

Works for me - everyone's different.
 
Im currently trying to implement my I Pad into my planning and meetings. I can show them my website tools, videos of lighting and photos of past events.
 
The only thing digital we have is a contact form on our website. We still use paper and pen to do everything else. Here's our reasoning.

- We've come across too many things that come up just in conversation with a client that you can't account for with online planners.

- Our meeting style is extremely casual, so we take all the notes and do all the writing, other than the contract, our clients don't have to fill out a single thing. They love the fact that we're caterering to them, not them having to fil out more stuff.
 
Paper and pen are classic. I think it's much better than giving the impression that all you do is stick your head behind a screen.

Personally I'd go with a tablet like an iPad. You can input text in forms or use a word processors, demo videos, etc all without being stuck behind a screen. That being said you also have to be comfortable typing on a touch screen.
 
see I cant get internet at every location thats why I will not use an online planner
we have too many dead spots where we are

so its old school for me for a long time yet!
 
Jim Horn said:
Currently, I'm still 'old schoolin it' with pen and paper for my sales meetings and planning meetings.

Can't decide on which direction I want to go to electronically document the proceedings.

Advice???
Click to expand...

Stick with that procedure. It makes it more personal to the would be client. Makes them feel like you are really taking "notes" about their needs. You can always input the notes in a computer later on.
 
You folks meet with customers...?

I've only done that a couple times in 3+ decades.



I use pen and paper though, if I do meet with folks. In fact, I have a notepad and pen in every room, and in the car. I also save them all for future reference -- my collection goes back a few decades, and includes some great doodling. :)


I don't carry a computer, unless I'm on a long trip.
 
Jim knows this as we've talked about it several times, I use a Livescribe pen. It uses a specially designed notebook or notepad and it records your handwriting AND records your voices. I can't tell you how many times it has SAVED me. I can download the meeting onto some desktop software and up pops the page along with my handwriting. If I click on ANY word on the page, it starts the playback of the vocal portion from that point.
You can also purchase a secondary software program that will take your handwriting and convert it to text.

Pretty cool and the pens are really cheap right now.

Dave
 
I say Pen and paper
Use a Parker pen then give them after you sign and receive the down payment (It will help with the cost of that $25.00 parker pen)
One Love
DJ Mello
 
I dont own a real lappy...
but if I did, I'd still use Pen and Paper.
I think typing while your client is talking is more rude that writing.
If you've ever tried to have a serious discussion with a teenager while they're texting
you'd know what it feels like from the other side

I usually print out my worksheets in advance, (and use them at the gig)
so I just scribble notes on my worksheets.
 
I primarily use a pen and pad. Take notes, draw room layouts, etc. I paint a picture in their minds.


I bring paper copies of my DJI forms, and explain how that works. I bring a laptop but only demo the DJI stuff if they seem confused, and I have a wifi connection.

Most often, if I even set up the laptop, I'll be bouncing around on my website showing them stuff. I do NOT have a PowerPoint presentation. There's no way I'd be able to have something that applies to any random client, so I'm not going to do that.


I also bring my music hard drive and a little external speaker, but I usually don't use them.
 
Big Dan said:
Paper and pen are classic. I think it's much better than giving the impression that all you do is stick your head behind a screen.
Click to expand...


Funny you mentioned that Danno (sorry, missed yer post earlier).


It reminds me of when my family comes to visit -- I never see anyones eyes anymore :sqerr:

They either have a laptop in front of them, or the latest "smart" phone. They never look at you! I don't even think they realize it, but it's like I'm talking to a robot.

I'm not a big fan of face to face meetings (too much time in the gov't and corporate world I guess), but at least have the courtesy to look the person in the eye, and get yer head away from some stupid device yer tapping on.

Using a pad and pen, you can lean back in your chair, and still look at the folks while taking notes, most can't do that while playing with a little gizmo! If some of you don't believe me, try making a video of yourself doing just that, and you'll see just how foolish you really look, and how little attention you pay to the other party... ;)
 
Yup, I'm a big fan of paper and pen. Cannot tell you the number of times I'm out shopping and see the people tapping away on their phones while being checked out absent-mindedly dismissing whatever the cashier is saying. Not that I'm any better as I normally have headphones on but I'm respectful enough to turn the music off while interacting with the cashier.

I just met with a local guy to do some website changes for him. Since some idiot spilled cereal on my laptop I had a choice between taking notes on my iPod or pen and paper. I opted to take a legal pad with me. I just have to get myself a cover to look more professional not that I do many face to faces anyhow.
 
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