Times have changed.
Back in the 1980s you saw all sorts of commercials on TV selling products. The only way to order the product was to pick up the phone and call them.
Today, if I have any interest in a product I see selling on TV...I go to the website to look at the details of the product. I don't want to call and talk to anybody.
I order roughly 75% of all my DJ Gear online through a website. I rarely call anybody to talk about the product. I look up reviews of the product first.
I suspect my clients are looking up reviews of me before they contact me.
I talked with a client today. She filled out my contact form on the website last night. Asked if I offer discount pricing for fund raisers...YUP...especially since I am open on her date in April. We exchanged a few emails. Tonight we chatted over the phone for 15 minutes. The the party booked. Discounted fund raiser rate, and I can also do any advertising that I want to at the event.
Think about this...I started the conversation with telling her how my day went. ...I was told by my Dad that he took my Mom to the Doctors, and diagnosed her with Shingles. Told this to the prospective client (Because I was about 30 minutes late calling her)...She was cool, and told me about her day. Interesting way to build rapport with the client, but why not? I basically let her know that I'm a down to earth human being. ...Not a stiff DJ in the least.
I think that's one thing I realized I should work on when chatting with clients. Loosen up, and be myself. Being myself and showing myself to the client sells better than "Being Professional" ...if that makes sense. If I run into a prospect who is a Stiff, and up tight during conversation, I don't want them as a client anyway!
I believe my website is doing a good job of attracting the type of clientele I want to work with. I have had a lot of down to earth cool clients over the past 4 years or so. The only clients I have had issues with were sub contracted clients from other DJ companies in the past.