That popular client question: What are your rates?

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Brian

Brian

DJ
Oct 28, 2006
1,005
9
North Carolina
www.southcharlottedj.com
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"? I just got a DJ event planner inquiry with the only comment being what are your rates. I usually get this alot, but shouldn't the price always be the last thing you put up on the chopping block so to speak?
 
Nope, not for us. Our prices are right on the website for anyone to see.

It cuts down on that "how much is that doggie in the window" type of inquiry.

The client can see if we are within their budget or not.

If they like our price and call us then we already have a prequalified prospect in that respect.

Right or wrong, it's the way we do it.
 
Brian said:
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"? I just got a DJ event planner inquiry with the only comment being what are your rates. I usually get this alot, but shouldn't the price always be the last thing you put up on the chopping block so to speak?
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Not for me. I try to get to it as qucikly as I can. Why spend 20 minutes making a presentation to find out that you aren't even close to what they want to pay?

I used to delay on price, but no longer. I give them at least an estimate ( base rate ) in the first 5 minutes, and tell them that I need to know ALL the details before I can quote a final price.
 
For our company it is the same, I ask when, where and what, they get a price based on that information. Once I know the date and time I know what day of the week it is, The where tells me how much travel is involved and the what tells me how much system I may need, after that it is easy to give a price.

If they want to know the price without giving me the WWW I simply tell them $2000 for a basic system if it is within 100 miles of home base.
 
Absolutely. You don't have to answer with a price quote right off the bat because you don't yet know what their requirements are. Remember, people will hold you to what you say so say as little as possible. Get them to do the talking.

Start by asking a few basic questions and make notes. What kind of event is it? What will the client and engagement require from you? How far will you have to travel? How long will the event be? Stuff like that. You'll need to know these things before you can offer a realistic price quote. You'll need to know what it's gonna cost you to provide service.

Besides, it gets them to talking about their event. :)
 
Brian said:
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"?
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I don't- at least not via e-mail. Besides needing to know their requirements and venue particulars, I like to get a feel of the client. Many perspective clients THINK they have all the knowledge and information they need, but may not. Therefore personal contact ( phone or face to face) is a requirement of mine.
 
MM
There is no correct way to answer this question do whats comfortable for you but if you're not approaching the question because your scared grow some confidence in your pricing. Or just explain that you dont quote an hourly rate you quote by event or need to know some factors before you can quote etc.

kyle
 
Brian said:
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"? I just got a DJ event planner inquiry with the only comment being what are your rates. I usually get this alot, but shouldn't the price always be the last thing you put up on the chopping block so to speak?
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My rates are clearly stated on my website.

I close greater than 50% of all inquires for the simple fact the client knows before they even contact me.

Once I get them then it's my job to upsell them.
 
Okay a local DJ buddy to remain nameless told me the best response for this recently. Tell them one dollar. When they say for what and then you can say yes exactly.
 
Brian said:
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"? I just got a DJ event planner inquiry with the only comment being what are your rates. I usually get this alot, but shouldn't the price always be the last thing you put up on the chopping block so to speak?
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Hi Jane

Thanks for your inquiry in to our services.

We don't have a "one size fits all" package. What we do is build a package to suit our client's needs that way you won't be paying for something you don't really need

If you could provide me with some details of your event including the date, community, venue, legenth of event, etc, I would be better able to give you a quote that would be fair to your needs

Thanks

Jeff
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If I get a reply on that then I take it a step further and ask more questions but if I get no reply or just give me a price then It's either no response or some really high price because it's probably someone fishing
 
If I can't get any more info out of them before giving them a price, then I will say, "My prices vary depending on a lot of factors. It can be over $5,000 to under $500. Now can I get more info?"
 
Brian said:
How do you respond to an email asking "what are your rates"? I just got a DJ event planner inquiry with the only comment being what are your rates. I usually get this alot, but shouldn't the price always be the last thing you put up on the chopping block so to speak?
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Most people ask that question because they don't know what else to ask.

I prefer not to give price quotes via e-mail unless I have some specific information which is basically what Steve indicated.

For those that ask how much, I first ask if price is their only concern. If they say yes, I get the details and quote appropriately and move on. Nine times out of ten those folks are not in my range and, whil I do negotiate, choose not to negotiate with them.
 
Thunder said:
If they want to know the price without giving me the WWW I simply tell them $2000 for a basic system if it is within 100 miles of home base.
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When ask "How Much Do You Charge", I will ask the basic WWW. I have had the ones that come back with "I just need to know a price". I tell them what basic rate for a 4 hour non reception in town with basic lighting is. I had one call me back about a month later, now they tell me the location, out of town, a reception, with 6 hours, and they want some lighting upgrades. Then they ask "Why is it so much more then when I called last month".
 
Email inquiries are short cuts for the ignorant especially when dealing with a service. They have not yet figured out that a DJ service, though on its surface is a commodity (sound system, music, warm body with lips), is really a talent/service based enterprise.

Emails are cold. Emails are cover ups. Emails are lazy. If I'm not one of the cheapest of the price quote responses, the % of responses is fairly low, closing a sale even lower. If I respond with anything other than a price, the percentage of responses seems almost nothing. Perhaps it's because of the actual content of my response. Don't know, but even responding seemed to be a huge waste of time except that it does keep my name out there. For that reason alone (keeping my name out there in every instance possible), the now streamlined canned (yet personalized) responses keep going out; even for the ones where I'm already booked.

Could it be email shoppers can be impressed with lots of gear size, shape, brands, and quantity talk and information, cold callers can be impressed being entertained on the phone, and the ones that already know your name no matter how they contact you, are the ones who will actually book? I think so.
 
:sqwink:Give me all the info first and then you get the price
 
Well despite how Cap feels; 90 % of my business is conducted via email. It's only as cold as you make it...lazy? short cuts for the ignorant? Wow!

The same might be said about DJ's that use mp3's....:sqwink:

I won't quote a price until I have at least some specifics as outlined above...My first response is to try and get them to my website.....If I can get them there before quoting price, I typically close the deal...
 
Steve: You mean you book 90% of your jobs from the first email that begins with "How much do you charge?" and nothing else (which is what this topic is about in case you decided not to read the whole thing).

That gets a bigger more emphatic wow from me to you than your wow to me. Impressive and worthy of further exploration if you're willing to share the techniques.
 
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