When is it that you're giving too much to a client for the price you quote them?

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Let me det this up. I'm in the process of getting 2 small moving heads and put them on a speaker stand like I saw a friend of mine do last night at this restaurant/bar in Elmwood Park, NJ. That was really hot. Before I get crucified for the purchase we have some up coming gigs and I wanted people to see what we have to offer and say wow to the setup. I'll be using the lighted facade along with the proper lights for it. I have some more lights I plan to bring and now I want to add the moving heads too.

My reason for doing this is to go above and beyond a clients expectations. Giving them something they wouldn't normally see another DJ provide. So that when people see it they will say wow I like what they have to offer and let's get them to do our event for us. Also to add more pizzazz to our website with pictures and video of us in action.

Please be kind and think of not just me but others on here. When do you have a certain cut off point when offering things to a client and leave some things out or ask for more money to supply such things.

 

[ahoustondj]

Are you getting the Gear for free Mix? (Sarcasm)

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Are you getting the Gear for free Mix? (Sarcasm)

Yes! You haven't noticed some things missing? I guess you have so much you that hardly missed anything. LOL.

 

[ahoustondj]

No Mix, nothing is missing. If there was, then there would also be a person missing from the world! Lets not go there!

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

No Mix, nothing is missing. If there was, then there would also be a person missing from the world! Lets not go there!

Yes there would be. YOU. You forget I live in Jersey and you live in Texas. That's a hell of a commute to go and steal some gear when I have to pass all these other DJ's houses to get to yours.

 

[ahoustondj]

Watch what you say here, remember you are being judged by your words!

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Watch what you say here, remember you are being judged by your words!

Just having fun with you. I'm 55 years old soon to be 56. I'm not jail material. I got locked up once and that was my last time. It was over night but it felt like forever. NO THANKS!

 

[B-Sharp]

My reason for doing this is to go above and beyond a clients expectations. Giving them something they wouldn't normally see another DJ provide. So that when people see it they will say wow I like what they have to offer and let's get them to do our event for us.

Your positive personality, warm smile, expert mixing talents, and the way you rocked the party is what makes people say "wow". It has nothing to do with a facade or lighting effects. If you tell you a client you have lights and bring in bigger lights, that's not going "above and beyond". Your client doesn't know the difference between wash lights and effect lights, nor do they care. Anybody can buy moving heads, and lots of DJs already own them.

Not everyone can command the attention of 200 people and lead them through an evening of dancing and great music. In my opinion, the number one thing that people don't usually see DJs provide is real entertainment. Number two is a clean setup.

Please be kind and think of not just me but others on here. When do you have a certain cut off point when offering things to a client and leave some things out or ask for more money to supply such things.

I never buy any gear for the purpose of offering it for free. If a client is asking me to supply something, there's obviously a demand for it and there's going to be money involved.

 

[Jas]

I've never had expensive moving heads, but I've used scanners and cheap moving heads. Like Brenden mentioned, no one said "wow"! No one asked for my business card because of lighting. I had a wedding where there was no room for a light stand, but the dance floor was filled with wild dancers because I played the right songs.

If you do give away something that you should charge for, let the prospect know the value of what they're getting for free. Extra lighting thrown in free is OK if your plan is to get video footage that can be used for marketing. But with moving heads there's a big difference in price. The expenseive ones have a much bigger wow factor. The cheaper ones are OK, but then you might as well get scanners instead. What moving heads are you getting?

 

[tunes4046]

Mix, you seem to think the more gear you have the more people will be impressed with you, it's just not true, more people will be impressed with professionalism, confidence and your actual ability to dj than the amount of gear you have, all you are doing is devaluing yourself, and moving head on speaker stands look a little getto anyway they really need to be on truss segments. or mounted on overhead truss, you need to quit buying gear and focus on yourself.

 

[Ausumm]

Look at it this way, Mix.
If you had the greatest light show in the world,
but the "DJ" was only an Ipod and a playlist...would it be worth anything?

As far as your question,
I would look at it this way.
Decide on a price with NO LIGHTS whatsoever.
Then decide how much extra you wanna charge to add lights.
You could even come up with two degrees of a light show.
The "basic" light show is $_____ extra,
but the "ultimate" light show, with all the bells and whistles, is a bit more.

Personally, I charge for a sounds and light show.
I have my lights as "included in the price"...
so if someone doesn't need lights, I still get my price.

 

[ittigger]

Extra lighting thrown in free is OK if your plan is to get video footage that can be used for marketing.

As discussed many times, if people are in these videos / pictures - then I don't think you can use these materials for marketing unless you have a signed waiver from the very people in the pictures / videos.

 

[redhotdj]

Mix to get a good moving head your looking at $500.00 per light and to give that wow look you need at least 2, that's $1000.00. For most party's why spend that kind of money

 

[ittigger]

In agreeance with everyone else, lights are not going to give you this 'WOW' factor that you seek .. or make someone want to hire you. If it was that easy, we'd all be doing it.

 

[Valerie Hicks]

Everything we provide has a purpose and a price. It is actually rare that we 'throw something in' for free...We sell on exactly what we're going to provide in gear, and in the experience, and if the customer WANTED "X", they would have BOOKED "X". Sometimes providing the additional crap is actually not wanted. We did provide a comm system for a figure skating (we provide lighting and followspots) show a couple years ago, knowing that it would be a big improvement in communication over their radio shack walkie talkie type radios. Upfront we said we're going to bring this so you can try it out, and if you like it, we can add it to your contract the next year. They have gotten it (paid) ever since.

Trust me, Mix, you're buying things backwards. You said you want to bring these lights to events you have booked; where obviously the customer hasn't expressed a need or desire, yet you expect it to generate further demand? Backasswards. If there is no need there is no solution, only a free add-on...cool....everyone else will want a free add-on....that's not selling.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

In agreeance with everyone else, lights are not going to give you this 'WOW' factor that you seek .. or make someone want to hire you. If it was that easy, we'd all be doing it.

Having the right music and knowing what to play for clients to make them and their guest happy isn't a big issue here. I just bought a Chauvet 250 spot along with a American DJ Galaxian 3D. It's about bringing something to the table that a lot of DJ's around here don't bring and to have some nice pictures and video to show to potential clients.

 

[DJ JohnThe1]

Having the right music and knowing what to play for clients to make them and their guest happy isn't a big issue here. I just bought a Chauvet 250 spot along with a American DJ Galaxian 3D. It's about bringing something to the table that a lot of DJ's around here don't bring and to have some nice pictures and video to show to potential clients.

What part of NJ do you live in? Have you taken a look around your surrounding area? Every DJ company I know in NJ has moving heads. Mix your late to the moving head game and now you want to throw it in for free. A set of good moving heads is a 450.00 add on to the normal dj rate. The last sweet 16 I did about a 2 months ago was charged 800.00 for my dj services and 450.00 for 2 moving heads (Elation) controlled by software. If you don't plan to sell it like this you are just wasting your money to impress no one.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

John not many DJ's I see around here bring lights at all. What I'm going to do is to go downstairs and list all the lights I have that we can use including the ones for the lighted facade and you all tell me how much more would you charge to use those lights?

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

Here is the list of lights we have that work. 2 ADJ WiFly Bar RGBA, 1 Chauvet 250 spot moving head, 1 ADJ Galatian 3D, 1 ADJ Quad Phase HP, 1 ADJ Double Phase and 1 Chauvet Storm. We have a Vue 11 that isn't working and that's the list. Go for it. How much more would you charge a client to bring those lights?

 

[B-Sharp]

How much more would you charge a client to bring those lights?

It doesn't matter how much more you would charge for those lights. From what I've seen, you have trouble finding people who want to pay you anything at all.