Read here For The Answer: http://problog.weddingwire.com/index.php/sales/why-do-couples-ask-about-price-first/
Why Do Couples Ask About Price First.
- Thread starter ahoustondj
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I met Alan Berg personally at one of the networking meetings and brought his book and a couple of DVD's. He's very friendly and knowledgable. He took my info since I didn't have the money to pay for the material right away and I got the stuff right then and there. Great reading and watching the dvd's.
I don't know about that. It depends on how well you sell yourself and what you can do to make their event a success. You can at times get a prospective client to spend more then what their budget called for. You just have to show that person why they should spend the extra money to have you there performing at their event.They ask how much because apparently unlike the US government, they have a budget and can't go over it.
I normally get asked how much do you charge as their first question. They don't give you any details about the type of event, where it is to be at and how many hours will you need the DJ to cover the event? How many hours is the event and what time does the event start and end. Then I'll try to get some info from them to determine a price quote for that potential client. It's not all about me educating a potential client on what a DJ does. It's about finding out what are a potential clients needs are and how we can help if we can.
The most important thing is to not tell them things that they didn't ask questions for. Don't talk to much and really pay attention to what they want. You can give suggestions but just don't get carried away with suggesting things. Keep it simple.
Perhaps they ask it because they're on a budget? Maybe they want to compare prices from one DJ to the next? I don't know anyone who doesn't ask about price when they are buying something so it confuses me when these types of threads come up. The better question is how do I answer when a couple asks about price first.
+1 on the Budget.
If I decided to allocate say $600 for a DJ, I don't want them wasting my time (or me wasting theirs) trying to sell me something I don't need/want, and then I'll continue looking for someone who will do it within said budget.
It's very much like buying/leasing a car -- you know how much you can afford -- look at the stickers and narrow it down.
If I decided to allocate say $600 for a DJ, I don't want them wasting my time (or me wasting theirs) trying to sell me something I don't need/want, and then I'll continue looking for someone who will do it within said budget.
It's very much like buying/leasing a car -- you know how much you can afford -- look at the stickers and narrow it down.
If you read the article in the posted link, you will get an idea as how to answer the question. First you have to qualify their question. Do you know if they are thinking a DJ with just Sound? A DJ with Sound and Lights? How about Video, duration of time etc. You have to qualify the question with first asking questions of your own. How else can one give a correct answer?
Everybody has budget. Everybody has an idea of how much they are looking to spend. That's why at some point that question has to come. It's just a lot do it at the beginning and some wait to find out more about the DJ they are thinking of booking to do their event.
Some are millionaires and have a lot to spend obviously. Yet they still have limit on what they will spend. There budget maybe different then the average Joe but they still have limit.
It's really up to you to find out what that is by asking question to determine what that is. Then you take into consideration how much they are willing to pay. Match it against the price you would do the event and see if that would be an ok price for you to do the event.
Sometimes the headache isn't worth it even though the price is right.
Some are millionaires and have a lot to spend obviously. Yet they still have limit on what they will spend. There budget maybe different then the average Joe but they still have limit.
It's really up to you to find out what that is by asking question to determine what that is. Then you take into consideration how much they are willing to pay. Match it against the price you would do the event and see if that would be an ok price for you to do the event.
Sometimes the headache isn't worth it even though the price is right.
I don't agree with the author's contention that people don't know what else to ask, and I think it's just another attempt to "educate" prospects on how to walk blindly into a sales trance. People are not stupid - what they enter with is expectations not a lack of insight. People ask for the price because they want to qualify YOU just as much as you want to qualify them.
When I buy something, I usually have a pretty good idea already of how much it should cost for what I require. I ask: "how much" to qualify the supplier. If your price is too high and your "value adds" are of no interest to me - I move on to someone who's more streamlined approach fits my needs. If your price is too low, and you can not demomstrate proof of the quality that I believe adds to the cost - I move on to someone better informed about my requirements.
I ask "how much" to qualify those vendors who fit within the window of MY expectations. My expectations are not really about the price - they are about that window between the minimum knowledge versus the maximum markup I will tolerate from vendors of a given thing.
When I buy something, I usually have a pretty good idea already of how much it should cost for what I require. I ask: "how much" to qualify the supplier. If your price is too high and your "value adds" are of no interest to me - I move on to someone who's more streamlined approach fits my needs. If your price is too low, and you can not demomstrate proof of the quality that I believe adds to the cost - I move on to someone better informed about my requirements.
I ask "how much" to qualify those vendors who fit within the window of MY expectations. My expectations are not really about the price - they are about that window between the minimum knowledge versus the maximum markup I will tolerate from vendors of a given thing.
Sorry but what the hell does someone giving you a price tell you how good or how bad they are. All that tells me is that this is how much they plan to charge me. And do mean just me because they can easily quote another person a different price for the same amount of hours and things I want for an event I was having if I were looking to book a DJ.
You're assuming that if a DJ quotes a top dollar price of say 1k that such a DJ must be good. All that says is that DJ is good at selling their services for 1k. That DJ might just suck like chit and have some horrible equipment that sounds like chit. Keep that in mind. The $500.00 might be a better DJ but just hasn't mastered the art of selling their services for what they are truly worth.
Proformance is saying he compares price with the value of whats to be gained at that price when making a buying decision.
I ask: "how much" to qualify the supplier. If your price is too high and your "value adds" are of no interest to me - I move on to someone who's more streamlined approach fits my needs.
I ask: "how much" to qualify the supplier. If your price is too high and your "value adds" are of no interest to me - I move on to someone who's more streamlined approach fits my needs.
Let me put it in plain English for you:
If I call you about a Bar Mitzvah and you quote me $450 then I know you don't have a clue about what my event entails because it's unlikely you can entertain 80 kids and 150 adults for $450. I move on to find someone more professional.
If on the other hand you quote me $5800 with a long list of upgrades I didn't ask about, ramble on about how much "value" you bring, and how lesser priced DJs will be inferior, etc, - then I know you're not listening to me and my true needs are likely to be ignored. I move on to find someone more professional.
If you quote me an appropriate range based on the history of events you've done and then ask me about the specifics of my event, what I want, and talk about how you would meet those expectations with clear examples, perhaps even suggesting better ways to do something and stretch my dollars, then I know I'm talking to a professional, and the exact price isn't that important anymore. You would be someone who knows true value from a client's perspective and are probably priced very effectively.
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Make up your mind. Is it that you can tell how good a DJ is based on price or do they have to qualify? You mentioned a DJ that would charge $450.00 to do a Bar Mitzvah won't know how to properly handle such an event. That DJ just might be a better choice then a DJ charging more. Once again it's all about knowing how to sell your services to get a client to pay top dollar for your services. How much ever that is.
Now how many people do you know that will pay $5,800.00 to have a DJ do such an event? You're right about one thing for sure and that is that you should listen and pay attention to what a potential client wants you to do to make their event a success. Nothing wrong with making a few suggestions. Just don't get carried away with your suggestions.
Mix .. price IS a qualifier in some cases. And yes, I have seen close to $15,000 given to a DJ/entertainment company for some mitzvahs.
I have a $3k mitzvah this Saturday. Makes me feel like a cheap hooker.