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My goal in a sales situation is to get past the major objections up front. If you are going to get a "no", you might as well get it early in the process. In this case, as soon as they said they wanted me for just two songs, I would have said why don't you just play them off your phone with a $100 Bluetooth speaker? Then I would let them tell me why they wanted something more elaborate. Maybe they want a mic too... Oh, you can get a $200 speaker at Costco with a wired mic. Then if they tell me they want wireless, I can point them to a $300-400 speaker that comes with a wireless mic. They either like one of my "cheaper" suggestions or they work themselves up to the point where they realize a typical DJ fee is reasonable. If they choose a cheaper suggestion, I may then remind them that they may want 2 speakers, and maybe some stands, and some extension cords, and maybe an XLR cord between the speakers, and maybe someone designated to operate all of this...

I understand what you're saying but really, are you, as a professional DJ going to suggest a bluetooth speaker with a wired mic from Costco? I certainly would not. Not to mention, making such a recommendation is likely going to get you dinged in their eyes, as it should. What Scott did was perfectly reasonable. She asked for the service and he provided a quote. The only place it went off the rails is when she slammed him for wanting to charge her.

Now as for Chris' railing on "others" here, lighten up, Francis. We're all trying our best to deliver quality service to our clients. I think Scott's attempt here was to make light of the situation and, apparently, she didn't take it that way. I see no harm, other than it back-fired and lost the gig (a gig which was probably best lost also). The way I likely would've handled this would be to explain to the girl about my time and travel and let her know that I have to charge for my time and talents in order to stay in business. If she makes another choice that's her option and I'd wish her well. Keep in mind also guys, you weren't there to hear the inflections in her voice or the mannerism in which she was addressing Scott. While some of you might lay down and let a prospect speak you to like a dog, there are plenty others here who are just as legitimate of businessmen that will not lie down and take it. Nothing wrong with either approach and it's a matter of choice for the individual to make. What's not cool is when you want to go off, half-cocked and rail on someone else's decision on how to conduct themselves. You do business your way, I'll do it mine. If you want to offer perspective, I suggest it will be better received if it's offered with a bit more diplomacy.
 
I understand what you're saying but really, are you, as a professional DJ going to suggest a bluetooth speaker with a wired mic from Costco? I certainly would not. Not to mention, making such a recommendation is likely going to get you dinged in their eyes, as it should. What Scott did was perfectly reasonable. She asked for the service and he provided a quote. The only place it went off the rails is when she slammed him for wanting to charge her.

Now as for Chris' railing on "others" here, lighten up, Francis. We're all trying our best to deliver quality service to our clients. I think Scott's attempt here was to make light of the situation and, apparently, she didn't take it that way. I see no harm, other than it back-fired and lost the gig (a gig which was probably best lost also). The way I likely would've handled this would be to explain to the girl about my time and travel and let her know that I have to charge for my time and talents in order to stay in business. If she makes another choice that's her option and I'd wish her well. Keep in mind also guys, you weren't there to hear the inflections in her voice or the mannerism in which she was addressing Scott. While some of you might lay down and let a prospect speak you to like a dog, there are plenty others here who are just as legitimate of businessmen that will not lie down and take it. Nothing wrong with either approach and it's a matter of choice for the individual to make. What's not cool is when you want to go off, half-cocked and rail on someone else's decision on how to conduct themselves. You do business your way, I'll do it mine. If you want to offer perspective, I suggest it will be better received if it's offered with a bit more diplomacy.

Post script

Other than that....shoe fits...etc...etc...

cc
 
I understand what you're saying but really, are you, as a professional DJ going to suggest a bluetooth speaker with a wired mic from Costco? I certainly would not. Not to mention, making such a recommendation is likely going to get you dinged in their eyes, as it should. What Scott did was perfectly reasonable. She asked for the service and he provided a quote. The only place it went off the rails is when she slammed him for wanting to charge her.

Now as for Chris' railing on "others" here, lighten up, Francis. We're all trying our best to deliver quality service to our clients. I think Scott's attempt here was to make light of the situation and, apparently, she didn't take it that way. I see no harm, other than it back-fired and lost the gig (a gig which was probably best lost also). The way I likely would've handled this would be to explain to the girl about my time and travel and let her know that I have to charge for my time and talents in order to stay in business. If she makes another choice that's her option and I'd wish her well. Keep in mind also guys, you weren't there to hear the inflections in her voice or the mannerism in which she was addressing Scott. While some of you might lay down and let a prospect speak you to like a dog, there are plenty others here who are just as legitimate of businessmen that will not lie down and take it. Nothing wrong with either approach and it's a matter of choice for the individual to make. What's not cool is when you want to go off, half-cocked and rail on someone else's decision on how to conduct themselves. You do business your way, I'll do it mine. If you want to offer perspective, I suggest it will be better received if it's offered with a bit more diplomacy.
Sales is generally easier when you get the buyer to "buy" .. and that means showing value.

In the situation Sawdust outlined, maybe there was a step omitted to establish YOUR price point initially. From there, you are the consultant .. if they feel you are overpriced, offer the DIY low-cost solution .. as they describe "features" they need, you UP the solution until it generally ends up at your price point .. all the while, you've started to establish a relationship. They may not decide it's worth the $$s, but at least you've offered solutions at various pricepoints for them to consider.

This is Consultative selling and one of the basic sales tenets.
 
I understand what you're saying but really, are you, as a professional DJ going to suggest a bluetooth speaker with a wired mic from Costco? I certainly would not. Not to mention, making such a recommendation is likely going to get you dinged in their eyes, as it should.
Rick,

Steve is correct, I omitted the part of giving an initial price estimate. Even though I am a very successful sales person, I consider myself a constant student of the art. I read books on various techniques and have taken extensive professional coaching. I always self-evaluate my sales calls to see where I could have done better, even when I have made the sale. I generally use my own adaptation of a rather unorthodox technique called The Sandler Method (by David Sandler). The technique suits me well but I have seen others bomb with it. Then again, even the worst techniques will succeed some percentage of the time (e.g. robocalls).

I don't know where in the process Scott learned it was just a 2-song gig. Let's assume it was early on before pricing was mentioned. At that point, I would have been wondering who in their right mind hires a DJ to play just two songs. At that point I would have said, "Gee, hiring a DJ for just too songs seems awfully expensive. Have you considered other options?" Why? Because that is exactly what I would say to my mother or best friend if they had such a need and I treat my customers with the same regard.

The absurdity of the initial options is important. It establishes the prospect's value floor. At some point they may say a certain option sounds reasonable. That's where I would bring up whatever caveats are appropriate. Each time this is done, the person is deciding for themselves how much value they want. I am just the consultant helping them figure that out. This is part of the "pendulum principle" of sales.

What happens when you pull a pendulum towards you and release it? It moves away from you, right? What happens if you push the pendulum away from you? It comes back towards you, right? The same is true in sales. I will present options to the typical objections and see how the prospect reacts. I know from experience, that if they start biting at one of the alternatives I have presented, they were never really a qualified prospect.

Is my method the best? Probably not. Is it better than every other one I have tried, read about or has been tried on me? Yes. I will admit that it takes considerable practice to get it right. Sales is a skill like mixing or riding a bike. You can't just read about or attend a seminar on it. You have to try it yourself and work at getting better at it. BTW, Sandler's book is titled, "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar."
 
No no no...what you guys fail to realize is... that POS was treating him like a dog... and for that they must be smarted off to and taught a lesson...

cc
 
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If someone says as much as possible to devalue their ceremony, and says "All I need is just 2 songs played" ...I will ask a lot of questions to help them figure out what THEY REALLY NEED.

1. How many guests will be at your ceremony?
2. a. (If over 80 guests) - I believe you officiant will likely need a WIRELESS lavalier microphone to make sure everybody hears them. Is this something you think you will need?
b. (If under 80 guests) - Your officiant may want a wireless lavalier microphone to use to help the audience here them. Does your officiant have a nice, loud voice? ---Wait for Answer to that questions. If YES: Ok, double check with them to make sure they are okay without the mic though. If NO or NOT SURE: "I think your officiant will likely need a lavalier style wireless microphone as 90% of the wedding ceremonies I do require me having this microphone, but double check with them on that.
3. Are you sure you won't want any pre lude music while the guests are taking their seats? IF answer is "Well, that would be nice to have a few pre lude songs played during that time" ....If the answer is: NO, I don't care about pre lude music...I just want the 2 songs to be played.
4. How long do you anticipate your ceremony taking from start to finish? (ie. 20 minutes or less, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or closer to an hour?)

After I understand exactly what they need, I will give them a quote for what I can provide to meet their needs.

If the ceremony is 45 minutes away from reception, and 3 hours prior, then my quote for "Just playing the 2 songs" for a small wedding ceremony is going to be in the $240 range (Laptop plugged into my Bose S1 Pro speaker) for quick little ceremony to cover fuel, travel, and down time on top of my package cost for the reception. I will even break it down for them $135 for the 30 minutes and equipment needed. $105 to cover travel back and fourth + time.

If they need a full hour of service I may say $275...If they need wireless microphones to be provided, prelude music, me supplying my own power for my sound system, large size ceremony etc. Then my quote might be more in the $325 to $425 range depending on how many microphones and if I have to bring my battery power cell or not.

In the end, if $240 for this ceremony add on is not in their budget, the bride truly believes this is a easy task, then I will suggest that they put a friend in charge of "playing the 2 songs" and bring a cheap speaker for their friend to plug the phone into. I already know my price is reasonable. ...If they don't want to pay $240 for a ceremony in this fashion, then It is very likely they were not going to pay $1,050 or more for the 5 hour reception later on either.
 
There's no doubt I could have handled it better. I generally do try to help people understand. I do realize that most people are hiring a DJ for the first time and there are many things that we take for granted but they've never come across

She just caught me at the wrong time with her "6 minutes" and she got a sarcastic response. I wasn't trying to be mean. I was trying to be funny. She obviously didn't see it that way. I'm ok with it. She didn't see any value in it. Some people are not my customer.
 
I had an unsolicited call yesterday from a Vegas timeshare. I get several of these a week and I hate Vegas. I have to go a minimum of twice a year and usually it is 3-4 times and it has been as much as 10 in one year. I know the town well and just don't like it. Anyhow, she starts giving me the spiel and then asks if she can tell me more. I tell her not to bother because I hate the town. She pauses to regroup and then says, "Well we hate you too" and then hangs up. It made me chuckle.
 
I had an unsolicited call yesterday from a Vegas timeshare. I get several of these a week and I hate Vegas. I have to go a minimum of twice a year and usually it is 3-4 times and it has been as much as 10 in one year. I know the town well and just don't like it. Anyhow, she starts giving me the spiel and then asks if she can tell me more. I tell her not to bother because I hate the town. She pauses to regroup and then says, "Well we hate you too" and then hangs up. It made me chuckle.
I actually love Vegas ... even when I was going 3-4 times a year I was hoping for more.
 
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I had an unsolicited call yesterday from a Vegas timeshare. I get several of these a week and I hate Vegas...
I hate unsolicited calls.
(Just want to see who would take a contrary position to anything I say...besides my wife and/or daughters)
 
I hate unsolicited calls.
(Just want to see who would take a contrary position to anything I say...besides my wife and/or daughters)
Who would take a contrary position to what you say ??? :sick:
 
I hate unsolicited calls.
(Just want to see who would take a contrary position to anything I say...besides my wife and/or daughters)

You mean unsolicited SALES/SCAM calls.
A person calling to book you as a DJ would most likely be unsolicited.
 
You mean unsolicited SALES/SCAM calls.
A person calling to book you as a DJ would most likely be unsolicited.
Obviously, but maybe they are calling in response to marketing and it is, de facto, solicited.
 
I understand what you're saying but really, are you, as a professional DJ going to suggest a bluetooth speaker with a wired mic from Costco? I certainly would not. Not to mention, making such a recommendation is likely going to get you dinged in their eyes, as it should. What Scott did was perfectly reasonable. She asked for the service and he provided a quote. The only place it went off the rails is when she slammed him for wanting to charge her.

Now as for Chris' railing on "others" here, lighten up, Francis. We're all trying our best to deliver quality service to our clients. I think Scott's attempt here was to make light of the situation and, apparently, she didn't take it that way. I see no harm, other than it back-fired and lost the gig (a gig which was probably best lost also). The way I likely would've handled this would be to explain to the girl about my time and travel and let her know that I have to charge for my time and talents in order to stay in business. If she makes another choice that's her option and I'd wish her well. Keep in mind also guys, you weren't there to hear the inflections in her voice or the mannerism in which she was addressing Scott. While some of you might lay down and let a prospect speak you to like a dog, there are plenty others here who are just as legitimate of businessmen that will not lie down and take it. Nothing wrong with either approach and it's a matter of choice for the individual to make. What's not cool is when you want to go off, half-cocked and rail on someone else's decision on how to conduct themselves. You do business your way, I'll do it mine. If you want to offer perspective, I suggest it will be better received if it's offered with a bit more diplomacy.
It's not about him wanting to charge her. It's about the price he quoted her for him to do the job. Unfortunately what we don't like to face up to is that some people only see us as someone who going to just play some music and how hard could that be? Those are usually people not looking to spend a lot of money to book a DJ. Sometimes it's an insult as to how much some people want to pay a DJ. I've seen some ridiculous prices on Craigslist that people want to pay a DJ to come do an event for them. Sometimes I send them a email that tells them how ridiculous the money is they want to pay.
 
My goal in a sales situation is to get past the major objections up front. If you are going to get a "no", you might as well get it early in the process. In this case, as soon as they said they wanted me for just two songs, I would have said why don't you just play them off your phone with a $100 Bluetooth speaker? Then I would let them tell me why they wanted something more elaborate. Maybe they want a mic too... Oh, you can get a $200 speaker at Costco with a wired mic. Then if they tell me they want wireless, I can point them to a $300-400 speaker that comes with a wireless mic. They either like one of my "cheaper" suggestions or they work themselves up to the point where they realize a typical DJ fee is reasonable. If they choose a cheaper suggestion, I may then remind them that they may want 2 speakers, and maybe some stands, and some extension cords, and maybe an XLR cord between the speakers, and maybe someone designated to operate all of this...


Reminds me of one of my favourite stories

A young guy from Idaho moves to Florida and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job.

The Manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?"

The kid says "Yeah. I was a vacuum salesman back in Idaho."

Well, the boss was unsure, but he liked the kid and figured he'd give him a shot, so he gave him the job.

"You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the boss came down to the sales floor.

"How many customers bought something from you today?" The kid frowns and looks at the floor and mutters, "One."

The boss says "Just one?!!? Our sales people average sales to 20 to 30 customers a day.

"That will have to change, and soon, if you'd like to continue your employment here. We have very strict standards for our sales force here in Florida. One sale a day might have been acceptable in Idaho, but you're not on the farm anymore, son."

The kid took his beating, but continued to look at his shoes, so the boss felt kinda bad for chewing him out on his first day. He asked (semi-sarcastically), "So, how much was your one sale for?"

The kid looks up at his boss and says "$101,237.65."

The boss, astonished, says "$101,237.65?!? What the heck did you sell?"

The kid says, "Well, first, I sold him some new fish hooks. Then I sold him a new fishing rod to go with his new hooks. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him a twin engine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4x4 Ford Expedition."

The boss said "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a boat and a TRUCK!?"

The kid said "No, the guy came in here to buy tampons for his wife, and I said, 'Dude, your weekend's shot, you should go fishing!"