Who is your competition?

cerebro said:

From what I've seen, it is better to either be on the low end of the high end with pricing. Avoid the deadly middle, because they all start to blend together and get forgotten very quickly. Think about it, people either want to save a ton of money... or out do their friends reception (i.e. cheapest or most expensive). Most people won't want to spend an average amount of money on a package (they associate this with average expectations).

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I could not disagree more. People are looking for VALUE. If you are charging $1500-$2000 an event...you better have something to back that figure up that shows your company is a better overall value than anyone else (I am not saying those of you who get that don't, I am simply making a point here). If you are in the $200 an event range, the client does not see a value, they see "cheap", and if they are only looking at price, this is where they are going to go.

The company's that are in the middle (or to use your word, average priced) is where a majority of people are going to look, because that is where they are going to see the best value for their dollar spent.

Since buying a car has already been talked about, let me compare what I am saying to another industry: retail...the biggest and most profitable retailers right now are Wal Mart and Target...why? Because they are middle of the road priced, and give their clients (customers) what they want...the greatest value on the products they sell...now yes, you have the dollar stores (Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc) and these would be the $200 DJs, people go there to get cheap goods, but you know going in that the quality of most of the stuff is not going to be there...then you have the high end store (Saks, Macy's Nordstom's), where you spend much more than you do at Target or Wal Mart for merchandise that may be a slightly better quality....but is it necessarily a better value for your dollars spent?

Know that high $ attorney? Only has one specialty? You won't find his mug on the back of a phone book. He works by referral only. He is the highest priced in the area - and gets results unmatched by the other attorneys.

I am not talking price gouging, BTW. There is a difference.

That is MY goal.

There is a local company here who pictures a DJ sitting at a table clicking a mouse attached to a laptop. No controller or mixing unit. Not professional - no matter what the event.

To me sends the message that anyone w/ a laptop and some tunes can DJ. Don't care if it is a a mac.

Should ALWAYS look the part even if not interested or 'bored out of ya gourd'.

Ed Witles said:

There is a local company here who pictures a DJ sitting at a table clicking a mouse attached to a laptop. No controller or mixing unit. Not professional - no matter what the event.

To me sends the message that anyone w/ a laptop and some tunes can DJ. Don't care if it is a a mac.

Should ALWAYS look the part even if not interested or 'bored out of ya gourd'.

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Ed, I agree that any pictures that are put up on the web should show excitement and professionalism, but I have to ask, do you really think someone who is not in the industry is going to have any clue about a controller unit or mixing board.

I think sometimes all of us need to step back and think about things not from an industry knowledge perspective, but from a general customer base perspective.

Agreed, but that black tie picture post - what message would that send? Certainly not worthy of a high dollar client.

You said before it's an audition to the 150 or so in attendance. There are several who might take note of a nicely dressed DJ vs the cummerbund (no offense) or once who takes time to make his rig look nice from their perspective.

Remember - we (our gear) in many cases is at the other end of that photographer's lens.

cerebro said:

Honestly, you're biggest competitor is yourself. If you start paying too much attention to local companies, then you start to resemble their services. We are in the business of selling an experience. Perception is one of the most important aspect of your offer. .

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Amen! Well said, Sir! Everyone needs to paste that to their forehead and look at it in the mirror every morning when they wake up!

Jon Tuck said:

A DJ who keeps the crowd while sitting and no one dancing for 3 hours somehow kept the guests there. Perhaps they wanted only background music knowing their guests and didnt care to have dancing. Its like having a Chinese bride pop in on us while we are doing a West Indian function. the perception viewed doesnt match their hopes or intentions.

We get potentials in all the time mentioning DJs they have experienced and the horrible music selections played. We ask them if they know the clients might have asked for exactly what their DJ was playing for the evening. Often they hadnt thought of it like that. We then sell them on customizing for their day but hoping to satisfy all their guests.

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Well, I did not mention that the crowd went from about 150 to about 30. But you are absolutely correct - we have clients say that to us all the time "the music was horrible at my friends wedding!". I respond with "well to be fair, do you know if that DJ was given a playlist?"...shuts them up real fast about that and they try not to control as much.

blacktiedjs said:

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By the way, that picture was sent to me by a bride who said this is what she had at her sister's wedding and wanted to make sure our did not look like that. That DJ would not play requests, played EVERY song that was on their do not play list, refused to turn the volume down when asked. You guessed it - $250 for 4 hours. This bride said, she thought all DJs were pretty much the same which is why her sister booked him. I hear this at least 2-3 times a month.

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I'm not on a mission to make the world safe for weddings. Sorry, that bride's just passing the same ol' line of bullsh__t.

NO ONE actually believes that all DJs are the same. It's just a convenient way to blame anyone but yourself for being LAZY. When people tell you about their car accident isn't it always the other guy's fault?

You can't possibly end up with a DJ that bad unless you hire one without ever meeting him, and fail to make known your plans and preferences. There are plenty of DJs with ugly setups who do stellar work. Photos tell me nothing. But a customers who claims the world is so vanallia that "all DJs appear the same" speaks volumes about how careless they are. Careless people crash. Tthey crash in their cars and they crash in their event planning; and then they blame it on something or someone else ("poor pitfull victim me.")

Everyone knows intuitively that $250 for a weddig DJ = low expectations. No one is being duped or taken advantage of here - they lack motivation and just don't care. Unfortunately, not everyone has the benefit of wake-up call via their sister's half-arse efforts.

A packed dance floor is NOT an indication of a successful event. I have actually had more referrals from those 50ish guest count that did almost no dancing vs having 150 packed on a floor bouncing around.

While we are auditioning to potentially 100s of folks at each event, the VIPs (bride, etc) are the only ones who really matter.

I had a rocking wedding yet the couple were not 100% pleased. They gave a play list and I kinda deviated a bit (said was OK during meeting) since folks were more responsive to what I put on vs some of their tracks.

After a less than pleasant WW review, I contacted her. Then she saw from my perspective and updated the rating - thus keeping my 4.9 intact.

SemiRetired DJ said:

Well, who?

Are you competing with that bottom feeder? Why? Aren't you lowering yourself to his level by doing that?

I do not.

What about the premiere guy that gets all the big bucks gigs? What, you say that you can't compete with him? Why not? What does he have that you don't?

I am one of those premiere guys and there are some cheaper DJs who go out with a ton more lights and much bigger sound systems. But I don't sell on gear. I sell on what is important to the client. Peace of mind, both in the service I offer and how I offer it.

The only way to find out who your competition is is to get out there and do the research. When you have a free weekend start hitting the venues around the area and find out who is there (because you ain't). If you don't know them, get their card.

I have several other Competing DJs who I net work with. I have convinced several very talented Djs to increase their prices, which lets me increase mine. We also pass on bookings on filled dates so we keep the clients in a high quality circle. We cut out the chances of the bottom feeders getting some work and it has worked out extremely well. There are the few that don't want to participate and that is up to them. But every year someone else joins us and our network grows.

We also have a black list of Djs and wont go out of our way to trash talk, but they will never join us because of their history with clients or with us.

Hit their website and, if you have to, do some secret shopping. Some say it is unethical but do it anyway; get a friend to test them; have them call up the DJ and get the pricing information. Find out what is included.

I hire a mystery shopper every year, and I am on the list I give them to shop so I can see how I rank against the others.

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My comments in Red.

Like to add... people who do this as a hobby will never understand the importance of setting a professional market price. They like to charge "what feels right" vs what is actually required to operate as a business legitimately. I put in full time hours and offer a service far beyond anything a part timer would or could do at their lower end price. Most DJs I talk to, once we break down their price vs costs are losing money but never realize it because they have a job or a dual income from their spouse and all their money is combined.

We are talking about someones wedding a $23,000-$30,000 avg affair. We as the entertainment providers do more than play music, we add value to the other elements of the party. What if everyone left early, didn't stay long enough to eat the mid-night lunch? All the decorations, hall rental, maybe a photo booth or photographer... If people stay to the end, then people got their full value or more out of everything. Other wise you could effectively cost them double by not doing as good of a job. That is worth something isn't?

Is it worth it to you to do all that for $300? $600? $1000? Wedding planners charge on avg 10% ($2000 est) Photographers $2000 avg, Photo Booths $1200 avg, Rentals are in the $800+ range... Everything costs more than what the avg DJ charges and if the party ends 2 hours before it was planned then that is 2 hours of money spent that increases the price of everything that was paid for.

Now lets look at the industry perception. You think you are charging a "fair" price. Fair to who? As I have pointed out the client is already spending big bucks for every other service but you. Maybe you think it is fair to charge less so you don't have to feel so accountable because they will expect less from you being so much cheaper than other services. You obviously are not living off your hobby, but some of us are and yes we work our asses off to put out a better product... only to have you "oh yeah, I can do that do..." But you can't and you wont and likely the bride will never know the difference right? Then you do an OK job, under deliver or blow it and those of us with an honest product get pegged down.

Ego... By now some of you are click clicking away on the KB in retort... Well, if you are so good... charge for it. Tell you what, when you have chest pains, gimme a call... or would you rather go see a professional heart surgeon... I will charge you $1000... It's a fair price isn't it? Of would you rather pay $100,000 and have a much better chance of surviving? Another Analogy... Your car breaks down... I can fix that. I'm not a mechanic, but I can read a manual, cost you parts from Auto Value and $25/hour... oh yeah, there is not warranty or guarantee though. But you can get warranted parts and service from a dealership and pay a few thousand more. We all have Ego's we all think we are good at what we do, but what are you saying when you are charging less than most others? Are you really better than the guy who charges 2x your price or are you letting your price do all the work for you? Your price is your talent, you are just the monkey pressing play on the same tired playlist you have used at every other wedding this year...

Just a point of view. I used to be a $450 DJ. I thought I was better than most others I seen and I challenged myself to prove that by putting my product ahead of my ego and guess what? $1495 for just a reception... 5pm to 1am and all the work I put into it before, during and after and I already have all of next August booked. Half of it spent in a town 4 hours away (+$300 and two nights room rental paid). I am not bragging, I am still not the best, I still have a lot to learn and I am always trying to better myself. But I did learn that my product was better than the price I was charging at $450, and it is better than the guys charging $800 and like I said, I work with other DJs who are also charging $1000+

Sorry for the long opinion piece.