Weddings Pricing on your web site?

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Ron Auger said:
I don't quite understand.

On the high end that's $17.85 per hour. On the low end it's $10.56 per hour.
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I don't just do theater shows. They were just asking about theater shows.

I programmed lights for a club a week ago, $350 for 3 hours work.
I do moving light repair at $40 per billable hour. I just did a load of lights and made $600 for 6 hours of work.
I do install designs. I made $400 for a 6 hour consult.
I do lighting supply. I just made $600 on a sale of LEDs that took me about 2 hours to get done.
I do church youth lighting. I have a weekly gig for $100/hr.

Mike
 
jabo said:
You are saying no one is staying busy charging more than 1300.00 in Dallas?? If you are I am saying BULL. My gosh you guys fight hard to justify making very little money.
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Yup. Other than recording DJ's (spinners, scratchers, etc) or DJs that are actual production companies, yes, that is exactly what I am saying.

Mike
 
MIXSIRS said:
Mike

$400.00 an hour is a killing.:yoMoolah:
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Yup. But in that area that is what the market will bear. I am actually in the middle of the market in all my pricing (except theater because it pays so little to begin with).

Mike
 
DJ Ducky said:
Different approaches work better in different markets. I find it works better to be friendly, approachable and honest. :(
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thanks for the support, Ron
and thanks for the OTHER side of the story, Ducky

I do tailor my approach to different types of clients. I know people well enough to see where their mind is at the moment. And we, too have BOTH ends of the sepctrum in my area. Everything from laid-off steel worker families to recently-moved-here-from-New York types.
I'm sure Ron was fluffing his example for the sake of arguement, cause that is a little over-the-top for my market as well.
This post was about the value of posting your prices on a website...
and I think we can all agree that it works differently for different jocks, different brides, and different areas of the country.
Putting prices on your site seems to weed out the price-shoppers...
whether you want to deal with them and try and close a deal with them is your option!
 
Ausumm said:
thanks for the support, Ron
and thanks for the OTHER side of the story, Ducky

I do tailor my approach to different types of clients. I know people well enough to see where their mind is at the moment. And we, too have BOTH ends of the sepctrum in my area. Everything from laid-off steel worker families to recently-moved-here-from-New York types.
I'm sure Ron was fluffing his example for the sake of arguement, cause that is a little over-the-top for my market as well.
This post was about the value of posting your prices on a website...
and I think we can all agree that it works differently for different jocks, different brides, and different areas of the country.
Putting prices on your site seems to weed out the price-shoppers...
whether you want to deal with them and try and close a deal with them is your option!
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I meant to say "and not having price weeds out those who don't want a high pressure experience."

Mike
 
Mike

Why are you only comparing mobile DJs to theatrical lighting designers?
Why not compare them to other lighting design jobs that pay $150.00 to $400.00 per hour?
 
Esoteric said:
There is where you are confused. I do not claim to know what anyone is "worth". "Worth" is a useless concept. I can think I am worth $100/hr, but if the market will only pay $50/hr, then that is all I am getting paid, or I am not working. No matter what I am "worth".

That is the problem, we are talking about 2 different things. I am talking about what a person would need to charge to work every weekend in a particular market. If in your neck of the woods you can charge $1200 a day and work every week, then by all means you should charge it.

But in the area where Ducky is, you (and I mean the specific you, not the general you) would not work every week charging $1200 a gig. Therefore you have priced yourself right out of the market. No matter how much you are "worth" if a person does not have $1200 to pay you, you will not work. "Worth" is a worthless concept (like the wordplay there?). *lol*

Sarah is "worth" in my mind about $10000 more a year than she is getting paid. But, the market has set the rate for her position and she has topped out. So, it doesn't matter. She either works for $10000 less or doesn't work (she is one of the best at what she does).

If you can charge $1295 in your area and work every week, great. But that would not fly here in Dallas I can tell you (not for weddings anyway), where a top fliht DJ WITH ambient and dance floor lighting (including real moving head lights) makes $1000-$1300 per event.

Lets get on the same page here. It will stop a lot of misunderstandings.

Mike
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You seem to be the one who has misunderstandings. Where have I ever said I make $1295 per day every day. Didn't say it, you just exaggerated that one. If I can make $1295 every week I'd be happy, hell I'd be thrilled. But people don't get married Monday thru Thursday. Well very few. But what I do make is $1295 per 5 hour wedding. With the opportunity of making that on 2-3 days a weeks during wedding season, that's not bad. I compensate for non wedding times and weekday work with other entertainment events. Oh, and I don't use lights at weddings. I'm not that high priced either. I have a DJ in the next town to me that starts his weddings at $1800. Even I can't believe that one but he does and he gets it. Of course he likes to work in the Boston Area and I don't. So it's a trade off.

You seem to be arguing against fact as I know it. Fact is that I as well as a few others in my area can make and have a market for $1295 plus weddings. I have a wedding next month that has a price tag of $1545. Fact is there are plenty of people willing to play that figure for what we offer. They will book a year or more in advance just to secure our services. Fact is there are many people who can't afford this price and are looking for the average DJ who works part time and does an average job. Just someone to play music and make announcements. They want the DJ who wants to help someone out by charging them half of what I do. I know who they are and I send those people directly to those DJ's. With best wishes. I feel everyone should get exactly what they need no matter what the price.

I really don't know what you're hoping to accomplish here. I'm not out to proof my worth, my price, my quality, my talent to anyone. You are not my clients or my competition. I'm just sharing some of my business plan and why I charge what I do. Funny thing is it's only a few of you who question it, my clients don't.




I'm sure Ron was fluffing his example for the sake of arguement, cause that is a little over-the-top for my market as well.
This post was about the value of posting your prices on a website...
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True. If I wrote it word for word we'd be here all day. Wait, we have been here all day.:sqerr:


Here here! Except it doesn't only weed out price shoppers. I was not a price shopper and it weeded me right out. It also weeds out those who do not wish to have a high pressure experience.
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High pressure does not mean higher prices than others, it's the tactics some use. I couldn't more low pressure if I wanted to. As I've said many times I will not sign a client on the first meeting. I've even refused to take checks the first night. They are given time to think, view other DJ's, price shop, whatever. Then when they are absolutely positive I'm what they are looking for we sign. I've had this go on for as little as 1 day to over a month. If they are interested I give them a courteous call if someone else is interested in the same date. But that rarely happens. I too hate high pressure sales and would never use them. Keep that BS for the car dealers.
 
Some folks are great DJs and will gain that which they can handle selling. There are great salesmen who sell the invisible and make alot more than some of us. Im likely in the middle. In the end my clients are happy and I am being paid enough to make it my living. This argument can go on forever its like Lambchops favorite song. You can only sell what you are capable of selling.

There is an exclusive DJ in my area who is Chinese. He sells at a much higher rate because he is the best with that clientele. I can do a bang up job with these type events but in the end Im not as capable in this area as he is. He has a great base to work with as Chinese folks make up a pretty substantial part of our population. I cant charge more than my capabilities are in this genre and save integrity.

My point is the way for one to set themselves apart from the avg is to become unique and better than the AVG my good friend Ron Auger said it long ago in this thread and in the post above this one. If you are working in a stagnant market that can barely afford avg it will be like the folks watching a Cadillac commercial dreaming of driving one while working at 7-11.
 
Ausumm said:
thanks for the support, Ron
and thanks for the OTHER side of the story, Ducky

I do tailor my approach to different types of clients. I know people well enough to see where their mind is at the moment. And we, too have BOTH ends of the sepctrum in my area. Everything from laid-off steel worker families to recently-moved-here-from-New York types.
I'm sure Ron was fluffing his example for the sake of arguement, cause that is a little over-the-top for my market as well.
This post was about the value of posting your prices on a website...
and I think we can all agree that it works differently for different jocks, different brides, and different areas of the country.
Putting prices on your site seems to weed out the price-shoppers...
whether you want to deal with them and try and close a deal with them is your option!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didnt realize how far off topic this thread went.
 
when selling something there is a comfort zone and in most cases an entertainer typically is not trained in marketing and sales.
 
MIXSIRS said:
Mike

Why are you only comparing mobile DJs to theatrical lighting designers?
Why not compare them to other lighting design jobs that pay $150.00 to $400.00 per hour?
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Okay, a lot of misunderstanding going on here.

I am talking about market forces and how they set prices.

I am not comparing prices or anything like that. That would be as worthless as talking about someones "worth". So lets clear that up, right now. If you can make $1200 a gig and work consistently (which means the market can bear $1200 a gig) then by all means go for it!! :) But that does NOT (I repeat does NOT) mean that every DJ everywhere can charge $1200 a gig and work on a consistent basis.

Now, having said that. As all you guys know, different markets will bear different prices. I am sure the wedding DJ market is different from the club DJ market, which is different from the party DJ market. Or am I wrong? Can you charge the same no matter the type of event.

Now, moving right along, the theater lighting design market is different from the concert market which is different from the repair market which is different from the technical lighting market which is different from the install market.

So the comparison was not a direct comparison (ie I only make $12/hr on theater events so you guys only deserve $12 an hour) it was a generic market comparison. The market for theater lighting designers in this area can only bear (with a few exceptions) about $750 per show. So if I price myself at $1000 per show, no matter my reputation, I don't work. No matter how much Ducky would love to make $1200 a gig (I am sure you would, wouldn't you Ducky or am I wrong?) if she charges that she does not work.

We can look at any other market and do the same thing. It doesn't matter. You pick the market and we can make the comparison.

Mike
 
Esoteric said:
Okay, a lot of misunderstanding going on here.

I am talking about market forces and how they set prices.

I am not comparing prices or anything like that. That would be as worthless as talking about someones "worth". So lets clear that up, right now. If you can make $1200 a gig and work consistently (which means the market can bear $1200 a gig) then by all means go for it!! :) But that does NOT (I repeat does NOT) mean that every DJ everywhere can charge $1200 a gig and work on a consistent basis.

Now, having said that. As all you guys know, different markets will bear different prices. I am sure the wedding DJ market is different from the club DJ market, which is different from the party DJ market. Or am I wrong? Can you charge the same no matter the type of event.

Now, moving right along, the theater lighting design market is different from the concert market which is different from the repair market which is different from the technical lighting market which is different from the install market.

So the comparison was not a direct comparison (ie I only make $12/hr on theater events so you guys only deserve $12 an hour) it was a generic market comparison. The market for theater lighting designers in this area can only bear (with a few exceptions) about $750 per show. So if I price myself at $1000 per show, no matter my reputation, I don't work.

We can look at any other market and do the same thing. It doesn't matter. You pick the market and we can make the comparison.
Mike
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This market:

I have an install coming up where I will make $4000 for about 10 hours of work.
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MIXSIRS said:
This market:
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Sure. The market around here for installs is a $1500-$2000 consulting fee for a medium sized gig. Add on the 5% markup on gear (maybe a little under the market, but I like to stay competitive in pricing) and that means on a good install you can make $4000 or so. Installs like this generally take me about 10 hours for meetings, drawings, and equipment lists. That is the market margin around here. Now, if I tried to charge $5000 and do a 12% markup on my gear, I would not get any installs. You can only charge what the market will bear and work on a regular basis.

Just like if the DJ market will bear $500 a gig and you try and charge $1200, you won't work.

Mike
 
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