Weddings Short notice

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
D

dj john

New DJ
Apr 19, 2009
35
0
western New York
I received a phone call from a girl that wanted me to DJ a wedding I asked her the date and she said NEXT SATURDAY ! So I told her that I was actually open but we needed to get together asap for a list of songs etc. she called the next day (while I was at work ) and told my wife that she wanted to hire me . I have tried to contact her for two days now .I finally left a message telling her that if we don't meet by tomorrow I can only assume that they made different plans and I would not be djing
What does anyone think ?
 
this is a case where an automatic system works. No need to meet face to face if you use any of the client management systems that are available out there. You could send the contract right over to her through email, get the payment, and then open up the client area to have them get all the planning worksheets done.

Last minute jobs are no issue at all if you incorporate one of these systems into your business. We could do a wedding tomorrow if we got a call tonight with no issue at all.
 
I don't know about 'no issue' there Patrick.

Contractually, there would be no issue. Otherwise, not so sure. Don't count y'er chickens before they hatch.
 
We have done a Saturday wedding after being called on Thursday after without a hitch at all. We gave the client a 24 hour window to get their info into Gigbuilder, as well as make payment...rolled up and performed just like we have been booked for a year

The phone tag game does not work for last minute bookings...but then again...you all know my feelings on phone contact anyway ;)
 
sightsandsounds said:
We have done a Saturday wedding after being called on Thursday after without a hitch at all. We gave the client a 24 hour window to get their info into Gigbuilder, as well as make payment...rolled up and performed just like we have been booked for a year

The phone tag game does not work for last minute bookings...but then again...you all know my feelings on phone contact anyway ;)
Click to expand...

That mighta been a little bit o' luck on your side. I'd be almost afraid to book a last minute wedding (although I also could) - what happened to the other DJ (like they didn't know they needed a DJ?)

The scary part is the bridezilla's and the must have songs that are a day / few days out - and you don't have them. I'm prepared to roll right now if I had to, equipment wise, contract wise and other wise. It's all the other crap that worries me.
 
Actually, I'd have to agree with Patrick. No offense to john, but he lost money simply because he wasn't setup to handle the biz online. If I'd received the call, I could've walked her thru the process, on the spot, and had the deposit in the bank immediately. In a case like this, I wouldn't worry about the must-have list. Get the major event songs, again on the spot, update the online planner and you're done.

Modern technology, if used correctly, will put more money in your pocket.
 
While technology may help you book a short notice one, it also allows for vast amounts of potential problems to go unnoticed because you never actually met them.
 
sightsandsounds said:
..but then again...you all know my feelings on phone contact anyway ;)
Click to expand...
Patrick, if that is the way you really feel, then unless you are prepared to be aggressive and make sales/bookings at your upcoming Bridal Show, you may as well not go. These shows involve collecting leads to be called on at a later date.
You wil be better served to pay some kid to put flyers on cars in parking lots.
 
DJ J Mac said:
While technology may help you book a short notice one, it also allows for vast amounts of potential problems to go unnoticed because you never actually met them.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily... I've booked people 10 minutes after a 5 minute phone call that turned out great.

What more is there to know aside from date, time and place before booking?
 
DJ J Mac said:
While technology may help you book a short notice one, it also allows for vast amounts of potential problems to go unnoticed because you never actually met them.
Click to expand...

On the contrary, I have an online planner that gathers all details needed. Additionally, it automatically follows up until they fill it out. In the majority of my cases, and I'll have just short of 90 weddings this year, I've never met the bride or groom until the day of.
 
ahoustondj said:
Patrick, if that is the way you really feel, then unless you are prepared to be aggressive and make sales/bookings at your upcoming Bridal Show, you may as well not go. These shows involve collecting leads to be called on at a later date.
You wil be better served to pay some kid to put flyers on cars in parking lots.
Click to expand...

We will not be collected phone numbers....we will be collected emails, just like we do now. When we are out and someone asks us for a biz card, we of course give it to them, but instead of asking for a phone number, we ask for an email address and put it right into the iPad. We say "we will send you over some information to look over." Works like a charm.

I looked, we have done 68 shows from June last year until now....and all but 2 have been no phone contact in any way.
 
ahoustondj said:
Patrick, if that is the way you really feel, then unless you are prepared to be aggressive and make sales/bookings at your upcoming Bridal Show, you may as well not go. These shows involve collecting leads to be called on at a later date.
You wil be better served to pay some kid to put flyers on cars in parking lots.
Click to expand...

Sorry Houston, that's a load of bull plain and simple bs. We'll book between 25-50% of our gigs for the year from two bridal shows without ever calling someone, sending a mailing or using a contact list.
 
jokerswild said:
Not necessarily... I've booked people 10 minutes after a 5 minute phone call that turned out great.

What more is there to know aside from date, time and place before booking?
Click to expand...

rickryan.com said:
On the contrary, I have an online planner that gathers all details needed. Additionally, it automatically follows up until they fill it out. In the majority of my cases, and I'll have just short of 90 weddings this year, I've never met the bride or groom until the day of.
Click to expand...

Sorry guys by booking and never meeting the clients you will never get a sense of who they are and what their personalities are like. I've said this several times before and I'll say it again. Human beings do the majority of their communication via body language, not through typing into an online planner. There are mountains of academic research that back my stance up. You simply cannot gather anything but superficial details about a couple unless you meet them.
 
DJ J Mac said:
Sorry guys by booking and never meeting the clients you will never get a sense of who they are and what their personalities are like. I've said this several times before and I'll say it again. Human beings do the majority of their communication via body language, not through typing into an online planner. There are mountains of academic research that back my stance up. You simply cannot gather anything but superficial details about a couple unless you meet them.
Click to expand...

I am not going to get into this yet again, but this is pure bull. Facebook (and twitter) have made it so I can actually know MORE about any of our clients than a simple 20 minute face to face meeting can ever give me. I friend all our clients through my personal account and can learn all about their personalities and lives for up to a year (depending on when they book). You really think you are going to get that much from body language?
 
DJ J Mac said:
Sorry Houston, that's a load of bull plain and simple bs. We'll book between 25-50% of our gigs for the year from two bridal shows without ever calling someone, sending a mailing or using a contact list.
Click to expand...
Have you ever stopped to think that you could have booked more if you had made additional calls? Oops, sorry, I forgot you are a DJ and not a Salesman. My bad. Carry on. BTW Every business has a product they have to sell one way or another.
 
90 Weddings LOL. Okay so I have booked 4 last minute weddings but I brought them in for a face to face with 3 days to go prior to the event. 100% customer satisfaction from each of them and a solid event due to full detail and due diligence.
 
Patrick you are very successful in how you have presented yourself much more than 90% of the folks here but I cant agree on what you say I have to trump you on this. I dont care how much investigation you do on FB or via emails you cant gain knowledge equal or close to what a face to face allows. I am sorry I have to adamantly disagree. You are 100% more successful with your formula than these folks on these forums but I have to say if you did face to face like I do you would increase potential.
 
My biggest concern was ( like someone else said ) why are they looking for a dj now and not a few months ago ? I usually ask for 30 days notice so I can make sure I have the songs that they need . When I told her my fee it was like "well ,um I have to talk to ,um my sister " so my guess is that she was looking for a $50 dj
 
ahoustondj said:
Have you ever stopped to think that you could have booked more if you had made additional calls? Oops, sorry, I forgot you are a DJ and not a Salesman. My bad. Carry on. BTW Every business has a product they have to sell one way or another.
Click to expand...

Yes we could possibly get a couple more by calling folks from a list, but as I've said before if I don't want it done to me, I'm not going to do it to someone else. There's a reason why salesmen are stereotyped as slimey d-bags and most folks will avoid a salesman like the plague.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back