Maybe you could cut your talking points back to a more reasonable 15 minute.
Lol I wish... but it's not how my consultations really play out. Consultations are more of a question and answer opportunity for couples to ask anything that is of interest to them. It's not a sales pitch or a structured presentation. For example... here was today's consultation that lasted 50 minutes:
- Groom is a friend of a past couple from 6 yrs ago so spent a few minutes chit chatting about random stuff.
- Turn thing over to couple to ask any questions that are of concern to them... which were the following:
- So the venue offers their own uplighting and dancefloor lighting... but from your videos it seems that the last couple chose yours... is there a difference? This answer takes time as you gotta break down uplighting vs dancefloor lighting capabilities and control capabilities.
- We have a diverse range of ages and backgrounds... how do you handle that and can we give you requests? I have a very specific approach when dealing with requests and cultural elements, and personally I think my approach is one of the reasons that makes me stand out. It's not a simple yes or no question.
- I noticed in your pricing info you highly suggest staged sparkler photos, what do you mean by that? Straight forward answer
- We've been to weddings in the past where the DJ plays songs for too long and things get boring, is this something that all dj's do or is there anyway we can play just the best parts of the song? I explain my club background, my quick mix style, and the benefits of it and how it's appreciated by my couples and takes the energy to a higher level with the right crowd.
- If we want to work with a saxophonist or other live instrument, how does that work between the two of you and do you have any recommendations? Explain how they're tied into my sound system, monitor their levels, can provide referrals etc.
- When do we meet to go over the music and formalities? This is a longer answer as I have to explain how I utilize an online planner for them, as well as talk about the planning process, when we hold the finalization meeting and what we cover, when all the info is due, and the final call the week of to run through everything one final time.
- We may be having an after party... is that something you can do and how does that work/how much does it cost? Breakdown how the pricing works, how I have multiple systems and that one will be ready to go once the reception is over, and how my assistant will be getting music going there as we're playing the last song for the reception to create a seamless experience. In their case I also told them exactly where the dj would be set up and how they arrange the room so they can visualize it better since I had done it before there.
- When you were mentioning formalities... how do we know when we're supposed to do what... is this something that we're supposed to tell you or is that something the venue does? Talk about how we customize a timeline to their needs, then relay that proposed timeline to the venue and other vendors to make sure everyone is on same page (for example, do the photographers need to pull you for nighttime photos).
-So if we want to move forward, how do we do that? Explain to them the contract and retainer payment requirements as well as how the final payment is taken care of.
- Do we need to decide the package items now... we're still not sure what we really want, but we know we want to book you and secure you: Tell them the benefits of working with me means nothing is subcontracted so I don't need to contact others to hold things, nor do I have other dj's that will use my inventory of items and they can add items at a later date (couples LOVE this, as most other companies pressure to add things at time of booking with no option to change their minds).
Keep in mind within each question there are follow up questions or clarifications needed specific to their needs or expectations. We also do sidetrack here and there, but I feel those random side conversations create a better connection and relationship between me and my couples. Couples love the time spent and the dedication in hearing them out. The one consistent comment I receive is that my conversation was the most informative and exciting conversation they had with any vendor.