Weddings Pricing on your web site?

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Arrrgh -- another used car salesman... :sqerr: :sqeek:

What I mean is you don't have to lay out all the what if's.... you know...

It's this price if you're within 10 miles or this price if you're 100 miles... but if their are 3 flights of steps then it's this price....

Dear Ms. Bride2Be,

Congratulations!

I would be more than happy to send you a detailed quote for your upcoming wedding reception.

Our basic Wedding Package starts at $XXXX.XX

Depending on options you choose, location of your event and the distance to travel the actual quote could vary.

Please give me a call at: (555) 555-1212 to setup an appointment to discuss your entertainment needs.

Papa

Now does ^^^^that sound like a used car salesman?
 
I don't know if it is 10 miles from my house or 100.... I don't know if I have to carry stuff up 3 flights of stairs.... I don't know if the venue is a place I don't want to work. I don't know if they want no lights or lots of lights ( lights are an upsell for me ) .... I don't know if it is a place that will charge me $25 to park....

I agree with Rick, I've never understood the need to have certain information before qouting a price (beyond the type of event). Not to pick on Papa, but since you posted some specifics...everything there (except for lighting) is simply the cost of doing business. You will do some gigs near home, some far away. You will have some easy load ins, and some nightmares (parking is a venue imposed charge and is covered in my contract as the clients responsibility...however I have yet to come across a venue that charges the vendors for anything). All you are doing by charging for this is nickel and diming your customer. Why should they feel penalized because you happen to live 50 miles away, or they've invited too many people, or the banquet manager is an ass. They shouldn't need a math degree to figure out how much they have to pay for music at grandpa's birthday party. Figure out a reasonable hourly rate that accounts for your expenses (knowing that some may only occur on certain gigs) and make it easy for your clients.

Chuck, do you charge extra if there is a wasp's nest within 100 feet of your bubble set-up? (Sorry...couldn't resist. Haha.)
 
Well, we have 5 janitors here.... why would I do their jobs? :sqlaugh:

They'll probably still be there, after yer gone... :sqwink: :sqlaugh:


It's this price if you're within 10 miles or this price if you're 100 miles... but if their are 3 flights of steps then it's this price....

My time is worth the same, whether I am climbing steps, driving or playing.

If you called me right now, and asked if I could write you a program to do blah, blah, my rate would be $250 per hour. If you wanted me to take out yer garbage, it is $250 per hour. If you want me to paint your walls, it is $250 per hour.


I have valued my time at that rate currently -- I couldn't care less whether I'm painting, taking out trash, driving, or playing -- you still get the same rate (if I'm willing to take the gig).
 
they probably will.... they only make $7.90 an hour, last I heard.

So, what is yer time worth Son...?

I have a job that should take you 10 hours. What will it cost me?
 
I am with Rick on this. Sort of. I have a minimum price per hour I will charge, for that it doesn't matter what I am doing (although I do not take out trash, sorry you can clean up your own darn mess). But I have certain specialized skills that will cost people a premium.

Mike
 
My wedding is in 2010. What is your price for 5 hours?

That is it. No other information. What the hell am I supposed to say to that?

"Thank you for inquiring about my services. The answer to your question can be found on my site, but I'd be happy to give you an idea.

If the 5hr window you mentioned includes a ceremony and a 4hr reception, the price would be an even $900. If it is a 5hr reception, the price would be $850.

This is, of course, assuming no extras like travel charges beyond my 30mi radius, extra dance lighting, etc.

If you would like an exact quote for your wedding, please feel free to call me to discuss in more detail and set up a free consultation.

Thanks again for your inquiry."

:sqwink:
 
What is your definition of the word "hose"? Is it any of the following?

The Online Slang Dictionary

1. To lie to.
2. To have sexual intercourse, especially in casual circumstances.
3. To take advantage of; SCREW.
4. To break, ruin, or destroy.
5. To seriously injure or kill.
6. To water, drench, or wash with a hose

Should be pretty obvious which one is meant... :sqlaugh::sqcool:
 
"Thank you for inquiring about my services. The answer to your question can be found on my site, but I'd be happy to give you an idea.

If the 5hr window you mentioned includes a ceremony and a 4hr reception, the price would be an even $900. If it is a 5hr reception, the price would be $850.

This is, of course, assuming no extras like travel charges beyond my 30mi radius, extra dance lighting, etc.

If you would like an exact quote for your wedding, please feel free to call me to discuss in more detail and set up a free consultation.

Thanks again for your inquiry."


:sqwink:


You can do that if you like. I actually won't spell it out for them. I figure if they ask me like I had in the post, we're probably not gonna end up being very compatible, anyway.
 
Whew! I can't believe I just ran thru 18 pages of this.

Good points all.

Here's my take:

I'm about 50 miles north of Ron Auger in Mass. An area hard hit with unemployment, and the local C/L is full of price grabbers. I put ads there with my logo and a link to my website.....very little comes from C/L....but hey, it's a free plug.

On my website I give full pricing disclosure. My lowest priced package I roll with a laptop, a microphone, a Rane MP4 and a pair of Eon15G2's and stands. I can fit this in my car. Many of you would feel my low-end package is too low.....

Here's my take.....

I got out for 16 years. The reference base I had then for referrals is long gone. I restarted almost a year ago, and I just had a 6 week roll of at least a gig per weekend, and a couple that had Saturday and Sunday. A neighbor works for the Mass DMH, and she got me a hookup that is beginning to take off. In this bad economy in a depressed area, I'm averaging 2 gigs/month. At this point I'm happy with that. Word is getting out, the phone rings and I'm starting to hear the magic words for a Northern Mass DJ which can be one of two things:

1: We heard you at xxxx and you were great. We want to hire you for our xxxx.

2: Our friend referred you as he/she said you were great.

It's mostly word of mouth here.

I put my prices on the site to pre-qualify. Theres a sh*tload of short-money "DJ's" in my area. Here, the first thing they want to know is the price. At the bare minimum, posting starting rates for packages weeds out those looking for the bottom-feeders.

If I get the call or the email.......3 out of 4 times I can sell myself.

Once my referrals get back to where they were 16 years ago, I'll be on autopilot.

I am the chief bottle-washer, van mechanic, webmaster, and all-around opportunist. Plus I love people and music.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Paul
 
You can do that if you like. I actually won't spell it out for them. I figure if they ask me like I had in the post, we're probably not gonna end up being very compatible, anyway.

LOL... To each their own, but they're only human!

It's already spelled out for them as both my base rates and any "extra" charges they can incur are already there for them to see on the site. There is a certain psychological advantage to be had by you by simply pointing out to them they have that information in front of them already, and a certain sense of satisfaction in reminding them/making them realize they are asking you the obvious.

Sure, maybe they are a maroon, but at least you can get a certain amount of satisfaction by telling them in a way that would make their grandma blush that they actually ARE a maroon!

You've put them in their place at that point, and if they aren't scared at that point and actually take the time/make the effort to respond in the slightest positive way inquiring more, you are pretty much guaranteed you are going to get in front of them for a consult - and probably get the gig.

Being able to deliver to them the point that they should not really be asking you the question in a non-condescending and patient way speaks a lot about your character and implies/gives the perception of a certain amount of graciousness that goes miles towards making you "a good guy," and that much more likable.

Sure, this may be putting too much thought into it, but I could say that dismissing them and shutting a door based simply based on how they chose to ask the initial question that was borne out of a harmless sense of naivete regarding what you as a professional might need to answer effectively speaks of just a tad of arrogance and shows little to no patience or willingness to work with people.

Sure, they may not know any better when it comes to framing the question to you in the way you would like it framed - but how bad does that make them, and how SHOULD they have known better? Do you have a detailed list of ALL the bits of info to provide when asking for a quote published in plain sight and easy language each and every place you might have your email or phone number published/displayed? If not, you *just might* be expecting a bit much of them, and acting a bit too harshly when they *just don't get it* on their own.:sqlaugh:
 
My attitude these days is, "if I get the business then I get it and if I don't I don't". Yes, pricing on the web does discourage the tire kickers but if you tell them how it is derived then maybe they'll get it.

My price is $50/hour for all hours invested in making their special day even more special. That breaks down to:

Site Visit: 1 hour + travel time.
Finalization: 2 hours (travel's on me).
Travel to event
Set up at event: 2 hours
Performance: Averages 4 hours.
Take Down: 1 hour
Travel from event

If the even is 1.5 hours away, then it will be 3 hours travel.

So that comes to:
Site Visit: 1 + 3 = 4 hours
Finalization: 2 hours
Travel to event: 1.5 hours
Set up at event: 2 hours
Performance: 4 hours.
Take Down: 1 hour
Travel from event: 1.5 hours

That comes to: 16 hours total or $800.

That may be a small amount for a four hour wedding to some of you but, as Ron is so fond of saying, I'm part time. After I pay off my assistant the rest of that money goes to discretionary money for my wife and I.

I have an ad on CL (see attached JPG) that links back to the site that I am getting some decent activity off of.

Considering that I shut down the website for about four months and ended all advertising, the activity I am seeing isn't bad.
 

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Tom,

I would consider that deceptive advertising. Not totally because of the way you are presenting it, but because of ignorant people in general.

I see that, and I say cool -- $50 per hour x 4 hours = $200.

I'm not gonna read the rest (actually I will, but 5 out of 10 won't). So essentially, you've duped the prospect into thinking they will get their gig for $200, when in fact, they will pay $800.

When they call you, and you explain all the line items you mentioned, they cry bait and switch/deceptive to their attorney general. You get in trouble.


Careful with that stuff -- people are sue happy these days... ;)