Your best line to combat cheap DJs?

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And the unfortunate part of that story - is that you've anchored them to what you're worth. It's unlikely that you get that church to pay you a market rate for that event. They will forever be "poisoned" from having had a $200 DJ.

In my experience, that comparison you're making is part of how rates will ultimately rise. You'll see another DJ do a gig one day... and find out they are making $600 a night. And they're using worse stuff, not engaging with the crowd correctly... and you'll think.... "Oh... well I'm at LEAST as good as that guy. I should be worth what they are... if not more."

There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist in this space. Most full timers and serious professionals started out as just that. But the more samples you have to compare to... if you're doing good work, the more you'll increase your perception of your own value.

I'm not looking for a market rate; it's dances that my kids and their friends go to. Unsurprisingly, they had a terrible DJ, so I offered to do the dances and that was their budget. It's closer to charity. And honestly, if they came to me and said they were cancelling future dances because the church pulled their entire budget, I would probably offer to keep doing them for free.

But if a school or some group I had no ties to called and asked for the same type of event, they wouldn't get the same price. It would be at least $225.
 
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Two thoughts:

1) Why do you assume that she’s a bad lead when she hasn’t indicated anything negative towards you or your service? This seems to be another example of just assuming the worst.

2) If you suspect she’s price sensitive... why not set up a call so you actually have a chance to impress her versus just sending a number?

Clients will spend more with someone they feel good about. The only way for someone to feel good about you is to have a positive interaction with you or your brand.

She’s coming to you as a referral... somebody was kind enough to tell her you are worth her time and money. I would never ever refer again if I thought clients I referred were being dismissed as cheap by the provider I sent them to.

Maybe she has heard enough good things about you to overcome the underwhelming repose to the inquiry. But you could improve this a lot. This is where your close ratio is falling apart.

Followed up with her, no surprise here.
Hey there, yes I received it. In the mean time another company contacted me back and they are cheaper :/. Thank you so much for you time!
 
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While I definitely feel that this client from the start was all about the price, and wouldn't be swayed regardless of what you did or said... Ross brings up a valid view. Your initial response to an inquiry is crucial to the probability of getting booked. I give a very detailed response with a number of videos, highlights of what makes me unique about my approach, and also the benefits of choosing a professional. I also include a pricing catalog with a number of photos, detailed pricing, and descriptions of my options. It creates a very obvious difference in quality of what I offer compared to my competitors, and I showcase my value without even having to say a word. I would suggest to all to work on their email techniques and the content that is found within their initial email response.
 
Sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm not arguing that the capital investment is comparable. I'm saying that if the group doesn't have the money, then they don't have the money, regardless of the capitalization of the vendors. But in this case, they did have the money. It would be like giving a friend a low rate for their wedding because they just can't afford your full price, and then showing up and seeing a bunch of really expensive ice sculptures (that you find out they paid full price for).

It doesn't bother me that much because it's mostly charity. I was just pointing out that my assumptions about their overall budget were apparently off.

You're still way off base.
Restrooms are required, often by municipal codes/law for an event gathering of a given size. They are not frivolous "ice sculptures."
No one is required to have a DJ, and the value of settiing up or acquiring music via a disc jockey is minimal. That level of basic music service is not that valuable. It doesn't matter how good you are - the event has it's own built in value limit.
 
Followed up with her, no surprise here.

To Ross's credit - I think the more notable part of her reply was: "...in the meantime another company contacted me back..."

She has just told you in plain English that you were relatively non-responsive, and no one wants to pay more for less attention. Had your response been more informational or helpful as Taso suggested, then she likley would have had to make some hard comparisons between you and the less expensive competitor. In the end perhaps she would still not have hired you but, you made that decision for her and it was a slam dunk.
 
I give away knowledge to brides all the time
I've made the mistake of giving away too much knowledge to hot prospects. I had one that mentioned her uncle has a PA system and I'm sure she took the info I gave her and applied it to him doing her wedding. What happens is we want to convey our expertise and end up giving them way too much info.

That said, Ross you've demonstrated some very good customer service type of replies.
 
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I do not have a great line that convinces someone focused on price.

I find enough people are concerned about value, and not only price.

I focus on generating enough leads so I don't need to try to convince the people that have price as the number one concern. Not everyone is my customer.

I tell and show people what we offer and how I believe it will benefit them.

It works enough, but doesn't convince everyone.

And then we generate many of our leads from people at events or referrals because I believe we provide value.
 
I've made the mistake of giving away too much knowledge to hot prospects. I had one that mentioned her uncle has a PA system and I'm sure she took the info I gave her and applied it to him doing her wedding. What happens is we want to convey our expertise and end up giving them way too much info.

That said, Ross you've demonstrated some very good customer service type of replies.

I think Ross is spot on with his advice on educating prospects. Can they steal your knowledge? Sure, but I can't say that I ever remember it happening. Most often, when I rattle off a long stream of information they respond with "Wow, you really know your stuff." and I believe it helps solidify you as "the guy" they want for their event. Now it doesn't work in all cases (obviously). The case that I added here, mostly likely, would never hear anything besides the price. It's the sales game. You play the percentages and you win some and you lose some.
 
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I've made the mistake of giving away too much knowledge to hot prospects. I had one that mentioned her uncle has a PA system and I'm sure she took the info I gave her and applied it to him doing her wedding. What happens is we want to convey our expertise and end up giving them way too much info.

That said, Ross you've demonstrated some very good customer service type of replies.

Thank you. You can certainly give away information to folks that end up using it on their own. But, find that giving freely leads to more coming back to me than what I give away. It's not a 1:1 relationship on who ultimately benefits me, but I try not to measure it that way.
 
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One of them was a bride who got married last night and hired a $500 guy who completely botched her event.

How are you still getting this wrong after all I've taught you? ;)
Botched jobs come in all price ranges.

Insuring that you're hiring a pro, takes more than a quote.
IMO, the client botched their own event.
 
"I have no interest in being the cheapest DJ in town. You can also find DJs that are more expensive."

I really don't get into the price-match game. I guess my prices are where they need to be.
And to be honest, I am not in this to make a killing, or to pay my bills...so I usually aim lower than I should.
If I did have to argue my case... this is the direction I would go.
But you have to price somewhere in the middle...to make the comparison work.

You do the best job you can with the resources you have, and charge the rate that attracts a customer with needs that match your resources and ability. Know your limits and only take on as much as you can grow into over time.

Very nicely said, and very good advice.
 
How are you still getting this wrong after all I've taught you? ;)
Botched jobs come in all price ranges.

Insuring that you're hiring a pro, takes more than a quote.
IMO, the client botched their own event.

Good to see you stranger. Quit staying gone so much.

As for your post, I still agree with you. Yes, there are botched jobs on the upper end of the scale as well. Where I'll differ is that, percentage wise, there are far more in the bottom-feeder price range than the guys who are charging premium prices. When a girl insists on going for a deal, she's taking a much bigger roll of the dice.
 
Make the call something that benefits her, not just you. I give away knowledge to brides all the time, even ones that don't book with me. I want them to leave the interaction feeling good about my service and brand. Even if I'm not in their price range, they should leave the interaction going... "Oh wow, that guy really understands weddings." You may not want to go as far as I do... but there are a lot of ways that you can be a positive force for people if you don't assume they're just a crappy lead.

That's one of the keys to brand building and referrals. Give a little away. On several occasions I've been referred by people that never booked me because I took the time to talk with them. I figure if someone is calling me for a wedding it's a prime date. If I don't book them I will book someone or I'll have the opportunity to have a summer Saturday night off. I haven't had a July to October Saturday off in 4 or 5 years. The 5 minutes I spend talking to them and the impression it makes is worth much more than time spent
 
That's one of the keys to brand building and referrals. Give a little away. On several occasions I've been referred by people that never booked me because I took the time to talk with them. I figure if someone is calling me for a wedding it's a prime date. If I don't book them I will book someone or I'll have the opportunity to have a summer Saturday night off. I haven't had a July to October Saturday off in 4 or 5 years. The 5 minutes I spend talking to them and the impression it makes is worth much more than time spent

I had something like that happen 2 years ago. Met with a bride, pitched her and she went with our competitor. She ended up referring us to one of her bridesmaids.They booked us (they got 2 shooters + DJ for about the same as the other single photog) and she was a bridesmaid at their wedding. Before the night was over she admitted she wished she'd hired us and she's referred a couple of times since then. I don't think her choice in photog delivered. Funny how it works out sometimes.
 
Define "botched" job. This too is subjective...

It’s ALL subjective![emoji1] Where’s the science behind this gem???[emoji1]...

... percentage wise, there are far more in the bottom-feeder price range than the guys who are charging premium prices.
[emoji1]

All those guys charging medium and higher prices need to remember that there will ALWAYS be a bottom and a top. If not for us low cost DJ’s, those currently charging medium level prices would become the NEW BOTTOM-FEEDERS![emoji4]
 
Well, there's obviously botched and... If the client is truly happy then there's no botch right? But sometimes the client isn't totally happy and won't tell Mr. DJ, but instead will write a bad review on WW, Knot, or other website. If your client is truly ecstatic they will let you know!