Why Not Me?
When you reply to a disco enquiry via email, there's a very good chance that
the client will have also asked for quotes from other sources too. If one of
your competitors secures the gig instead of you, what do you think? Have you
been undercut? Was the client just looking for the cheapest? Possibly, but maybe
there was another good reason...
Here at AMPdj we survey every
client who submits an enquiry and we have received thousands of replies. From
these, we can see that price is sometimes, but very rarely, the only deciding
factor.
One of the probing questions we ask clients is: 'What influenced your
decision?'. Here are some of those responses and our analysis of them...
“Lack of info in reply: some gave lots of info, others none at all except, ‘call
me’”
Why would a client call you if you haven’t given them a good reason to?
If you provide them with in-depth information about your service and convince
them that you can provide a really exciting party, then there's a far better
chance that they will call you.
“All DJs were around the same price so I chose from the websites”
The general
procedure for a client is to read the email and, if that interests them, they will
click through to the DJ’s website to find out more and confirm what they have
read. If a DJ doesn’t have a website or somewhere to point a client, it’s as
if they have an important rung of the sales ladder missing that the client needs
to 'climb'
before they book.
“They sent me pictures and reviews which helped me make
the right choice.”
When a client clicks through to a website, they are mostly
looking for evidence in the form of pictures, videos and testimonials. If you
don’t have a website, there are other ways of enabling clients to see picture
and videos such as directing them to Facebook, YouTube, etc. Testimonials
can be incorporated within your email reply. Including these items as an
attachment might seem the obvious answer but bear in mind that savvy internet
users are very cautious of opening attachments because of internet 'nasties'.
Also, not every computer has the necessary software installed so the client may not
be able to open your attachments to view them.
“The first guy made spelling mistakes
and didn't have a website. The person we chose was more professional.”
It
could be argued, ‘what has my spelling ability got to do with DJing?’ When you
reply to an email, the client can’t hear or see you, so they form an opinion of
you from the written word. If your email contains spelling mistakes, or is
grammatically incorrect with poor punctuation, it is likely they see you as
someone who can’t be bothered and doesn’t pay attention to detail. A poorly
written email is also difficult to read hence it is unlikely to be read all the
way through. You may be the most professional DJ in your area, but if your
email contains mistakes, it will be harder for you to convince the client
otherwise.
“Most local to our venue, had operated at our venue before and
appears to appreciate our low level requirements.”
If you have performed
at a venue before, make sure you tell the client. It is very important to them
and is a way of saying that you are suited to this venue and they will have a
better party because you understand how the venue prefer to do things.
“He
seemed nice, jolly sort of personality and understood what I wanted the party to
be.” “He was really nice and helpful”
People buy people. If you come over as
friendly and approachable, a client is much more likely to want you at their
party. An important part of the marketing process is building up a good rapport
with your client. You need them to like you.
“The range in prices
(£65 - £280) made me worry that the cheapest would be rubbish, and the most
expensive just way more professional than needed for a 10 year old party (I
might consider them for an 18th or 21st).”
Perceived value is a major
influence when choosing to buy, or not as the case may be. If you are too cheap,
discerning clients will think you only charge that amount because you’re not
worth more. On the other hand, it is very easy to price yourself out of the
market. If your fee is a lot higher than your competitors, you will need to
convince the client that they will get more and have a much better party if they
choose you.
“I did not go for the cheapest quote, I was influenced more
by the email received as it seemed more friendly and professional.”
This
demonstrates again the importance of a well written email. Members of AMPdj can
use our free support service to have their email checked and ‘tweaked’ so that
it is of the highest standard of written English and comes over as
professional.
“Out of the two that I have chosen to look further into,
basically because their email correspondence was directed more to me, because of
their experience and because of their explanation of their services, was better
than some.”
A long email isn’t enough; it has to be relevant to the client
you are answering. Be sure to use the ‘so what’ method. Every time you say what
you do, include an explanation of how this will benefit the client and make the
party better. It is these details that will make you stand out from the
crowd.
“...email wording and services offered”
When you reply to an
enquiry, you never really know what the client is looking for and what will tick
their boxes. The more detail you include, the better the chance of hitting on the
one thing that tips the balance in your favour. It could be something small
like being sympathetic to volume, or being a specialist in a particular genre….
You just never know sometimes.
“I wanted 90s indie music and he listed
the most bands I used to listen to! This was more important than price.”
Always look at the enquiry closely and match your response to what they are
looking for. If they are enquiring for a wedding, it’s not advisable to talk
about other types of functions you do; keep it relevant.
“We wanted an
‘entertainer’ not just a DJ, and he fitted that request.”
There is a market
for all types of DJs; from those who let the music do the talking to being an
entertainer and instigating the fun using a microphone. Make it clear in your
email response which type of DJ you are. This important point is often
omitted from a response because the DJ is trying to be everything for everyone.
A client is far more attracted to a DJ who has a particular style and
specialises in one thing rather than a ‘Jack of all Trades’. You won’t be
everyone’s cup of tea, but you will tick the box more times than not.
“Influenced by the way the DJ came across in the email, the look of their
website and past feedback”
This response demonstrates the actual thought
process of the majority of clients; interested in what is said in the email,
check that this is substantiated by the website, then backed up by what other
clients have to say about this DJ.
“Feedback from other customers on
their website and the proactive response from the DJ”
Never underestimate the
power of testimonials from previous clients. Also, communication is key. We’ve
all dealt with the frustration of waiting for a reply or finding it difficult to
get hold of someone. The easier you make it for clients to correspond, the
more professional you will appear.
“When I spoke to the person he was
very friendly and was able to understand my needs. Nothing was too much trouble”
Your personality is as important as your DJ skills. It doesn’t matter how
advanced your mixing skills are, if the client doesn’t like you, they are very
unlikely to book you.
“I had 3 replies. Two decent and one with a just a
price and nothing else so didn’t bother about him.”
The price is very rarely
the only deciding factor for clients. When a client asks for a quote, what they
are really saying is, ‘what can you do to make my party a success and how much
will it cost’.
“I was surprised how many either did not list prices or
did not have a web site to look at.”
Even if the price isn’t the most
important thing for the client, they still want to know if you are within their
budget. If you have a complicated pricing policy, try to give at least a
parameter or list the options with their relevant prices. We also know that
in many, many cases a client will increase their initial budget if the DJ they
like ticks all the other boxes.
“Testimonials; website with photos;
personal letter from DJ; professional looking set up. DJ seemed genuine,
friendly and professional”
This comment, provided by one client, could easily
be used as an ideal check list for your email response.
In this modern
world, email has become the most common form of communication. Therefore it is
imperative to get it right first time and give a lasting, positive impression to
a potential client.
Any AMPdj member who would like their email
critiquing (for free as a benefit of membership) can send it to
sandy (at) ampdj.co.uk. We make sure that each email is unique to that member and
reflects their service. Non-members can also avail of this service for £25.00.
Till next time
Sandy, Paul and the team at AMPdj
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