Do you always meet potential clients who request a meeting?

[yourdj]

I didn't and don't like feeling like I am in some kind of audition and have to sell myself and prove myself to people.

Toby, in the new house that I have bought there is a 24ft x 13ft garden room that I am going to make into a club house / office type place and I think what I may do is start inviting customers that have already booked me round there for the meetings. I have a few ideas for it once I am settled (mind you, it may change into a bar with pol table, dart board and projector screen etc!).

Its horses for courses, a bit like the all day hosting it possibly only suits certain people perhaps? i have a great time when meeting with clients. i rarely sell myself, sounds like you got a bad one. i had a couple the other day and i literally got nothing back from them. They were lovely, but very shy. They had only booked the venue the day before, so did not know what to do so I think I baffled them with detail. They both did not work and were about 20/21, so I did not set my hopes high. Anyhow, they booked for a £1,500 package the next day and paid in full!! I emailed the photographer, priming him to bring a lot of content to keep the meeting flowing and they also booked the biggest package?? We think they have inheritance, won the lottery or something.

Perhaps going into a sales meeting at "selling yourself" is a mistake, although it sounds like you met the sort of client I don't like to attract. Having said that you can get a conflict of personality, where no matter what you do the client will just not like you, my only complaint came from a blinding residency wedding. I went specifically to her house as she could not be bothered to come to the venue. We added in free uplighting and the disco was brilliant. My assistant says it was one of the best that year in terms of requests and dancing. Hey ho, her photographer and good friend said she was a "pain", but it still really upset me.

As per per sales meetings, answering their questions is the best thing and offering advice on other aspects of their event is really great as it shows your more than just another DJ. I tend to start each meeting with, how are your plans and what other suppliers do you need. I then email them later with my recommendations. Many people mention that I was not very pushy and passionate about what I do, which I suppose is the sort of sales person i would want to meet if I was planning a wedding.

Club house sound lovely! I think having a room with all your extras set up and a little bar seeing juices and coffees is great. You can also have a big telly, pretend you have to get some more milk and leave them watching a showreel that you don't have on the website. I like the idea of a little 1-2 bed chalet type house with bathroom/lounge etc. For circa £40,000 you can have somewhere to work from and get rid of the kids when they reach teenage years: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Award-Winn...4AAOSwNSxVCZja

If we went for a self build i am wondering if we could build this first and then build the actual house a few years down the line?? Beats living in a caravan. The other option is to buy a small house in a nice location, build this and then develop the house bit by bit over 10 years. Big plot in Salisbury area with a small house £300, cabin and building costs £50. sorted. I think having that as a demo room really could not show your passion for your trade any more!! You can have a duplicate of most optional extras and demonstrate them in a Jules holland fashion, while they sip on an organic smoothie or latte.