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Thread: The first step on the road to knowledge is realising how little you know.

  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    I get what you're saying, but the money side won't look after itself until you ASK for more money. To achieve a higher fee, you have to put your prices up. It won't magically increase by itself!
    Totally agree, however I think DJs are too fixated on price and worse still on how much they can get for a gig. When was the last time you attended a seminar with a basis in earning (say) £60k a year ? Most of them just go on about how much you can get for a gig. Now, a lot of people get sucked into this figure/gig but this is totally irrelevant if you can't get that amount on a regular basis.

    I have had a few bookings amounting to over £2k a booking yet would be suicidal to concentrate on those bookings. One of my competitors is very well known and commands in excess of £1k a booking - however the amount of bookings would not be enough for me.

    I know it seems a bit big-headed, but all most people have to do is ask for the money. I totally agree people can be put off by a low price just as much as a high price. It is a confidence thing, but also knowing your market and how people think - very little to do with actual DJing.

    By not talking as much, it is surprising how you do grow your fee. I am by no means the most expensive, but on the few occasions I have discussed prices it is surprising how my competitors charge the same (within £20 to be precise). I took over a DJ company earlier in the year, who were my biggest competitors - yet the fees they charged were exactly the same as mine.

    Now some would believe that this thinking will bring me to be 'the same' and everyone charging 'the same'. Maybe true, but this amount gives me a decent living, is an amount I am happy with and my only obstacle being able to keep just below VAT registration levels - hence a good accountant to guide me lol.

    I could probably increase fees, work less etc however I think I have left it a bit late as at the back of my mind I need a retirement plan (early semi-retirement in 9 years). So, I would prefer to build a business, rather than be an individual working for more money - for others, especially those younger, I can see the appeal.
    Semi-Retired Multi Award Winning DJ

    www.ultimateweddingdj.co.uk

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    OK - I'll chip in

    As another example, an experiment I did just last week based on a post from Mr Ferrel on the DJ Idea Sharing Facebook group. His challenge was to find out how much it would cost a customer to dry hire your equipment. Now bear in mind that dry hire doesn't include music (or obviously the DJ), I was genuinely shocked. I make a profit on my prices, but there's a lot of my competitors who taking that scenario, are going out for free or at a loss!
    A more pertinent challenge would be to find out why a potential customer would choose to dry hire equipment at a similar or even a greater cost than engaging the services of a mobile DJ.

    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    OK - I know it's a slightly different scenario because hire kit takes a beating and tends to be replaced more regularly....but it's a way of seeing the difference between hiring just a disco, and hiring YOUR talent and experience.
    What makes you think hire kit takes a beating? it certainly can on occasions, but thankfully it's quite rare in my experience, and the terms in the contract gives me recourse when it does, the biggest problem facing the hire business is theft. Equipment does get replaced regularly, but that's to ensure it stays current and remains in good cosmetic condition, people want new, shiny kit that looks and sounds good at their event, not used and abused old tat.

    I totally agree with you that the road to better gigs and higher fees is to SELL prospective clients your talent and experience, the question here is how, it's hard to demonstrate experience and talent unless they've seen you in action. Your appearance and confidence helps in a face to face situation, but how do you get them to approach you in the first place? A professional looking web site helps, but there's a lot of them out there. I think Toby has the right idea in making full use of YouTube, with his videos placing him at smart weddings in upmarket venues, the fact they can 'see him in action' IMO, gives potential clients useful reassurances on what they're likely to get. I've never met, or been at any of his gigs, but based on his videos alone, he would be on the short list if I were looking for a mobile wedding DJ in his area.
    Inside every old person, is a young person wondering 'What The Hell Happened'. Tempus Fugit

    Disco 4 Hire

  3. #13
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pe7e View Post
    Your appearance and confidence helps in a face to face situation, but how do you get them to approach you in the first place? A professional looking web site helps, but there's a lot of them out there. I think Toby has the right idea in making full use of YouTube, with his videos placing him at smart weddings in upmarket venues, the fact they can 'see him in action' IMO, gives potential clients useful reassurances on what they're likely to get. I've never met, or been at any of his gigs, but based on his videos alone, he would be on the short list if I were looking for a mobile wedding DJ in his area.
    I've performed at 7 gigs this year that all mentioned the selfies that I take and put onto Facebook as one of the deciding factors as to why they booked me.

    From that, I can deduce that I am incredibly handsome.

  4. #14
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Smyth View Post
    I've performed at 7 gigs this year that all mentioned the selfies that I take and put onto Facebook as one of the deciding factors as to why they booked me.

    From that, I can deduce that I am incredibly handsome.
    Your logic is on a par with the scientist who set off firecrackers behind frogs, and noted they jumped in the air.

    When he had removed their legs, and repeated the experiment, they failed to jump.

    From this, he deduced that frogs could no longer hear the firecrackers, for they have ears in their legs.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  5. #15

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    Training. Networking with the right people... I think they can all make a positive impact on what we do. Lots of skills are transferable, so you don't necessarily have to take training especially for DJs.

    As I alluded to in another thread I once looked at the ProMobile conference & thought "God what a load of...". Maybe because I felt I wouldn't fit in. Well something must've changed since then...

    It's funny that the kind of people who continually preach you won't get that round here always seem to be the same who mock professional associations & trying to improve yourself. Training? Why do you need TRAINING just to rock up & play some music at people!? .

    It used to annoy me people were like that. Not anymore. Let them fester I say.

  6. #16
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post

    It used to annoy me people were like that. Not anymore. Let them fester I say.
    Yup I've pretty much pulled myself off of every group online except a small invite only "elite" group - which sounds arsey and the sids around here HATE it where the high earners around here, i.e. the guys I'm actually in competition with, all help each other out and actually do some great work. As for the other groups - there's only so often you can actually try to help people up the bar before you think - why am I bothering to try and help people who don't want help?

    I actually get grief from certain corners because I'm constantly calling out the local super sid for all sorts of snide and dodgy stuff he gets up to which is way over and above your usual sid gig hovering / let down antics...

    I had a guy shadow me on Friday night who to his credit kept asking me from around February until we were able to tie our schedules up somewhere not too far away - always happy to help folk with that kind of gumption, the guys that contribute nothing to forums or meets but are on any sort of gig being offered like a fly on e?... pass

    With regards to skills and training - the two things that have really helped me are being a teacher and starting out in bands.

    I spend nearly 30 hours per week talking to an "audience", usually one that doesn't really want to listen to what I'm saying at that, so I'm extremely good at public speaking and communication as a whole. Wider picture I also have led training sessions with colleagues and I'm currently working through my Masters so always have to reflect on my practice and how I can improve - this carries over to the DJing perfectly - after gigs I'll sit in the hot tub with a bottle of fizz and reflect on the night - did I find a cool new set of tunes to mix together? did I interact as well as I could have? Did I sell myself to the audience? etc...

    As for starting out in bands that helped in a few ways:

    1 - it showed me A LOT of really bad practice from flaky musos that I avoid like the plague

    2 - I've honed my performance skills from being on stage in the band which came from studying guys like Springsteen, Jagger, Bowie, Liam Gallagher etc... and how they project themselves on stage. THAT is something I think a lot of DJs lack, they're either unaware or too self conscious to realise that you don't need to be bouncing around like a mad man but getting into the music and looking like you're having a ball (even when the only thing you're thinking about is the 2 hour drive home) looks a whole lot better and creates a much better connection with the crowd than spending the night glued to your laptop or dare I say, dicking about on your phone.
    Last edited by Excalibur; 31-10-2017 at 01:30 PM. Reason: merged posts

  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nakatomi View Post
    It's funny that the kind of people who continually preach you won't get that round here always seem to be the same who mock professional associations & trying to improve yourself. Training? Why do you need TRAINING just to rock up & play some music at people!? .
    As my photographer "friend" said recently, "he was only playing records". To which I still have not had a reply (nor am likely to I bet).

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    ...looks a whole lot better and creates a much better connection with the crowd than spending the night glued to your laptop or dare I say, dicking about on your phone.
    Quote someone who booked me for their wedding last weekend... "we went to a wedding a few months ago and the DJ set up the music and then disappeared for 30 minutes at a time and just didn't look interested in what he was doing".

    So the public do notice

    Julian
    http://www.bristoldiscohire.co.uk - Quality Disco and Equipment hire for Bristol & Bath
    Weddings, Birthday Parties, Kids Parties, School Disco's and more
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  9. #19
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Jules View Post
    Quote someone who booked me for their wedding last weekend... "we went to a wedding a few months ago and the DJ set up the music and then disappeared for 30 minutes at a time and just didn't look interested in what he was doing".

    So the public do notice

    Julian
    I said to the lad who was shadowing me on Friday that you want them to not notice that they're noticing.



    For client meets I tuck my paperwork inside my macbook which has my branding on it. Even if I don't need to fire the thing up, my opening gambit is pulling out an expensive laptop I've gone to the trouble to put some personalised graphics on - that sells the idea of value compared to some snidey PC World thing.

    Most people won't know if you've DMX'd your lights to within an inch of their life, but they will subconsciously notice that they're not going mental and being blinded.

    If you're always smiling and looking like you're enjoying yourself, people are going to intrinsically think you're a decent guy and be on your side.


    And so on. It's really not rocket science but the vast majority of guys just don't get it.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post

    If you're always smiling and looking like you're enjoying yourself, people are going to intrinsically think you're a decent guy and be on your side.


    And so on. It's really not rocket science but the vast majority of guys just don't get it.
    That is probably the part of the job I find hardest of all. Tough crowds, abuse from the outlaws.. they all can take their toll on a DJ's disarming smile...

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