Disco Enquiry Sites

[ppentertainments]

* This thread is not intended to accuse any persons of any wrongdoing whatsoever*

<Rant On>

Why is it that whenever I receive an enquiry through a 3rd party website, most of the time the client has already booked a disco before I reply, even if the reply is very prompt ?

I used to email replies whenever I received from these sites, but now I phone whenever possible. As an example I received an enquiry at 1934 last night, I was checking emails at the time, so within less than a minute of the enquiry being received I was on the phone to the client. "sorry, we are already sorted" :confused: :confused: Must be good going if you can make an enquiry and book someone within a minute.

This is before I talk about price, service etc etc as I always start my call off by enquiring if they are still searching for a DJ.

The sites I am talking about have been mentioned on the forums so wonder if anyone else finds the same problems ??

</Rant off>

[soundmaster mobile disco]

I totally agree.I seem to be getting enquiries at the momment which i reply to,but i never seem to hear much back from them untill i follow it up.I then normally get the reply,sorry but we have already booked a dj.

I will not be renewing my silver membership with them.

[Andy Goodtimes]

So what are you suggesting?...Do you think they are deliberate to make you think membership is worth while or do you think its other DJs checking out the competition?

Its a bit risky as if you are ringing and being told sorry we are booked up already the person on the phone must be in on it and one of these days you will recconise the person on the end of the phone.

I get enquiries from WDJA and AMPDJ which are a little different to directories but on the odd occasion we have caught out other DJs putting in false enquiries but generally they are pretty genuine.

[ppentertainments]

So what are you suggesting?....
Not suggesting anything Andy, just wondering if it was just me finding this, hence why I have not mentioned any specific sites.

I agree a lot will be other DJ's, however I would not expect them to leave landline numbers.

[gaza]

One of the sites that i am on i have a baner at the top of the page for my area, but i have only had five visits yo my website, very disapointing:(
and yet clients are going through the multi quote option,:confused:

[MBK]

I have to agree even on the pay per enquirey sites (dutch auction).
From speaking to one user of the service they posted on a few of the enquirey sites so hence they had already found a DJ.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Have to say I've yet to encounter anything like this?

[mike8863]

Not suggesting anything Andy, just wondering if it was just me finding this, hence why I have not mentioned any specific sites.

I agree a lot will be other DJ's, however I would not expect them to leave landline numbers.

it's not just you.........

:(

[djdave01]

i only use one pay per enquiry site, the enquiries i do get arrive in my inbox at 11pm

most clients want an email reply to which most never respond. I suspect that my quotations end up in the clients junk mailbox, and are never read.

if there is a contact number i will call them, but i dont find that out till ive paid for the contact details.

at a rough guess, in the last 6 months ive replied to 20 enquirys, of which i got 2 replies, and just 1 booking

[Chris G]

I have experienced much the same problem. I am receiving roughly about 10 enquiries weekly from this type of site. Have yet to hear back from any of the ones I have sent to far in January. Feel like not bothering to reply really but have paid for this service!

[Dj Diddy Davies]

I'm guessing there is a delay between the person filling out the enquiry form and it being forwarded to the DJ.
Based on an assumption that a lot of enquirers are going through lists of DJs, then it's reasonably logical that they've moved on to the next person on the list (directly via his contact details) and he's sold them what they need.

Of course it depends on how much of a delay there is.

Steve.

[hammy]

I have had about 60 off of a certain site this month to which I have emailed 45 of them, Only 4 ever got back via email but they turned into bookings

[Charlie Brown]

Calling, instead of emailing them may be the way forward...

[hammy]

Calling, instead of emailing them may be the way forward...

I agree on that but, Are you not going against their wishes if they express email reply only????

[Charlie Brown]

I agree on that but, Are you not going against their wishes if they express email reply only????

Tricky.

[Excalibur]

Calling, instead of emailing them may be the way forward...


I agree on that but, Are you not going against their wishes if they express email reply only????
Which most of them are. ;)

Tricky.
No. Simples. Don't.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Agree with Peter. If someone has asked for an email reply, then there is a reason for it.

[Vectis]

Which most of them are. ;)

No. Simples. Don't.


Agree with Peter. If someone has asked for an email reply, then there is a reason for it.

:agree:

On some site(s) it's against the Ts & Cs to call when the client asked for email unless the email address provided is incorrect.

[Jason]

Calling, instead of emailing them may be the way forward...

100%, I get a far better conversion if I'm able to call.
Those that don't want me to call (but provide telephone details), I honour their wishes completely and do politely note in my email that a brief call will allow me to provide a firm quotation.

For the paid enquires, such as GoodParty, they have given refunds (ie credit) if the client has taken another booking and not updated their enquiry.
I had one where the client listed the wrong date.. It was only a few pounds, but GoodParty did quickly issue a refund.

For the enquiry site where you are indirectly paying for leads (UKDisco/AmpDJ/WDJA) then it is difficult to put a price on each lead as its built into the subscription model.
The true cost will be very low, and if they have already found a DJ, then you can only write off the time.

It may also be a good time to evaluate how you reply to email enquires. Even if you do call, having a strong follow-up email is important to secure the booking.

I try to acknowledge some part of their enquiry (so, "I have played at the xxxxx venue many times and attached are a few photos of previous events there) etc.
The rest is mainly a template, sometimes tweaked a little, but the bulk is a few bullet points, emphasising the benefits of booking me.
The actual quote is a PDF, they read the email, then open the PDF.. Its nicely formatted and also stops the email being too long.

If the enquiry is a wedding, then I attach my Wedding Brochure in PDF, and always my Terms and a Quote in PDF.


Some DJ's simply put a price "erm, £150 yeah?" (a client forwarded me this reply from a local DJ for her wedding!)
Sadly, email does not have the impact of a meeting or telephone conversation. Providing links to photos and/or videos will certainly help anyone's conversion rate (providing they are suitable!).
Providing a reply that provides all the information they will need to take a decision.
A price, and a few lines containing acronyms "PAT,PLI, Association Names etc" only confuse clients (to your loss).

[CRAZY K]

100%, I get a far better conversion if I'm able to call.
Those that don't want me to call (but provide telephone details), I honour their wishes completely and do politely note in my email that a brief call will allow me to provide a firm quotation.

For the paid enquires, such as GoodParty, they have given refunds (ie credit) if the client has taken another booking and not updated their enquiry.
I had one where the client listed the wrong date.. It was only a few pounds, but GoodParty did quickly issue a refund.

For the enquiry site where you are indirectly paying for leads (UKDisco/AmpDJ/WDJA) then it is difficult to put a price on each lead as its built into the subscription model.
The true cost will be very low, and if they have already found a DJ, then you can only write off the time.

It may also be a good time to evaluate how you reply to email enquires. Even if you do call, having a strong follow-up email is important to secure the booking.

I try to acknowledge some part of their enquiry (so, "I have played at the xxxxx venue many times and attached are a few photos of previous events there) etc.
The rest is mainly a template, sometimes tweaked a little, but the bulk is a few bullet points, emphasising the benefits of booking me.
The actual quote is a PDF, they read the email, then open the PDF.. Its nicely formatted and also stops the email being too long.

If the enquiry is a wedding, then I attach my Wedding Brochure in PDF, and always my Terms and a Quote in PDF.


Some DJ's simply put a price "erm, £150 yeah?" (a client forwarded me this reply from a local DJ for her wedding!)
Sadly, email does not have the impact of a meeting or telephone conversation. Providing links to photos and/or videos will certainly help anyone's conversion rate (providing they are suitable!).
Providing a reply that provides all the information they will need to take a decision.
A price, and a few lines containing acronyms "PAT,PLI, Association Names etc" only confuse clients (to your loss).

Hello guys hope your all doing ok.;)

Interesting post relating to Marketing.

In our experience obtaining business by email is becoming a lot easier for us than phone calls---

The reason we now find is that certain of the punters who phone are the
ow much is it brigade :( who like most people have a very poor retention time scale --i.e. you tell them things about your product but they either forget it or confuse you with someone elses quote.

I know this because several phone up and ask for xxxx who obviously works for one of our competititors, so they get the phone numbers mixed up :daft:

Whilst it is best practice to follow up every enquiry with an email outlining your proposition they often dont want to do that as in ---

I have written your details down ( probably on the back of a postage stamp or something smaller ) if we need you etc will call back---we know we wont hear because they are usually tyre kickers.

We find emails are an excellent way of promoting your product and if you use all the modern technology can put forward a good case even if you are not the cheapest--

Things like quick replies( service) go down well.

Other tools we use are feedback emails from previous customers, detailed quotations ( no mention of equipment other than Professional Sound System)
video clips of events, pictures etc so at least the punter has it on their computer and its available to be looked at when a decision is being made rather than trying to rely on scribbled notes or a poor memory.

My wifes agency has taken 15 bookings so far this month for gigs throughout the year and only 3 resulted from a phone call---the rest were Web Enquiries followed up by successful email quotes.

My only query is--if leads are put through and the client asks for no phone contact why would they put their number on the enquiry form anyway --are they forced to do so by the lead generation system--we dont ask for phone numbers because we believe they would ring us if they wanted an iniital consultation over the phone.

It smacks a bit of a salesman will call--and we all hate that--even if we are salesmen ourselves ;)