Ah, another email enquiry

[chrisj]

Been getting a lot like this since my new website went live a few weeks ago.

Subject: Music for wedding reception
Date:
22/03/14

Message Body:
Hi,

Please could you provide me with a quote for providing music for my wedding reception. We would like something subtle and understated and would like to create the playlist for the evening ourselves.


There was a name and email but not repeated here for security reasons. No times No date Just the above.

I will set the enquiry form so that times and date has to be given but at present due to a worldwide virus problem my website login is frozen. Just have to wait for it to be sorted.

[chrisj]

Latest NAD enquiry

From 15:00 to 23:00
Event Type: Wedding
Venue: Chapel Break Village Hall , Norwich (NR5)
Approx straight-line distance between NR10 and NR5 centres: 7 miles
Get Full Directions

Guests: 55, A mix of age groups
Lead Source:
www.needadisco.com

Price Range: £
Customer has indicated a budget of around £150

I wonder if sixtyquidsid will do this one?

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

:rolleyes:

So if you give 3 hours for loading the van, setting up, tearing down, transport etc... he's expecting someone to go and work for 11 hours all in for £150? Good luck getting a decent turn for that.

I got an enquiry through a week or so ago where the person just wanted an evening reception set but I'd need to be set up before 4 o clock for some reason or other. They also wanted to spend £150 tops.

I e-mailed back saying I couldn't even do just the evening reception for that and if they wanted it set up for 4, they'd need to take a half day booking - explained what this included and gave them a quote.

I got a snarky e-mail back asking why I was charging for a half day when they only wanted music from half 7.:daft:

I wonder if they only paid the transport for the no doubt couple of miles / 10 minute drive most of them tend to do.:confused:

[chrisj]

Well the thing is, as an entertainment agent said to me a few years ago, if you have a full time job, how much do you earn in a day. Now as a DJ you exoect twice or three times as much. It was the laugh of the week and I have never worked for him.

Better stop this as it is another pricing thread.

[musicologydisco]

How spooky. I've just taken a wedding booking at Chapel Break for August (filling in for a cancellation I had last week nicely). Haven't even had chance to put it up on my website yet! Not those hours tho'. Just 7-11.

[Vectis]

Latest NAD enquiry

From 15:00 to 23:00
Event Type: Wedding
Venue: Chapel Break Village Hall , Norwich (NR5)
Approx straight-line distance between NR10 and NR5 centres: 7 miles
Get Full Directions

Guests: 55, A mix of age groups
Lead Source:
www.needadisco.com

Price Range: £
Customer has indicated a budget of around £150

I wonder if sixtyquidsid will do this one?

What makes me laugh is that NaD members who claim to not be interested in £150 jobs still have their preferences set to receive them in the first place :rolleyes:

Funny how those invited to bid on the £750 evening marquee wedding earlier today haven't been posting it on forums :zip:

[chrisj]

Well if it were a 4 hr £150 job mid-week then I may be interested but not 8 hrs on a Saturday before 20 mins loading, 20 mins travel and 1 hr set up plus packing up and travel home time. Wow that would be 10 1/2 to 11 hrs work.

Ah but, as an agent once said, that is just under a day and a half and how many people earn £100 per day.

[chrisj]

Next please. Enquiry from my website but not a lot to go on.


Subject: Childrens disco - aged 13

From: Jeni
Subject: Childrens disco - aged 13
Date:
last 2 weekends in June(Fri or Sat) still looking for a venue

[hammy]

Next please. Enquiry from my website but not a lot to go on.


Subject: Childrens disco - aged 13

From: Jeni
Subject: Childrens disco - aged 13
Date:
last 2 weekends in June(Fri or Sat) still looking for a venue

I do get a lot of them Chris and as I was advised on here to just go ahead and quote them if they are bogus then they wont pay the booking fee (you do take one?) in my contract I keep the date open for 10 days, If no contract or booking fee returned I will take on another job.

[chrisj]

I am not quoting as some enquiries are from Essex or Cambridgeshire, even Hertfordshire. Can't quote if I don't know how far I would be going or whether it is 2, 3, 4 or more hours.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I am not quoting as some enquiries are from Essex or Cambridgeshire, even Hertfordshire. Can't quote if I don't know how far I would be going or whether it is 2, 3, 4 or more hours.

Why not just email them back and ask for more details then?

Putting up every email without enough detail does seem a little pointless to me when you can just email them back and ask for more information.

[hammy]

Why not just email them back and ask for more details then?

Putting up every email without enough detail does seem a little pointless to me when you can just email them back and ask for more information.

Darren beat me to it.

[musicologydisco]

Yep. A lead is a lead. Go and convert it!

[funkymook]

Why not just email them back and ask for more details then?

Putting up every email without enough detail does seem a little pointless to me when you can just email them back and ask for more information.

I love emails where they've left off one or two essential details - perfect opportunity to ask them more about the event, get a dialogue going, make a connection etc without feeling you're holding back a quote.

[Shaun]

I love emails where they've left off one or two essential details - perfect opportunity to ask them more about the event, get a dialogue going, make a connection etc without feeling you're holding back a quote.

:agree:

[chrisj]

Why not just email them back and ask for more details then?

Putting up every email without enough detail does seem a little pointless to me when you can just email them back and ask for more information.

I emailed back as soon as I saw the enquiry. I did say I am booked on 2 of the 4 weekend dates and would like to know, when they have booked a venue, where it will be held as well as the start and finish times.

Mark, ok a lead is a lead, how would you convert it when it could be any of 4 days and the venue has not yet been booked? Could be anywhere in Norfolk, Suffolk and as I get enquiries from Lincolnshire and even Hertfordshire it is not a case of just giving a quote. I realise you have a map on your website with prices for travel distance but this teen party may clash with an afternoon children's party so until I have details I cannot quote.

Had a call. YES, a telephone call this morning asking about lighting hire for a black tie event later in the summer. Before I checked my diary and would quote I asked where it was required. Holbeach in Lincolnshire came the reply. Not worth me travelling all that way but I am booked that day for a wedding.

[musicologydisco]

I only mean you immediately make a friendly and helpful reply. That's the first step towards converting the lead as you have already done it seems. The tone of that first response is critical to begin the reeling in. Ok you may not be able to accept the booking but at this stage that doesn't matter because it could be an absolute goer! Getting the inquiry in the first place is a golden opportunity to firstly convert then close.

[musicologydisco]

Hang on a minute. What am I doing helping the competition here? DOH!

[chrisj]

Don't worry about it Mark. You are not telling me anything I do not already know after 44 years as a DJ.

Problem is I still cannot login to my website to change the enquiry form saying the times and venue must be entered. From my host 'On Thursday 11th April, there was a large scale botnet attack targeting various Wordpress sites around the globe.' and this caused my site login to be closed and not yet sorted.

Just lately I have had so many emails without dates or times and I always send a friendly reply asking for more detail. Obviously I do not have a standard disco but with full or part mood lighting, different lighting with or without moving heads, 1.5m wide or 3m wide gantry where you have quite a basic with no overhead gantry and speakers on floor with lights on as well as others and laser on tripod.
Unlike you I will not quote an hourly fee plus a travel distance fee as on your website but I quote when I know what my clients want.

For instance I spoke to a client early last year who asked for a price after giving me a date but no venue name. Ater a return email I received a call and the future bride told me Lincoln Hall, Hingham and they would like full mood lighting. OK I said I will need to set up the mood lighting before your wedding party arrive at the hall and need access at midday. I gave a quote and they asked for part mood lighting to reduce the cost. This means I need to start setting up by 1.00pm to be ready for 4.00pm when they expect to arrive. They asked for moving heads on podiums rather than on overhead gantry but I did not have podiums at the time. I have today got my podiums and emailed this evening to tell them.
I do what clients want and have many variations rather than a basic rig.

[musicologydisco]

I love emails where they've left off one or two essential details - perfect opportunity to ask them more about the event, get a dialogue going, make a connection etc without feeling you're holding back a quote.
:agree: