Chasing up enquiries.

[Excalibur]

Perhaps not applicable to folk not enrolled in a certain site which provides leads ( sorry Martin, I'll need a fiver off next year before I say NaD. Oh crap, now I've said it. :( ) but one of the reasons for me winning one was " didn't pester for a decision, unlike many others". Granted, it's less than a month away, so time would be a factor.

Does it help or hinder to chase them up? How long should you wait before chasing? What do you say? Floor's all yours.

[Benny Smyth]

Perhaps not applicable to folk not enrolled in a certain site which provides leads ( sorry Martin, I'll need a fiver off next year before I say NaD. Oh crap, now I've said it. :( ) but one of the reasons for me winning one was " didn't pester for a decision, unlike many others". Granted, it's less than a month away, so time would be a factor.

Does it help or hinder to chase them up? How long should you wait before chasing? What do you say? Floor's all yours.

I send a chase up email about a week after the initial enquiry. It's just a short email asking if they are still interested in my services, and briefly reiterates the pros of booking me. I've actually found that my chase up emails have a pretty high conversion rate. I think that if somebody wanted to book you or not - for whatever the reason is - they'd know straight away. Nothing in the chase up email will be the deciding factor to make them book.

[Spirits High]

I have an automatic email set up in DJEP to send 14 days after initial enquiry.

Works surprisingly well

[yourdj]

Judging by my own site, chase up emails (where I have not had a meeting) result in at least 2-3 bookings (usually out of 10-15), or at least a meeting at the venue. Well worth it, although i have not done it for the last 3 months. :p

So if I follow the OP (what does that mean - original post??) then I would chase up the decent events from DEP - such as weddings and corporates, and leave all the price haggling ones. :)

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I never do, without sounding like a big headed willy waving type I don't feel the need to plus people who are keen book within a week or so. I had chase up emails when I'm the client as well and they just annoy me personally.

[Imagine]

So if I follow the OP (what does that mean - original post??)

In Peter's case, Old Person :sofa: (only kidding!)

I always chase the juicy ones about a week later, sometimes sooner. Depends on what my email tracking reports say about how many times they've read the original email or visited my website to see who I am.

I was nervous about it to start with as I'm one of those who'd get a chase-up email and think I was being pushy, but I actually convert quite a few this way so it obviously works

[Shaun]

I never do, without sounding like a big headed willy waving type I don't feel the need to plus people who are keen book within a week or so. I had chase up emails when I'm the client as well and they just annoy me personally.

I don't follow up either. I respond, then that's the end of the contact until they initiate any further dialogue.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I used to follow up around a week after the initial enquiry and I found that some weren't ready to make a decision as yet so I personally felt as if I was coming across as desperate and hassling them. I leave it a couple of weeks now and it's surprising just how many replies are along the lines of "Oh, I totally forgot about it"....Come on, as if you are going to forget eh? (But I guess some do).

I'd say the conversion rate is 50/50 really although one enquiry for a wedding that I did chase up was interesting.
I'd met the mother and father of the Bride at a wedding fayre (yep, the Bride & Groom themselves weren't there). I had a decent chat with them and after the event I emailed them a full quotation. A week after not hearing anything I decided to chase it up (I only contacted them again if I am honest because they seemed very keen) and the reply I got came across as quite abrupt. I know it's difficult because it is just text on a screen with no emotion but I got that feeling when I read it.
It was from the mother of the bride who informed me that her husband had sourced a DJ who was a friend of a friend. Ok, no problem at all. It was one of those where I said "Sod ya!" out loud and wrote it off. As the wedding is at one of my main hotel residencies I decided to provide them with some advice on PLI and PAT. The mother of the bride came back and thanked me for the advice and I thought that was the end of it..........it wasn't.

Out of the blue about 2 months later I received an email from her asking if I was available and did the quotation I provided her with still stand. She wanted to book me because they'd been let down by this other DJ. It resulted in me being booked and the wedding is a midweek one in a couple of weeks time. It is not one that I am looking forward to if I am truthful because I have yet to talk to or meet the Bride and Groom as it is the mother of the bride that has done everything and the way she comes across isn't too great.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I used to follow up around a week after the initial enquiry and I found that some weren't ready to make a decision as yet so I personally felt as if I was coming across as desperate and hassling them. I leave it a couple of weeks now and it's surprising just how many replies are along the lines of "Oh, I totally forgot about it"....Come on, as if you are going to forget eh? (But I guess some do).

I'd say the conversion rate is 50/50 really although one enquiry for a wedding that I did chase up was interesting.
I'd met the mother and father of the Bride at a wedding fayre (yep, the Bride & Groom themselves weren't there). I had a decent chat with them and after the event I emailed them a full quotation. A week after not hearing anything I decided to chase it up (I only contacted them again if I am honest because they seemed very keen) and the reply I got came across as quite abrupt. I know it's difficult because it is just text on a screen with no emotion but I got that feeling when I read it.
It was from the mother of the bride who informed me that her husband had sourced a DJ who was a friend of a friend. Ok, no problem at all. It was one of those where I said "Sod ya!" out loud and wrote it off. As the wedding is at one of my main hotel residencies I decided to provide them with some advice on PLI and PAT. The mother of the bride came back and thanked me for the advice and I thought that was the end of it..........it wasn't.

Out of the blue about 2 months later I received an email from her asking if I was available and did the quotation I provided her with still stand. She wanted to book me because they'd been let down by this other DJ. It resulted in me being booked and the wedding is a midweek one in a couple of weeks time. It is not one that I am looking forward to if I am truthful because I have yet to talk to or meet the Bride and Groom as it is the mother of the bride that has done everything and the way she comes across isn't too great.

Ah the old talking cheque book.

I might be making a big stretch here but I think it's a result of them being rinsed at every turn when helping out with the wedding and to them you're just another £4 bit of fabric that sits over a chair or £500 set of envelopes...

Any time I've had that sort of vibe, they've been fine once they've seen exactly why it is I charge what I charge i.e. the service and professionalism I provide. Let's be fair mate, the guy she initially booked was a total disaster so she's probably got that playing in the back of her mind too.

Shouldn't be too hard to impress her on the day.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Fingers crossed mate!
As long as she's not one of those "You should be playing this" types and tries to tell me how to do my job then SHE will be fine.
Another comment I should of added was that I generally quote for 4.5hrs. When the enquiry came in she wanted an additional hour and because I wasn't working at the time I gave her the price for 4.5hrs.
Because it is a midweek booking the finish time is earlier (hotel rules). I went to see the hotel the other day to go over the details and I'd forgotten about the earlier finish time until they reminded me. So, keeping the mother of the bride up to date I contacted her and told her and she came back with "A slight discount of the price is in order I assume?"

I had a right laugh (not) trying to explain to her why I wasn't discounting the price.

[Andy P]

Im currently mixed myself, if I get another enquiry for the date I may send a reminder if its a good prospect or at least a better one.

Its normally just to say ive held the date for 5 days and now ill have to accept other offers.