Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Page 1 of 7 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 64

Thread: Warning! Price thread alert.

  1. #1
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    East Yorkshire
    Age
    68
    Posts
    26,833

    Default Warning! Price thread alert.

    OK, in a big way. so we now know that a return to some sort of public, paid work is likely this year. Now seems to be the time to canvas opinion on something that's been on my mind for a while, and to be fair, I don't really know what I will do. It's likely to be a case by case basis.

    What worries me, is that many high class DJs ( especially those who have fallen through the various support nets) may have decided to give the game up, or cut back in a big way. Now there's one person we know, who's likely to have been impacted less than most, and that's our good friend, Sid. I reckon he's gonna come out of hibernation raring to go, for little more than a few cans of pop.
    Added to the fact that many venues will be reopening at limited capacity, and with depleted coffers, and I reckon it's a perfect storm for prices going through the floor.

    The contrary view is that if you're looking at Weddings and the like, there's likely to be a release of pent up demand, a shortage of high quality suppliers, and the opportunity of a price hike, or two. I've seen some people voicing the thought that it isn't fair for a wedding from April 2020 postponed until eventually July 2022 to cost the same price.

    Personally, I do feel that there are going to be pleas from clients for a reduction in fees, some valid, some not. I'm always prepared to consider discounts, as I'd rather do a Disco for less than £200 than earn the same money in the day job. It's been ing hard work just lately.

    Your thoughts on any or all of the above welcome, as always. The floor is yours.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  2. #2
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    1,563

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post

    Personally, I do feel that there are going to be pleas from clients for a reduction in fees, some valid, some not. I'm always prepared to consider discounts, as I'd rather do a Disco for less than £200 than earn the same money in the day job. It's been ing hard work just lately.

    Your thoughts on any or all of the above welcome, as always. The floor is yours.
    I put my prices up considerably last January I'm now charging a similar price for evening's than I previously was for all day shots and I'm now one of if not the most expensive wedding DJ of all the ones around here I know.

    I made the decision during COVID that I wasn't going to revert to my old prices and I certainly wasn't going to go cheaper. I know guys who have done this and I'm not judging them - we all need to make £££ and if that's what they choose to do then it's their business, not mine.

    The uptake since January this year in particular has been really positive - I'm converting a very healthy amount of enquiries. I've never been one for going mad with data so I can't discern for sure and I can't be bothered trawling through DJEP to work it out but I don't feel my conversion % has been affected much, if at all.

    I've not had anyone ask for a straight reduction in fees but a few have asked if there's a lower price if I don't do my video montage - no skin off my back and I knock £50 quid off. The cut in £ compared to the less work involved still makes sense.

    It also means I'm less inclined to bother about 1am finishes, long travels or even moving the date (within reason) - I'm earning more in a night than I do in a week of my teaching job which has a significantly higher barrier to entry so I'm not going to gripe or grumble about little things when the pay off is so good.

    Will I discount for people who ask? No, I already discount for the armed forces and I extended that to NHS staff but I'm not dropping my price just because someone asks - they're entitled to ask, I'm also entitled to decline.

    I've not put much thought into Sid at all. We operate in 2 totally different spheres and have done for many years but I can see how people operating lower down the industry or working in pubs and clubs will be concerned. With that being said, it'll be the venues that drive this. I've no idea what a pub paid pre-COVID but I wouldn't be surprised if that DJ they'd pay £120 for on a Friday night say, they now want to pay £80 and someone will take it, same as it ever was...

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Exeter, Devon
    Posts
    265

    Default

    I put my prices up for this 'comeback'

    Yes I dont get the low end cheap hotel stuff, but the decent clients are still booking at the higher price.
    www.retrodisco.co.uk Mobile Disco and 80s Night Specialists, Devon

  4. #4
    Imagine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Ely, Cambridgeshire
    Age
    53
    Posts
    2,450

    Default

    No reductions here, although I'm seeing a LOT of people on the book of faces advertising discounts

    Enquiries aren't back just yet (it's still too early to be sure exactly when we'll be back), but the ones that are asking are converting into bookings - my conversion rate is well up this year

    As for Sidney - not my competition I'm afraid. Sorry if that sounds snooty but I'm not one for working in pubs, bars and too many village halls I'm afraid.
    There will always be those that hire a DJ on price alone, and they're really not my customer.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Reading, Berkshire
    Age
    40
    Posts
    1,439

    Default

    So 3 things:

    1st thing

    There will be an abundance of SID. An absolute abundance.

    But that's OK.

    How many SIDs will have been bedroom DJs during lockdown? I don't think we're going to see a new crop of wedding djs coming through who have been spinning the dancefloor fillers and classics during lockdown. Very different to live streaming a funky house mix on Facebook...

    2nd thing

    The new SID can play music. The new SID can't host the day, make announcements, provide wireless microphones, etc.

    3rd thing

    The middle classes have saved a LOT of money during lockdown. So whilst budget weddings will see budgets squeezed, expect to see people want to splash out.

    This was from a client who decided a few weeks ago to postpone for a further year "It is but I guess that gives us another year to save up for some extras. "

    So there's already the attitude of spend, spend, spend...

    I think if we unlock in the way that has been planned, there's positivity for those who can do weddings properly, and can hold themselves in a 4* venue.

    Now is the time to be confident, put your prices up, and put some clear distance between you and SID. The difference will have never been starker.

  6. #6
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Worcestershire
    Age
    38
    Posts
    1,964

    Default

    If one boxed clever in the first place, they would realise that DJ Entertainment is a luxury service and would have priced themselves accordingly anyway, which in turn would have attracted a more recession-proof level of clientele. Saying that, in amongst all of the doom and gloom that you read all the time, people have been saving money - they've not been going out and a good chunk of them haven't even needed to pay for travel costs to get to work.

    My planned 2021 price increase was kicked back until 2022 as I wanted to try and help those who had to postpone as much as possible, but it's not something that I can realistically do again, so 2022 has had a price increase. Since 1st January, I've had 62 enquiries, I was able to quote for 49 of those and I converted 18. No discounts offered.

    DJs wanting to race to the bottom is not going to affect anyone but them. As long as you can demonstrate your value and you can market yourself to the right folk, you'll be golden.

  7. #7
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    East Yorkshire
    Age
    68
    Posts
    26,833

    Default

    Jim, well done, and I agree totally with your post.

    Mark, Wayne, can't fault the logic.

    Benny, your post aligns with a lot of things I've heard. Again, I can't disagree with anything you've said, and not surprisingly, everyone I've mentioned has referred to " The Great Divide", which separates them from Sid's clutches.

    Which leaves Gavin.

    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    So 3 things:

    1st thing

    There will be an abundance of SID. An absolute abundance.

    But that's OK.

    How many SIDs will have been bedroom DJs during lockdown? I don't think we're going to see a new crop of wedding djs coming through who have been spinning the dancefloor fillers and classics during lockdown. Very different to live streaming a funky house mix on Facebook...
    Absolutely agreed about the abundance. I'd also agree that there won't be a huge new crop of the " Wedding DJ's" you describe, but I do think that the s are prepared to quote for weddings, cos " How difficult can it be to play Abba and Macarena? Money for old rope".

    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    2nd thing

    The new SID can play music. The new SID can't host the day, make announcements, provide wireless microphones, etc.
    See above. He can't, never in a million years. Still won't stop him quoting though.

    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    3rd thing

    The middle classes have saved a LOT of money during lockdown. So whilst budget weddings will see budgets squeezed, expect to see people want to splash out.

    This was from a client who decided a few weeks ago to postpone for a further year "It is but I guess that gives us another year to save up for some extras. "

    So there's already the attitude of spend, spend, spend...
    Again, totally agreed. It's the word " squeezed" that worries me, though, as I don't class myself as " High End".


    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    I think if we unlock in the way that has been planned, there's positivity for those who can do weddings properly, and can hold themselves in a 4* venue.
    However.................

    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    Now is the time to be confident, put your prices up, and put some clear distance between you and SID. The difference will have never been starker.
    I have a cunning plan...............
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  8. #8
    Imagine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Ely, Cambridgeshire
    Age
    53
    Posts
    2,450

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post

    I have a cunning plan...............
    And it's taken how many inebriated conversations in Broad St over the years to get you to execute the plan?

  9. #9
    Jim - Scotland's Party DJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    1,563

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post

    Again, totally agreed. It's the word " squeezed" that worries me, though, as I don't class myself as " High End".


    :
    Maybe an opportunity? The more air there is between yourself and otgers, the easier it is to convert imo.

    I've no clue what you charge but I'd argue the margins of say a £100-250 difference in fees are harder for a client to discern and you to quantify than a much bigger difference so mid-range fees are harder to justify against sid than higher rates.

    If that conversation ever crops up my go to response is "I'd never tell anyone else how to run their business or what to charge but there's a reason I cost # times what they are charging "

    You don't even have to explain any further, those that were never going to be swayed don't care and those that are will understand that you're a premium service but more importantly,the other dude isn't...

  10. #10
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    East Yorkshire
    Age
    68
    Posts
    26,833

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    And it's taken how many inebriated conversations in Broad St over the years to get you to execute the plan?
    " In vino, veritas"

    Mod Note! Watch it, that's another breach of Rule 23, and you're now on a final warning!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim - Scotland's Party DJ View Post
    Maybe an opportunity? The more air there is between yourself and others, the easier it is to convert imo.

    ..
    The prospect of " clear blue water" between me and Sid is simultaneously appealing and frightening. It's a big leap of faith, and I'm an old bloke, set in his ways. People have been urging me to raise my prices for years, and it's taken a global pandemic to kickstart the idea!
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •