four DJs, one wedding
Two of them said a price. One asked a question first.
Four DJs get a call about the same wedding.
One says, "I do it for $2,000."
One hears it's a fancy venue and thinks, "Ooh, they're rich." So he says $10,000.
The other two just walk through everything they do. The playlist. The lights. The mic. (Somebody's playing the Cha Cha Slide either way.)
Then there's the DJ that I coach.
He asks questions first. And no, not about date, time, and venue.
- Can you tell me about your big day?
- What would make your first dances feel perfect?
- When you think of your reception, what do you think would make folks feel like your wedding was the best one they'd ever been to?
And people LOVE being asked questions. It gives them a chance to talk about what they're excited about.
Then he says something like, "Amazing! I'm asking because my goal is to make sure I give you exactly what you're looking for in that space, so all of your guests walk away saying, 'This is the best wedding I've ever been to.'"
Before he's even finished, they already feel better about him than anybody else. And he hasn't said a price yet.
So why am I telling you this?
Because three of those DJs answered "how much?" as fast as they could. Only one of them asked anything back.
We do the same thing. Somebody DMs "what do you charge?" and the rate goes out before you know what it's for. Somebody asks for a quote, so you count the hours and send a number that night.
Don't say a number until you know what it's for.
So before your next quote goes out, ask three questions first.
What's this really for? Not the deliverable. The event, the launch, the season of their business.
What have they already put into it? The venue, the other vendors, the money, the time. That tells you what's at stake.
What would make them say "best one ever"? Then build your offer around protecting that, and price against what it protects.
Hit reply and tell me what you sell. I'll tell you what I think it really unlocks for your clients.
Jonathan "I don't dance" Ray
PS. The Cha Cha Slide is non-negotiable. That one's free.
