A Tricky Enquiry

[DJMickeyk 0]

I have come across a tricky situation with regards a gig enquiry. The reception manager in a hotel that I have done a few 21st and wedding parties at rang me looking for a quote to do her wedding, she had seen my setup and she told me I was her first choice. It is on a tuesday night during the off-season, so no chance I would lose other bookings because of it. She said she is on a very tight budget, so if I could do her a good deal she would make sure to recommend me to clients booking parties at the hotel in future (it's a lovely venue and I enjoy playing there). I thought this was reasonably fair, so I quoted her 50% of my normal wedding fee, she still said this was too much and could I do any better!! I was a bit taken aback, so I told her i would need to think about it and get back to her, I think she expected me to offer to do it for free, but this is absolutely out of the question. I guess what I'm asking is what do you guys think, should I give her an even further reduction and take the hit in the hope that she can get me more work by way of recommendations, or do you feel she is trying to take advantage? I have never been asked to do something like this before, and felt my original quote of 50% of my normal fee was being very generous already, not sure what to do.

[gadget 0]

How did you tell her the price?

 

Did you tell her the normal price you charge was X, but i'm giving you a 50% discount.. so the price would be Y?

 

 

[vokf 0]

Difficult call to be honest.

 

If she wants a very low price, you'll need more than hints of extra work to justify doing it for a low fee.

Does the hotel have a recommended supplier list on their website/literature?

 

Push hard to be included on that list. If you're good enough to for her wedding, they should be strongly promoting you anyway.

I would say this would be non-negotiable for me.

 

Price-wise, 50% reduction for mid-week, with the above "extra" is ok - basically look at it as a cost of advertising.

 

Also, consider who else would be willing to do it for under your 50% price. If we're talking sub £100 here, then the work needed to provide the best service for her wedding, means you'll be working for close to min wage. An outsider wouldn't be interested, unless she also offers to recommend them...

 

If any recommendations are simply going to be a casual agreement, then I couldn't justify offering a lower-price.

You don't need her to recommend you to her friends/family (they'll be there anyway!).

[DJF 0]

tell her you are giving her a discount of 50% (which i think is MORE than generous) if she thinks its too much, just tell her you know what a professional and GUARENTEED service she gets fromyou, if that is still too much tell her to ring around then.

 

YOU ARE OFFEREING A 50% DISCOUNT REGARDLESS WHAT YOUR PRICE IS?????

[DJMickeyk 0]

She knows my regular price as she has rang me with booking enquiries for clients before, and I did explain she was getting a 50% discount. I am already on their recommended supllier list, and I have business cards left at the hotel which they give out to clients who book events there. TBH I'm pretty busy and not desperate for the work, as I'm out every saturday regardless, but would still like to keep in well with every venue I play at. I think she is trying to take advantage and I will probably stick to my guns. Even at 50% of my wedding fee it's still way more than min wage, and the venue is a stones throw from where I live so for a tuesday night I think it's ok, but feel I have dropped my price enough tbh. I might throw in some uplighting or photo display or some other extra though, of course she may decide to go with somebody else, and that is fine as well, some clients will book the cheapest disco possible and if they are on a tight budget that is understandable.

[Dukesy 0]

Clients, can and do take liberties. More so the regular variety.

 

Unfortunately, perks of the job, any job - come in all shapes and forms. I've known hotels, who enjoy business from other businesses taking clients there for lunch year 'round, opening their doors at Xmas and allowing the company to hold their staff christmas party there for nothing. Its not unheard off, especially in the hospitality industry.

 

There are two ways you can approach this....

 

First, consider how much business she has already given you over the year, and work out exactly how much it would cost you to work the night for nothing....or, rather, as a tax loss! . The work out how much would it have cost to get the equivalent amount of work that she has given you through advertising and your own efforts?.

 

Also, if the client was considered an agent, how much would you have paid the Agent in commission for getting you the same workload and earning your business the amount of income as this client has given you?. Assuming a 15% - 20% 'cut' of the booking fee, would this total commission be more or less than the cost of one nights work for your clients Wedding?

 

Its all relative in the world of business.

 

If it would cost you £200 in expenses to do the gig for nothing, and you have only got £450 work from them, then obviously its not worth it. However if she has given you £3000 worth of bookings, then that £200 security blanket is a good investment to ensure continued goodwill and loyalty. Unless anybody else can come up with a £3000 work return from a £200 outlay .

 

You could also turn the tables and bargaining to your own advantage, take the upper hand and say you'll do the gig for nothing, if she secures you a contract now, for another 12 months work

 

However, if you want to stand your ground...

 

Point out to her that even if she offered her own friends or staff colleagues the use of the venue hire for nothing, she would still have to charge them for, and expect them to buy drinks at the going rate - she couldn't include them, as the goodwill can only extend to the actual hire and not the trimmings!. State that your business is structured much the same, with fixed costs, which, like her drinks costs, you also have to cover and recoup, and these are what the 50% are paying, but effectively your labour and skills are coming to her for nothing and out of goodwill.

 

There you go, both angles covered. but there is also a third...

 

This is the point where we have to put all of that faith (that forums are often full off) and consider whether the client is booking us soley for our skills and our merits or just the fact that we are charging the 'right' price. If we believe that we 'are' the venues entertainment and they value our worth beyond the cheque book, then don't think twice, just tell her its £xxx" and she can either pay it or you get a night off and she finds another Wedding DJ. :pro:

[DJMickeyk 0]

I do genuinely think she actually wants me to do her wedding, I probably make more effort than most in the area with presentation of my rig and lighting etc, and any gig I have done there has gone great, I don't get anything like 3000 worth of business there annually as I have moved towns in the past year and have only started playing there since I moved (as it is now nearby). They have alot of 21st parties and weddings, 1-2 per week, but there are many well establised DJ's looking for this business, I could potentially get 1-2 gigs per month there I would guess. As stated I have no intention of working for nothing, nor has she asked me to (not directly anyway). On the other side of the coin, the hotel is close to my home, and it is on a Tuesday, so i won't be giving up better paid work in order to do it for a greatly reduced fee. I have decided to stick with my original price but offer her a video disco and photo display as an add on, this means I have to bring my projector and screen as well as my pa and lights, and should keep everybody happy, and rather than sit at home on a tuesday night I will be earning a fee, albeit a small one. That is if she is agreeable to my proposal of course.

[Dukesy 0]

I do genuinely think she actually wants me to do her wedding

 

Then I think without knowing it, you've already answered your own question . Stand firmly behind the fee you've quoted and let her go away to think it over. If your gut instinct is correct, then she'll come back to you.

 

Always go with your instinct.