I can pretty much tell how a conversation is going to start when I answer my phone. The majority of calls start off after I greet them with “I’m planing my {wedding/company party/reunion/etc}. How much do you charge?”. I understand why most people ask this question. They have NEVER hired a DJ before and don’t know what to ask.
When you go to purchase a pack of toilet paper, it is going to be the same at the discount store as it is at the department store or grocery store. Why? Because it is all made the same, by the same manufacturer, with company standards. It is fine to seek out a best price because your purchasing a commodity.
When hiring a DJ for your special event, you are hiring someone for their talent and specialized service(s). If you believe all DJs are alike, I would presume you think all actors are alike, or all athletes are alike. Who would you rather seen in an action thriller movie – Tom Cruise or Tom Green? If you were playing a game of 2-on-2 basketball for a million dollar prize, would you rather have Shaq on your team, or someone from the local Jr. High team? While each person is just an actor or just an athlete, they have different talent levels and offer different results. The same goes for a DJ…their talent makes them a specialized service.
Rather than trying to use a the price to determine the quality of your DJ, you should be asking more probing questions to determine whether or not they will deliver what YOU want for your event. At how many events like yours have they personally performed? How long have they been performing? How did they train to improve their performance? What will they do to make your event a success?
The average DJ meets most client’s minimum requirement: show up, play music, and make announcements. The sad thing is, there are so many more things a “TALENTED” DJ can offer you for your celebration. When a client told me he was going to surprise his new wife at their reception by having their favorite local artist sing their first dance song, I didn’t just introduce him to sing. Working with the groom and the artist, we came up with the following introduction following their “Love Story”. Do you think the average “show up, play music, and make announcements” DJ would have been creative and risky enough to make this moment special for this couple? Probably not!
When hiring your DJ, you should be seeking someone who is Talented, offers creative input to make your event unique to you, and most likely will not be the same commodity item, only priced a slightly bit different than the DJ at the bargain store down the street.
