Thread: Would you have said more?

I got an inquiry yesterday from a friend of a former client, asking about her upcoming bridal shower. I sent her to my rates page: Daniela - Belly Dance Performer and Instructor. I don't remember who her friend is, but if I danced for her friend at some point, she should be somewhat aware of what my rates are.

Anyway, I got an email back saying "thank you for your response, I looked at your site... the prices are really not what we had in mind to spend. Thank you."

I just said in response: "No problem. Good luck with your party!"
I am not in the mood to justify myself today. I am 9 monts pregnant and irritable. ..c::

But would you have said more? Would you have tried to engage her in negotiation, or sent her an email explaining that your prices are normal for a PRO? Was it a bad business move for me not to say anything, or do you think this girl had her mind made up already?

Just curious. I am not a "negotiator" so I typically don't do it, but I'm curious to see how others would have responded.

i would have added

"i cant also recomend you someone else, as most of my professional colleagues charge within the same price bracket"
good luck with your party"

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

i would have added

"i cant also recomend you someone else, as most of my professional colleagues charge within the same price bracket"
good luck with your party"

YES!

I wouldn't. She's made it clear she wasn't even thinking in the right ballpark, so I don't think it's a matter of negotiation.

The best thing you can do for a customer at that point is let them off the hook without embarassing them, let them know there are no hard feelings.

They may not be able to afford pro entertainment right now, but if their situation changes in the future, who knows?

People who've never hired live entertainment have NO idea. She might not have thought to ask her friend how much she paid. People assume it's going to cost around $25, maybe $50. After all, they only want 15 minutes of your time, right? Seriously, I'm not sure how much I would have expected it to cost before I knew better, but I think I would have been capable of that level of ignorance.

I don't think it is right to start engaging the customer in an argument. As a customer, I am entitled to have my own ideas of what something is worth to me (which may well be completely different from the market/fair value) and what budget I set aside for it. If something costs more than what I want to spend, it's up to me to accept that, and do so politely, without arguing that the price needs to be lower. But, by the same token, I'd get irritated if somebody argued with me that I should spend more than I would like to.

You absolutely did the right thing. Usually, I keep my responses short-and-sweet, just like yours. My "stock" response is typically along the lines of:

"No worries. It can be tough to budget for a big party! Please keep in touch if you do change your mind. Good luck planning your event!"

And yes, I like to leave the option open. People actually have changed their mind, made some room for me in their budgets, and followed through with booking me!

If, OTOH, the customer is rude and makes a big stink about how "expensive" I am compared to The Dancer Down the Street, I have been known to tailor my responses somewhat .w.: Nothing too snarky, just something that politely evokes the sentiment "you get what you pay for."

I think you did the right thing. I agree with Lauren on this. I had NO idea how much live entertainment cost when I first started dancing, and I would have thought $50 would have been a fair price. People just don't think about all of the extra time that goes in to something like this.

Satin, I love your response. <steal>

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Satin, I love your response. <steal>

Thanks! Glad it helped. Seriously, though, you never know how things might pan out, so it pays to be sweet and understanding. Sometimes, a customer might create some wiggle room in their budget, or maybe they might shop the market only to find that your prices really ARE fair. Or maybe another member of the family might chip in on hiring you. A little kindness and understanding goes a long way.

If they're being a pain in your butt and you're feeling 99% certain that you won't close the deal, then feel free to play the "you get what you pay for" card

Oh yes, I always take the high road. Thank them for their interest, wish them luck with their event, and overall give them the impression that I'm not phased in the least. They may find someone to dance for the price they're offering and be very disappointed with what they get, and me being pleasant instead of confrontational could lead to them saying "I wish we'd have hired that Galatea instead!".

Im actually suprised they responded back. Typically I win't get a response nless they are trying to negotiate. I think I agree with the rest where I wouldn't have said anymore. Its best to not burn bridges of any kind. especially when now this person has an idea of what it does cost and MAY hire you in the future.
xoxo,
-Nadirah

No, Daniela ... you did just the right thing! Good luck!

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

i would have added

"i cant also recomend you someone else, as most of my professional colleagues charge within the same price bracket"
good luck with your party"

I wouldn't even mention recommending anyone else, unless the client had specifically asked.

I agree, your response was just fine, you may be overthinking this!!

You did the right thing. Don't lecture your potential customer. Leave the door open for future transactions... it is not unknown for someone who thinks a dancer charges too much to have second thoughts after calling around.

A few smoother phrases a la SatinWorkshop are not amiss but your response as it is was fine.

Thanks ladies! I always wonder if I screw myself out of potential gigs because I am not a "salesman" and I don't take every opportunity to "close the deal".

Like, if I was a car salesman and this client came back at me with that kind of comment, I would be calling and emailing her 20 times a day attempting to engage her in a negotiation. :-) (I know this because I just bought a car and those salesmen are RELENTLESS)

Well, if your first quote is a negotiable position, then yes, you could do that. And if you enjoy negotiating, then go for it! Our fees are not designed to be negotiatble.

Originally Posted by maurazebra

Well, if your first quote is a negotiable position, then yes, you could do that. And if you enjoy negotiating, then go for it! Our fees are not designed to be negotiatble.

Neither are mine! The only way I am negotiating is up :-)

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

Thanks ladies! I always wonder if I screw myself out of potential gigs because I am not a "salesman" and I don't take every opportunity to "close the deal".

But remember, sales is a numbers game. You won't do business with everybody you speak to.

As a dance entrepreneur, I don't look at the sales process as closing every deal. Just like I did in advertising sales, I qualify my clients on factors like dollar potential, personality/"product" fit, my personal convictions, and the possibility that I might leverage any one gig into future referrals or repeat business. If there's a good fit, they almost always choose to do business with me. If it's a suboptimal fit, I let them make the call. If I want to tear my hair out at the end of a conversation, I kindly refer them to a friend

If you spin your wheels on unqualified (or just plain lousy) prospects, you will wear yourself out. Even in b2b sales, we were encouraged to spend most of our time working on closing and servicing "Key" and "Target" accounts (the ones with the most potential to spend) rather than closing every "Secondary" or "Extra" account (one-off deals, or small ad budgets) that came along.

But you don't need to know all this sales lingo. Your gut will tell you whether or not you want to pursue a sale...

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I wouldn't. She's made it clear she wasn't even thinking in the right ballpark, so I don't think it's a matter of negotiation.

The best thing you can do for a customer at that point is let them off the hook without embarassing them, let them know there are no hard feelings.

They may not be able to afford pro entertainment right now, but if their situation changes in the future, who knows?

People who've never hired live entertainment have NO idea. She might not have thought to ask her friend how much she paid. People assume it's going to cost around $25, maybe $50. After all, they only want 15 minutes of your time, right? Seriously, I'm not sure how much I would have expected it to cost before I knew better, but I think I would have been capable of that level of ignorance.

Was going to chime in something similar. I definitely had that thought when my friend and I decided to hire our bellydance teacher to dance at our friend's bridal shower. We paid $20/hr each for class - had NO idea what it cost to hire a bellydancer. I mean, we did it, but I was in shock.

Also I recently contacted a friend to ask her what she would charge to do a logo for a show I'm producing. She quoted me 250-500 dollars, which I'm sure is fair - maybe even a deal. I realized I couldn't afford it for our show (it's a charity show with a max revenue of 5000 based on max ticket sales), so I had to say "Oh, I don't have that much budgeted." I had to be clear I wasn't expecting her to lower her prices - it was my problem, not hers. But it makes me think more kindly on the people who think my prices are high - they just don't know. (Of course, if they follow it up with "why do you charge so much, you're just shaking your ass" it's a different story.)

I've had logo's made for $50 bucks and they are nice! My friend is a graphic designer and it goes from $50 and up! Not sure what other going rates are on that. I guess it all depends on the area you are in. Our prices for belly grams are different in Arkansas. Different cost of living here.
Since I'm a wedding photographer I constantly have people thinking wedding photography is $100 bucks...and I always reply with "good luck and congrats on your wedding" and then I think "have fun trying to find a $100 photographer!" Always easier to just reply with a simple response! ;-)

I never justify my rates outside of the explanation on my website. I feel that my videos, pictures, and professional promotional materials speak for themselves. I can usually tell when a potential client is just price-shopping, and I have a "get what you pay for" attitude (though I would never say it). I always tell them to keep me in mind for future events, and they often come back and book me after all. And several times, when the client went for the lower-priced dancer, they contacted me afterward to tell me what a disaster it was! The clients worth dancing for recognize the difference between higher-priced professionals and lower-priced knock-offs.

Congrats on your baby! I'm 5 1/2 months along with a baby boy - what a challenging blessing this prego stuff is!