Intention of the class: To give you the best foot forward when interacting with your clients. Great reviews and great Tips ($$$!) start with extraordinary customer service and great client calls.
Client Calls are the number one most important thing you do as an entertainer! It is the first impression, the first chance you get to wow your clients. It is where you confirm all details and insure that you DO NOT FORGET ANYTHING CRUCIAL TO YOUR EVENT!!! We are paid for our professionalism and there is no better place to start than with you client calls. Now that we have discussed why, we will learn when, and how to make these calls, and our best practices for making them.
When to call
Once you have confirmed the event in the online Event Planner, it is recommended to immediately email the client to introduce yourself.
Example Introduction Email:
“Hello (client first name),
My name is (your name) with Pro Sound & Light Show, and I am excited to be your DJ for your upcoming wedding! I just wanted to introduce myself, and let you know that I’m keeping an eye on your online planner, so please let the office know if you have any questions about it.
I will be calling you 1-2 weeks before the wedding to go over the final details, what is the best phone number and time of day to reach you?
I look forward to helping you have an amazing experience on your wedding day!”
Client calls must be made 1-2 weeks before your event, (extra points for earlier)! The Monday before the event is the absolute cut off day for these. If you haven’t at least made a call and left a message by Monday evening, you have dug yourself a little hole already that you will have to shine very hard to get out of. So make these calls as soon as you get your paperwork, because a fifteen minute call could make or break your event!
Get in the habit of a regular call time. Each week, set aside an hour in which you make all your initial calls. Sometimes people will need to reschedule, and sometimes you’ll leave a message. This is fine, you’re not digging a hole, you made the effort and were there for your clients, and it shows! It is about being in communication.
Ok, number one rule time here; NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU BREAK AN APPOINTMENT YOU SET TO TALK TO A CLIENT. If you say Tuesday at 7pm to the client, then you are going to be on that call, or at the very least be in communication with the client before the call in order to reschedule.
If an emergency arises, apologize for the inconvenience and reschedule the call for the soonest possible time you’ll be out of that emergency and they are free. If a client says they will call you, wait for the call, if it does not come by five minutes after the time, call them and see if they’re free.
How to call and what to say
When making your client call, you will need a few things. You’ll need all your paperwork that the client has submitted, a pen and paper for taking further notes (the paper can be they’re paperwork if there is ample space), and a charger handy if you have a cell phone (we do not want you to lose your charge in the middle)!
If you have already recreated their timeline into a Google Document, then have that open and ready to edit during the call.
When they answer, it is best to use a standard greeting, IE: Hi, is this ____________? (assume yes), my name is ___________________ Professional DJ with Pro Sound and Light Show, and I’m calling because I’m the MC for your wedding/event (choose one). Do you have some time now to go over the details? (If yes), Great, what I’d like to do is to go over the names and pronunciations, and then to go over all the details and create an idea of what the day is going to look like. (If no), when would be a better time for you? It’s really quite simple and it makes all the difference to have a professional manner from the get go.
Now, before we talk on details, it is always better to let them speak as much as possible. Comment on song choices positively, and note interesting events that they have chosen. Make sure you give them plenty of space to gush about their day. It’s exciting for them and you want to learn as much as possible about what they have dreamed for their day.
The body of your client calls
After your introduction, start by verifying dates and times; make sure that you note if your start time falls after their guest arrival time and make sure they know about that.
Confirm with them when you plan on arriving to set up, and let them know that you will be all set and ready to go on time.
Go over the Bride and Grooms names, how they want to be introduced, and what are their parent’s names. WRITE EVERYTHING PHONETICALLY, meaning, how it sounds, not how it should be spelt. Check the bridal party names and orders and get photographer and hall manager names. Saying a name correctly over the microphone is important. So get them right now, and save some trouble later!
Now go over all the events of the night. They will generally have a planner filled out, (we provide planners to our clients to fill out and submit back). If they have not filled out any information, no fear, a shortened, not taking planner will be provided with your paperwork you received from the office. Make sure you look at every detail and discuss them in as much detail as they warrant. Make sure you cover a loose timeline with you client and remind them that there is always a bit of a swing in these and that you will do your best to keep the night on that timeline, but to give or take five to ten minutes here or there. Very rarely, you’ll find a client who wants their timeline stuck to by the minute, accommodate that and do your best! TAKE GOOD NOTES!!! I cannot stress this enough, do not be casual with these details, they are life and death to the clients!
At the end of your client call, thank them for their time and let them know it’s going to be an amazing night! Give them your cell number and your email, and let them know that if anything at all comes up before the wedding day, to let you know so you can incorporate it into the day. And of course, be sincere!
(Note: you will find a copy of our basic planner, later in this manual; we will use this as an example in class.)
In the end, it all boils down to making a connection with your Bride/Groom. However you achieve this, make sure you do, because it means less stress, better shows, and of course, bigger tips!
Possible Questions for Personalizing your Event:
- Nicknames?
- Married before?
- Any Children?
- Most interesting place you have lived, and why?
- Hobbies/passions/sports?
- Any special areas of study in school?
- Most unusual job you’ve had?
- How did you meet? (Details!)
- First date? (Details!)
- Was it love at “first sight?”
- When and how did you know this person was The One?
- Who fell in love first?
- Who said “I love you” first?
- Describe the proposal.
- Any significance to the wedding date chosen?
- Other people involved in proposal – asking her father/someone’s reaction/funny incidents?
- Have you taken any major trips/vacations together and what was that experience like?
- Funniest thing you’ve seen or done together?
- Most awkward or bizarre thing that’s happened to the two of you?
- Your favorite thing to do together?
- How do your styles mesh when you work on something together?
- In what areas are you the most compatible?
- In what areas are you the least compatible?
- What makes you unique as a couple?
- How do you each get along with your in-laws-to-be?
- What are you most likely to agree or disagree about?
- Most unusual family tradition?
- What songs are ‘your’ songs, and why?
The following is a list of possible questions to guide your client calls.
- Verify date, times and location: Make sure you know when and where to be.
- Verify Names & Pronunciations: It is recommended to phonetically spell out the names so you don’t mispronounce a name. Also ask exactly how they want to be introduced as a couple.
- Parents Info: You can get the parents phone numbers and call them to see if they have something special they want to do. Also try to find out what their special song was. (tip maker) This is also a good time to talk about sensitive-subject stuff, like are they divorced, dead, or remarried? Do divorced parents get along well?
- Couples Info: Where did they meet, how long have they been dating, where and how did he propose? What do they do for a living? Are they going to stay living in this same area?
Where the Honeymoon is: Playing geographical music for say like Hawaii or Jamaica could be a great big hit…Some DJs like to throw a honeymoon destination song into the dollar dance line-up, since that is often money to help pay for the honeymoon. - Special Events & Sensitive Subjects: Any type of dedications, birthdays, anniversaries that need to be announced. Subject material to stay away from. How about people with physical problems like epilepsy (you can’t use strobes around them.)
- Venue Questions: Ever called a venue? Find out who’s in charge and where you’re going to be set up and when can you get in. Any load in problem, like 15 sets of stairs? Also what rules do the Venue have, what time do you need to stop music, what time do you need to have your gear out of the hall. Can you use fog? How high is the ceiling? Is a table available? *NOTE: We are a preferred vendor at most venues that we perform at. Even if this is YOUR first time there, WE as a company have worked there many times in the past, and have a good relationship with the staff. This is often comforting to the client.*
- About the Event: Have they seen any other weddings recently? What did or didn’t they like about that wedding. What are their visions of this event? How many guests are invited? What’s on the menu and who is catering the event? Other items to cover:
- Event Timeline
- Grand Entrances & Pronunciations & Order
- Dinner music style
- Who are presenting toasts?
- What music they want for the first 4 dances.
- Do they want a dollar dance
- Do they want a garter and Bouquet toss, and how do they want that done.
- What type of interaction is acceptable? Notice we don’t ask if interaction is acceptable, but what type. We have found that if we mention a certain interaction that they don’t want, we ask why. Because usually another DJ has done that poorly. If we can talk about how we would do it, usually they will let us. Do they want you to lead special dances?
- Music: Go over ALL the Must Play songs, taking special care to talk about if there are too many, or if there are certain songs that you know will cause the floor to crash. Cover ALL the Do Not Play songs, and I ask why. (Why Why Why…you catching a theme here?!)
- What should you wear: Tux or Suit & Tie or professional casual?
- Who is the Photographer: There are really awesome photographers out there, and there are some not-so-great ones. Knowing who the photographer is and introducing yourself early can lead to a great partnership to make sure the event timeline runs smoothly. Good relationships with photographers is how we get great photos from our events for promotional purposes.
- Suggestions on how you have seen shows done: They look to you for your expertise…most Brides and Grooms have never put on a wedding, so every word out of your mouth, they might be willing to do. Offer multiple ideas for different events such as first dances, garter, bouquet tosses, etc. If you get a client that wants something different, call the office and ask our help, that is one of the Pro Sound advantages.
- Finally, quickly outline the flow of the night to them: This helps them feel more comfortable. Brides want to know everything is going to be great. Don’t forget to mention timing for weddings are approximate because of variables like how long dinner lasts, and so forth. Let them know you will be flexible.
Review & Use Client Call Questions available in the Scripts & Structures section.