|
As a karaoke jock you have just
received the "dreaded" phone call. You know, the one from
the owner of club where your karaoke show has been running for the
last 12 months. The call happens like a stake right through your
heart. The owner's one line firing of your show: "Someone has
just said they are willing to do a karaoke show on your night(s) for
$100 less per show than what you're charging me so I've hired
them". Then you get that lump in your throat and you try to say
something as a rebuttal like "I've been playing at your club for
12 months". Brilliant. Do you think that matters to the club
owner? There is no such thing as loyalty when it comes to a business
person trying to reduce their operating expenses and increase their
profits. This same kind of conversation happens when you're asked to
quote your rates for a private party only to be told by the
prospective customer that someone else has quoted $200 less.
These scenarios used to be few
and far between but are now becoming commonplace. As hardware and
software prices have plummeted over the last 3 years, more people
have decided to get into the KJ business. Unfortunately, there are
also a growing number of new KJs that are in the karaoke business
just as a hobby. Because it's a hobby, they feel the need to
"give their karaoke services away". Bad news - hurts all of
us in the long that are in this for the long run. Anyway, you better
learn how to market yourself against the KJ "under cutters"
out there. The only way they seem to be able to compete is with price
discounting. You need to be smarter than they are and learn how to
sell yourself and your karaoke services.
If you haven't been
"fired" yet (or hired for a private party) because your
prices are too high, be assured it will happen. Learn how to fight
back. Get prepared. Make a list of everything you offer and don't
minimize anything. Be sure to tell the customer the important things
about your karaoke show. Start with your experience. If you have been
a KJ for years, say so. Customers are willing to pay for experience -
it shows you must be doing things right. Then mention the size of
your library if it's a large one. If you have the hottest chart songs
in country and pop, be sure to say so - adding new songs to your song
list every month shows you are committed to re-investing money back
into your karaoke business, something all successful business owners
must do to remain competitive and profitable. Talk about your
equipment and your professional songbooks. A word to the wise - get
those songbooks updated and looking good. Often it's customers' first
impression of you and you know what they say - you only have one
chance to make a first impression. The use of wireless mics and props
add to your chances of upselling your show. Don't forget to mention
how many different songs you can sing (only if you can!) - very
important if you are starting a new show and your "regulars"
aren't there to depend on. Plus if you know a lot of songs, you can
usually assist first time (shy) singers when they ask for your help.
Or if you need to change the pace or tone of the show, you can.
Finally, don't forget to mention your "regulars" that
follow you around and their impact on the success of your show. If
you have been in the KJ business a long time are you're good at
hosting, you probably have a dedicated group of followers that attend
your shows. Make sure club owners are reminded of that.
Most importantly, remember that
most "under cutters" have poor equipment, small music
libraries and lack long run experience. Remember, the only way they
can compete is on price. Convince the customer you are worth the
extra money. If you deliver a quality show, than demand quality
money. If your customers want you to lower your price, tell them you
can reduce your price by cutting out part of your services. You'll
use wired mics instead of your wireless ones; you'll leave your props
at home; you'll bring only a couple of hundred songs (instead of your
usual 5,000 song library); those easy to use songbooks, forget it -
you'll bring a couple of pages (stapled together) listing the songs
in random order for the singers to pick songs from! And so on - your
customer will get the message - you get what you pay for!!
|
