When Roland Coutu first bought his DJ business three years ago, he was charging $450 for a wedding, for a very simple reason: He didn’t know any better. Coutu’s “act” and price changed quickly, as he learned from his fellow DJs in the Southern New England Association of Professional Disc Jockeys (SNAP DJ).
“I improved my performance by getting out from behind the console and using a wireless headset as well as adding party props to better interact with the crowd,” he says. “And, after listening to what other SNAP members had to say about slowly raising their prices, I slowly started to raise mine.”
SNAP DJ meets monthly in Providence, Rhode Island. The group not only dips into the knowledge bin of its own members but also frequently hauls in guest speakers, such as CPAs and techy types. They’ve brought in speakers from Toastmasters and a psychotherapist to talk about the psychology of how to “read” clients to better sell services.
“She explained that customers buy based on emotion and showed us how to read prospects’ body language and then ‘mirror’ it back to them,” says Coutu. “For example, if someone is sitting in a relaxed posture, the DJ should do the same, while also making eye contact. She also said to answer a question with a question. For example, if a bride asks, ‘Do you do interactive dances?’ The correct response would be, ‘Why do you ask?’ This way you’ll know whether she loves or hates interactive dances and you can answer accordingly and always frame what you say in the positive.”
