How to Have More Successful Wedding DJ Meetings – And Book More Weddings!

by Chris Brower
Last Updated: March 22, 2022

Congrats! A prospective client is possibly interested in your wedding DJ business, and they’ve agreed to a face-to-face meeting. How can you ensure success and, most importantly, book the job?

Let’s dig into some tips. And many of these work just as well for virtual meetings or over-the-phone chats.

Let Them Pick the Place But Offer Suggestions

Coffee shops can work well as a great meeting spot. I’ve done many meetings at Starbucks. (In fact, I’m drafting this article at a Starbucks where I booked a job a few years ago!) I also love Paneras. I’ve probably done meetings at over 20 Paneras. There are so many! And many people have been to one or are at least comfortable there.

Inviting a prospective client over to your home or going over to theirs can be awkward. So I don’t recommend this unless you already know them.

If your DJ business has an office, you could of course meet clients there. But I’d argue many people might feel weird going to some office rather than a local coffee shop or restaurant.

Some couples may even suggest getting a beer. If you’re comfortable with that, sure! Many couples may love that their prospective DJ is game for having a drink with them.

In any case, offer to travel to them. Don’t make them travel to you. Go the extra mile (no pun intended) and agree to a spot close to them rather than making them drive 45 minutes. This little choice may endear you to them.

Meeting with vendors is awkward! It’s awkward for the couple, and it can be awkward for you. Anything you can do to make everyone more comfortable and the meeting seem more fun, not some stiff, boring meeting – all the better.

Don’t Forget Basic Meeting Etiquette

Don’t forget these obvious tips:

Be on time (if not early).
Smile and make eye contact.
Pay attention to them, not be looking at your phone.
Make sure you clothes are clean and look nice. You don’t need to wear a suit, but if you look too casual, they may think you’re not a professional.

**Build Rapport Before Getting Into the Sales Pitch**

Likely by now you’ve exchanged a few emails or phone calls with the couple. Maybe you’ve already built some rapport, but now you’re building in-person rapport.

If possible, delay how long you get into the salesy portion of the meeting. Talk to them as human beings, not as a wedding DJ trying to convince them to pay you a lot of money.

Build off what they say. Use the basic improv comedy principle of “yes and” – agreeing with and building off what the other person says.

A good starter beyond just “Hey, how’s it going?” is to ask about how wedding planning is going. And commiserate! Chances are people are STRESSED OUT, so this can be good time to sympathize or make a joke.

DJ: So how’s the wedding process going? You have a lot done, and it’s been great, or you’re like, “OMG, this is hard, what were we thinking”?
Couple: Haha, ugh, it is so much work! We’ve been meeting with a lot of vendors. So many.
DJ: I know, we’re everywhere! Any funny stories so far?
Couple: Oh sheesh, this one photographer…

And so on.

Of course, you don’t even have to talk about the wedding at the beginning. Maybe you can learn a tidbit about them and riff on that. Again, you’re building rapport. This is a great chance to build a relationship and for them to see you less as a salesperson and instead as a future friend.

DJ: How was your day? I don’t think you told me what you do for work.
Couple: I’m a teacher, and she’s an accountant.
DJ: Oh wow, my brother’s a teacher. What do you teach? He teaches fifth grade. He says that’s when they’re still sweet and nice.
Couple: Haha, that’s so true. I actually teach high school math.
DJ: So you two are good with numbers? Math was my worst subject. Maybe you can help me.
Couple: Haha, and we know nothing about DJing! We can help each other.

Now, okay, it’s not that the point of the first part of the meeting is to do comedy shtick. But it’s beneficial to have some fun before getting down to business. Obviously still keep it professional and avoid making any jokes that could offend or make you look bad in any way.

What’s great is this rapport you build at the beginning can then continue through the rest of the meeting. Hopefully you’ve already endeared yourself to them so they may be even more receptive to your sales pitch.

Ready for the complete guide to becoming a wedding DJ? Here you go.

Use Your Reception Planner As a Guide

I use a questionnaire called the Reception Planner. Couples fill it out, and that’s what I use on their wedding day to carry out their wishes. Feel free to use it and adopt it to your liking.

The Reception Planner can work nicely as a guide once you get into discussing the wedding and how your wedding DJ business could be a good fit for them.

Go through the planner in chronological order or whatever order makes the most sense to you. For each item, you can ask questions, share examples of your experience, and show your command as a wedding DJ.

DJ: So here’s where you can list the song for the first dance. Have any ideas yet?
Couple: We’re still thinking about it.
DJ: No problem. You don’t have to decide now. And if you need ideas, I’m happy to help. Whatever you choose, remember, you don’t have to dance the entire song if you don’t want to. Yeah, you can just give me a nod whenever you’re ready for it to end, and I can fade it out, or we can decide a certain spot ahead of time, and I can fade it out there.
Couple: Oh really? That’s such a great idea!

Remember, you’re not asking them to fill out the Reception Planner right now. But you’re getting them familiar with the process.

Couples LOVE the Reception Planner. I get so many compliments. They like that there is a fairly simply packet that can help them plan out their reception. And it shows that you, the DJ, are organized and on top of things.

Ask Questions

One book I recommend everyone (not just DJs) read is Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends & Influence People*. One of Carnegie’s assertions is that people love talking about themselves (in a good way). People enjoy being asked questions and being given an opportunity to share their thoughts. They enjoy when they feel they are being listened to.

This is crucial for a successful wedding DJ meeting. You should not be doing all the talking. Better yet, let them do most of the talking!

And focus on listening! Don’t cut them off. As another book, Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, taught me, let people finish saying what they’re saying before you jump in. It’s a forgotten skill for many people.

Keep the attention on their needs – and then you can share how you can solve those.

Remember that rapport building at the beginning? Hopefully that helped you learn some things about them that you can then speak to.

Did the couple admit they’ve found wedding planning stressful? You can then say, “Yeah, weddings can be so much work and stress. That’s why I like to keep things super easy. After all, the DJ should be the fun part, right?” And you can build off that.

Say Their Name

Another principle in the Dale Carnegie book is that people enjoy hearing their names said to them. Will this be the difference between you getting the job or not? Probably not. But it can be a nice touch.

“Thanks so much for meeting with, Brian and Paul.”

This simple action further shows you’re listening and you’re interested in them as people, not as just faceless human beings who could make you money.

Speak To Their Questions and Ideas With Experience

Couples want a DJ who is experienced. That will know what to do when something comes up. That can offer insights to what works well, what doesn’t, etc.

That’s why it’s a good idea to respond to the couple’s questions and ideas with examples of your DJ experience. Show that you’ve “been there, done that.” But be sure to elaborate too. Not simply, “Yep, I’ve done that.

Couple: We’re thinking of doing the Grand March.
DJ: Oh yeah, I’ve done that a few times. It can be a real blast. Do you have a family member or friend or certain person that will lead it? It helps to have an “expert” couple lead it.

See how this is so much more effective than just nodding or saying, “Oh yeah, I’ve done that.”

Don’t lie, of course, if you don’t have experience with a particular thing. But you can always spin your lack of experience into still sounding like you know what you’re talking about.

Couple: We’re thinking of doing the Grand March. Have you done that?
DJ: It’s crazy, I’ve DJed a bunch of weddings, but no one’s ever asked for that. And I don’t know why – it looks cool, so I’d love to do it! I’ll definitely watch some videos and speak with some of my DJ friends so we can make it amazing. Shouldn’t be a problem.

Show you’re totally cool with new things, that you’re not phased, and you should impress them.

By the end of the meeting, the couple should be like, “Wow, this DJ knows what she’s talking about.” Speaking with confidence and sharing anecdotes and examples of your experience can go a long way to proving your worth.

Wait to Talk Money

In your online sales pitch or an in-person pitch, you want to get to the topic of your fees as late as possible.

I don't mean being cagey or making couples jump through hoops before getting a quote. In fact, in my first reply to an inquiry, I give them a price.

BUT that price comes after I've included a list of my services and the advantages of hiring me.

In other words, I try to sell them on my services before sharing how much it'll cost. I focus on the advantages of hiring me and my qualifications rather than what I charge per hour or what equipment's included. Couples aren't hiring equipment; they're hiring a person to make one of the biggest days of their life the best, most memorable party possible.

If you can really build rapport and share how you're exactly what they're looking for, they may not blink at your price, especially if it's higher than other DJs.

Curious how much wedding DJs can make? Check out How Much Money Can Wedding DJs Make?

Follow Up After the Meeting

The next day or so, follow up with the couple. Share again your appreciation for them meeting with you and reiterate some of the things that make you a possible great fit for them.

And be sure to add, "Couples often come up with questions after the meeting. Any come up? Happy to answer any more."

Sadly, not all couples who meet with you are going to book you. It's just part of it. But if it's happening a lot (say, more than half the time), it's worth reviewing Why You're Not Booking Wedding DJ Jobs to explore the possible reasons why.

Conclusion

Build good rapport with the couple, share your experience, and sell your services (not your equipment or hourly rates), and you'll hopefully see those wedding DJ bookings continue to come in. Good luck!

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