How to Create an Amazing Wedding DJ Sales Pitch

by Chris Brower
Last Updated: April 22, 2021

Your wedding DJ sales pitch is one of the first things a potential client sees. Clients want to know quickly if you fit with their tastes and what they’re looking for.

Clients will likely be looking through several, if not dozens, of companies. Many they’ll eliminate quickly for a number of reasons, while the ones with strong sales pitches will get moved to the top of the list.

A great wedding DJ sales pitch:

Solves the client’s problems or frustrations with wedding DJs.
Demonstrates your value as a wedding DJ rather than just your equipment and hour availability.
Answers the client’s needs as quickly and effectively as possible.

Planning a wedding is hard, stressful, and, let’s be honest, kind of a nightmare, so anything you can do to make the DJ-hiring experience as quick and easy as possible will be much appreciated. Trust me, this is a regular compliment I get: “OMG, you made this so much easier!” Good!

Brides and grooms don’t want a long chain of emails or to have to jump through hoops or endless consultations to get a basic sense of your business and who you are.

Of course, follow-up emails and meetings may be the thing that ultimately gets you the job, but let’s focus on the initial sales pitch, the thing that first piques a potential client’s interest.

In this article, we’ll focus mostly on written sales pitches – such as through email and on your website – as that’s often where your initial sales pitch will take place. But many of these lessons can apply to bridal fairs, phone calls, in-person meetings, social media, etc.

What Problem Are You Solving?

Any business or product is trying to solve a problem. You buy paper towels because they clean up the problem of messes.

On the surface, a wedding DJ might not seem they’re solving an obvious problem. (Though, yes, a wedding without entertainment is likely to be more boring.)

But what is the problem? Well, sometimes, it’s . . . the DJ themself!

Ask clients what they dislike about wedding DJs and build that into your sales pitch.

It’s super instructive to learn what drives people crazy about wedding DJs. Why? Because your business should solve those problems. Some wedding DJs are, well, annoying, unprofessional, take too long to respond to emails, are vague with pricing, you name it.

You’ll never please everyone, but your wedding DJ business should hopefully solve those problems and not commit those things clients can’t stand about wedding DJs.

What Clients Have Disliked at Other Weddings

My first email or meeting always includes a question about the client’s experiences attending other weddings.

“What were things you liked about the DJs you saw?” (So yes, you want to hear likes too.)
“What were things you disliked about the DJs you saw?”

DJs Who Talk Too Much on the Mic

The #1 most universal answer about what people can’t stand about DJs: DJs who talk too much on the mic at weddings. DJs who just blab away, make bad jokes, embarrass people, make it about the DJ themself instead of the guests, constantly interrupt the music with their patter, etc.

That’s it. The #1 complaint. I hear it constantly. The vast majority of people can’t stand wedding DJs who get on the mic too much.

So build that into your sales pitch.

“I make any necessary announcements throughout the night but avoid the annoying DJ chatter that takes away from an amazing event.”

Clients often react with a sigh of relief or exuberance that, thank you, thank you, you’re not like one of those.

Have a good laugh and agree that blabbering DJs are not good (well, unless you disagree). Build rapport.

Of course, still be professional. You don’t need to trash talk other DJs, but you can still build rapport over your likes/dislikes in a wedding DJ and how your business matches their needs.

DJs Who Play Music People Don’t Like

Another obvious thing some people don’t like about wedding DJs: when they play music that people don’t like.

Of course, music is highly subjective. Some people will love the music you play, some won’t. Multiple times I’ve had a guest complain about what I was playing, “Ugh, this sucks!” even though the dance floor was full.

Your first obligation is to play music that the client wants. And unfortunately sometimes they want music that is unpopular! Oh boy. You can try to steer them in another direction, sure, but ultimately you want to fulfill their wishes.

So how can you work this into your sales pitch?

“I play the music you want to hear. I let my clients have as much control over the music as they want.”

Clients love control. They like hearing that their wishes will be carried out. They don’t like a lot of rules or limits. So make this clear in your sales pitch.

Companies who limit how many songs their clients can choose are going to frustrate some people. Sure, the event might actually go better because you can use your expertise to craft a perfect playlist. But some potential clients will be annoyed by this limit and not book you.

It’s a bummer when a client asks for music that you know won’t be popular, but do what you can to make them happy. Some are okay with an empty dance floor if it means they get to hear what they like. Fine. Your first priority is them and their wishes.

Other Common Complaints About DJs

There’s an endless list of things people don’t like about wedding DJs, but here are some common ones I’ve heard:

DJs who were actively trying to drum up business during the wedding, such as asking for all the engaged women to raise their hands and then passing out business cards. It’s okay to have business cards with you, but don’t do your sales pitch at the wedding. No no no.
DJs who put up a large banner/sign with their DJ company name. It can come off gaudy or tacky.
DJs who got out on the dance floor and danced themselves.
DJs who hit on/openly flirted with the wedding guests.
DJs who got drunk.
DJs who took long breaks or were nowhere to be found at certain points.

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

What Clients Have Disliked During Their Own DJ Search

Your clients are currently engaged in their DJ search and likely have some complaints or frustrations with the process.

Planning a wedding is unbelievably stressful. Some of it has little to do with the DJ – pushy relatives, issues with the venue, feuding bridesmaids/groomsmen, etc. – but some does. Learn these frustrations and solve them for your potential clients.

This is a golden opportunity to speak to those, to make their DJ search easier.

“How’s your DJ search going? What’s your experience been like?”

I often ask this question during the first consultation. And then over the years I’ve updated my initial sales pitch – what happens even before the first consultation – to essentially preemptively address these complaints for future clients. Remember, the sooner you can solve their problems, the better.

Almost every time I ask this question, the potential client lets out a long sigh, “Ohhhh, where to start?” And then they unload, telling me about their experience. You can tell it feels so cathartic to unleash these pent-up frustrations.

As Dale Carnegie famously said in his book, How to Win Friends & Influence People*, people love talking about themselves. And not in a bad 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. And for you, the wedding DJ business owner, you can learn valuable insights to then respond to right then as well as build into future sales pitches.

Common complaints from clients during the wedding DJ search include:

DJs who take a long time to respond. The early bird catches the worm, right? In the case of booking weddings, responding quickly can put you toward the top of the list. DJs who take days to respond really put themselves at a disadvantage. Many clients are eager to just get this DJ search done, so the sooner you can provide them with an outstanding DJ, the happier they’ll be.
Vague/confusing pricing. Couples want to know the price as soon as possible. Most know they’ll need to provide some info – how long the event is, where it is, etc. – but most don’t want to have to suffer through a long, tedious consultation before getting a price. I keep my pricing simple. Once the couple tells me the date and where it is, I can quote them a reception price, with the option of adding on a ceremony or uplights, which are always the same price. I don’t care about the guest count or how long the event is. I don’t care about every little piece of equipment. You can price your services any way you want, but I’ll tell you – because couples tell me this all the time – they hate how long a lot of DJ companies take to deliver a price, or how complicated it is, how they’re nickel and dimed over every little thing. Whatever your method, give them a price as fast as possible.
DJs who make clients jump through a lot of hoops. Clients want clear information and pricing as soon as possible. They don’t want endless emails or to have to fill out multiple forms. They understand you might do a phone call or get coffee to chat, but they want the process to be easy. Don’t waste their time.
DJs who have a lot of rules. As said earlier, people don’t like limits. When DJs start rattling off a lot of rules/limits to their services, many couples are ready to move on. Certainly you may have limits you have to have for one reason or another, but try to be as accommodating as you can. Just be cool! Think about it. What sounds more appealing?
- - “Can you DJ for six hours?”
    - “Absolutely. I can stay as long as you want, and the price stays the same. And no problem if it goes past midnight too. That doesn’t bother me. Let’s just focus on having a great time!”
  - “Can you DJ for six hours?”
    - “Well, that price I quoted you is for five hours, so yes, I can do six, but there’s going to be an added fee. I also require a fifteen-minute break every three hours. Will this end by midnight? I don’t DJ past then.”
DJs who insist on doing things a certain way rather than the way the couple wants. Similar to DJs with a lot of rules, couples are turned off by DJs who push for doing things a certain way rather than listening to the couple’s wishes and working to fulfill those. DJs who are stuck in their ways and that weddings have to be done a certain way come off rigid, dismissive, and/or old-fashioned. Of course, DJs can encourage certain things or share their viewpoints. Couples can appreciate DJs who help them avoid common mistakes. But when the DJ comes off as uptight, it’s never a good look.
DJs who don’t seem inclusive. My DJ website shows photos of happy people dancing and having fun at my weddings (as yours should too). But one time a potential client followed up as to why she didn’t book me, and she said it was because my photos didn’t show much diversity – all the people in the photos were white – so she worried I wouldn’t be a good fit for her interracial wedding. Obviously I was crushed, because I have happily DJed for people of all backgrounds, but I hadn’t shown that enough in my photos. Lesson learned! I updated my photos to show more diversity. I want my services to be open to anyone, so I needed to make that clearer on my website.
- - A friend of mine was interviewing DJs to DJ her wedding (I was already booked on her date). I asked how her experience went, and she said she turned down one DJ because, among other reasons, he always talked as if the officiant would be a man, never considering it could be a woman. This rubbed my friend the wrong way. It may seem like a small reason, but these things are important to some people (and I agree that was bad on the DJ’s part)! DJs who only speak as if every couple is a man and a woman and the officiant is always a man, and so on, risk alienating some couples who care passionately about inclusivity.

What Value Are You Providing?

A huge lesson for me was learning to focus more on what value I provide rather than just hours/equipment. A ton of DJ companies make this mistake. Their info/sales pitch is all centered on pricing and equipment.

“For $800 you get two speakers, three microphones, and other professional DJ equipment and six hours of DJ services.”

A sales pitch like this makes it sound like all the couple would be doing by hiring you is essentially renting equipment, with a person there to set it up, press play, etc. It doesn’t capture what you can truly bring to the event besides equipment and a person to operate it.

Generally, potential clients don’t care about equipment, like, at all, beyond just that you have DJ equipment. They likely want you to have a wireless microphone for speeches and/or a lapel mic for the officiant and lights for the dance floor. But they don’t care about specifics about speaker size or what brand equipment you have.

It is a good idea to mention you provide microphones for speeches/the officiant and dance floor lights, as well as any specialty things (uplights, projector, etc.), but don’t make that the main part of your sales pitch.

Instead, focus on what value you’d bring to the event. Why you would be better than other DJs. “Great DJing” is not an example. Be specific. If you have any impressive stats, include those. Examples include:

DJing since 2010 with ZERO cancellations.
300+ events of experience.
I make the announcements you want but keep the attention focused on you. No annoying DJ chit-chat that distracts from a great event.
You have unlimited control over the music. Zero limits.
Unlimited hours at no extra charge.
Lights for the dance floor, with colorful patterns and shapes but without being overwhelming or annoying.

And so on.

My DJ company is just me, so I try to emphasize the value of this (even though, yes, there are some values to DJ companies with multiple DJs).

My sales pitch always includes, “I’m the actual person who DJs your wedding (many companies, you might talk to one person and then they send someone else, leading to mistakes).”

Many clients have mentioned this specific point as a big thing that attracted them to me.

So when to give the price?

Share the value of your DJ services and then give the price. Get them excited by what you offer and then they’ll be more receptive to your fee, even if it’s a little higher than what they were hoping to spend.

Of course, some couples only care about price. The fact is, you can come up with the best sales pitch ever and some couples won’t bite, because they care mainly about price. Fair enough! And some do have stricter budgets. You may be able to haggle with them if you’re cool with doing that.

Sometimes, though, there’s nothing you can do. But a strong sales pitch that really emphasizes why your company is better than others, why you’ll solve their problems or avoid what they can’t stand about wedding DJs, etc., might convince some to raise their budget because they’re convinced they have to have you.

Additional Wedding DJ Sales Pitch Tips

Sound like a human. Don’t make your pitch sound too salesy. It shouldn’t sound like an infomercial “Call now to receive this incredible introductory DJ price! I’m standing by for your call!”

Encourage next steps without being pushy. It’s a good idea to suggest a phone call or meeting up for coffee to talk further – some sort of next step – but avoid sounding too aggressive. Some people only want to communicate through email (I’m a millennial – I am one of these people), so work with that. Still, if you can, encourage something where you can chat in real-time rather than through email.

Proofread! Make sure your sales pitch is well written and looks good. If you’re not a skilled writer, find one who can review your general sales pitch to fix typos or clunky/confusing sentences.

Personalize it when you can. You can use a similar sales pitch for most of your clients, but revise it as needed to address anything specific they told you. Plus, it makes them feel like you’re actually paying attention to them and not just sending a form response.

Think about presentation.

Avoid presenting everything in one long paragraph or even just a few long paragraphs. Long paragraphs feel daunting to read. Keep your paragraphs short.
Use bulleted lists to quickly list your values and what your services bring. See, I’m using a bulleted list right now!
Bold particular words or things you want to emphasize, such as your 100+ five-star reviews. This makes these things stand out and seem even more impressive. Of course, choose things that make sense to emphasize. “I’m happy to talk more whenever you have time” isn’t a sentence worthy of any bolding. A good sentence to include, but no need to bold anything.
Include links to social media, reviews, your website, etc. Any social proof you can provide – that other people like your work – is very valuable.

Sample Wedding DJ Sales Pitch

Okay, let’s put together these lessons and come up with a sample wedding DJ sales pitch.

Let’s say you got a standard initial email with the client’s basic info, their date, and their wedding location. Try to personalize your response as much as you can. Often they don’t give you much in their initial contact, but do the best you can.

Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for your interest in my DJ services! I am available March 12, 2022, and I have DJed at Royal Oaks Wedding Venue three times before – great place!
Are you available sometime soon for a phone call so I can learn more about what you’re looking for in a DJ? Or if you prefer, we can also just talk through email.
I’m curious, have you seen things about wedding DJs at other weddings that you loved? Didn’t love? Obviously, my goal is to make your reception amazing, so the more I can learn, the better.
As for fees, I try to keep things really simple. No nickel and diming over how many hours or every little piece of equipment like some companies do. So here’s how it would break down:
Reception:
Unlimited hours
Unlimited free consultations (unlike other companies that limit the number of consultations)
I’m the actual person who DJs your wedding (many companies, you might talk to one person and then they send someone else, leading to mistakes). I’ve been DJing since 2012, with 200+ events of experience and zero cancellations.
You have as much control over the song selection as you want.
Emceeing – I make any announcements throughout the night, but I avoid the excessive talking or DJ antics that distract from a fun, smooth event.
Professional DJ equipment (speakers, microphones, etc.), including wireless microphones, glow sticks for you and your guests, and lights for the dance floor.
Travel costs, setup time, taxes, etc., are all included.
Cost: $1,000
Ceremony (add-on):
Music and microphones for the ceremony, including a lapel mic that the officiant can use.
A dedicated equipment setup for this (separate from the reception setup), if the ceremony is in a different spot.
Cost: $200
So how does that all sound? I’m happy to tell you more, or if you have concerns/questions about my fees or services, feel free to let me know.
See photos and videos at DJ Fun Times Instagram.
See reviews at The Knot, WeddingWire, and Facebook.
Sincerely,
Andre
DJ Fun Times Website Link

Conclusion

A wedding DJ sales pitch takes a long time to craft. It's trial and error, and no matter what, you'll always lose some potential clients because of price or other reasons (for one, that, like, half the people who contact you seem to then suddenly have a cousin who "can DJ for free," so, yeah, what'ya gonna do?).

But if you listen to what clients like and don't like about wedding DJs and tailor your business to serve those needs, you should see your success rate start to really improve.

*If you click the product links and make a purchase, we earn a commission. This helps pay for this website and other expenses. This is at no additional cost to you.