Dealing with enquiries as a professional musician can be a frustrating process. Sometimes you can end up spending a lot of time tailoring your quote to the specifics of the email, only never to hear from them ever again. In this blog, we’ll try and offer you some reasons why your client might not be responding to help you streamline your quoting process…
It can be discouraging when a prospective client doesn’t respond to a quote, particularly if you believe your act would be a perfect fit for the job.
If you’re looking to save some time, try using one of the best admin resources for musicians or these free tools for musicians.
However, it’s important to remember that there are many reasons why they might not have got back to you, and, importantly – just because they haven’t got back to you yet, doesn’t mean that they won’t!
Listed below are some potential reasons why clients don’t reply to your quotes.
Your email has gone into their spam folder
Unfortunately, this is more common than you might think.
You might have noticed that spam folders are generally checked once in a blue moon. So, if your email or email address contains something that the spam box gods deem problematic, this could well be the reason why your client hasn’t got back to you.
There are a lot of reasons why your email might be deemed spam. As such, there are some simple things you can do to help cut down on the chances.
- Check your email for egregious typos.
- Use an appropriate subject line.
- Have a clear sender address (yourbandname1234randomsymbol might not be the best choice!).
- Use an online spam checker if you have any particular concerns.
Remember – this can work both ways. Use this as your cue to check your spam box and ensure that a client’s response to your email hasn’t been flagged at your end!
Your email response didn’t look professional
When booking a band, some clients can be unduly anxious.
It is unfortunate that certain clients tend to stereotype musicians and have different expectations from them, sometimes anticipating Motley Crue-like behaviour rather than the Motown Experience.
Clients like to be reassured that you are providing a professional service. As such (as previously mentioned) make sure your emails are typo-free, clearly laid out, and look the business.
Consider adding a ‘signature’ to your email that includes a logo and contact information, which is relatively easy to do via services like Gmail.
It’s important to consider how you would like to be addressed if you were the client, but that doesn’t mean your emails should lack personality and come off as robotic. Find a balance between professionalism and personal touch.
You can even use a template to make sure your quote is clearly presented.
They’re really, really busy
This might sound like a bit of a cop-out (especially if you run a wedding band), but it may well be true.
Planning events can both be complicated and very stressful – especially if you haven’t got much experience!
Planning a wedding can be a complex process that involves coordinating numerous vendors, selecting a suitable venue, managing the guest list, and attending to various other details.
Don’t be hounding potential clients for a response straight away. If you haven’t heard back in a week, send them a polite follow-up email, just checking that they got your initial response.
Your quote isn’t for them
Understandably, this may not sound like a reason not to respond to your email.
Out of courtesy, you would hope that the potential client would let you know that it wasn’t for them, or they had gone in a different direction.
However, many potential clients contact lots of different suppliers and may simply end up forgetting to respond to your email after booking someone else. It can be that simple!
Top tips on improving your conversion rate:
The “Conversion rate” in business refers to the number of inquiries that turn into successful sales. This means converting potential clients into confirmed bookings, including the payment of deposits.
You can help improve your conversion rate by:
- Getting back to the client promptly (you might want to turn on text alerts for your account, for instance).
- Making sure your quote is justifiable. What a client thinks is fair or reasonable will be highly subjective, but being able to justify what you charge is essential. Think about your previous experience, travel time, number of members and equipment costs. If you’re struggling with what to charge as a musician, try reading up on the subject or asking your contemporaries.
- Responding professionally.
- Directly addressing the client’s specific needs.
- Being friendly and polite.
- Gently chasing up emails after an appropriate amount of time.
What are your top tips for making sure clients get back in touch? Post them in the comment box below?
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