[00:00:07] Speaker A: This is the EMG podcast.
And welcome. Welcome back to the Beautiful EMG podcast. Now with video.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: They were just here. Now they're back again.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Welcome back. If you've listened to the part one of the series here, questions you will be asked. We are now here for part two. Michael, how are you?
[00:00:31] Speaker B: I'm doing well. Questions you should ask us during your initial consultation with EMG.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: And so the premise of these two episodes, like we explained in the first one, is to make sure that you feel a little bit more prepared for our consultations and for, really, the consultation with any entertainment vendor. And if you're looking at this, if you're watching it, listen, listening. You have received this because you have set one up with us. And we get a lot of questions. The reason why we did this episode in particular is because we do get a lot of questions at the end, it's like, is there anything I should be asking you? And we don't want you to feel like that, right? We want you to feel like you have everything that you need coming out of that so that you can make a more informed decision. So we have five questions that you should ask us during your consultation order.
[00:01:14] Speaker B: And at some point during your consultation.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: Number, let's start one. So, number one is what makes your company different than your competitors. And so this question, I think, is extremely important because you're going to be shopping multiple people, right? So you have to find what sticks out. And so I think with us, we take it for granted because we offer so many great things, and many companies only offer one thing.
What goes into that question and how can you help decipher of where you should go?
[00:01:44] Speaker B: So if you are a person asking the question, what you should be listening for is the nuances.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: And how thoughtful the prospective company that you're talking to has anticipated the answering of that question and what they've done differently in their process or offerings to make sure that they are different. We always say, when others Zig, we want to zag. Right. And so I think you're looking for thoughtfulness in the response of the answer. Not all companies, though it might appear on the surface that they offer the same thing, right? They offer DJ, they offer band. Not all companies are the same, for better or for worse. You got to find the one that clicks with you. So ask the question and listen and pay attention to how they're answering it. To evaluate if they're checking your boxes.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: Yeah, I Think that's perfect. I'm not even going to color comment on that. It was amazing. Number two.
[00:02:34] Speaker B: All right, number two, what's the planning process like, and how can we select our music?
That's a really big question.
But for every person, they're asking it for a different reason.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: Some people ask it out of wanting control and wanting to have a pretty big say in the construction of the playlist. Other people ask it because they don't want a homework assignment. And they're like, we're paying you. You're the professionals. You handle it.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: So the question then you can take it further, is, what's the process like on your end? Is that a collaborative process? Is it where I give you the keys to the car, you go drive it? Am I in the backseat? Am I Not even there? Right. So as a client, I want to know. I know How I would like to plan. And we have another episode about this finding your planning style. But it's how the process works and how that's going to work within your lifestyle and how you would like to plan your own wedding. That's so important to listen for, because not everybody's process is exactly the same.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: How flexible is the company's or the individual's planning setup process for your style? We have planners of all different types. You're looking in an answer here for a process that is flexible enough to fit into your planning style.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think what's really great about the stuff that we do, and I want to talk about EMG the whole time, is the planning app is definitely a big separator, too. So let's keep going. Number three. So number three is, again, extremely important. I think all these are important. I don't want to preface every single thing that it's important, but do you have a backup plan? Yeah.
[00:04:07] Speaker B: Or what happens if something goes wrong?
[00:04:10] Speaker A: So we're going to separate. I'm going to allow you to answer this, even though I know how I would, but hopefully it's the same thing. There are two different scenarios. Right. We're talking backup plan for equipment and backup plan for people. All right. So you take one, I'll take the other one.
[00:04:25] Speaker B: Okay.
The short answer to the question, if you ask us, is yes. The situation and scenarios vary greatly, and you deal with the problem that's in front of you when it comes to. You want me to do equipment?
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Yeah, you don't have to answer it, but just how you approach it when.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: It comes to equipment. I'll just quickly lay out the many things that we do to account for an equipment failure in the moment, an equipment failure the day of before the event has started an equipment failure the night before.
Because you can run into all of those different scenarios.
[00:04:56] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: In terms of the people side of.
[00:04:58] Speaker A: Things, same thing, day of prior, all that stuff remains the same, but you should be thinking about, and, sorry, not thinking about getting information about. Well, do they have multiple people to help replace that other person? What does that actual process look like for quality assurance? Right. Because are they calling somebody off from the street? Is it somebody who has worked with the company? Have they been trained by the company? Those are all things that you should be listening for in backup plans. And when you're in a consultation with us, you're going to get a really big explanation of that.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Same thing that I said before is you are trying to pay attention to the thoughtfulness of how this person or company has thought to answer this question prior to it happening. Stammering, muttering well, this, that, the third, that could give you pause for concern. So you're looking for confidence here in handling a vast array of scenarios and situAtions.
[00:05:50] Speaker A: Okay, let's do it. Number four. Number four, Mike, do you hold dates? Well, why would you ask me that question, Michael?
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Because a lot of people want to know if they've met with us, do you hold dates?
[00:06:01] Speaker A: And of course, the answer is no.
[00:06:02] Speaker B: Okay, that's our answer.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: Our answer is no. We don't hold dates because we have. And if you listen to the first episode, we have way too many couples inquiring for multiple dates during the year. And it is a first come, first serve basis. If you listen to the last one and you aren't leaning towards going with us, there is a way for you to have a courtesy hold, but it is for a shorter amount of time because of how many people that we're meeting. Again, our event designers are meeting anywhere between twelve to 25 times per day, depending on the day. So this is an extremely important thing for you to know. Some people do hold dates a lot smaller companies, right. So you'll have a person that's just that person working. They'll hold it for you for a week or so. We don't hold dates. And you only get that courtesy hold when you do get a contract.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: Correct. All right.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: And then finally, number five. Number five. So what do your contract terms look like and what does a payment structure look like?
[00:06:54] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a very relevant question for you to ask any vendor, any vendor, so that you can plan and budget accordingly. A couple of quick tips here. You're looking for something that's easy, right? If somebody says, well, you give me a little bit now, a little bit later, or what works for you.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: You sound like my contractor.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: Yeah, this is a red flag. Right? So what you're looking for is something, again, that is thoughtful, well planned out and rigid. You want rigidness here, not so much so that it hinders or hurts you, but you're looking for someone who's reputable and if somebody's going, well, yeah, I gave you this price, but you want to give me a little cash now, I'll take 1500 off and this and that. Those things are a little sleazy in my opinion. It's really, really old school. As a consumer, I don't look for that. What I look for is, is it thoughtful? Is it well thought out? And in the terms of the contract specifically, you can ask those questions. Good contracts protect everyone.
[00:07:53] Speaker A: Correct?
[00:07:53] Speaker B: Bad contracts are typically one sided that are only protecting the company that's issuing it. So ask about is there two way protection in a contract here and what your payment structure is like.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Yeah. And going off of the payment structure to put a button in that. Why not ask this question? Because you need to budget. Right. Cash flow is extremely important. Right. Because you're not just booking music.
You have your venue, which has to be first. Right. Then you have your music, then you have your photo, you have your florist. Right. So a lot of cash in the beginning is going out. So knowing what's going to be spent up front as a deposit is extremely important. And how the rest of the payment structure goes is also going to affect not only who you book, but how you book it. Right?
[00:08:39] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: So important. So I think these questions help clarify what you are going to expect in any consultation. You can use this across all vendors, really, for sure. And this gives you clarity. And most importantly, it's going to help you whether or not it's true. It's the transparency of whoever you're interviewing.
[00:08:59] Speaker B: And with that, we will see you at your consultation. If you've listened to part one and two, you are well prepped. We are looking forward to it. And feel free to check out the rest of the channel here. There is over 200 episodes of great planning tips for all things wedding as you continue on this journey here.
[00:09:16] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: And we'll see you on the next one.
[00:09:18] Speaker A: Have a good one.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Take care.
You can find
[email protected] or on Instagram at Elegant MusicGroup.
