“What’s Your Fee?” for Weddings and Parties

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Here we are one day last summer, entertaining at a lovely afternoon garden wedding in Watsonville.  Thank you for all your wonderful photos, Rebecca and Orbie Pullen.

Like you see here, brides and grooms often add drums to the trio, when their celebration calls for lots of dancing.   They can also add a saxophone, trumpet, or piano, when they want a larger band.  This kind of flexibility is just one of the services we always offer.

Speaking of services, whenever you’re shopping do you ever hear this? “Price, Value, Service — you can have any two, but you must compromise on the third.”  This is what I’ve been told, but it seems a little too simplistic to be useful most of the time.

It’s like the general saying, “You get what you pay for”.  Sure, this might sometimes seem true, in hindsight, but instead I’m inclined to believe “You get what you get, and you pay what you pay”.

My point is that any relationship between “what you get” and “what you pay” might seem clear but only afterward, and it’s not much help guiding what you’re going to select.  Same with those vague notions “price”, “value”, and “service”.  None of us should make decisions based on such flimsy ideas as these, that can mean just about anything in actual practice.

So what should guide our decisions?  Tell you in a minute.

First, here’s a story, to show you what I’m going to recommend.  My wife and I recently enjoyed dinner at a new Chinese restaurant in town.  The meal was wonderful, but we had a difficult time getting started.  The menu listed easily over 120 selections, ranging from familiar items, like “Broccoli Beef”, to things like “Happy Family”.

A quick conversation with the waiter set us straight.  After discussing our preferences and our budget, he described a few excellent options, and we made our selections.  I’m happy to say everything worked out very well, indeed.

So whenever we “sort of” know what we want but hardly know how to begin choosing, I recommend getting a clear, practical understanding of your options.  Knowing how to ask the right specific question is 90% of getting to the best answer.

Where am I going with this?  I’m reminded of people who inquire about my band’s availability for their wedding or party, and the first (and sometime only) question they ask is “What’s your fee?”  Most of the time they just need help getting started.  I bet they’re just as bewildered as I was in that restaurant, but I knew I needed help there.  If I began by asking about the price, I knew I’d overlook some other important options that, as it turned out, made an enormous difference.

So how often do people call you with their very first question, “What’s your fee”?  Whatever line of work you’re in, and whether you’re buying or selling anything, I recommend you take the time to gather or recommend lots of practical advice about your options, yes including (but not limited to) “What’s the fee?”

In the meantime, wonderful people keep calling us, and the Magnolia Jazz Band entertains somewhere nearly every day.  I’m always on the lookout for our next opportunity, and if we can help you, please call us at 408-245-9120.  Visit MagnoliaJazz.com for our schedule, and catch us at an event soon.  Our next PUBLIC appearance is Sunday, April 4, 10am-2pm, entertaining for Easter Sunday brunch at the Hilton Newark/Fremont.

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Tagged as: Rebecca & Orbie Pullen, Watsonville

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