THE PITCH!!

[Tiggy]

Hi All

I have decided to start my own speed dating business, well, events business really but speedating is part of it.

I am due to meet a club owner next week to discuss whether or not I could hold two or three events there a month. I know from my enquiries with existing speed dating companies that they do not pay for any of their venues. The club owner I'm meeting doesn't really know about speed dating (surprise!) and has never hosted such an event.

I have a feeling that he may not realise that I won't be paying for the venue although this hasn't been discussed.

I must admit when I found this out from existing speed date operators I was a bit surprised but I suppose the argument is that you are bringing extra business into the club which is bound to lead to people paying return visits on their own if they like the look of the place.

I'm very new and green at all this but want to come across as knowlegeable and assertive so that if he queries the free use of his club I feel confident with the answer I can provide. It is also customary that I will be providing the guests with their first drink 'free' which means me negotiating a cut down price for the 25 or so drinks that I am buying.

I have a problem where I always see everyone elses point of view just as much, or often times even more so, than my own. Quite frankly I feel a bit cheeky telling him I want it for free and then asking for a reduction on a round of drinks!!!!


Can anyone give me any advice on the right way to handle this, the right way to say it and the right points to make? I know that if I have convinced myself that this is a fair way to do things then I will have no problems sounding confident when I'm talking to him. If I doubt it myself he will probably eat me for breakfast and if he is a particularly seasoned negotiator I will probably end up paying for the venue and at twice the normal price at that and thinking I have a good deal.....well, only joking there but you get my point!

Much appreciated

Tiggy

[MinuWeb]

As you mentioned, you are bringing people to his club, that wouldn't probably be there on that night, so he is in for extra sales, plus you could always go on the offensive by saying that you will not be charging him for your services......

[Tiggy]

WOW!! Why didn't I think of that! I am not charging him for my serivces!
See what I mean, that honestly never occurred to me and it's so b***** obvious. I think I'm really going to have to watch this ingrained habit of mine to focus on what the other person is contributing without even considering what my imput means. I must start to think in a new way because I think that will be half the battle solved.

Many thanks.

Tiggy

[Richard Conyard]

In terms of this there is also some room for negotiation. Tell him what you want up front, but agree to waive this on the first few occassions. There after you're backing up your requests with proof that they bring the club extra revenue.

[Jayne]

Tell this guy you are meeting staight off you will expect the venue for free, promise him you will pack his club out. Tell him you are looking at other venues too (drop a couple of big names) but say you would prefer to use his (say something good about his club) and say if it is succesful, it could be a regular thing. Don't be too pushy though, point out this will benefit both parties. No club owner would turn the offer of a packed club down on a regular bases.

Best Wishes

Jayne

[bitsnstuff]

Surely he will be able to see that it is in his interests to allow you to hold this event at his venue, particularly as it is one of the latest crazes, brings in singletons, so other singletons who see your large advertising campaign may come to the club, even if they don't join in with the speed dating.

You are also proposing to provide just one cheap drink and there is no way these people will be meeting and chatting to the opposite sex whilst nursing just 1 bevvy all night, so there will definitely be drink sales to consider. Maybe you could use some form of token, so that the participants have to show their token/No. when they get a round in and then this can be tallied to see how much business you have brought in?

Worst case scenario, persuade him to let you run a series of trials under your terms, to prove it is worth his while.

I used to organise club events and one thing I did was to go to the clubs on different nights and monitor how busy they were, then that gives you a basis to discuss, by saying "I was here on Thursday and you only had XX no. of people here at any given time, or all men, not women or whatever". More reasons to allow your guests in.

Kate.

[LittleAcorn]

Hi Tiggy,

Generally in a bar, the profits are made on the drinks, rather than the entry fees, events, dj’s etc.

How about asking when the club owner has his quietest nights, and offer to run your events on those nights, to pull in the crowds. It’s a 'win' for him because you’ll be bringing in customers who would otherwise not be in there buying his drinks.

In addition, you could run the events in the earlier part of the evening, say 8-10, which is generally quieter in bars (over here anyway). When the event ends, you could give the attendees some kind of incentive to stay at the club for the rest of the night (eg free drink coupons, or maybe a free entry for another club night – both of which could be provided by the bar itself rather than by you).

Just my initial thought. Good luck, I can’t see why you’d have any problems convincing a bar owner to allow you to bring in crowds of people to an establishment.

[Ian Jones]

I assume that your speed dating event will start fairly early (8pm/9pm?) My memory of clubs is that most don't started to fill up till the pubs close. So you would be doing him a favor if you can get people in earlier!

Regards

Ian Jones

www.iljconsulting.co.uk

[mumper]

Hi Tiggy,

You could also offer to date the club owner - that would give you a bit more negotiating power!! -- just a thought :D :D

[Tiggy]

Thanks for lots of great feedback guys!! Like the one about dating the club owner LOL! Always fancied myself in a bikini hanging on the arm (or something) 0of a Peter Stringfellow look a like!!

A lot my own thoughts were echoed which is mightily encouraging and points raised I never thought of which is brill.

Tiggy

[daveashton]

Hi Tiggy

There is some good advice here especially from LittleAccorn as well as the some more off the wall ideas.

However a more simple solution and easier to sell.

Sales are about doing your homework. You mention that other speed dating companies get a venue for free.

So why not call one of these venues and get the reasons why they provided the venue for free direct from the owners mouth.

This gives you a sales pitch and a good person to refer your venue owner to, if they feel it would help them make a decision by speaking to someone who has already done it.

Opinions are great but the existing venue owners will have the facts!