How Jeff Scott Gould of SCE Event Group Makes Killer Events By Upselling Instant Spotlight
Want to make more money at every event you host? It might be simpler than you think.
This past week, we had the pleasure of hearing Jeff Gould, DJ and host for SCE Event Group, speak at our June Spark Meeting about how he upsells Instant Spotlight.
Jeff is one of the biggest names in weddings and events in New Jersey. In fact, he’s about to host the sweet 16 for the daughter of one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. He’s also an Instant Spotlight power user. These days, he’s managed to successfully upsell the product at almost every event he does.
📸 If you haven’t tried Instant Spotlight, it’s our bespoke photo wall tool at Esstart. Guests love it, it brings in warm leads, and you can try it for free on our website.
Jeff sat down with a bunch of our clients and us to talk a bit about:
- How he demos Instant Spotlight to hosts and upsells it to them
- How he guarantees guest participation for Instant Spotlight
- How he justifies his pricing to venues
- How he white labels his services
- And more
Here are his top tips for events professionals looking to upsell and offer services like Instant Spotlight.
Jeff’s Secret Upsell Strategy
Jeff has two distinct times in which he attempts to upsell services like Instant Spotlight: during the first sales call or later through email as he’s hashing out the details of the wedding.
During the Initial Sales Call
If Jeff has his clients on their first Zoom call and they already show interest in:
- Photo sharing screens
- Media packages
- Interactive guest experiences
Then he leaps into action and begins the upsell process for Instant Spotlight. Being a veteran salesman, Jeff also has a few tricks up his sleeve to make the sales process easier.
How Jeff Demos Instant Spotlight to Clients
If you’re like Jeff, you’re likely going to be doing most of your sales through Zoom and Google Meet these days. These platforms can actually help your sales pitch if you use them right.
Jeff doesn’t waste time screen sharing a live demo every time he wants to show software to clients. Like any good host, he runs his sales meetings like a hosted event. Everything is a carefully rehearsed show.
That’s why Jeff uses streaming software, Ecamm, for his sales calls. With the software, he simply cuts to a prerecorded and edited video that he cues up to demonstrate how content appears on the screen, how guests submit content, and how everyone receives photos afterwards. It’s much cleaner and shows the product at its best.
Here’s an Ecamm demo on screensharing from their YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMxvM1NyjYc
“The focus is on helping clients visualize the experience rather than understanding the technology.”
If Jeff Fails to Sell in the Initial Call, He Upsells Later, Through Automated Emails
If the client isn’t ready during the initial Zoom to hear his pitch, Jeff waits to upsell until after booking. He’ll regularly send educational videos and examples of how Instant Spotlight works by email. This way, he continues searching for upsell opportunities without overwhelming his clients.
Other Sales Tips From an Events Master
Sell the Experience, Not the Equipment
Jeff’s sales philosophy is this: clients don’t care about technical specifications. They care about the emotional aspects. He doesn’t talk about 65-inch TVs, the 4K screens, the specific model of your camera, or anything like that.
“When you sell a TV, clients compare it to what they can buy at Walmart. When you sell an experience, they can’t compare it.”
Personalize Your Sales Process
Jeff advises all DJs and hosts to be wary of copying and pasting sales pitches for every new sale. Every client is different, and you’ll need to convince each one in a different manner.
For example, Jeff is one of many hosts at his agency, SCE Event Group. He says most SCE services aren’t listed publicly on the website because they prefer a bespoke sales approach. Each host pitches personally to potential clients.
For Jeff:
- Services are introduced based on the couple’s interests.
- He uses customized sales decks and automated email sequences.
- He selectively presents services depending on the client and venue.
How to Justify Price
According to Jeff, his clients’ most common objection to adding Instant Spotlight to a wedding package is this:
“Why would I pay $295 when I can get a QR code app for $33?”
He always tries to explain that the couple isn’t paying for software, they’re paying for:
- Setup
- Management
- Guest instruction
- Engagement strategies
- Real-time moderation
- Content collection
- A better overall experience
“If you manage it, not only do you have to get married, now you have to manage this whole other thing,” says Jeff. “I tell them, don't you just want to get married and be the bride or the groom and have a great time and let someone else do the magic?”
How Jeff Drives Guest Participation in Instant Spotlight at Weddings
It’s not enough to simply sell the software to an event and then cross your fingers, hoping guests use it.
Selling a service you fail to deliver may ruin your reputation and you’ll also miss out on all of the great lead generation features that Instant Spotlight offers.
To make usage almost guaranteed, Jeff normally whips out the microphone before introducing everyone at the event and:
- Asks every guest to take out their phone.
- Has them immediately take a photo of their food or their friends.
- Walks them through scanning the QR code.
- Encourages them to submit their first photo before the event begins.
This creates instant momentum.
“By the time I get done with the introductions, I'm going to have 60 photos or videos already sitting there, it's almost guaranteed, unless people are like, ‘Dude, just get in the room, I want to get back to my drinks.’ Everyone's going to at least try it.”
Once guests enter the reception area, Jeff has QR codes placed on every table. And to take all remaining friction away, the back of the cards includes content ideas like:
- Take a photo doing shots at the bar.
- Take a picture with the bride and groom.
- Take a photo at the photo booth.
- Take a dance floor photo.
- Take a selfie with your table.
As a host, all you need to do is make using the software as simple as possible. Once it gets started, the momentum of photo sharing carries it along.
Digital Business Cards and Lead Generation
One of Jeff’s favorite parts of using Instant Spotlight is how easy it is to get referrals after every event. To start the process, he uses our software to distribute:
- Digital thank-you messages
- Digital business cards
- QR-based contact sharing
After that, the leads naturally start to ebb in.
“I don't feel like I’ve printed a new stack of business cards in two years because everything's digital. I send digital thank yous to everyone, and I've had some leads come back from it already.”
Jeff’s Tip For Solving Weak Wi-Fi At a Venue
For locations with weak internet connections, Jeff recommends using the app Speedify. For a low monthly subscription (currently, $14.99 but lower if you buy a year or 3-year plan), it bonds multiple internet connections across phones, tablets, hotspots, and Wi-Fi into a single connection.
He shared a real-world example on a remote island in the Cayman Islands.
“My girl Valentina was down in the Cayman Islands, and they had her DJ on the other side of the island. There was zero signal. I took my two tablets, my cell phone, and her cell phone, and put them onto her computer through Speedify. It literally just stuck everything together, and we had enough for her to stream from Tidal.”
Growing Event Business Revenue Through Whitelabeling
When asked how businesses can get more bookings, Jeff suggests white-labeling the services and apps you can get through businesses like Esstart.
That means you buy the software and then sell it on to the DJs, events planners, photographers, videographers, and even the venues. You take care of the setup and then let them do your management.
“If you find a venue you like, why not just ask them if you can help them set up something like Instant Spotlight, and you split the profits? Some people don’t like fooling around with technology, and others do.”
Interested in Learning More About Esstart? Come Try Our State-of-the-Art Event Tools
At Esstart, we build tools to supercharge your events business and transform every guest into a source for connections, referrals, and future business opportunities.
Our tools have already been used in front of over 25,000 guests, generated thousands of leads, and averaged about $550 in upsell revenue at every event.
Currently we offer six different tools including:
- A photo wall
- A raffle generator
- A photo booth app
- A seating organizer
- A DJ request and tipping tool
- And interactive storybook
- And more features almost every month
Ready to transform your events or just want to learn more? Reach out to us right now or send an email, and we’ll get in touch.
