"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician" Any one can learn
and do a magic "trick", but to take a trick and turn it into an amazing
performance is one of the keys to performing great magic. May I suggest
that most people DO NOT like to feel as though they have been "tricked"
or "fooled", instead they like to know that they have taken part in good
entertainment. Have you asked yourself why you want to do "magic Tricks"?
Is it for the fame and fortune orbecause you have a passion to entertain?
"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician"
As Simon Lovell states "Magicians worry about 'How do I do it?' Instead of
'Why' do I do it? There in lies one of the biggest problems -- there has
to be a reason. Magic intrinsically is an illogical thing, but you can
do it at least in a logical way. You ask, what's more important to me --
an audience remembering me or the tricks I perform? I would rather them
remember me than the tricks I perform. It's essential to create uniqueness
about yourself - separate yourself from the masses"-Simon Lovell -
Master sleight of hand artist & lecturer.
While at a cookout this past summer I was talking with the host and he
wished for me to entertain the guests, excluding himself; as he told me
"I am not fond of 'magic', I do not enjoy it". Like this gentleman, there
are those who honestly do not enjoy watching magic, but not liking magic
is not a bad thing. In a case like this DO NOT SAY "BUT, YOU HAVE NEVER
SEEN ME PERFORM" (Unless of course in that same sentence you have the
ability to make a 2 ton elephant appear in his swimming pool and cause
a parade of camels to march through the picnic area. If you do possess
this power, I will caution, that he may call upon a local minister to
perform an exorcism).
In this scenario for instance I asked VERY un-aggressively "Have you
ever seen a live close-up magician?" To this he said, "Yes" (In a
sarcastic, oh my --magic is for kids type of tone). His comment did not
offend me as I have heard this before, I responded to him with "So you
have not seen an impressive sleight of hand artist?" To this he said
"No, they seemed OK for the kid's."
"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician"
After some time walking around performing for his colleagues, I approached
him and asked if he would consider giving me his honest opinion of
something I have been working on and if he would think that it would be
up to par to perform for his friends? He said, "Sure, go ahead." Fast
forward a few hours: by the evening's end he was requesting that I
perform for "this individual and that one over there, oh and they would
love the one you just did with me." Like this individual, most people
have seen the "pick any card trick" and "make six piles", etc. Remember,
become an entertainer, not just a magician.
KID'S PARTIES
At my kid shows I entertain the adults as much as the children, part of
my guarantee! is that ALL THEIR GUESTS WILL BE TRULY ENTERTAINED OR THEY
PAY ME NOTHING! I have NEVER had any one take me up on this offer...EVER
(Humbly Stated).
Usually as the guests are arriving (at a kid's party) I will do 15-20
minutes of walk around magic (FREE, the client loves this as there is NO
dead space and you have even more opportunity to connect with the adults
and children before "show" time. The parents in attendance like to know
who is entertaining their children. When I perform close-up magic for the
parents, they receive a better glimpse into who I am and they are not
just at a "child's party" anymore).
"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician"
Some times while doing this type of walk around I will have maybe one or
two of the laid back, cool, brew drinking guys and their buddies saying
(as I approach) "No, go show the tricks to the kids, I do not want to
see any of that stuff it is for children." I may come back with "Oh, you
know I have been working on a few things for this show, for the kid's and
all," (I will usually look around as if I am sharing an intimate secret
with them) and suggest, "would you mind/ be so kind to allow me to show
you something that I may want to perform for the children, you be the
judge. Let me know if you think the children will enjoy this or not."
At this point I present "Hunters Monte`" (Rudy T. Hunter-Canada),Blizzard
Deck (Dean Dill-California) or maybe some mentalism/ card sleights of
Dai Vernon (The Professor). The response to these is ALWAYS phenomenal!!!
Why? I first think as an entertainer, then as a magician". These guys will
always ask to see more and then to show more of this amazing magic to
their friends. I also find that they and get better involved when it
comes to the "kid's" part of the show!
WHY PERFORM MAGIC TRICKS
You may go into a magic shop and purchase the newest, neatest, trick on
the market. After you get it home, the package ripped open, you can hardly
contain the excitement, you read the directions, go through the routine a
couple of times and then run out of your room showing your parents,
husband, wife and/ or children. Showing off your "skills" you now possess
with your T.T., Professors Nightmare, and a stripper deck.
Your friends encourage you and say ..."wow"... that is neat, your parents
tell you that "You are the best magician they have ever seen"and because
you have a few weeks of "practice" and have bought 15 of the "coolest"
tricks sold today you believe you are "ready" to perform as a professional.
You make up business cards with your name stating that you do birthday parties,
etc. Now you are going to be making money.
PLEASE! STOP ! STOP ! STOP ! STOP ! STOP ! STOP ! STOP ! STOP !
First, have you taken the time to consider why you want to do "magic
Tricks"? Is it for the fame and fortune? If I asked if you know who David
Blaine and David Cooperfield are, more than likely you would not hesitate
to say "they are famous and wealthy magicians." Right you would be. But if
I were to ask you if you knew the name of Puck, Scott Alexander or Dennis
Haney to name a few?
Your reply may be "who is Puck, Scott Alexander or Dennis Haney? Why
haven't I heard of them?" I say to you "They are amazing magicians." You
reply,"if they are so amazing, I would have at least seen them on TV." The
answer to your last statement is simple -- they have been working, and
practicing, taking advice, practicing, learning, creating and practicing.
Scott Alexander has been a top pro for many years and one of the busiest
professionals in the world. His credits include Denny & Lee, Malone's Bar
in Boca, cruise ships all over the world, Caesar Magical Empire, and now
he's starring in his own show at Fitzgerald's in Las Vegas. His style is
simple -- comedy that goes right to the center of the audiences brain.
Puck headlines in the new "Magic and Mischief" theatre in Orlando, FL
http://www.magicandmischieftheatre.com/ one of the most sought after
entertainers in the nation.
Dennis Haney is one of the most famous of all three named here. He owns
two magic shops/ studios "Where the pros shop" (Baltimore, MD & Las
Vegas, NV); Mr. Hanney is among the who's who in the world of magic
(worldwide). www.dennymagic.com
If you try and follow fame and fortune more than likely you will be as
Clint Eastwood so calmly said in one of his movies "You are a legend in
your own mind." Don't pursue fame and fortune, let it find you. Keep on
practicing, reading and listening to those in the trenches, learn from
their mistakes and their victories. Did David Copperfield "just appear"
on the scene? (bad play on words, I know but hey...it is a free article
what do you expect), no, he was practicing over and over again. Practice
does not make perfect, as one individual told me some time ago, "perfect
practice, makes perfect."
"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician"
Practice, practice and then practice some more. Once you have practiced
several times, multiplied by 10 then go into your nearest magic shop, or
to a local full time magician and show them what you have been working
on, you have two ears and one mouth, use the first two and not the last
one, listen to what they have to say. Go back and practice, oh, by the
way have I stated to you that you must practice? (I say this with a
curious grin).
"First think as an entertainer, then as a magician"
A Fellow entertainer,
David Breth
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Breth
Showing posts with label Marketing your magic business - the secrets of how to get more gigs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing your magic business - the secrets of how to get more gigs. Show all posts
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Customer Satisfaction and the Corporate Magician
Hectic doesn't begin to describe the past few days. As an independent businessman (that is what EVERY full time pro magician SHOULD be), you get to wear many hats. Marketing manager. Administrator. Bookkeeper. When you're being pulled in a million directions by a million different priorities, it's pretty easy to lose sight of something important...
Like many (or most) of you, I had a day job while doing my magic part time. Weekends. Evenings. Bank Holidays. But the majority of my workweek was spent just like everyone else making the daily commute to the office, trying to avoid office politics, and doing my best to make a few pennies. In my fantasies about working for myself, I imagined that my days would begin with a leisurely breakfast, maybe a brisk morning walk with my dog, hit the computer around 10AM, knock off early for lunch, do a couple of close-up gigs during the course of the week and then maybe an easy wedding reception on Saturday,
Was I dreaming or what!
As anyone who's run their own business realises, it can seem like a continuous mad dash from one project deadline to the next. There's always another confirmation contract to send, a thank you note to write, a bill to pay, marketing materials to create... And I'm not even going to go into the time you need to spend developing commercial routines and bespoke performances. (You do think about marketability BEFORE you develop a show, or purchase a trick don't you? Of course you do...)
The one thing that's easy to forget about, or to put off in all of this -- is your customer. You have to always think about them. You have to make sure, even amidst all the chaos of daily business operations, that you're continually striving to develop products and services that offer great benefits in their eyes. Even the little things count. Here's an example. Yesterday, I spent about an hour and a half writing thank you cards for the previous couple weeks worth of bookings. Now, normally I do this right after the fact. But I got busy and ... admittedly ... a bit lazy. I let them slide and pile up. Hey, it's a pain to write a thank you card, even if you have a system for what you say in it.
Nevertheless, it's really, really important.Not only for the results it produces, but also for the attitude that it demonstrates.
One of the keys to my system is to include three business cards and let them know that I really appreciate their business and their referrals. In addition, I also include a pre-paid envelope with a short satisfaction survey card that asks some questions on what they thought of my show. Nearly everyone returns the card. And by and large, the feedback is almost 100% positive. And I've used many of the comments as testimonials in my marketing materials.
Do I enjoy writing out the thank you notes? Of course not, like I said, it's a pain. But is it worth the effort? Absolutely.
It's a small thing, but sending a thank you note to EVERY customer positions yourself just a notch higher than the guy who just took the money and ran. It's a class thing. And class always pays off. Maybe not immediately, but over time you create a reputation that people will respect and appreciate.
Yesterday I booked a gig from a lady who said she had seen me at a little corporate event I did a few years ago. I didn't have to do any selling at all. 'Are you available?' and that was that.
Now, I do a pretty good job in front of an audience. But that alone would not create any where near the income that I want. To make the different I am meticulous about following up with a thank you and satisfaction survey. Did a thank you card get me my last referral? I don't know. But I do know the type of professionalism that causes you to write out thank you cards is the key to letting customers know how much you care about them and the way to out perform your competition.
And that is the bottom line: the professionalism that you show BEFORE and AFTER the event is what will really differentiate you from the other magicians in the book.
Like many (or most) of you, I had a day job while doing my magic part time. Weekends. Evenings. Bank Holidays. But the majority of my workweek was spent just like everyone else making the daily commute to the office, trying to avoid office politics, and doing my best to make a few pennies. In my fantasies about working for myself, I imagined that my days would begin with a leisurely breakfast, maybe a brisk morning walk with my dog, hit the computer around 10AM, knock off early for lunch, do a couple of close-up gigs during the course of the week and then maybe an easy wedding reception on Saturday,
Was I dreaming or what!
As anyone who's run their own business realises, it can seem like a continuous mad dash from one project deadline to the next. There's always another confirmation contract to send, a thank you note to write, a bill to pay, marketing materials to create... And I'm not even going to go into the time you need to spend developing commercial routines and bespoke performances. (You do think about marketability BEFORE you develop a show, or purchase a trick don't you? Of course you do...)
The one thing that's easy to forget about, or to put off in all of this -- is your customer. You have to always think about them. You have to make sure, even amidst all the chaos of daily business operations, that you're continually striving to develop products and services that offer great benefits in their eyes. Even the little things count. Here's an example. Yesterday, I spent about an hour and a half writing thank you cards for the previous couple weeks worth of bookings. Now, normally I do this right after the fact. But I got busy and ... admittedly ... a bit lazy. I let them slide and pile up. Hey, it's a pain to write a thank you card, even if you have a system for what you say in it.
Nevertheless, it's really, really important.Not only for the results it produces, but also for the attitude that it demonstrates.
One of the keys to my system is to include three business cards and let them know that I really appreciate their business and their referrals. In addition, I also include a pre-paid envelope with a short satisfaction survey card that asks some questions on what they thought of my show. Nearly everyone returns the card. And by and large, the feedback is almost 100% positive. And I've used many of the comments as testimonials in my marketing materials.
Do I enjoy writing out the thank you notes? Of course not, like I said, it's a pain. But is it worth the effort? Absolutely.
It's a small thing, but sending a thank you note to EVERY customer positions yourself just a notch higher than the guy who just took the money and ran. It's a class thing. And class always pays off. Maybe not immediately, but over time you create a reputation that people will respect and appreciate.
Yesterday I booked a gig from a lady who said she had seen me at a little corporate event I did a few years ago. I didn't have to do any selling at all. 'Are you available?' and that was that.
Now, I do a pretty good job in front of an audience. But that alone would not create any where near the income that I want. To make the different I am meticulous about following up with a thank you and satisfaction survey. Did a thank you card get me my last referral? I don't know. But I do know the type of professionalism that causes you to write out thank you cards is the key to letting customers know how much you care about them and the way to out perform your competition.
And that is the bottom line: the professionalism that you show BEFORE and AFTER the event is what will really differentiate you from the other magicians in the book.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Marketing your magic business pt 2
Most magicians seem to believe that they are the "same" as the other magicians in their genre of magic - ie close-up or kids shows ect. The good news for you is that you can not possibly be the same as any other magician! Because in the world of magic YOU are the product NOT the tricks or the SHOW.
Now this is a double edged sword because it means that from a business growth perspective we have some real issues (but I will address these in a future blog). But from a marketing perspective this uniqueness is fabulous news.
Marketing is all about positioning and your confidence in your message. So step one is stop believing that you are the same as everyone else - even if your material is identical (lets face it we all do largely the same tricks).
Step two you need to position yourself as a busy and in demand performer. A real success. There is a common expression in business which is that "you should dress for the job you want to have not the one that you currently have". It's strange psychology, but people want what they can't have. The harder it is to get something, the more people want it.
You must make people believe that your diary is so full and so many people want to book you that they'll be lucky if you can squeeze them in. (Of course, it should go without saying that you need to do this without sounding like a plumber or used car sales man - you must sound authentic and professional, like you really do want to help to fit them in somehow.)
What do most magicians do when someone calls to inquire about booking them? They practically fall all over themselves to try and get the booking. Putting the customer first is one thing but sounding desperate is not appealing to the customer. Remember professional, polite - but BUSY!
When someone calls you, you need to put the basis of the discussion into terms that work for you. Turn the whole focus of the call from 'I'm calling to decide whether I want to hire him or her' to 'I hope this person is available to entertain at my event.'
Here is an example of what I mean:
'Mrs. Smith, I'm not quite sure that I'm the right entertainer for you. I may not be the magician that you need to book but let me ask you some questions and see if I can help you.'
Do you see how this works? Every other magician that she calls is going to be telling her how great their act is and will either be desperate to send her a promo DVD (you do have one don't you?) or else will be trying to close the gig. You do just the opposite, you put yourself into the position of deciding if this gig is for you NOT the prospect.
Then a later in the conversation, you can say; 'Before we go any further, let me check to see if that date is even still available.' Again, this implies that you are a busy, in demand professional.
When people perceive that you are very busy, they will also assume that you must be good and starts to condition them for the big fee you will be quoting. This may or may not be true but perception is reality in the world of sales and marketing. Ries and Trout point out that, 'Marketing is not a battle of products or services. Marketing is a battle of perceptions.'
Start developing the clients perception of you by developing the positioning that you are amongst the busiest and highest paid entertainers in the country. If you follow the advice of some others and try and be THE highest paid and busiest - you will fail. Why? You will not sound authentic!
So the second part to marketing your magic business is all about creating the illusion of success and that starts with understanding and believing that you are the product and you are UNIQUE!
Now this is a double edged sword because it means that from a business growth perspective we have some real issues (but I will address these in a future blog). But from a marketing perspective this uniqueness is fabulous news.
Marketing is all about positioning and your confidence in your message. So step one is stop believing that you are the same as everyone else - even if your material is identical (lets face it we all do largely the same tricks).
Step two you need to position yourself as a busy and in demand performer. A real success. There is a common expression in business which is that "you should dress for the job you want to have not the one that you currently have". It's strange psychology, but people want what they can't have. The harder it is to get something, the more people want it.
You must make people believe that your diary is so full and so many people want to book you that they'll be lucky if you can squeeze them in. (Of course, it should go without saying that you need to do this without sounding like a plumber or used car sales man - you must sound authentic and professional, like you really do want to help to fit them in somehow.)
What do most magicians do when someone calls to inquire about booking them? They practically fall all over themselves to try and get the booking. Putting the customer first is one thing but sounding desperate is not appealing to the customer. Remember professional, polite - but BUSY!
When someone calls you, you need to put the basis of the discussion into terms that work for you. Turn the whole focus of the call from 'I'm calling to decide whether I want to hire him or her' to 'I hope this person is available to entertain at my event.'
Here is an example of what I mean:
'Mrs. Smith, I'm not quite sure that I'm the right entertainer for you. I may not be the magician that you need to book but let me ask you some questions and see if I can help you.'
Do you see how this works? Every other magician that she calls is going to be telling her how great their act is and will either be desperate to send her a promo DVD (you do have one don't you?) or else will be trying to close the gig. You do just the opposite, you put yourself into the position of deciding if this gig is for you NOT the prospect.
Then a later in the conversation, you can say; 'Before we go any further, let me check to see if that date is even still available.' Again, this implies that you are a busy, in demand professional.
When people perceive that you are very busy, they will also assume that you must be good and starts to condition them for the big fee you will be quoting. This may or may not be true but perception is reality in the world of sales and marketing. Ries and Trout point out that, 'Marketing is not a battle of products or services. Marketing is a battle of perceptions.'
Start developing the clients perception of you by developing the positioning that you are amongst the busiest and highest paid entertainers in the country. If you follow the advice of some others and try and be THE highest paid and busiest - you will fail. Why? You will not sound authentic!
So the second part to marketing your magic business is all about creating the illusion of success and that starts with understanding and believing that you are the product and you are UNIQUE!
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