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Paul Jester Special user UK 759 Posts |
So, I've had a lucky break, I've impressed a fellow who "makes" magicians, if you know what I mean. Trouble is he wants me to send him a promo pack, and I've got no idea what I should put in one. My magic is pretty much all hand magic, no illusions, no boxes or bags. I work in a classical, elegant style. And I've been working cabaret venues doing 10 minute slots.
Any advice is very much appreciated, this is my chance at the big time... Paul |
mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
I have a friend who recently needed the same thing. He was working toward becoming a house magician at an upper scale restaurant and actually took about 2 months getting everything in order and putting a proposal together for the job. Guess what? He got it because of the work he put into trying to accomplish his goals.
Lesson? Don't rush it. If it's important, take the time to do it right from the beginning. You are, after all, wanting to be seen (or become) as a professional so your material should reflect that. At the least, you'll need some color photos of yourself. Get a digital camera (they are fast and FREE and allow you to take as many as you want) and snap some pictures. You'll want some of yourself and of you performing. You'll only need a couple but take a lot so you can pick the best ones. Also, you'll need some type of resume. How long have you been in magic? Where do (or have) you perform? Won any awards or recognitions in magic? Belong to any magic clubs or organizations? Ever been an officer? Etc... If you run a search on the Café, I'm also sure you will find some more information. If this guy "makes" magicians, I'm sure he can help you get your promo package together. He'll know what he needs and shouldn't have any problem working with you since he will be trying to "make" you as well. Good luck. Mark. |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
The promo packets I mail out to my main market usually includes two main elements 1) The lead generation or sales letter and 2) my promo packet. Let me talk a bit about each, what is included in them and why I do it the way I do. Perhaps this might help give insight when creating your own.
Keep in mind that at the point of me mailing these out, several things have already taken place. These mailings are not sent out as a first time contact with the suspect. Before I mail these out I have already: - Figured out the general areas in which I want to work - Obtained a client list in the market I want to work in my own area. - Cold-called the people on my list NOT to sell to them but to simply ask who the entertainment decision maker is and if I might be able to mail them my packet for consideration. - Update and finalize my contact list with the new information obtained from my cold calling. This means that my list I am mailing out to has been what I refer to as pre-qualified. This means that I am sending information out to the RIGHT decision maker for that market and therefor I have a much greater percentage of return rate on my promo packet mailings. With all of this said, I send out a letter along with my promo packet to the entertainment contact (decision maker) I have on my master list. - Lead Letter: Because I am sending this letter along with my promo packet, I tend to keep my letter to one single page in length. My goal is to simply get their attention, peak their interest so they want to open the packet and get the details of what I can do for them and how I can solve the problems they are faced with. My letter is personalized to the contact I am sending to. This is an important step so that the person feels it is not so much a form letter or a solicitation. Now you have a better chance of them opening your mail any ways because of your pre-qualification process. They know to expect something in the mail from you. In the letter I give them a feel for who I am, exactly what event or events I am interested in helping them with, a little about similar clients I have worked for in the past as well as a quote or two from previous customers. I also make sure to end the letter with a call to action to give them incentive to contact me for further information and to get them to make the next logical step in the sales process. A call to action can be anything from a discount coupon you include in the letter to a free report that they can get from you that tells them the top 10 things to remember when hiring for entertainment to even a percentage off their price if they simply contact you in a said amount of time. All these are incentives to get the prospect interested in taking that next step. - Promo Packet: This is really where I go into detail about the who, what, when, why and how of my performances and what I can do for their event. Everything they could ever want to know about me and the types of shows I do is placed in this kit for them to review. However, I make sure that my kit does several things for me. - That it is of top quality in both design, presentation and the materials that I use - That it is clean in appearance and easy for them to follow - That each section of the promo is clear so that they can find the exact information they are interested in easily In my promo kit, I keep each section by itself on its own 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper. This is printed on my color letterhead paper and run through my printer at home. Because I do it this way I solve several problems: - I can customize each sheet to my client without the expense of having to reprint my entire kit over again. - I can update the page with new information after each event I do. If a new client gets added, I can add them with ease. - It keeps my overall cost down since I am paying only for my initial stationary print job. Now because each section is on its own page, this makes it very easy for the prospect to flip through the pages and find the exact information that they might be interested in most. It is all categorized for them. Some of the categories I try to include as separate sheets are: - Bio - A short bio that helps introduce yourself, who you are and what you are all about. - Client Listings - List of the various clients you have worked for in categories so it is easy to read. - Client Quotes - List of some of the top quotes you have obtained over the years from other events and or markets you have worked. - The Kyle and Kelly Difference - This is my page that explains in detail why our performance is different then any other they may have had in the past. It explains a bit of the features of my festival show as well as how these directly can benefit them and solve their needs. - Advertising Sheet - This has my logos on it in color and black and white and tells them various ways in which they can use this sheet for their own advertising needs. It also explains clearly about our stage name and the importance to them and us to use the full name instead of just saying a Magician will be there. - Awards and Honors - This is a sheet where I list the awards and honors I have received while performing magic. Now keep in mind that I list these only if they are in a direct relationship to the type of show I am offering. In my case, I list my awards I have won for children's magic as well as the stage awards I have won. This is a way for them to see that I not only have experience with doing family style shows, but I am at the top of my game as well. Do not include awards that have no relationship to what you are offering to your specific market. Those are the main sheets I include in my kit. I also try to include the following that are not directly printed on my stationary but are important in getting my message across to the decision maker. These include: - 8 by 10 photos of me and my wife in performance at various events (in our market) we have worked. Some of the photos are publicity shots or head shots that shows who we are and can be used for advertising. Others are a sheet that has combined images together that shows the direct show we do and the audience interaction and reaction we get from our performances. - An oversized postcard that is a small version of our poster. This is a way for them to see what our show is like and gives them a feel for our presentation. - A business card that is in a slit so that it does not get lost or moved around. - Sometimes I will also include a business card magnet so that they might be able to place this and be able to see my name and contact information on a daily basis. That is pretty much what I include in my promo kit and it has worked quite well for me. I make sure to place the kit inside of an envelope with the letter on top so that the letter is the first thing they see with their name on it. I also make sure the envelope is also done nicely with my logo identity so it all fits together. This is important so that when it gets to their desk, they know exactly who it is from and it does not get tossed away. My envelope is a standard size that an 8.5 by 11 size can fit into without folding. I do this for a reason so that my mailing to them does not get lost with the other mail. It stands out in the mail and they see it clearly. I hope this gives you some insight and help into what I do myself for my own promo kit mailings. If anyone has any questions, issues or concerns, please just post them here and let me know. I would be happy to help you out. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
Wow...that is some fantastic information you just shared Kyle! Well worth studying.
As I mentioned earlier, take the time to do it right, have it look professional in content and appearance and make sure you're presenting the image you need to project in order to attract attention from those who will be hiring you. Mark. |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Thank you Mark. My pleasure. Hope it is of help to you and others.
Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Paul Jester Special user UK 759 Posts |
Huge help, thank you. I was fortunate to see him again today, and he clarified what he needs from me, it's all looking good!!
Paul |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Paul,
My pleasure. I am glad things are going well for you. I hope my information was of some help to you in getting things arranged for your needs. I wish you much success with it. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Metone New user 57 Posts |
Kyle, maybey I missed it but can you tell me how many minutes a promo tape should be? thanks
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Well it does vary a bit pending your intended client but I would say it should be alike a good act. That means no more then 8 minutes or so. In fact it may not even need to be any longer then 5 or 6. The idea is to entice the target audience and to give themn a tatste and feel for the magic and services you provide. A great site by a magician who is very good at promo tapes and videos/DVds is Scott Sullivan's site at reelsinmotion.com. You may want to check it out as he has some great information on the site that can help any magician wanting to to a promo tape. If anyone has any questions in regards to a printed promo kit that you habd out or send to a prospect, just let me know. I would be happy to answer some questions for you.
Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Metone New user 57 Posts |
Kyle,thank you for your wisdom.
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
You are most welcome my friend. My pleasure. Let me know if I can be of further help to you. I would be happy to answer any questions on this topic if I can.
Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
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