Hmm, tricky one. I was asked to do a gig like this, but the client decided to go with something else so it came to nothing.

A couple of thoughts though:

If you do teach an effect, perform it in your act, get them excited about it first. Obviously, you shouldn't teach what you perform, but you should perform what you teach!

You could get around the problem by not really teaching them anything at all. Do as I do effects could work quite well here...anything where the magic happens in the hands of the spectators you could present in a teachy kind of way. Probably what your clients are interested in is hands on audience participation more than anything else.

You could get one person out from the audience to "teach" and do effects where they appear to do the magic. There's some really nifty ones, from the obvious ace cutting and beyond. That way you're "teaching" them to do the "real" magic - just snap your fingers and the magic happens! That's gotta be more fun for the participant - and everyone else - than exposing a secret that never fails to disappoint. Client is happy, audience is happy, you are happy.

Just some thoughts anyway.

Lee makes many excellent points.... as usual!

I would suggest that IF you decide to got this route, don't expose any tricks that they're not going to learn and actually do themselves (which is most of the magic we do). That's why you should limit the trick you teach them to one of the already exposed simple tricks, like tht 3 card monte gaff....again, you can customize the gaff to their company logo, etc.

Lee is dead on. Your best bet is do go another route. Read his posts very carefully.

Lee are you saying it is wrong to belittle what it is we do by telling them they can learn it in just a few minutes?

rant on,

WAY TO GO BUD, YES YES YES.

rant off.

You saved me a bunch of typing, I may copy and paste that where necessary as it is actually brilliant. It goes directly to the way you are "percieved" by a client. There is a lot there. Thank you.

Yes just what Magic needs...more hacks! Great points guy's.

I also agree with Mediocre's point...teach them something benign if you must.

Hey here's an idea:Include as part of your package a neat but simple business card trick.[Kipp Sherry's King's Fool comes to mind].This is something that would fit into their sales presentation very nicely.

http://www.kippsherrymagic.info/sales/store.htm

Rich

I, also, agree with Lee and the others when they say this is not the optimum way to go with this client. However, Lee and the rest, do you draw a line in the sand on this? Once you discuss the negative aspect of your client's grand idea and he insists it will be a fun and beneficial thing to do for his sales force, do you refuse the show? Or do you, bite the bullet, take the show, and do as the client requires? We all know that if you try and teach 30 people a trick, maybe one will actually work on it well enough to be able to present it. For the rest, the trick will find it's way to the junk drawer. Then, again, Magic Masters has made a business of teaching and selling over-priced magic which will end up in the junk drawer, also.
patrick

I always teach a card location using a reversed 4 and you find the four aces and another trick where you lose a six and a nine and find them again instantly (off the top and bottom)Yeah you know those ones. Its a great little part in some of my corp events like the one you've been booked for.

Easy Peasy and they look good too.

A bonus is they'll be able to do them in 5...and forget them the next day.

Everyone loves to learn a magic trick.

Pick up cheap decks from pound stores ect 2/4 for £1.

I don't agree with revealing 2 card monte, but most stuff from a basic magic book is fair play imo.

M:C

I have not run into this too much really. No line necessary. I don't offer it as a service so it dosn't come up.

Well, when the client insists, I will perform flight of the paper balls and say that EVERYBODY there "learned" the trick. Which, technically speaking, they did!

The client is happy, because his whole staff is not "in" on the gag, the sales staff "knows" a trick, yet not one of them will have the stones to actually do it.

I win, the client wins (in his beliefs) and the sales people win, because they don't have to spend hours of their selling time, time that COSTS THEM (and the company) MONEY, learning something that they will not use.

And I can still use it at a later date, because I have multiple methods that I use with people who know the method, anyway!

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Teaching the ACR would not only be unwise but just a plain sin.
You would just be doing a disservice to everyone. Teaching something like that says:
Anyone can do it.
Professional magicians do it and now so can you.
Learning magic is easy. See...
Next year one of you could get paid to do this instead of me.


Teach them the trade show 2-card-monte and be done with it.


There's an easy way to do the trick with no slight of hand and there's the deluxe version using the optical blah-blah move and associated subtleties.

That trick is given away millions of times a year already at trade shows.
Plus all you would need to buy are 2 decks of cards. 1 DF and 1 DB.

Just to clarify I am not doing this for any sales people. its for a room full of suits, one of which saw something at a conference in India I belive and wants to try it. The teaching bit is purely for fun, not for them to try and land major contracts, its just again to reinforce there point (carrying over their weekend seminar) that you can succeed despite the odds. I agree with all the above posts in that trying to teach what we do to people who obviously are not interested is a waste of my time and their money, but while they are willing to pay me I am happy to go! I will only be teaching very simple trick/s but wanted your input as to what moroniccly simple trick I could teach that would not reveal anything meaty but wouldnt be so lame they were switched off. I want it to be something they could go home and show the family.

Please don't teach anything that involves a principle like magician's choice and definitely don't reveal the existance of a gaff or gimmick. I'm not against teaching folks magic, but will only do so if they really want to learn magic and not just know how a trick is done.

Maybe present a magical puzzle, like filling in a magic square. Another possibility would be something with a one-way deck. Often a company will have a deck of cards made with their logo on it, if you are lucky it is a one-way deck.

Even though you don't need to do this, I would try to tie-in with the company or one of more of their products. You will be able to do what they want and then kick it up a notch. This could lead to other opportunities with the company.

Well, if that's the case, that you are working for a room full of suits and trying to make a motivaional point (which is not what you implied, earlier), then you open up the whole realm of "stupid people tricks" for this sort of thing.

Think of the stuff about making someone's outstretched arm weak when they hold a pinch of sugar in their other hand... simple physiological stuff that is technically NOT magic, but still proves the Boss-person's point - that limitations are self-imposed.

No exposure, no props required and a BIG impact on the group...

Or, you could do a Svengali Deck pitch routine... LOL!

(Can you tell that I used to work for Marshall Brodien in my misspent youth?)

Lee Darrow, C.H.

I feel the only 2 tricks that should be ever taught is Houdini's jumping rubber bands or the linking paper clips w/dollar . period.

Okay Okay , 2 card monte too but nothing more got it.

Well maybe simple matrix routine , but nothing more .

Alright Sub trunks are okay too if their wives/ girlfriend are cute.

Lee, sorry for the confusion but I tryed not to imply anything with my post just asking for suggestions for effects. I think I will stick to bar betchas and the like and steer clear of actual 'magic' completely. Those types of effects wil be something they could actually do and wont give away any real methods! Thanks to all you guys for the posts. If anyone else has anyother ideas I am always keen to hear it! Cheers

Actually, the bar betchas is probably the best thing you could do for them nd is a brilliant idea!

It shows them that it doesn't take magic to fool somebody, that ANYBODY can BE fooled and that honesty IS the best policy.

Bravo!

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Thanks for the plug Rich.

Oliver,

Did you take a serious look at King's Fool. I think it might fit what you are looking for in at least 6 ways.

1) It uses a very old optical illusion so you are not really giving away any big secrets.
2) It's easy for anyone to learn.
3) It gives them something to take home with them and perform it for others.
4) It's not expensive so it should fit your budget.
5) It can be used to convey several messages or business principles.
6) It has your name and contact information on it so you might get more gigs.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry