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Gianni Special user WILMINGTON, DE 993 Posts |
I have recently started to perform for money. My problem/situation is this:
I do not want to perform for a living. My goal is to perform 4 paid shows per year. The only venue I am interested in is adult and corporate parties. I had my first show a few weeks ago at a private party and was very pleased with the result. The problem is that I need to advertise to get more shows but the advertising costs far outweigh the number of shows I want to do/number of shows that people will hire me for. Any advice on a low cost way to advertise with a lightweight goal of only 4 shows per year? |
Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
I wouldn't bother advertising if you want to do four shows a year. Just pay attention when you meet people. If you meet someone who works in the corporate world, ask them if they have a Christmas Party etc, and go from there.
Having said that, I think I would advise you not to do corporate work if this is your goal, for a couple of reasons. If there are working pros in your area who do corporate work for a living, you are taking food off of their tables. Some healthy competition is fine, but if you only want to do a few shows a year, you don't NEED the shows and they do. Further, if you're only performing four shows a year, I don't think you're getting enough real world experience to do as good of a job as you could be doing. You can rehearse all you want, but it is only in the fires of real world performances that our acts are perfected, and corporate bookings will accept nothing short of perfection. It is the ad libs, the bits of business and the ability to think on your feet and bring everything to a successful conclusion regardless of what goes wrong that makes you a successful performer, and four shows a year ain't gonna do that. You don't have to take my advice, but as a working, full-time pro who did magic for years before charging, and then for a couple more years before even attempting to break into the corporate market (where I now do several hundred shows per year), I hope you'll at least consider it.
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
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Gianni Special user WILMINGTON, DE 993 Posts |
I appreciate the time you took in giving me your advice.
I don't think my goals are quite as stark as they may seem. I realize that nothing compares to being under fire, and nothing prepares you better. Although my goal is to do 4 paid shows per year, my goal includes doing many unpaid shows in addition to the paid shows to try material and get the experience you mention. And when I mention corporate work, I am not thinking of Fortune 500 companies. I am thinking of mom and pop corporations who have Xmas parties for 20 or 30 employees. So I do value the advice you've given, but don't want to appear as naive as you may think. Thanks again. |
Bengi Veteran user Georgia 309 Posts |
Experience is the best teacher.
Bengi |
Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Gianni, to handle what you want, word of mouth and direct contact is the best way to go.
First of all, ads -- in the Yellow Pages or just about anywhere else -- are simply too expensive. (Sure, there are guys who will tell you that those ads ARE worth it, but there are also guys who will tell you that Brad Pitt can act, too! ) Second, for the kind of work you are looking at, word of mouth is definitely the best advertising; you can say anything you want in an ad that you paid for, but someone else’s recommending you is something you have no control over and, therefore, worth its weight in gold. Hand out business cards when you can, hand out brochures at your shows, and talk it up. Then it is a matter of time; these things don’t happen overnight. (Hey, if it were easy, then everybody would be doing it!) cheers, Peter Marucci |
Gianni Special user WILMINGTON, DE 993 Posts |
Peter,
Thanks for your thoughts and advice. They are appreciated. Gianni |
Tom Cutts Staff Northern CA 5925 Posts |
Now Peter,
That is below the belt. Brad is at least as good an actor as Keanu. Uh, Gianni, Best way to land a few gigs a year in the mom and pop company world: be personable. These places tend to be intimate workplaces and want to entertain their folks with down home personable entertainers. Be that person. Also there are Christmas mailings or some sort of thing that Corps. do around the holidays to give that family feeling. Send a "Magic of Christmas" story to them free of charge to include in their holiday propaganda. |
Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
All good advice, certainly not worth advertising for 4 gigs a year.
Yellow pages is only any good for childrens entertainers anyway. Paul. |
RayBanks Special user Nassau Bay, TX 533 Posts |
Quote:
And those are the guys who sell the ads!!!
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Pick a card, any card...No. not THAT one...THIS one Ray Banks |
MagicCoach New user 82 Posts |
Some great advice already.
Here’s a very cheap but effective strategy. Keep an eye on your small local or community papers. As stories and photos appear about local business keep them on file. If they’ve just won an award or something special write to them immediately, congratulate them etc. The story in the paper will give you a contact name and an "in". Later you follow up with a flyer, offer, brochure etc. You’re miles ahead already, you’ve targeted a specific company as being suitable, you’re sending a kit to a specific person and someone who is going to say "hey, I’ve heard about this guy!" cheers Timothy Hyde http://www.magiccoach.com Get access to the archive of nearly 100 issues of MagiCoach, the webs weekly newsletter for independent performers. |
Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Timothy's advice, above, is pure gold for anyone wanting to build up a client base.
Easy, and yet effective! cheers, Peter Marucci |
Geoff Williams Special user St. Pete Beach, FL 617 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-01-20 13:04, Tom Cutts wrote: Ouch! Tom, you really don't pull your punches, do you.
"Saját légpárnás tele van angolnák."
(Hungarian for "My hovercraft is full of eels") |
Tricky Regular user 108 Posts |
all the advice above is great but also i think that sticking a postcard size ad in a shop window only cost a bit but it might not get much attention.
james |
Mike Robbins Elite user Anchorage, Alaska 447 Posts |
A great way is to join the local Chamber of Commerce. Also, volunteer to speak or perform at one of their functions. They usually let you hand out business cards (if anyone shows interest get THEIR business card) and flyers.
Membership (at least here) isn't much and there are monthly breakfasts and "Business After Hours" events where you get to meet people from a broad strata of businesses. Hope this helps, Mike
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
Shakespeare |
R2 Special user 935 Posts |
Here is something for those new to marketing themselves to consider?
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onebark Regular user Atlanta, GA 141 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-01-03 17:39, Scott F. Guinn wrote: Scott, your advice is quite good. (Here comes the 'but') But, I take exception to your statement about other working pros. If you are working under the assumption that your economy is a fixed PIE that has to be divided up among everybody, with more performers taking smaller slices, than this may be true. However in many markets, especially in my resident city, a free economy allows the good businessman to create his own PIE! There are many opportunities for the qualified performer, especially if they have the skill of salesmanship. I myself am breaking into the business, and find that there are many untapped markets for parlor and corporate magic. Not that it is easy here to tap into the markets...because it never has been easy and never will. But the markets do exist in some cities and I beleive that there is more room for performers than they may realize. Just my experience; I'm sure it is different in remote areas and smaller cities. Jesse |
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