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elmago Loyal user Northridge- Los Angeles, CA 272 Posts |
I once got booked to do a grand opening at a Vons super market. What was I thinking? The store manager insisted that I walk up and down the ailse doing strolling magic. I offered to set up a table and gather up a crowd every few minutes. He declined. Those were the two longest hours of my life. I learned a lot about people while they shop. I had a few good situations, but man that was weird! I won't do that again, even though the money was great. I use this story as my storyline when I perform the vanishing ketchup bottle trick, so something good did come out of it! I still have the Vons name tag that says "Magic Man".
Miguel Rangel
"Excellence is not a single act; it's a habit" Shaq quoting Aristotle after winning NBA MVP.
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
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Strangest booking call was when I first started someone wanted me to work a WAKE. yes you read that right a WAKE! Three words: dead-guy Asrah. "Rise ... Rise ... Poof! He vanished!" |
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NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
Him: Hi, I want to book you.
Me: Okaaaay...what for. Him: My birthday at a restaurant on the 20th September from 7:30-8:30. Can I book you now? Me: Have you seen me before? Him: No...can I book you. Me: Could I ask you some questions about your event. Him: Errrr....sure. Me: (A various range of questions to which he gives one word answers) Him: So are you free? Me: I certainly am available...would you like to know the cost. Him: Oh...yeah...sure... Me: I charge $395 for the hour. Him:....great...can I book? Me: Sure...(I get his details.) What a weird call! He didn't care about who I was, what I did and how much I charged. He just wanted to make sure I was a particular restaurant on a particular date at a particular time. I thought it might be a wind up so I called to confirm twice....all was well. I turn up and the waiter says "Are the magician? The groups upstairs. They were expecting you an hour ago.." I walk up the stairs and....... 20 of my family and friends leap out and yell: SURPISE! It was a surprise party for my birthday. My wife got a friend of a friend to call and 'book' me for a gig. Obviously, he didn't care about who I was etc. so long as he got me there at the right time! Well and truly fooled! |
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RandyStewart Inner circle Texas (USA) 1989 Posts |
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On 2005-09-23 21:48, Nicholas J. Johnson wrote: Well heck, Did they pay ya? |
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James Munton Inner circle Dallas, TX 1199 Posts |
Elmago, a few years ago I got a similar gig doing magic in several supermarkets for BirdsEye. You're right - supermarkets are a crappy venue!
They were supposed to tell the store managers in advance, but clearly hadn't, so I was met with some suspicion when I arrived at one of the stores in a small town near Richmond, VA. The manager followed me from aisle to aisle. It got quite creepy. Everytime I turned round, I would see her peering around the cornflakes. Eventually, she came up to me and asked me to leave. I of course agreed, but asked her if there was a problem. She replied, "People round here...they don't like no card tricks. It's not godly." I left town as quick as I could! Best, James |
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
What I think is important is that even when we have experiences like those shared here, that we can take a step back and learn frrom them all. The road to success is learning that failure is not really failure unless you fail to learn from bad experiences.
I have certainly had my share of experiences like mentioned above , but I took a step back and realized there may have been some things I can do myself to help prevent the situation from happening again in the future and I have learned to iniate a lot of new methoids and processes I now use to help prevent things like this from happening again. Perhaps when we share our experiences here, we can also post how we learned from the experience and what you now do to help avoid the problem from happening in the future. I think we could all learn a ton from this if we can share it with others here. First I would like to share and point out that yes indeed some clients or prospects seem totally clueless and often times say things that make you and I just go nuts. However, we do have to take a stepo back and ask ourselves how many people do we honestly know that have ever had the experience of hiring a magician in the first place? When you honestly think about it, I think it is safe to say that almost 98% of the folks calling you have never had to book a magician ever and this is the first experience doing so. With this in mind, they will say and ask for things we may find to be totally senseless or even dumb. But we must bite our bottom lip and remember that they are not sure what a magician does, they may have a streotype of what a magician does and think that every magician is the same. They may be nervous and not even sure what to ask so they go right to what they know to ask. How much do you charge? This is where we must stop ourselves from getting to upset and to really learn to listen to their needs but to also educate the caller in a proactive way that is not belittling to them. Who knows more about your services and what you do then yourself. Therefor you should be able to answer their questions and at the same time make them feel comfortable with what they are getting and what you are providing to them. Another key point is that if a client or prospect sates that you BETTER BE GOOD OR ELSE or you sense they are stating things like this, then it is a very good sign that they are doing so because they have gotten burned in the past from someone else they have hired. They are bervous that the same thing might happen. There is nothing wrong with this. We must make sure to reassure the client that you are going to give them 100% quality experience and ease their concerns by asking them directly what their needs are for the event and how you are going to meet these. You can also calm their nerves by always sending out a contract or confirmation e-mail. Does it take time to do.. sure... but it protects you and makes the client more at ease when they see it in writing. When I work with my festival clients each winter for bookings the next season,. I often get into the problem of having more then one client calling me representing the same exact festival. This is why I have now found methods to avoid this problem. I always make sure to ask and state questions and write themn down on my booking sheet I have by the phone. Even if this is not a booked and confirmed show, I am still asking the information and writing down stuff they are telling me. The important thing is to know who they are and for what event they are calling for and on what date etc. Having this ninformation by the phone helps me at a glance to know if another person is calling for the same thing. If they are, then I can clearly state to the second person that so and so called already about that event and would they want to talk with that person first and get back to me. This way I am being proactive and helping them and avoiding a problem for me as well. Also, remember that you WILL get price shoppers. That is just the norm these days and espcially happens with more passive forms of marketing like ads and such. Whgen this happens, we must keep our cool and still be friendly to the prospect. Learn to educate them that yes they can find someone cheaper but they may not find anyone who provides soulutions the way that you do. Show them how you can meet their needs and what makes you different. Just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps. 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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NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
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On 2005-09-24 10:27, RandyStewart wrote: That was my first question too. Kyle - I'm sure 99% people here handle their 'weird' calls properly. Part of the beauty of the Café is to allow people to vent on things that have annoyed or confused them |
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Nicholas:
It was not my intention to upset you or anyone else. If I did, then I must apologize to you all. My intention was for those who may not be aware of what they can do to try and alleviate problems from happening and give them some advice on what might work best for them. Everyone here at the Café is at different stages in their own personal growth and I try to offer advice and help if I can. Once again, sorry if I came across the wrong way. It is never my intention to do so. You are right. Part of the greatness of the Café is that we can share ideas, help out others and have a place to vent frustrations we all seem to share. 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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NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
Huh? Noone is upset here, are they?
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Just making sure =)
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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ricker Special user Tampa, FL 914 Posts |
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On 2005-09-24 10:27, RandyStewart wrote: I'm sure his wife gave him something that was worth more than the fee |
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Tom Stevens Veteran user Australia 361 Posts |
"Hello, how much do you charge?"
"May I ask what sort of event you are planning?" "It's a party, I need some cheap entertainment, I'm a pensioner." "I offer a number of different party packages and options.." "Just tell me the cheapest." "I offer.......[I explained about my shows] and it costs $190. When are you planning the party?" "What day is the cheapest?" "Well, would you consider having the party on a Thursday?" "Whatever is the cheapest." "I can offer some entertainment with magic and balloons for 1 hour, without all my equipment and that's just $150." "Yeah, no, it's a bit much, I am on the pension and I'm not sure if I can get everything, there's still the food and the party favours..[talked a bit more]..." "What were you thinking, then?" "$100" "Hmm. Ok I tell you what, I'll do that for you. Would you like to book that in?" Pause. "I'll think about it." |
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RandyStewart Inner circle Texas (USA) 1989 Posts |
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On 2005-10-20 05:33, Tom Stevens wrote: That may be the first five seconds of the call but that's also where you hang up. Just hang up on 'em. As the old saying goes "If ya have to ask how much....you can't afford it"...Actually you may want to use that quote just before hanging up. NO I'm just kidding so don't beat me up on that one. But I know darn well it's what a professional sometimes wishes they could do. Turning the client's search for "cheap and great entertainment", a David Copperfield extravaganza for a couple of hundred bucks, into a satisfied customer with no buyer's remorse is not always easy. Some of the worse planners are the mothers who've pretty much blown most of the budget on the party itself. With $50 in hand, a child with that angelic face that no one can refuse, she insists someone should be able to haul equipment to the party site and entertain with magic for say an hour or two. Many of them just don't realize what a good entertainer costs. Some good entertainers end up with the task of educating them whether it results in a gig or not. Ugh... I can assure you they never book the entertainment first - that's the last thing on their to do list. Perhaps because it's what they are least familiar with. They know about spending money on party decorations, the cake, the public place if not at home, party theme etc. It's been years since I've done B'day parties but have one acquaintance in San Antonio who is enviably successful. Don't bother calling him up to do lunch or invite for a golf game as he he's on his way to yet another gig. The guy can take the above finger on chalkboard question "How much" and turn it into "I don't give a *** how much you charge, I want a guarantee, in writing, that you'll be here and nowhere else on the day and time of the party - who do I write the check out to?". WHOA! A win-win situation. It's not only the demographic area he's dealing with. His clients, more often than not, put him and his fee at the top of their party to do list. The rest is secondary. He's very experienced in dealing with children and their mothers. He's done a heck of a great job marketing over the years. It's not a bad thing when people talk about a certain entertainer and say "He/She's a bit high but worth it and the kids will never forget the show". Many of his calls are repeat customers or referrals! Referral customers tend to start with "A friend of mine highly recommended you". Oh what a sweet sound that must be over the haggling nightmare some potentials put good entertainers through. Seems if he comes up in discussion among past and potential clients. They always agree that he can be expensive but worth it. That's a great compliment no matter what kind of entertainer you are. By the same token I'd have no trouble being considered "affordable" and worth every dollar. Those are good expectations from a caller and sure beat "I need something cheap and great - how much ya charge".... |
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
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Turning the client's search for "cheap and great entertainment" ... into a satisfied customer with no buyer's remorse is not always easy. How true! I figure that the caller who leads with that question has already called one or two performers and is haveng "sticker shock." It does no good trying to educate them about how hard I work (it's not just "coming over to play with the kids for an hour"). Frankly, the last time I had to call a plumber, I felt the $100/hr fairly keenly, even though I know that for that money, he has to face some really nasty things down people's toilets and such. When I wish I made more, it's comforting to think that at least I'm not a proctologist. The callers I just love (NOT) are the ones who lead with "How much is it to rent a clow?" (the terminal "n" is never pronounced.) If I try my usual sales pitch and they buy, I know for CERTAIN that one of the following will happen: 1) They will keep calling around and cancel me the second they find someone $5 cheaper, 2) They will call to cancel the day before the show because the costs are mounting and I'm a good place to cut costs, 3) "My sister, she hired a clow." (Tell your sister you already have one and cancel hers, jerk.) 4) In all my 25+ years performing, if I ask for a 50% deposit because I'm not sure they'll stick, maybe two people have ever actually sent one. 5) I will get there, do a great show (just like the show I came from just before, where I got a $20 tip) and at the end be told "I don't think it was worth all that." I've gotten a lot more picky about the ones I'll agree to take ... "Let me check my calendar ... no, I'm busy that day. Yes, ALL day. And the next day and the day before." |
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Tom Stevens Veteran user Australia 361 Posts |
This is one reason I posted prices on my web site. Cuts down the "How much do you charge?" calls by about 70%.
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
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Cuts down the "How much do you charge?" calls by about 70%. But ... but ... but ... how much may it cut down on callers who you could sell and would want to deal with, but who didn't call? These people may be worth a discount (a 4-hour picnic gig who could get a lower hourly rate for hours 2, 3, and 4) - or they may need you for less time than they think (so many people ask me how much for 3 hours, 'cause the party lasts 3 hours, when what they need is a half-hour show) - or the like. I had price RANGES ("as low as...") on my site for a while, but that seemed to confuse callers. Just as you need to get more info from them before being able to quote a price, they need to get more info from you before being able to understand your price. |
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Tom Stevens Veteran user Australia 361 Posts |
Good point, rossmacrae.
Somthing to consider. There's pros and cons to everything and if I see more pros I change it. I figure that if someone sees that you have a web site, they will be hoping to find prices there, just to get an idea. On the other hand sometimes getting them to call for a quote, and getting them speaking with you on the phone, they might find that they like you, and compare you positively to the others they called. I know that David Ginn said in 3 Ways to Book Your Show that he would NEVER NEVER publish prices because you are not allowing for some really good opportunities if a large venue wants to book you and they know how much you are generally. But an article in Clowning Around convinced me otherwise, that it was better to state clearly what you prices are on your web site. I think I'm off the subject now. I tend to do that. Sorry. |
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icentertainment Inner circle 1429 Posts |
I guess it depends on how your buyers buy.
If your market is the price battles and people coming on your web site are cheapo then have your prices listed. on the other hand with corporate shows there is a lot of variation so you wouldn't put your prices up. However Tim Ellis puts (or used to put) his prices on his web. Not sure why. |
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magicurt Loyal user alabama 222 Posts |
Strangest booking call---- I was asked if I would strip to a g string at the end of my show for double fee. This was a sorority party and the girls had seen me at another venue. I declined then they asked if I would just come strip for my fee. "Nope, sorry." Then they wanted to know if I'd just attend the party.
I also have many stories. I have twice performed for the blind. Once for a blind man's birthday party and once for a school for the blind and deaf. Curt |
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Tony S Special user New York 582 Posts |
Curt - I hope you went to the party!!!
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